What goes around comes around.
I don’t treat people bad, because I don’t want that happening to me.
You get what you deserve.
Karma.
For a long time, I thought I believed in it. I bought into the idea that there was some other force out there that determines how the scale balances. That my actions would decide how others may act towards me. If I wronged someone, then they (or someone else) would wrong me in return. But if I believed in that, Karma, then I would have to accept and believe in everything that surrounds it.
Bad Things Happen To Good People
In a nutshell, Karma cannot explain why bad things happen to good people. Why bad things happen to children. In all honesty, it’s very brutal.
For example: your child gets hit by a flying baseball and is seriously injured. Someone comes up to and say, “ Looks like that kid did something horrible in a past life, looks like he’s getting what he deserves.” That must be Karma…or is it?
What would you say to that person? Agree? I know I wouldn’t! Karma cannot explain why bad things happen to good people. Would we then say that’s Karma gone wrong? It’s just how the universe corrects itself. It’s just the way things are. Maybe the parents did something wrong, and the children are paying the price….
Multiple Lives.
Karma (action, deed) is able to cross lives through reincarnation. If you had good Karma, then you have a higher place in rebirth, bad karma, the opposite But now the next question would be: do you believe in reincarnation?
I don’t. I believe we have one life, one death. Period. Some of us (us meaning Westerners) want to buy into reincarnation because we don’t have to admit that we’ll die. On the other hand others (meaning Easterners) want out, because they see reincarnation as a form of suffering. There is nothing pleasant about being reincarnated.
If You Accept The Idea of Karma, then Are you Accepting The Whole Package?
How can we say “that must be Karma”, if we’re going to say that the person got exactly what they deserve but it only counts for this lifetime. It still doesn’t explain why children suffer (or why good people) suffer for no reason.
If we say something was due to Karma, or I don’t want Bad Karma, then are we saying that we believe in reincarnation, even though we are Christians, and in our faith doesn’t believe in reincarnation?
What ever happened to treating others the way we want to be treated (the golden rule)? Why would we choose to treat others nicely just because if we don’t, it will come and haunt us (maybe not now but in another life).
After doing a mental examination of myself, I find that I truly do not believe in Karma. I believe that we do have free will, and some choose to use that free will poorly—so poorly, that good people suffer. However, I now catch myself when I would say, what goes around comes around.
Do you think we get what we deserve? Do you believe in Karma?
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Wow, Kalley. Good points. I suppose my thought is this: there’s some truth in the idea of Karma, in that evil isn’t isolated—the bad we do isn’t just to ourselves, but effects everyone. Even if it doesn’t seem like it’s harming someone else. Does that sound right to you, too?
I do agree that evil is not isolated, and it does affect other people, but then I don’t think I would call that Karma. Our good deeds does affect other as well–like charity work, and sacrifice for another person.
I think, as a society, we are all connected, one action is bound to affect another. But what I don’t believe is that there is a balance scale out there, making everything just and right based on our actions.
But, as you so aptly put: every action causes a reaction. 🙂
I agree with you. 🙂
I don’t believe in Karma, as a Catholic. At all. I don’t think there’s a Karma wheel spinning and keeping tabs of all that I do wrong (or right) so that balance is kept on some scale somewhere. Nope. And I’m also not saying that those who believe in that are horrible, or wrong. It’s just not what I believe. I believe in doing good because it’s what we should do. ‘Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” Matthew 25:45 As far as bad things happening to good people? “But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” Job 2:10 No incarnation for me. One shot. One life. One faith. 🙂 I don’t know where all that scripture quoting came from. That never happens.
I’m right there with you Christina. As a Catholic, I don’t believe in Karma, and I do believe that the trials that we go through are meant to strengthen our relationship with the Lord. It is sad when bad things happen to good people, or when someone loses a loved one unexpected (just thinking about that reminds of Pope Francis who lost some of his family members). I am reminded that prayer and showing compassion helps in these situations, even though that wouldn’t change it the outcome, it does show that people care.
Sometimes we reach for what others have said before us: like family or people who we are fond of. There are times when their words, can become our words. So when someone said to me again about Karma, I had to step back and really examine my true thoughts on this.
I love the scripture passages you shared with us! Sometimes, we just know where to reach deep down to find the answers. 🙂
Hmmm I think that bad things do happen to people because of things they have done in their past. On the other hand I do think Karma is such a big thing to kind of “trick” people into trying to do good so they won’t get anything coming back to them. Bad things happen to everyone no one escapes it no matter how good you are maybe some don’t get it as bad though. Great points and it’s giving me something to think about.
Good point that you made Kita. That Karma can “trick” people into behaving nice to one another so that it doesn’t come back to them. But then I would wonder if their intentions of the “good” that they do really good if it’s done out of a fear.
Bad things happen to good people. And good things happen to bad people. Life was not designed to be fair. I accept that. (and reject Karma)
Well said! Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. I truly think that our trials in life are just that, trials and it’s one that we must go through in order to be closer to God.
I do believe by treating people the way you want to be treated. I’m not so big on Karma-I just believe that things happen to people good/ bad . I’m more focused on how I or how others react to the things happening to them.
Great Post and good points.