Instant Karma’s gonna get you

[madbaker]

My wife is taking a gen ed religion class, and combined with various and varying life fu, I’ve been thinking a bit more about my beliefs. (Or lack thereof.)

I like the idea of karma - it’s a good ethical precept.
I wish I could believe that it happens.

I think the reason that it’s part of most major religions is that it appeals to our sense of fair play and justice. Do unto others, because what goes around comes around. It’s an enticing rule –easy to conceptualize, balanced, black and white.

But we live in a world defined by shades of gray.

And I don’t believe the universe is fair, or just. Just… random. And impersonal.

Good people do bad things, and have bad things happen to them. Bad people prosper. Or they don’t. I don’t see any symmetry of consequences.

The downside of free will, I suppose.

On a side note: wouldn’t karmic reincarnation be more meaningful if we could remember previous lives? It’s hard to learn from your past mistakes when you don’t know what they were.

Comments

[maestrateresa.livejournal.com]

I would deeply like to believe in karma, but I expect I don't, really....heaven knows, if I *really* believed in karma, I'd have to take a good hard look at my life! What I *do* believe, though, is that it is important to *behave* as though I really believed in karma. I think that's a win-win situation, then...if it's real, I win, if it's not, I've been reasonably morally responsible, and still win :)

Perhaps...

[callistotoni.livejournal.com]

... one should think in terms of local versus cosmic level. Obviously bad things happen to good people, and vice versa. However, if one "does onto others, as you would have them do onto you", one is more likely to have the support one needs from friends to get through hard times. Conversely, if you are a jerk to other people, you are less likely to keep friends and possibly useful associations, so that you are more likely to be alone in your time of need.

Personally, I'm fond of the Stoic's take: it's not so important what happens to you as it it how you handle it. And I do like to believe What goes around comes around...