kavalamyself Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Do you believe in "karma" ? Is there a "Catholic" word for this belief? Like, "what goes around comes around?" Or this is just purely an Eastern thought/belief? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 [quote name='kavalamyself' post='1792689' date='Feb 27 2009, 07:20 PM']Do you believe in "karma" ? Is there a "Catholic" word for this belief? Like, "what goes around comes around?" Or this is just purely an Eastern thought/belief?[/quote] It has nothing to do with Catholic thought. We get one soul and one chance to get it right - this is not a rehearsal and there are no repeat performances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I guess at a very basic level it's somewhat related to God as a final judge, but the similarity ends there. Eastern philosophies and religions are very focused on the self, not God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I have always believed that what goes around comes around. Kind of a Golden Rule kind of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhetoricfemme Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Definitely what goes around comes around, whether in this in this life or whatever God has planned for us afterward. Technically, I don't believe in Karma. Though I do toss the phrase around now and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 It's convenient, because everyone knows what it means, and I have a hunch that there's an element of it in natural law, but I suppose it's most important to keep the differences between Eastern philosophy/religion and Christianity in the front of your mind. We don't, obviously, believe in karma as a sort of cosmic force. We do believe that to some extent what goes around comes around, but only because of God's will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardillacid Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 ka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 "karma" is purely a superstitious and deceitful thing and gives someone a reason to feel good just because something bad happened to a person they have a vandetta against. its like this magical revenge type thing. "karma is a (you know what)" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonkers Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Don't believe in Karma, even if god did exist, people who spend their entire lives doing bad things have the opportunity to repent on their deathbed, while many "good" people die in immediate circumstances, such as car crashes, or because of someone elses stupidity. I suppose we could create our own karma, but there is the unfortunate matter of the law to deal with. Sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kavalamyself Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Sometimes I believe in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote name='kavalamyself' post='1793649' date='Feb 28 2009, 03:16 PM']Sometimes I believe in it.[/quote] Sometimes I think its just God's sense of humor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kavalamyself Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 Yeah, well, thanks for all the answers and opinions. This came up last weekend. One of my roommates and I went to visit an order that was founded out of another order (not like a daughterhouse but more as in a splinter group). Anyway, the original order has gone the way of the libs while the new order has returned to the faithful (as in orthodox, but not eastern) church. So the first group is totally falling apart, with the nuns getting older and no new vocations while the newer one is flourishing. The first group will most likely close. One of the nuns we visited with said something about it being "karma" and "what goes around comes around," and "that's what they get." I didn't think that was very Catholic (not to mention Christian) but then I wondered if she was using the word karma as more of a general term because we all know what it means? So that kinda stuck with me and then later when I thought about it, I realized that I sort of do believe in it but I would never have said that word because I identify it with eastern thought/life and not Christian. But THEN I thought maybe it is just a simplified version of the golden rule as someone mentioned. It's crazy trying to really be a true Catholic living in a world where we use words that come other religions and we don't always think about that. And hearing a nun say that really surprised me and it got me to think a little more deeply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I try to avoid saying it. I also avoid saying good luck, when I'm really thinking about it, for the same reason. Obviously I say that when it's convenient to, but I don't believe in luck either for similar reasons. Karma is on par with reincarnation and yogic type meditation in terms of Catholic orthodoxy, as far as my thoughts have taken me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) Karma is a dangerous concept because it implies that we live many lives and either get rewarded or punished in this life for sins or good actions that we performed in a previous life. This is totally heretical. The idea of "instant karma" is also prevalent today, that is, wrongdoers will get punished in this lifetime for evil they do in this lifetime (and rewarded as well). But this all implies a form of justice based on man's understanding, and not God's, since only God knows the hearts of man, and Jesus asked us NOT to judge each other. I, too, try to avoid using words like karma and luck because they deny God's divine plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. Sure, this could be nitpicking, but it is the subtle and invasive secularism of our society that is increasing man's separation from God. We should never forget to give Him all power and glory and credit. Edited March 1, 2009 by nunsense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
add Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Catholic Charity Is karma, ie: what ever you do for the least of my brothers that I will do unto you tenfold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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