Theos-Talk Archives (June 1995 Message tl00058)

In message <Hg977c2w165w@actrix.co.at> theos-l@vnet.net writes:

> Karma is one of the toughest things for me to understand,
> certainly with my dull human brain.  I've lain awake at night,
> wondering how a merciful God can allow such terrible suffering to
> exist.  My feeling is that there isn't a "merciful God" -- that's
> a Christian construct.  There is only Law.

As far as I can tell, the evidence supports this view.  It's a
tough conclusion to accept, and begs many questions, like "Is
there a law-maker, and if there is, how do we get even?"

> Karma is an incredible mystery, which may be easily
> misunderstood.

Karma to me means that if I stub my toe I say "ouch" 'cos my toe
hurts.  Again, it's Law; there is no moral element.

>  The sufferings of Jews in WWII were terrible, but really
> no different from the suffering of any one individual, except
> in number.

Hardly worth remembering, then?

> Each of us has a certain amount of past experience and karma
> which might bring about certain causes.  Perhaps karma doesn't
> specifically bring us into situations where we will be tortured,
> but I agree that no-one "deserves" such suffering.  It might be
> helpful to think that the karma of such a person was relatively
> neutral, i.e.  normal for any typical human being, but that by
> being in the wrong race at the wrong time,

Whoa! - you just introduced a new abd apparently random factor -
so it may not be "karma" at all?

> they suffered due to the evil that afflicted their tormentors.
> They have thus generated a "credit balance", or wiped out much of
> previous debts, by suffering so, while their oppressors have set
> in train causes which will lead to much educative suffering in
> future.

So millions of Jews suffered for the benefit of their oppressors?
WOW - this is really spiritual! I bet they're pleased to have
been of service .....

Maybe, as an alternative point of view, some of them reincarnated
in Israel to get even with reincarnated NAZI party members now
reincarnated as Palestinians .....  this way they get to be
karmic agents directly.