Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00039)

Liesel wrote:

> Sin, to me is unforgiveable. The sinner lands in hell. A person who
> errs can sooner or later learn to do it better, and so become
> redeemed.

Wow. You believe there are unforgiveable deeds and people who can't
learn to do better? I admit there are people who I wonder about (half
serious here), but a little voice inside me whispers the question,
"Why would God create someone who is damned?"

It really boils down to how God can give us free will, but
nevertheless keep us from using that free will to permanently get on
the wrong track.  Though it looks ridiculously simple, the answer is:
karma! If wrong deeds invoke pain, given the gift of reincarnation and
eternal time, we must eventually learn to use our will according to
His Will.

I used the word "simple", but as Jung remarked, "How extraordinarly
difficult it is to live simply!" Maya with her ten thousand veils!

> To me one of the beauties of karma is that as you learn you can
> change it. People who don't learn anything keep on making the same
> mistake over & over again. A striking example which comes to mind is
> a divorced person, who remarries someone very much like their first
> spouse, and is just as miserable for the same reasons the second
> time round. That's Karma presenting them with the same lesson, until
> they realize what they need to change. Then the karma will change.

I could split hairs over the distinction between karma, which is the
consequence of deeds (still counting thoughts as deeds), and learning, which
drives one's deeds. But I see your point. Like you, I think people tend to
argue over things where there is a superficial, but no root disagreement.
If only the religions of the world could realize that. Sigh ...

Thanks for some thought provoking remarks and questions.

Titus