Works-Based Karma Christianity

Karma, is the "law of the deed" and is a century's old worldwide belief that if you do good things then good will come back to you, and if you do bad, then bad will come back to you. It is believed that suffering is the result of a person's wrongdoing in the past. It can be rectified through living as many lives in as many different forms as necessary to reach union with god and obtain god-consciousness. This belief is the complete opposite of Jesus' command to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matt 7:12 NIV).

The belief in karma resulted in a cruel caste system that relegates those who have not been successful in getting closer to reaching god-consciousness, to live in poverty and subservient to others. Wealth, good health, lighter skin color, and a higher class position are directly attributed to personal success at working to move closer to god-consciousness. Under the karma belief, if someone gets hurt or sick they are getting paid back and punished for something bad they did.

Karma goes hand in hand with reincarnation which is essentially a belief that a soul/spirit takes on a physical body, and when it dies it begins a cycle of rebirth in a life form that could be different than the one they left behind. The rebirth can occur hundreds or thousands of times if a person does not live a good enough life and fails at working out their salvation. The next life is determined on how they lived their previous life. Each lifetime is punished for past mistakes that the person may not even know they did. The ultimate goal is to reach a spiritual level where they escape from the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Reincarnation may seem to be a comfort but it is quite the opposite as it is a hopeless cycle that perpetuates the problem of evil, offering no forgiveness and making it impossible to get off the wheel of rebirths. Karma fuels pride and leaves no room for grace or mercy and opens the door for judging others.

The Karma Principle

The karma principle has been around since the beginning of time. The three friends of Job operated under it. They tried to convince him to repent so God could start blessing him again (See Job 11:13-17).

The disciples of Jesus also operated under the karma principle.

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." (John 9:1-3 NIV)

They were convinced that the blindness was the result of past sin. Jesus made it clear that it is wrong to draw a black and white conclusion when they see someone suffering. Jesus said there was no connection between sin and the man's blindness.

In another instance Jesus was approached by people who told Him about some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus responded to them and said,

"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:1-5 NIV).

The people who approached Jesus thought they were better than those who suffered horrific deaths. Jesus told them not to pass such erroneous judgment and let them know that how or when a person dies is not an indication of their status before God and that if they did not repent of their sins they would also perish.

Eternal Salvation

As with all other religions, karma is based on self-effort to obtain god-consciousness and or eternal life. Every human being on the planet is in need of God's kindness, mercy, love, and grace, and He provided the way to find it without having to earn it, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. It is the free gift of God's merciful grace that sets Christianity apart.

"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:3-7 NIV)