11-12-2009, 10:17 PM
Karma & Rebirth is the only logical choice (no more Hell, thank God). This can be proven by the following examples:
A child continues to misbehave in a store despite the admonitions of his parents. Eventually he breaks a product. Does the parent simply forgive the child? Then the child learns nothing. Or do you give him a beating? Use physical violence against a child? In the olden days this was quite common, but today this action might get you jail time! So, what do present-day parents do? Today we talk to the child, make him see why his actions were wrong, have him apologize to the store owner, and then make him do odd jobs to help pay for the cost of the product. This way the child learns the right lesson, imparted by loving parents using non-violent methods. This is essentially Karma & Rebirth in action! If a Hindu were to commit an error but was unable to correct it before his death, he is given another chance to do so in the next life. He is not going to be physically punished, but he is not going to get away with his error either.
A second example: A driver makes an error on the highway resulting in horrific consequences. He dies along with a few others; others survive but suffer terrible injuries. They endure multiple surgeries; some of them lose their life savings and houses, and are forced to live in home-less shelters. Those who had lost their loved ones must now deal with the anguish of the loss, live with the realization that they will never see their loved ones again! Some religions teach that God forgives everyone, but can one be so callous as to enter heaven knowing that the victims of the accident are suffering? This brings to mind some of the henchmen of Hitler who escaped to countries like Argentina and lived a happy life while their victims were left to deal with the pain and suffering.
Another example is that of a student who fails to pass an exam. Will the Teacher bail him out, forgive him and simply pass him? No good Teacher will do that, if she does that, she is not doing her job. The student must accept responsibility, he failed because he did not listen to his teacher, did not heed her teachings, his failure is his alone. He must redouble his efforts, find and correct his mistakes and must pass the exam on the strength of his efforts alone! The Teacher will be with him every step of the way, encouraging him, teaching him, and disciplining him when necessary.
What if God gave you a choice? Either go to heaven or be reborn and maybe help the victims of the car accident or others in a similar situation? Which option would you choose? For me, honestly, there is only one option. Karma & Rebirth is the only logical choice.
But letâs not lose sight of the bigger picture here â we may never know if Karma & Rebirth can be proven to be occurring - these concepts are teaching us to accept responsibility for our actions, do the right thing! If you made an error, donât run away, stand your ground, accept responsibility, take the criticism, then go out and take steps to correct the situation! Itâs about being held Accountable for our actions â donât look for the easy way out nor should you ask for one, instead one should be prepared to accept responsibility for our actions and seek to rectify the situation as much as one can.
The concept of Karma & Rebirth also does away with the notion of Hell â a barbaric, abusive place unworthy of God. Would a Mahatma Gandhi run a prison where his enemies are tortured? Would a Dalai Lama or a Nelson Mandela ever think of torturing their enemies? How about the likes of Saddam Hussain, Stalin or Hitler? And this is the company that God keeps? Evil men like Saddam Hussain and Stalin used to run torture chambers, and we think God uses their brutal methods? God buys love with threats of torture? But if we are uncomfortable with the concept of Hell, then we must do away with Heaven also. It does not make sense for Pedophiles, Murderers, Abusers, Terrorists and the like to simply walk into heaven.
Besides, with Rebirth, we get the Greatest Gift of all, the Gift of Life! Over and over again! Not only giving us a chance to rectify past mistakes but to also fulfill desires that we were unable to pursue in a previous life. As we get older, we reflect on our past â the mistakes that were made, the wrong choices made, the wrong associations etc. How many of us wish that we could have a do-over? And that is exactly what God letâs us do with the Gift of Life!
Anyway we look at it; Karma & Rebirth is the only logical choice
A child continues to misbehave in a store despite the admonitions of his parents. Eventually he breaks a product. Does the parent simply forgive the child? Then the child learns nothing. Or do you give him a beating? Use physical violence against a child? In the olden days this was quite common, but today this action might get you jail time! So, what do present-day parents do? Today we talk to the child, make him see why his actions were wrong, have him apologize to the store owner, and then make him do odd jobs to help pay for the cost of the product. This way the child learns the right lesson, imparted by loving parents using non-violent methods. This is essentially Karma & Rebirth in action! If a Hindu were to commit an error but was unable to correct it before his death, he is given another chance to do so in the next life. He is not going to be physically punished, but he is not going to get away with his error either.
A second example: A driver makes an error on the highway resulting in horrific consequences. He dies along with a few others; others survive but suffer terrible injuries. They endure multiple surgeries; some of them lose their life savings and houses, and are forced to live in home-less shelters. Those who had lost their loved ones must now deal with the anguish of the loss, live with the realization that they will never see their loved ones again! Some religions teach that God forgives everyone, but can one be so callous as to enter heaven knowing that the victims of the accident are suffering? This brings to mind some of the henchmen of Hitler who escaped to countries like Argentina and lived a happy life while their victims were left to deal with the pain and suffering.
Another example is that of a student who fails to pass an exam. Will the Teacher bail him out, forgive him and simply pass him? No good Teacher will do that, if she does that, she is not doing her job. The student must accept responsibility, he failed because he did not listen to his teacher, did not heed her teachings, his failure is his alone. He must redouble his efforts, find and correct his mistakes and must pass the exam on the strength of his efforts alone! The Teacher will be with him every step of the way, encouraging him, teaching him, and disciplining him when necessary.
What if God gave you a choice? Either go to heaven or be reborn and maybe help the victims of the car accident or others in a similar situation? Which option would you choose? For me, honestly, there is only one option. Karma & Rebirth is the only logical choice.
But letâs not lose sight of the bigger picture here â we may never know if Karma & Rebirth can be proven to be occurring - these concepts are teaching us to accept responsibility for our actions, do the right thing! If you made an error, donât run away, stand your ground, accept responsibility, take the criticism, then go out and take steps to correct the situation! Itâs about being held Accountable for our actions â donât look for the easy way out nor should you ask for one, instead one should be prepared to accept responsibility for our actions and seek to rectify the situation as much as one can.
The concept of Karma & Rebirth also does away with the notion of Hell â a barbaric, abusive place unworthy of God. Would a Mahatma Gandhi run a prison where his enemies are tortured? Would a Dalai Lama or a Nelson Mandela ever think of torturing their enemies? How about the likes of Saddam Hussain, Stalin or Hitler? And this is the company that God keeps? Evil men like Saddam Hussain and Stalin used to run torture chambers, and we think God uses their brutal methods? God buys love with threats of torture? But if we are uncomfortable with the concept of Hell, then we must do away with Heaven also. It does not make sense for Pedophiles, Murderers, Abusers, Terrorists and the like to simply walk into heaven.
Besides, with Rebirth, we get the Greatest Gift of all, the Gift of Life! Over and over again! Not only giving us a chance to rectify past mistakes but to also fulfill desires that we were unable to pursue in a previous life. As we get older, we reflect on our past â the mistakes that were made, the wrong choices made, the wrong associations etc. How many of us wish that we could have a do-over? And that is exactly what God letâs us do with the Gift of Life!
Anyway we look at it; Karma & Rebirth is the only logical choice