BY BRANDON SHOWALTER , CP REPORTER May 10, 2017 | 12:28 PM
A new survey reveals the scope of influence of non-Christian belief systems on the mindsets of practicing Christians, with large percentages of them agreeing with ideas from other faiths and secular philosophies.
In the following, he's forcing the idea of, "Christians influenced by new spirituality" due to unawareness of Scripture:
BRANDON SHOWALTER WROTE: The influence of this spirituality has also seeped into the thinking of Christians on matters of ethics, with approximately one third believing in a form of karma. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they agreed with the statement "if you do good, you will receive good, and if you do bad, you will receive bad," which although not found in Scripture appeals to a sense of justice many have.
The idea of, "if you do good, you will receive good, and if you do bad, you will receive bad" is found in Scripture.
Romans 2:9-11 (NIV)
9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
Obadiah 1:15 (NIV)
15 “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.
Matthew 7:2 (NIV)
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Revelation 2:23 (NIV)
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
So, yes, did good? Then get good. Did bad? Then get bad. And at times, your own behavior brought back onto your own head.
YHWH treats everyone this way (all nations), even gentiles who are ignorant / unaware of His special revelation. They all will notice this aspect of His divine justice.
Thus why it's misleading to associate the concept with the term "karma", which comes from Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, because what's unique to man's self-imposed term "karma", in contrast to what the Creator reveals about Himself and His creation as documented in Scripture, is that "karma" relates to man's ideas of reincarnation; e.g. the quantity of "karma" that one accumulates determines whether:
(1) one comes back at all, (2) one comes back into a body again (re-incarnates) as a different human / different face / different identity, or (3) comes back as a lesser life form (e.g. animal or plant).
Wikipedia
Early texts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism share the concepts and terminology related to reincarnation.[70] They also emphasize similar virtuous practices and karma as necessary for liberation and what influences future rebirths.[34][71]
The word "reincarnation" derives from Latin, literally meaning, "entering the flesh again". The Greek equivalent metempsychosis (μετεμψύχωσις) derives from meta (change) and empsykhoun (to put a soul into),[12] a term attributed to Pythagoras.[13] An alternate term is transmigration implying migration from one life (body) to another.[14] Reincarnation refers to the belief that an aspect of every human being (or all living beings in some cultures) continues to exist after death, this aspect may be the soul or mind or consciousness or something transcendent which is reborn in an interconnected cycle of existence; the transmigration belief varies by culture, and is envisioned to be in the form of a newly born human being, or animal, or plant, or spirit, or as a being in some other non-human realm of existence.[15][16][17]
Obviously, the term "karma" itself is not compatible with the worldview of the Bible, where we do not have serial, multiple lives on earth, but live once and die—if we die before Christ comes back—then in death wait for the mass resurrections, which occurs on judgment day at end times. No several/multiple lives on earth as different people.
Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
John 5:28-29 (NIV)
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
Revelation 20:11-14 (NIV)
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
Job 14:12 (NIV)
12 so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep.
Job 19:25-27 (NIV)
25 I know that my redeemer[a] lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.[b] 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet[c] in[d] my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Footnotes:
a. Job 19:25 Or vindicator b. Job 19:25 Or on my grave c. Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then d. Job 19:26 Or destroyed, / apart from
So, their categorizing of the very vague, "do good, receive good, do bad, receive bad", which anyone whom YHWH interacts with can observe, even gentiles, cannot be force-fitted into the term "karma". Reap what you sow is Biblical as it involves God unleashing earthly judgment on everyone. God returning your own behavior on your own head is Biblical. Reincarnation, on the other hand, is not—and neither is "karma" (the full scope of what it entails, and thus what makes that word unique and incompatible with Scripture, and should not be found in the lips of any Christian, though the concept of "do good, receive good; do bad, receive bad" is Biblical and perfectly okay).
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