Is karma conflicting with Christianity

Answer 1

Yes, karma and Christianity do not intertwine. In Christianity, the idea is that while good works are a good thing, they are not responsible for salvation. One is saved (and the recipient of eternity in heaven) by grace alone. Challenges and struggles are looked at in a positive light, believing that, yes, it may not feel good, but in the end you will develop perseverance and be a better person for it. Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. The idea of karma is that if you do good now, goodness will come to you later (therefore, how you act will determine your future and eternity).

Answer 2

The word 'karma' simply means 'action'. The law of karma teaches that our 'actions' in a previous life, determines our future in successive cycles of rebirths. The rebirth is in the form of 'reincarnation.'

While The Bible does teach that "we reap what we sow", this was not intended to mimic the 'karma/reincarnation' idea. The Bible does not teach the concept of different cycles of rebirth, over and over.

Here are 2 conflicts between karma and Christian beliefs:

1) The Bible states that "the soul that sins, it itself will die." Therefore souls 'die'. Karma teaches that we do not really die; but rather that we reincarnate into another type of being (or if you will - into another 'kind' of life.

2) Romans 6:7 states that a person "who has died, is acquitted from his sin." Holman's translation states: "a person who has died, is freed from sin's claims; with a footnote: Literally: acquitted. In other words is 'released from previous sins'. Death pays the price for previous sins. Karma teaches just the opposite. Therefore they try in some areas to be very careful (ie not to eat cows).

The Bible teaches 'resurrection' not 'reincarnation'. When Jesus was speaking with Mary & Martha about their brother Lazarus (who had died) they all understood that the resurrection would be in the future; 'on the last day'. In the meantime, those who died, would 'rest in sleep.' (sleep being used as a metaphor; obviously because the body was not literally sleeping, but would decay.)