Wow, doesn't anyone see that karma IS dogma! Just because karma is an idea from Eastern traditions doesn't make it any less dogmatic of an idea. Take it from me; growing up as a Hindu child I was fully indoctrinated in all Hindu dogma: the nature of God, reincarnation, karma, maya, etc. I was expected to believe such things, and believe them strongly, because they were part of our scripture and our tradition.

Is saying: "Your actions now, through some sort of mechanism we don't understand, affect your future lives, and we know this because of scripture and tradition" really that much different from saying: "Although saved by Grace, your actions now, through some sort of mechanism we don't understand, will be judged by God and may affect your future Life, and we know this because of scripture and tradition"?

WARNING--Rant:
Sheesh, I hate it when hippie liberal weirdos (God bless them) chant and dance and sing with flowers in their hair embracing Hinduism as some sort of free-loving, open, super-liberal religion! Hinduism is my culture and my tradition, and it is conservative! Hinduism, in general, decries abortion (even though modern Indian society does not *sigh*); embraces austerity, simplicity, and self-sacrifice; and is morally conservative and traditional. Most Hindus I know think maybe the Kama Sutra is okay for married couples (any other kind of sex is obviously wrong), but it is still pretty weird and disgusting, and is a horrible misrepresentation of our culture. Oh yes and, true, most Indian immigrants to Europe and the US are politically on the left, but I'm not talking politics.

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