Talk:Objections to the Doctrine of Karma and Responses:Karma and Divine Apathy

By Vishal Agarwal

Objection: There is considerable pain, injustice and evil in this world. Even if God gives us the deserved fruit of our actions, the fact remains that any compassionate person step in to alleviate human suffering irrespective of the crimes of the suffering person. But God, who is supposed to be living and perfect, does not step in soon and frequently enough to remove human suffering solely because we are all supposed to be experiencing the results of our actions and God will not over-ride the Law of Karma. To err is human, but to forgive is Divine.

Response: Refer to sections 4.2 and 4.4 above. The Law of Karma combined with the Doctrine of Rebirth and concept of temporary hells is a much more humane system than the Abrahamic ‘one life with unequal opportunities at Divine whims followed by an eternal hell/heaven’ in any case. The Divine is not apathetic. He has revealed the Vedas and has exhorted us to fight evil, injustice and suffering as His agents. He will help us only if we help ourselves and others. A modern teacher too explains-

“We might meet many different types of personalities during the course of our life, some supportive, some hostile, some loving, some suspicious and unlikeable. If we do not want to acquire more karma, we should not judge any of their actions. Any experience we have, good or bad, is only the

effect of some cause we have started at some other time, perhaps in some other lifetime. If we accept the experience without judgment, that particular cycle of cause and effect will be finished in this life, but if we react, we will be starting another cycle, the effect of which will have to be experienced by us at some other time in this life or some other life.

Of course we will recognize negativity when we see it, but we should not judge it. Judging it is not our business. When we judge we create negative karma. Judgment is an action of the personality, never of the Self. Nature does not judge. God is an impersonal witness of the actions of the human being and will not interfere unless called upon to do so. To blame him for our negative experiences is a waste of time.”