> We are fortunate to live in a society that recognizes human rights and > justice as moving forms best designed by fluid governing bodies. The > ancient concept of karma has no place in this world of secular ethics. > People have a duty to be involved in the shaping of ethical standards > and recognize their place in a free society.
But don't ya miss the good ol' days of the Laws Of Manu where killing a woman was karmically equivalent to killing and insect? Plus as outcasts, as long as we stay away from the Brahman's wives, we were considered off the hook for much punishment that goes to our betters who should know better! Excellent summation Stu! I especially appreciated your correct use of the term "Pre-enlightenment", a useful term before it was co-opted by Maharishi against Jerry Jarvis's educated protests. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Stu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, ruthsimplicity <no_reply@> > wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > curtisdeltablues@ wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" > > > <willytex@> wrote: > > > As if you knew you were spending karma points. In my mind > > there is really no ethics in this because we only know the life we > > have now. > > > > Christianity does the same thing with heaven and hell. No reward > > now? You'll get it in heaven. No punishment now, he'll get his in > hell. > > > > Both are ways to explain away the difficult problem that life is not > > fair. > > > This problem of using magical karma as an explanation of justice is > reducible to 2 situations. > > 1. Humans place in nature. As beings evolved in a codependent web of > life on this planet our actions have consequences to the environment as > a whole. Evolution skews our relationship with the planet so that we > fit in like a perfect puzzle piece. Any behavior that resists this cozy > relationship is going to rock the boat. This natural justice can be > labeled karma. > > 2. Humans place among fellow humans. Historically this domain has been > the realm of theistic laws that governed human behavior. > Pre-enlightenment societies depended on folktales to create ethical > standards. Fortunately we have had a movement since the ancient Greeks > that recognized that human laws are best designed by human societies. > We are fortunate to live in a society that recognizes human rights and > justice as moving forms best designed by fluid governing bodies. The > ancient concept of karma has no place in this world of secular ethics. > People have a duty to be involved in the shaping of ethical standards > and recognize their place in a free society. > > s. >
