AboutBlanchjoe Expertise Who or what is God? What is Heaven? What is the meaning of life? Who am I? What is happiness? Why is there Evil? What is Sin? What is The Bible? What is the spirit or soul?
Experience I have been a student of comarative religions for more than 25 years, and I am currently a student of Ruharia Adi Da Samraj. My primary area of study is the dynamics of the Guru/Devotee relationship.
Question Hi Blanchjoe, I am Catholic and do believe in God and that he is there guiding us. However, I also firmly believe in what comes around goes around and fate - what is meant to be is meant to be and will be...are these two principles in conflict with Catholism in any ways? I think I believe in fate partly just to be less harsh on myself when dealing with recent confusing relationship issues. Any thoughts? Many thanks in advance. Soph
Answer Dear Soph,
Interesting Questions.
What your are describing is the differences between the belief in Determinism (God directs all things) and Karma (what goes around comes around).
The other question is, “…are these two principals (Determinism and Karma) in conflict with Catholicism...”
The answer to this second question is one of dogma, so that is the easiest to answer, and the answer is, Yes…Karma AND Determinism are antithetical to Catholic Dogma, karma implies forces outside of The Divine, and Determinism implies the lack of Free Will both of which are fundamentally counter to Catholic Dogma.
The second, and more fundamental question that exists within your inquiry is based more in the dilemma of what is the actual nature of The Divine (God).
Ignoring dogma for a moment how one answers that question (of what is the true nature of The Divine) defines whether God is Deterministic or Karmic, or none of the above.
Once this question is answered, then questions of whether God directs us, or if the a system of Karmic Principles governs us, can be clearer understood.
As long as the nature of The Divine is based within a belief methodology, then all aspects of that belief, and The Divine itself (and all of the corresponding characteristics attributed to The Divine) can be argued and counter-argued till the end of time.
Only when The Divine (or God) becomes a matter of direct and actual perceptive and self-referential Faith, do all of these issues of mere belief and counter-belief evaporate.
