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Choice and Karma
Can you be a feminist and oppose abortion in all circumstances? Can you be a person of faith and support abortion in some circumstances?
My categorical answer to both the questions is yes! A resounding YES! to a woman's freedom to make a choice. And here's why....
Instinctively a mother protects her child, born or unborn. I think,generally, it would be under extenuating circumstances that a mother would want to abort.
I feel, a woman has the right to choose - to choose life or to abort, especially if there are life threatening circumstances. (I am against abortion favoring birth of one child over another or sex selection).
As a Hindu, I believe the Soul is eternal and immortal, while the body is subject to birth and death. Life is sacred. In the context of abortion, what is important to me is the intent, the motivation, behind the decision. In the overall cosmic balance was the act, life enhancing or diminishing? For, as you sow, so shall you reap; for somewhere along in the cycle of karmic births and deaths you will be rewarded by the fruits of your action. Karma (literally: action) is the sum of one's actions, and the force that determines one's next reincarnation.
The Hindu scriptures do not take an explicit position on abortion. Our ancient texts show considerable liberalism for women. Constraint, over the centuries, came primarily from the society. The societal norms provided the boundaries for checks and balance. In contrast, in the west the boundaries are primarily through religion, whereas the society is more liberal.
For me, freedom is the ability to make a choice which best suits the circumstances. I support the nun's choice to save a life.
Freedom to choose is a double edged sword. Indeed!
By
Anju Bhargava
|
May 19, 2010; 12:13 AM ET
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Posted by: APaganplace | May 24, 2010 10:32 AM
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The Dharma/Karma dialectic is the theologic equivalent of Original Sin (or, if you insist, man's innate tendency to evil). Whereas one's past life behavior is rewarded or punished in one's present state in Hinduism, Adam's failure to obey a god plays out on today's hapless human victims under Christianism.
Both notions are deeply deleterious to our condition.
Posted by: tojby_2000 | May 23, 2010 11:03 AM
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Oh, and karma is a superstition, as is the bogeyman.
Posted by: PSolus | May 22, 2010 3:15 PM
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"I feel, a woman has the right to choose - to choose life or to abort, especially if there are life threatening circumstances. (I am against abortion favoring birth of one child over another or sex selection)."
So, a woman has the right to choose, but only if her choice conforms with your choice.
That's pretty much Palin's view; a woman has the freedom of choice as long as she chooses what Palin wants her to choose.
Posted by: PSolus | May 22, 2010 3:14 PM
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We live in a natural universe and not in a faith universe. Nature continually acts in a cruel fashion without any regard for individual lives.
Therefore, from the point of view of natural philosophy and the example set by the creation itself, there would seem to be no cause to object to the practice of abortion.
Posted by: norriehoyt | May 21, 2010 5:04 PM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
""The Dharma/Karma dialectic is the theologic equivalent of Original Sin (or, if you insist, man's innate tendency to evil).""
No, it's not. And here's why: While it's possible to *use* the idea in this way to justify the suffering of others:
"" Whereas one's past life behavior is rewarded or punished in one's present state in Hinduism,""
...Karma is not something that all people were cursed by once and forever, unless they obey some old book.
It's an ongoing process, and this article is very much about what we create in the present and future.