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Does karma exist?

I've been hearing a lot about "karma" recently. It's usually been used in the following manner - "Karma came back to bite him" or "Karma is a b**ch. Just wait and he'll get what he deserves."

Now, I refer to myself as agnostic. While I don't believe there's enough evidence to state there is a higher power we call God, I also don't believe there's enough evidence to deny this being's possible existence either.

As for karma, though, I think I have an even harder time believing it than the existence of a higher power.

First off, let's look at the definition of the term:

"karma [kahr-muh]
noun
1. action, seen as bringing oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation.

2. the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation.

3. fate; destiny.

4. the good or bad emanations felt to be generated by someone or something."

I think after looking at the quotes I've heard recently and the term's definition, I have a hard time believing in the existence of karma. I think it's a nice idea and I'd actually prefer that it would be true (like a pleasant afterlife), but like religion can provide one a sense of relief after death, I think karma can provide one a sense of relief prior to it. 

I think it's pretty common after seeing or hearing about a person perform an atrocious act, to secretly hope they're able to be on the other side of that equation in the future. I think it's also pretty common after seeing or hearing about a person perform a generous act, to secretly hope another places them on the receiving side of such a gesture. However, I think that's only wishful thinking.

If karma exists, what did women do to get raped? Children do to get abused? What did people do to deserve poverty? Starvation? What did newborns do to deserve a disease or a mental handicap?

I can hope that good people will somehow get rewarded for their kind deeds and bad people will get punished, but I know that's not always going to be the case, so while I'd love to believe karma existed, I have a very difficult time believing it does.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/karma?s=t

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