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@opiumpoetry said:
I'm reminded of a man in Cambodia who said of girls working in brothels, "It's the result of their past karma. There's nothing anyone can do."

Hello. This is not the original Buddha teachings of kamma. I read the original Buddha teaching is if you believe your situation is due to past lives, your belief leads to inaction, which is wrong. Here it is, here

"Having approached the brahmans & contemplatives who hold that... whatever a person experiences... is all caused by what was done in the past,' I said to them: 'Is it true that you hold that... whatever a person experiences... is all caused by what was done in the past?' Thus asked by me, they admitted, 'Yes.' Then I said to them, 'Then in that case, a person is a killer of living beings because of what was done in the past. A person is a thief... unchaste... a liar... a divisive speaker... an abusive speaker... an idle chatterer... covetous... malevolent... a holder of wrong views because of what was done in the past.' When one falls back on what was done in the past as being essential, monks, there is no desire, no effort [at the thought], 'This should be done. This shouldn't be done.' When one can't pin down as a truth or reality what should & shouldn't be done, one dwells bewildered & unprotected. One cannot righteously refer to oneself as a contemplative...

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/kamma.html

@Fosdick said:
Karma is an issue of cause and effect, not of reward and punishment, carrot and stick, though some appear to interpret it in that way.

If we look for cruelty in these realms, we need look no further than the Christian doctrine of original sin, whereby we are all cursed by the supposed transgression of Adam.

Jesus himself, of course, had little to say about the issue. Matthew 5:22 perhaps?

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' will be subject to the Sanhedrin . But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be subject to the fire of hell.>

Original sin comes from the Old Testament. I, for one, think that being as the Old Testament is the OPPOSITE of the teachings of Jesus, it should be banished from the Christian Bible, along with the Gospel of Matthew.

@opiumpoetry said:
No one faith knows it all, not one is perfect. I think it's all one huge jigsaw puzzle and each faith is a only a few pieces of the puzzle.

Well, as the Dalai Lama said, “Don’t become a buddhist, but use buddhism to become a better whatever-you-are.” I think he was quite right to say that the insights of buddhist philosophy have something to offer to Christians, Muslims and others, and that some people are better off with other traditions. It is a personal choice.

I would say that any spiritual path can be a good one. If it is approached with wisdom, care, insight, and openness there will be opportunities to get to know oneself and the universe, and there are certain universal aspects of the human experience which we get to recognise, such as silence and illusion.

@person said:
The explanation that changed my mind on the subject from someone who did believe in karma as all encompassing was that just because someone's current suffering came about from past actions doesn't mean they aren't worthy of compassion and help. Helping them would also be their karma.

I think I'd also ask if there isn't something else at work here? Most people wouldn't think that one idea is morally bankrupt and abandon the whole project. Are there other factors that led you to believe the way you do now and subsequent to that you now look on Buddhism with an unfavorable lens?

Perhaps I was considering how unfortunate I and my mother have been, the mistreatment we have always suffered at the hands of close family. I think it will take me many years to overcome my anger and learn to think calmly and more rationally.

"Helping them would also be their karma." I'm reminded of a man in Cambodia who said of girls working in brothels, "It's the result of their past karma. There's nothing anyone can do." The reply is, if you don't try to help them then you are gaining bad karma for yourself. It's sad that anyone would misinterpret the dharma in that way.

I guess we're all still on the journey, making giant leaps over the years but only baby steps day by day.

Karma is an issue of cause and effect, not of reward and punishment, carrot and stick, though some appear to interpret it in that way.

If we look for cruelty in these realms, we need look no further than the Christian doctrine of original sin, whereby we are all cursed by the supposed transgression of Adam.

Jesus himself, of course, had little to say about the issue. Matthew 5:22 perhaps?

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' will be subject to the Sanhedrin . But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be subject to the fire of hell.>