What are some positive and negative ways that the concept of karma has played or continues to play out in cultural and religious contexts? Overall, has the idea of karma been a positive or a negative cultural force? I examine Jewish ideas of good, and Christian ideas of good. These are compared with the belief in Karma.

Karma, as it is described in Buddhism, has been co-opted by many Western cultures. The positive forces would be that people of all religions consider Karma and how it relates to other religions. In Judaism, the idea of Mitzvot, or Good Deed, is similar. If you do good, then good comes back to you in this lifetime. In Christian faiths, 'What would Jesus do?' is as close as one can get to the idea of Karma. People just think of it as a golden rule: do unto others as you would have others do unto you, has some effect on people's actions within their lives. One does not have to be a Buddhist to appreciate this idea in one's daily life.