karma and schadenfreude

Every once in a while I will hear someone say that they believe in karma or that they get enjoyment out of karma.  In some instances I will hear of someone getting their just desserts as karma exacting revenge on that person.  This usage of "karma" is not technically accurate.

First, I should note that since I am Christian I do not believe in literal karma, no matter how it is defined.  It is important to understand what I am disagreeing with when someone declares karma, however.

The real definition of karma comes from the Hindu religion.  The idea is that good deeds, thoughts, actions, etc. eventually result in good outcomes for people, and that bad deeds, thoughts, actions, etc. eventually result in bad outcomes for people.  The key is that this is supposed to be experienced in a person's next life.  Someone's karmic state is intrinsically linked to his or her reincarnation, and so payback would probably be in the quality of someone's next life, which would be lived without an understanding of the evils committed in the previous life.  Based on my understanding of the concept, which is admittedly imperfect, karma would have to be experienced a long time later, and probably in a future life rather than in this one.

I believe that a better word for what people mean when they say, "karma," is, "schadenfreude."  It's also a much more fun word to pronounce!  I believe that most of my audience knows what it means, but for the uninformed the dictionary.com definition is, "satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune."  I have mostly heard it used in conjunction with enjoying someone else's misery because one believes that misery is deserved.  So, when I hear that someone believes in karma, or enjoys seeing examples of karma, I understand that they simply like seeing the suffering of those they believe to be immoral.  This is more accurately the practical definition for schadenfreude.

Christian believers are not permitted to believe in Hindu karma or partake in schadenfreude.  Real karma is in direct contradiction to Heb 9:27, which states that people are destined to die once, and then to face judgment.  Schadenfreude is founded in a desire for vengeance that violates the spirit of Rom 12:17-21, fun as it is to say.

I'll certainly grant that both concepts are interesting, and have some allure.  At the very least, they can make you sound intelligent to adeptly use them in conversation.  However, a Christian believer shouldn't revel in either.