Claim 2 of 5 · Case 15 · Hinduism
Karma and reincarnation face a justice problem as an account of suffering, because a person is said to bear consequences for acts in past lives they cannot remember.
One claim from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
This is the most contested argument here, so we offer it as a genuine question rather than a proof. The worry is that meaningful justice usually assumes you know what you are being held accountable for, yet no one remembers their past lives. A common and fair reply is that justice may not require memory, which is worth taking seriously. There is a second concern, that treating all suffering as deserved can dull compassion, and that concern is also contested, since many Hindu traditions strongly teach compassion. Take this as a probe, not a verdict.
Backed by 2 pieces of evidence
Paul Edwards, “Reincarnation: A Critical Examination”
This gives the objection a named, published source rather than leaving it as an unattributed assertion, and the strongest reply is offered right alongside it, presenting it as a live, open question rather than a settled one.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, “ahimsa” (competing explanation)
This answers the worry that karma must erode compassion, because in practice these traditions cultivate serious compassion. The honest response is narrower than “karma makes people cold.” It’s a question of whether compassion is grounded by the karmic system itself or drawn from elsewhere in the tradition. Leading with Hinduism’s own compassion keeps this from becoming a caricature.