Brock Hughes. Buddhism and Karma, what's that all about?

I’m currently taking the class the Vision of Buddhism. This class has only just begun and so I don’t have a great understanding of the religion but I already have developed a question as to one of the aspects of the religion. My question is on the idea of Karma, how does it work, do Buddhists believe that they are good enough and do not need grace of any kind to achieve nirvana (there supreme goal). Karma is the idea that every action that one performs is followed by a reward or punishment. Based on my beliefs (Christianity), I would not want the idea of karma to be one that I believe in. I know that I mess up all the time, judge people, lie, and perform shady things; but I don’t do any of this on purpose, it is merely because it is part of my nature. I would never want to be punished for my evil and sinful nature. The idea of God’s grace maybe has played too major of a roll in my life since childhood but this concept is just strange to me!

This idea being practiced by Buddhist leads me to believe one fact, which they believe they are “good” enough to reach the next level on the caste system without any help of a supreme being. I feel as though that is an idea that would be interpreted as arrogance which is believed to be an attribute that is wrong in sinful (at least in Christianity). I really find that one’s beliefs while young really shape what one is going to believe as they grow older. It really leaves me wondering if one is able to shake old beliefs in order to give everyone and their beliefs a real chance to be accepted or if it is just something that one will always use their beliefs to slam and slander ideas that go against their train of thought. I think that what one is taught when they are young really guides their thoughts and ability to accept others ideas or simply allow one to believe what they want to believe. Most of our problems as a world are developed because of different beliefs among people who are too stubborn and did not learn how to simply agree to disagree when they were young; with the ability to allow others to believe what they want to and not get mad because of differences, our world could be a much more peaceful place. I know I strayed from my original question; however, this is where my thoughts took me and I believe that this is what the blog is for. Also, maybe the idea of karma would force people to treat each other better?