There are religious and cultural beliefs in every religion that instill a fear in us for wrong deeds and mischievous thoughts. It is firmly believed that someone else up there keeps a big record book on every individual and jots down the good deeds on the credit side and bad deeds on the debit site.
At the death time, a balance sheets is generated and punishment is meted out as per the generated credit or debit balance.
For those who don't believe in this, read further.
* Every thought and action by us gets engraved in the form of magnetic waves or grooves in our soul.
*Each soul is programmed in such a way that it takes another body according to the impressions on it that were embedded on its previous birth.
* Well, the place of birth and parentage shapes one's life-isn't it?