Christians Beware--Yoga Bad for The Soul

[marions ghost]

Q. How are Fundamentalist Christians and Muslims alike?

A. They both say yoga is evil.

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BY DYLAN LOVAN - Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Southern Baptist leader who is calling for Christians to avoid yoga and its spiritual attachments is getting plenty of pushback from enthusiasts who defend the ancient practice.
Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler says the stretching and meditative discipline derived from Eastern religions is not a Christian pathway to God.

Mohler said he objects to "the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine. That's just not Christianity," Mohler said.

Mohler said feedback has come through e-mail and comments on blogs and other websites since he wrote an essay to address questions about yoga he has heard for years.

Mohler argued in his online essay last month that Christians who practice yoga "must either deny the reality of what yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of yoga."

Other Christian leaders have said practicing yoga is incompatible with the teachings of Jesus. Pat Robertson has called the chanting and other spiritual components that go along with yoga "really spooky." California megachurch pastor John MacArthur called yoga a "false religion."

Muslim clerics have banned Muslims from practicing yoga in Egypt, Malaysia and Indonesia, citing similar concerns. Yoga proponents say the wide-ranging discipline, which originated in India, offers physical and mental healing through stretching poses and concentration.

"Lots of people come to yoga because they are often in chronic pain. Others come because they think it's a nice workout," said Allison Terracio, who runs the Infinite Bliss studio in Louisville.

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Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/08/727941/baptist-leader-yoga-bad-for-the.html#ixzz124dbRL6d

[wtmusic]

1. To the point: yoga classes cost money that should go on the collection plate. nt

[54anickel]

2. What a hoot! Robertson calling anything "really spooky". HA! (That guy scares the shit outta me!)

[arbusto_baboso]

3. Cueing the religious defenders in 5.... 4.... 3....

:popcorn:

[Jamastiene]

12. Yup.

It's like clockwork. They'll be here shortly.

[mike_c]

4. xtians hate EVERYTHING that isn't them....

eom

[Angry Dragon]

5. "is not a Christian pathway to God"

This is what they say ............
then they need to write down what is the pathway to god and all Christians have to
sign off on it so we know who is a Christian and who is a christian ...........


God has had at least 6000 years to guide the human race to him and we are no closer today than
when he/she first started .......... not a very good track record

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jamastiene]

8. Now, THAT they condone.

And we are supposed to sit back and pretend it makes sense. I cannot.

Hearing that they have claimed yoga is bad for the soul is par for the course though. I'm not the least bit surprised.

I've heard some crazy stuff down here in the Bible belt. For instance, if a woman shaves her legs above her knees, she will get cancer. Have you ever heard that one before?

And I'll never forget the girl on the playground in that Christian school I went to. She said her father would not allow her to wear panties because it was a sin for anything to go between a girl's legs until she was married and that included panties. She had to always wear skirts or dresses too. The school playground had a really tall 2 story sliding board too. Back then, I always wondered why a couple of the male teachers always stood practically under it on the side where the ladder was. Now, I know.

I'm still dealing with the aftershock of the experience of being subjected to that school and it has been over 25 years now.

Yeah, they say yoga is bad for the soul and that other crap they condone is good for the soul.

If this feeling is the result of what is "good for the soul," I think I will go learn how to go strike a yoga pose pronto.

I think I need a drink...or 50.

[Lance_Boyle]

7. Dumbasses. You're not supposed to do it with your soul.

Those effin' things are too inflexible for shellfish and blended textiles, much less yoga.

[pinboy3niner]

9. That's not fair. Just because he's smarter than the average bear...

...and he's fond of pic-a-nic baskets, that's no reason to discriminate against him. :)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. Fundamentalist Christians and Muslims are alike in MANY more things than that, obviously. -nt

[Jamastiene]

11. I'm not surprised.

Not surprised at all.

[Lucian]

13. Oh for fucks sake.

This is why religion needs to go. There's just too much irrationality going on.

And what the fuck does yoga have to do with the soul? :banghead:

[mudplanet]

14. What a dumbass. I've been practicing yoga on-and-on for thirty years and

I've never even paid the least bit of attention to the "spiritual" aspect of it.

It makes my back feel better and I can bend and squat without pain if I practice.

[marions ghost]

15. Fundamentalist group solidarity meme also

Yoga = a liberal, even a libertarian thing = serious bad evil

therefore: otherization of "people who do yoga" is necessary to maintain "us vs them" perspective

This is how division is sown in the gullible. You look for something to hate. And find some harmless, but "foreign" practice to make people feel guilty about participating in ANYTHING outside of The Box.

[Reader Rabbit]

16. I *knew* there was a reason I hated Downward Dog!

Then again, I really like Tree and Eagle. Can we just call certain poses evil?

[marions ghost]

17. All poses

make your Kundalini rise. One's kundalini must stay contained down in the lower chakras, where evil originates. Otherwise your kundalini will start fighting with your divinity up there in your brain. Then you might not be able to pray to Yahweh without thinking about Shiva and Ganesha and Kali. After that you will start using Neti cups and chanting Hare Krisna, Hare Rama.

It's all evil.

[Reader Rabbit]

18. Oh, Jeebus. I *already* use a Neti pot!

I'm doomed, I tell you! Doomed! The reduction in colds and allergy symptoms must have been due to some kind of deal with the Devil.

[marions ghost]

19. You depraved

Neti Pot User!

Christine O'Donnell used to use one too, but she has repented.

[tanyev]

20. Remember when rock and roll was the devil's music?

Nowadays you can hardly find a church that isn't infested with "Christian rock" in all of its services.

[marions ghost]

21. The Devil works

in mysterious ways....:D

[AsahinaKimi]

22. Fine by me...

They should totally stay away from anything having to do with Far Eastern Religions and FROM PEOPLE WHO PRACTICE these far eastern Religions.