Yoga is bad for your spiritual health I guess.

[Thomkal]

Megachurch pastor tells church to stop going to yoga, because of its 'demonic roots'


The worst part of the article is that his congregation believed him it appears and stopped going to yoga. Reason #34 why religion annoys me.

[CU Tiger]

I have no issue with Yoga - except Im fat and unflexible so I have major problems doing it - but I do have a pretty clear issue with Buddhism and many of the local places tie the two together along with Tai Chi ...

[Lathum]

I have done yoga several times at several different locations. Never once did I hear or experience anything anti religion.

[PilotMan]

Heard that back in the 80's from my mom. She was told that when you clear your mind you allow Satan to come in, so she stopped doing it. As a churchgoing kid, who was I to argue? Back in that time we had all the Dr James Dobson and his ilk who were proclaiming things like that. KISS was "Kids in Satan's Service", and AC/DC was Anti-Christ/Devils Children bullshit. There were more and it was always something. Hell, they even railed against ET and Star Wars, because ET had "Jesus Like" healing powers and Star Wars had The Force. The Bible was very explicit that it didn't talk about any of those things, so they must be from the devil himself.

[molson]

Yoga is super popular with the older people at my parents' church. There's church-organized yoga classes. Not all churches are the same.

[BYU 14]

Yoga is amazing and I have never gotten any religious overtones from the videos I watch to practice it, but I guess you find what you want to find and some studios may be different. Still, a little surprised to hear this.

[ISiddiqui]

In addition (maybe in opposition?) to the not all churches are the same (mine had a yoga practice as well), yoga is a spiritual practice of another faith. So a pastor talking about not doing it doesn't seem that out of bounds.

[molson]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

yoga is a spiritual practice of another faith.

In origin, but, I think anybody who finds value in spirituality of any flavor could find benefit in it if they chose to.

But I grew up in kind of a "less competitive" kind of church so the alternative is maybe strange to me.

[ISiddiqui]

Less of a competition per se, than some seeing it as if you are worshipping another deity (perhaps unwillingly, but doing so all the same).

Interestingly, there are also a few Hindus that are kind of pissed that people have de-sacralized their religious practice.

[molson]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Less of a competition per se, than some seeing it as if you are worshipping another deity (perhaps unwillingly, but doing so all the same).

Interestingly, there are also a few Hindus that are kind of pissed that people have de-sacralized their religious practice.

I do occasionally remember that my father (a semi-retired Lutheran pastor), would be considered a heathen in many church communities. He wasn't into yoga, but he was very interested in eastern religions and meditation, things he felt made him a better and happier Christian. He wouldn't have considered that as worshiping another deity - more like taking a different way to work here and there to better understand his own spirituality.

[Ksyrup]

This is akin to certain churches/people who believe it's anti-Christian to participate in Halloween.

[cuervo72]

Goat yoga is a thing. Goats = Satan. Therefore, yoga is Satanic. Q.E.D., bitches.

[NobodyHere]

[Radii]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

but I do have a pretty clear issue with Buddhism

I have no desire or intention to start any problems or to judge anyone, and I only have a very high level understanding of most belief systems including Buddhism so I've got no dog in this discussion, but I'm genuinely curious about this statement, if you feel comfortable expanding on this?

[Radii]

My personal experience with yoga is that its a great thing for me to do, its entirely about science and feeling like i'm a healthier person if i add gentle movement and stretching and an interest in flexibility to my life. I am an atheist and while I'm not aggressively atheist, I would be uncomfortable and would leave any yoga studio that brought religion into the practice in the slightest. I have never experienced any of this in my own experiences with yoga and I find the original statement we're all discussing here completely fucking insane and extremely counterproductive.

[RainMaker]

Can we all at least agree that yoga pants are good?

[21C]

Not on every body type.

[Toddzilla]

"Do you accept Diamond Dallas Page as your lord and savior?"

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

"Do you accept Diamond Dallas Page as your lord and savior?"

Bam!

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Radii

I have no desire or intention to start any problems or to judge anyone, and I only have a very high level understanding of most belief systems including Buddhism so I've got no dog in this discussion, but I'm genuinely curious about this statement, if you feel comfortable expanding on this?

Dont want to derail the entire thread.


And Im not far from you in that UI have a high level understanding only. Years ago during a spiritual interanl search I tried to research, learn and understand many religions. My understanding was the Buddha was a rich Prince with a wife/wives and kids and he "abandoned" them and went up on the mountain to seek enlightenment. This was strike 1 for me, as I personally feel that the responsibility and care for ones children is your primary goal and duty on earth. I would lay down my life in a millisecond to protect my kids. I cant understand or reconcile any belief that it is ok to abandon them to the care of others in the sake of a personal journey.


The second and final straw for me, and this one is harder to explain. The whole teaching of detachment and pushing away people that are important to you to prove you dont need them. (Im grossly paraphrasing - but thats a major teaching condensed to a sentence) to me is nothing more than pure selfishness and placing yourself and your "journey" as more important than everyone else. It is self agrandizing and placing your evolution over the pain caused to others. I view it as a passive aggressive viewpoint.


I can talk detailed about this but typing is hard.

[I. J. Reilly]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Dont want to derail the entire thread.


And Im not far from you in that UI have a high level understanding only. Years ago during a spiritual interanl search I tried to research, learn and understand many religions. My understanding was the Buddha was a rich Prince with a wife/wives and kids and he "abandoned" them and went up on the mountain to seek enlightenment. This was strike 1 for me, as I personally feel that the responsibility and care for ones children is your primary goal and duty on earth. I would lay down my life in a millisecond to protect my kids. I cant understand or reconcile any belief that it is ok to abandon them to the care of others in the sake of a personal journey.


The second and final straw for me, and this one is harder to explain. The whole teaching of detachment and pushing away people that are important to you to prove you dont need them. (Im grossly paraphrasing - but thats a major teaching condensed to a sentence) to me is nothing more than pure selfishness and placing yourself and your "journey" as more important than everyone else. It is self agrandizing and placing your evolution over the pain caused to others. I view it as a passive aggressive viewpoint.


I can talk detailed about this but typing is hard.

Regarding the highlighted part, how do you view the story of Abraham and Isaac? I certainly don’t want you to feel like you need to justify your beliefs, it just seems like if one gave you an issue the other would too.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by I. J. Reilly

Regarding the highlighted part, how do you view the story of Abraham and Isaac? I certainly don’t want you to feel like you need to justify your beliefs, it just seems like if one gave you an issue the other would too.

I feel that it is a parable and not representative of actual events.
I feel that way about much of the OT.


I will freely engage in conversation and explain my beliefs, doesnt bother me. I also know they dont always align with traditional dogma. They're still mine though.

[JPhillips]

There's a lot of messages from Christ that say spreading the word requires leaving family behind. It's one of the more radical and difficult aspects of the New Testament, IMO.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

There's a lot of messages from Christ that say spreading the word requires leaving family behind. It's one of the more radical and difficult aspects of the New Testament, IMO.

Yep. There is one where his mother and brothers are calling for him and Jesus basically ignores her saying these (the assembled mass listening to him) are my mother and brothers. And of course it is always God > Family, but sometimes it's also strangers are just as important as immediate family.

[CU Tiger]

Ive seen lots of leaving mother and brother..I havent seen abandoning infant children dependent on your care and protection.


If that IS a teaching that I have missed, then in that instance I am a willful disobedient.


Im not a perfect Christian by anyyyyyyyyyyy stretch, though I do try, but that is a personal core conviction that I will answer for.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

I havent seen abandoning infant children dependent on your care and protection.

I mean... the Buddha was a Prince, next in line for the Throne. His son was going to want for nothing. His care and protection were taken care of.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

There's a lot of messages from Christ that say spreading the word requires leaving family behind. It's one of the more radical and difficult aspects of the New Testament, IMO.

I haven't seen it in regards to spreading the word. But I do think there are mentions to putting Christ before family.

Matthew 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."

[stevew]

Originally Posted by 21C

Not on every body type.

not when you're in a convenience store and side eye see yoga pants and realize that the girl has to be like 14-16 when she turns around.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I mean... the Buddha was a Prince, next in line for the Throne. His son was going to want for nothing. His care and protection were taken care of.

I think this very sentiment is where I am different than so many here on a few issues. Its akin to the comments I got about having firearms strategically placed in my home, at least in my head.


I understand logic dictates that they should want for nothing, but to me my conviction is to make CERTAIN they are provided for. Simply watching them walk across the street isnt enough. Its up to me to hold their hand and cross with them. Anything less and any freak accident that happens is 100% my fault.


He could have assumed they'd be cared for but what if he wasnt there?

[Drake]

Somebody on my FB just posted a link to a blog post about this (Why Can’t Yoga Just Be an Exercise? | Women of Grace, if you're curious...but you're not, really).

Two references in the same week from unrelated sources tells me that this is likely being pushed as a November agenda item by Focus on the Family or a similar Christian media presence.

I swear to fuck it's like living in 1981 all over again. Just wait till they bring out the Transcendental Meditation.