Yoga: New thing christians can't do

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Gedrene
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04 Nov 2011, 8:28 am

puddingmouse wrote:

mushroo wrote:

As a pan-theist I certainly find the idea attractive.

I like the hyphen between 'pan' and 'theist'. Oh mighty Tefal, great god of kitchenware.

Oh Tefal, who art in the second draw down below the hob
Hallowed be thy frame
Your crockery come
your steaks be well done
On frying pans as in woks
Give us this day our fried bread
And forgive us our overcooked chips
As we forgive those who give overcoked chips to us
And lead us not to buy non-stick pans
But deliver us from greasy spoons.
Yummy

ictus75
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04 Nov 2011, 9:17 am

For as long as I've practiced Yoga, I've never felt any compulsion to become Hindu (or any other belief). But it has helped me keep both my mind & body in shape.

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StonedMoonie
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04 Nov 2011, 9:25 am

Vexcalibur wrote:

http://pastormark.tv/2011/11/02/christian-yoga-its-a-stretch
Yoga is way too ethnic.

Yoga as a religion is rather divergent from mainstream Protestant or Catholic beliefs. I know Americans think of Yoga as sitting around stretching, but that's really just an accidental ritual element to what is a whole religion in and of itself. The way Americans use the word 'Yoga' is like how people use the word 'Christmas'. They mean a bunch of gift-giving that has little to do with Christ; so you're really just confusing American 'yoga' with Yoga, which this pastor seems to have done in reverse.

AngelRho
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04 Nov 2011, 10:08 am

StonedMoonie wrote:

Vexcalibur wrote:

http://pastormark.tv/2011/11/02/christian-yoga-its-a-stretch
Yoga is way too ethnic.

I'm just trying to keep the discussion balanced, that's all.

So...

The problem for the Christian is really a matter of appearance, then. We don't want to be "conformed to the world, but transformed..." We don't want to make the appearance of revering another deity or deities.

I could make the same argument about Christmas, too. It's based on pagan Saturnalia among other pagan/neopagan holidays celebrating the winter solstice. It's demonic, it's evil, and nobody knows exactly when Christ was born, anyway. Rather we should celebrate "Christmas" EVERY day by giving gifts to the marginalized and preaching the good news just as Christ did.

OK, so that's a little over-the-top. There's nothing sinful about repurposing a holiday to celebrate God's gift to us through the incarnation. But I would also highly stress that Christians ought to avoid the secularization of the holiday and make bold statements about what it means to us. I wouldn't ban Christmas. But I do think we suck at celebrating it. (Happy Holidays, people! lol )

mushroo
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04 Nov 2011, 10:38 am

I did a little research on how yoga is regarded by different branches of Christianity, so we can bring some balance of opinion to the conversation instead of getting too hung up on one guy's blog.

A commonly-quoted phrase from the current Pope is that it "can degenerate into a cult of the body." No idea how out-of-context that quote was taken though.

However there seems to be a small but growing movement of what I can best describe as "yoga-like stretches in a Christian praise context." Something to consider for anyone interested in the health benefits of stretching but concerned that yoga may be incompatible with their Christianity.

visagrunt
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04 Nov 2011, 12:45 pm

Gedrene wrote:

T-fal-elujah!

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Kraichgauer
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04 Nov 2011, 2:22 pm

AngelRho wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

(Sigh)
With the exception of Hindus, most people practicing yoga are not taking part in Hindu worship. Just like Christians in Paul's time weren't indulging in pagan worship when they ate meat that had been offered to pagan gods.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

And that's just fine. But keep in mind that knowingly eating meat offered to idols in Paul's time set a bad example for new converts. You might as well take a recovering alcoholic to a bar because it's ok for YOU to drink.

I don't really see a problem with yoga (in a non-Hindu context), except someone has mentioned a religious context. So for the sake of argument: If you just want to stretch, why not just stretch? You can stretch without doing yoga, you know.

Or, you can stretch and call it yoga, and still be just fine.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

sinsboldly
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04 Nov 2011, 2:28 pm

puddingmouse wrote:

mushroo wrote:

As a pan-theist I certainly find the idea attractive.

I like the hyphen between 'pan' and 'theist'. Oh mighty Tefal, great god of kitchenware.

I am strict orthodox Calphalonian, myself. Sometimes I get in hot water and invite over the Pasta-farians for dinner.

AngelRho
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04 Nov 2011, 2:58 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:

AngelRho wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

Or, you can stretch and call it yoga, and still be just fine.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Even better: Do yoga, but just call it stretching!

"Yoga? Naw, brah...I'm STRETCHING. Just stretching, not that girly-man crap. Hey, shut up! It's NOT YOGA!"

CrawdiddyJones
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04 Nov 2011, 4:46 pm

Someone may have pointed this out already, but modern yoga was created by a guy that I think is still alive. The original yoga was not really even used for what today's yoga is used for. Thus I think saying yoga is spiritual is completely obselete and thus no one can really apply it to religion or enlightment.

mushroo
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04 Nov 2011, 5:04 pm

CrawdiddyJones wrote:

Welcome to the forums!

Modern yoga was not created by any one person.

However the yogi generally credited with "bringing yoga to America" was Swami Vivekenanda in the 1890s. He had zero interest in physical exercise or stretching and his teachings were 100% spiritual/religious.

Some of the important Western yogis of the 20th century include Iyengar, Vishnu-devananda Satchidananda, Chinmoy, Prabhupada, and of course Jois (who I believe is the man you're thinking of). As far as I know, all of these teachers were aware of yoga's spiritual/religious elements. You can read their writings online or at the library, and some of them even have youtube videos, if you'd like to explore their teachings in detail.

Kraichgauer
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04 Nov 2011, 6:25 pm

AngelRho wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

AngelRho wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

Or, you can stretch and call it yoga, and still be just fine.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Even better: Do yoga, but just call it stretching!

"Yoga? Naw, brah...I'm STRETCHING. Just stretching, not that girly-man crap. Hey, shut up! It's NOT YOGA!"

You can call it whatever you like, regardless of what some crackpot pastor says.
I still choose to call it yoga.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

AngelRho
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04 Nov 2011, 8:46 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:

AngelRho wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

AngelRho wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

Or, you can stretch and call it yoga, and still be just fine.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Even better: Do yoga, but just call it stretching!

"Yoga? Naw, brah...I'm STRETCHING. Just stretching, not that girly-man crap. Hey, shut up! It's NOT YOGA!"

You can call it whatever you like, regardless of what some crackpot pastor says.
I still choose to call it yoga.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

OK.

puddingmouse
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06 Nov 2011, 1:46 pm

Gedrene wrote:

You must be Rosti Catholic. In the Church of Tefal, we add on the following to the Pan's Prayer:

For the kipper, the rasher and the rosti
are your's now and for dinner.
Yummy.

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puddingmouse
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06 Nov 2011, 2:02 pm

AngelRho wrote:

I could make the same argument about Christmas, too. It's based on pagan Saturnalia among other pagan/neopagan holidays celebrating the winter solstice. It's demonic, it's evil, and nobody knows exactly when Christ was born, anyway. Rather we should celebrate "Christmas" EVERY day by giving gifts to the marginalized and preaching the good news just as Christ did.

Off-topic, but I once joined a Christian denomination that historically didn't celebrate Christmas for that reason.

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femme
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06 Nov 2011, 3:59 pm

I am Jewish I practice Yoga its a good work out.

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