Yoga Vs. Christianity....

[Ali Rose]

Yoga Vs. Chrisitanity....

Ok i know i dont pop in here much, but i have a serious question / concern here. I have been taking Yoga classes for over a year and it keeps me in great shape!!! a friend recently told me of the controversy with Yoga and Christianity...something i had never even considered...i have never thought of my yoga classes as anything spirutual and i dont feel as though the instructors make it out to be so. I feel as though my faith and relationship with Christ are solid enough that I would never be influenced to worship whatever other God or religion Yoga is proposed to be tied to. I dont know, i dont want to be doing something that God wouldn't approve of, but the thought of quitting yoga kind of saddens me. Here I've finally found a form of excercise that keeps me in shape AND that i enjoy.

What are your thoughts or beliefs on this? Id appreciate your input.

If you want, heres the link to the article my friend sent me.
http://www.probe.org/docs/yoga.html

 

[sarah_U27]

Hey, as long as you don't GO AGAINST your conscience
and as long as you're just using it to tone, stretch etc. I would say GO FOR IT!!!!

 

[melon]

Oh for God's sake. It's an exercise, not a religion!

Are you doing yoga to worship pagan deities? No? Then what are you worried about?

God isn't some dumb autocrat; he reads your mind, remember? He knows perfectly well that you're doing yoga for the exercise, so who cares what anyone else thinks of it? If they are doing it for the paganism--which I don't know many people who actually do--then let them deal with it conscience-wise. Out of many of the exercises I have read about, none matches the effectiveness of yoga, and, IMO, you would be foolish to stop it.

Some Christians just love to sap all the fun out of everything, and they get some sick pleasure on giving people guilt trips--which is precisely the purpose of the very unbalanced Probe.org website. Shame on them, not you.

Melon

 

[martha]

The person who wrote that article needs to get a life. If you go for the exercise, then that's all you'll take from it. If it were a religious yoga class, you'd know by now, and you would have left already.

 

[Ali Rose]

Thanks guys. I truly do feel the same way.

Although i do still worry a bit...I may go talk to my pastor about this.

 

[nbcrusader]

God is faithful and the Holy Spirit will prompt you if the Yoga class is/becomes a pagen ritual or something that does not honor God.

 

[hiphop]

I?m sure you are honoring God exactly by doing what you do. Talk to the pastor if you want to. Me, in my Christian belief, I care about feeling.

The feeling of the Spirit may unfold for some if they pray a hundred rosaries, but I?m not made for that. I prefer to feel the Spirit with other methods, whatever they may be - I couldn?t say I got a method either. Its just there when it is. One.

And be sure: the Holy Spirit stays the same, no matter how you place your call. God will not judge you. After all, you?re worshipping him, because there is only one God, and one Holy Spirit.

Then, apart from that, you said you don?t feel a certain spirituality. Never give it up if it calms you, if you can retreat, if you find inner peace.

I should try Yoga, in fact.

 

[Ali Rose]

great now i'm encouraging others to START yoga.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

Ali, honey, if you are doing it for the exercise and not worshipping Shiva, I am sure that all is well. What is interesting to me is how in Christianity we can focus so much on "idolatry" in a spiritual/material sense that we forget that anything that comes between us and Christ, even doctrine or proper theology can become an idol. Imho, the person that wrote that is just as guilty of focusing on one thing to the exclusion of another more important one (enjoying the goodness of God's creation...that includes exercise). God is a God of life. He created it and intends for us to experience it to the fullest. Hiding away from it in a narrow corner of "religion" does little to honor him.

 

[hiphop]

Hey Sula, do you think Shiva is the same "being" like Catholic God?

 

[sulawesigirl4]

no, hiphop, I don't. I don't buy the idea that everyone is worshipping the same God just under different names.

 

[martha]

Ali, honey, if you are doing it for the exercise and not worshipping Shiva, I am sure that all is well. What is interesting to me is how in Christianity we can focus so much on "idolatry" in a spiritual/material sense that we forget that anything that comes between us and Christ, even doctrine or proper theology can become an idol. Imho, the person that wrote that is just as guilty of focusing on one thing to the exclusion of another more important one (enjoying the goodness of God's creation...that includes exercise). God is a God of life. He created it and intends for us to experience it to the fullest. Hiding away from it in a narrow corner of "religion" does little to honor him.

Nice post.

 

[hiphop]

Why Sula? And, with this statement, aren?t you admitting that there is more than one God? Like if they aren?t the same, they are two, aren?t they? The Hindus got theirs, we got ours, makes 1+1 is 2.



Sorry its the beer.

 

[nbcrusader]

There are many gods, but there is only one God. Jesus Christ makes an exclusive claim as God.

Sula - excellant anaylis of idolatry.

 

[Ali Rose]

Thanks Sula. This makes sense. And i completely agree about your last line there.

 

[DebbieSG]

Oh for God's sake. It's an exercise, not a religion!

Are you doing yoga to worship pagan deities? No? Then what are you worried about?

God isn't some dumb autocrat; he reads your mind, remember? He knows perfectly well that you're doing yoga for the exercise, so who cares what anyone else thinks of it? If they are doing it for the paganism--which I don't know many people who actually do--then let them deal with it conscience-wise. Out of many of the exercises I have read about, none matches the effectiveness of yoga, and, IMO, you would be foolish to stop it.

Some Christians just love to sap all the fun out of everything, and they get some sick pleasure on giving people guilt trips--which is precisely the purpose of the very unbalanced Probe.org website. Shame on them, not you.

Melon

well, it's more than an exercise, actually. it's a WAY to reach spiritual (in a physical sense) ecstasy. Just ask Sting, the guru of yoga as a way to sexual pleasure and fitness! Or Madonna, she did do a fine movie as a yoga instructor...while i, myself, gave it up after trouble with proper breathing during contortions that only caused giggles...just not cut out for that kind of stretching! i would recommend some other form of recreation, such as swimming, step aerobics or biking, all just as exhilarating, and less contortions! Your sex may suffer, though, but what a small price to pay for a better spiritual relationship with JESUS!

drop the yoga, let god be your co-pilot! LOL, i know what Sting said, but SOULS can be sold!