Yoga emphasis on cultivating divine energy within oneself conflicts with Christianity

[Guest guest]

Yoga Stretches Traditional Christian Boundaries

Religion News Service

 

VIRGINIA, U.S.A., July 14, 2003: Marylyn Mandeville sits crossed-legged

on a mat in front of her students. Her hands are folded as if in

prayer, framed by the slogan on her T-shirt: "Know Yoga, Know Peace." A

gold cross rests on the Om symbol emblazoned on her shirt. Mandeville

is part of a growing movement to reformulate yoga, a 5,000 year-old

Hindu practice, in a Christian context. While some argue that taking up

a yoga practice might lead Christians down the "dangerous" path of New

Age mysticism, Mandeville says she considers it part of her ministry to

teach other Christians how to look after their bodies. As yoga becomes

increasingly popular, with an estimated 15 million practitioners in the

United States, alternative forms of yoga are steadily grabbing more

adherents. At least half of those people are coming to yoga from a

Christian background, says the Rev. Thomas Ryan, a Catholic priest.

"There are an enormous number of people engaging in Eastern practices

like yoga and meditation who need assistance making the points of

connection with their Christian faith," says Ryan, who will lead a yoga

retreat at the Kripalu Yoga center in Western Massachusetts this

August. "There is a sense among some that this comes from Hinduism, but

when one looks at yoga, it really belongs to world spirituality," he

added.

 

But while fans marvel at the growing success of the movement, others

say Christianity and yoga shouldn't be mixed. Daniel Akin, dean of the

school of theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in

Louisville, Kentucky, said Christians who are drawn to the physical

benefits of yoga should avoid its spiritual and psychological

underpinnings. "Yoga is rooted in Eastern mysticism, and Eastern

mysticism is incompatible with Christianity," he said. Others say it's

impossible to extract the physical benefits of yoga from its spiritual

roots. Laurette Willis of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who developed her own

stretching exercises set to Christian Scriptures, argues that yoga's

emphasis on cultivating divine energy within oneself conflicts with

Christianity's goal of finding salvation through Christ.

[theist]

>>But while fans marvel at the growing success of the movement, others

say Christianity and yoga shouldn't be mixed. Daniel Akin, dean of the

school of theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in

Louisville, Kentucky, said Christians who are drawn to the physical

benefits of yoga should avoid its spiritual and psychological

underpinnings. "Yoga is rooted in Eastern mysticism, and Eastern

mysticism is incompatible with Christianity," he said. <<

 

I can understand why he thinks this way. Most hatha-yoga books in the west come with a strong dose of impersonalist philosophy along with them. Also reincarnarnation is spoken of or alluded to, which is a good thing, but it freaks out the Baptist. It might mean they will have to give up their long cherished idea of a final judgement where all their opponenets are sent to hell and they go to heaven. They like that idea very much.

 

 

 

>>Others say it's

impossible to extract the physical benefits of yoga from its spiritual

roots. Laurette Willis of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who developed her own

stretching exercises set to Christian Scriptures, argues that yoga's

emphasis on cultivating divine energy within oneself conflicts with

Christianity's goal of finding salvation through Christ. <<

 

The idea of being against cultivating divine energy within oneself makes little sense, but again she is probably reacting to the presentation of one ultimately becoming God themselves.

 

Herein lies an oppurtunity for a clever vaisnava. Present hatha-yoga to Christians in a personalist context bringing in selected Bhagavada-gita and Bible verses for the meditations.

 

Either that or they will get it from Bop Bop-a-louie das, from the_______ ashrama.

 

Prabhupada was at war with impersonalism and still is.