Christian Yoga? It's a Stretch...(Is Yoga Demonic? Yes, it is.)

[eduardo89]

This is a really good read on yoga from a Christian perspective.

The video the author refers to is this one:



I suggest watching the video before reading

Christian Yoga? It's a Stretch
by: Pastor Mark Driscoll on Nov 02, 2011 in Culture


There is nothing wrong with stretching, exercising, or regulating one’s stress through breathing. But when the tenets of yoga are included, it’s by definition a worship act to spirit beings other than the God of the Bible. By way of analogy, there is nothing inherently wrong with intimacy, sex, and pleasure. But when the tenets of adultery are included, it’s a sinfully idolatrous worship act. A faithful Christian can no more say they are practicing yoga for Jesus than they can say they are committing adultery for Jesus.

A little over a year ago, I said yoga was demonic. My stance hasn’t changed since then, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to provide a much fuller and comprehensive teaching on what yoga is and why it is in fact demonic. By demonic I mean it’s a spiritual act to a being other than the God of the Bible. And, for those unfamiliar with me, I’m no raging Christian fundamentalist. My most vocal critics tend to be from the fundamentalist tribe as I do drink alcohol, have been known to use strong language, and talk very frankly about the joys of married sex. I’m no prude, but I am a pastor.

Giving sound teaching on yoga is important because there is increasing adoption of yoga by our culture, with over 15.8 million people practicing yoga and nearly every store you go into selling all kinds of yoga products. It’s gone mainstream. As such, Christians are also adopting it as a healthy aspect of exercise and lifestyle—complete with things like “Holy Yoga,” which is an oxymoron. Saying yoga can be Christian because you do it for Jesus is a bit like going into a mosque, going through the worship practices, and then saying you’re not a Muslim because you’re doing it for Jesus. They don’t mix.

When looking at the acceptance of yoga in the Christian church, I find that there are two issues at hand: (1) People simply don’t understand what yoga is, its roots, and its tenets; or (2) People think that they can engage in yoga because it’s just stretching, while ignoring the religious aspects of the practice of yoga.

As one woman who identified herself as a mainline Protestant said in an article about my comments a year ago, “Here we go again with fear-based, black-and-white thinking. . . . It's not fair to say yoga is demonic. In fact, I find it insulting. There are many ways to grow spiritually." To this I would reply, “No. There are not many ways to grow spiritually. There is one way, which is through the power of the Holy Spirit provided through Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross, as part of God the Father’s plan for salvation.” Comments like this woman’s are the exact reason why it’s important to explore what yoga really is and what it teaches, and to understand that the spiritual elements of yoga make their way into our life and culture in ways we don’t necessarily see overtly.

In this lengthy post, I’ll define what yoga is, give a history of yoga, talk about the various forms of yoga, and take a look at yoga through the “receive, reject, or redeem” matrix that I commonly use.

Continue Reading

 

[wannaberocker]

Good post. I see to many christians who in their ignorance say "oh its just stretching and means nothing". Yet the ignore the roots of Yoga and everything it represents.

 

[dannno]

Is this The Onion

 

[eduardo89]

Is this The Onion

Did you even bother to read the post?

 

[dannno]

The historic purpose behind yoga, therefore, is to achieve union with the Hindu concept of God.

Um, ok, I thought the historic purpose of Christianity was to be united with the Christian concept of God

 

[donnay]

Very interesting read. A lot of things I was quite ignorant to. +rep

 

[dannno]

Hindu schoolchildren complain that Hinduism is conflated only with caste, cows, exoticism and polytheism—the salutary contributions and philosophical underpinnings lost and ignored.

Oh, you mean sort of like Christmas and Easter?

 

[dannno]

A consideration of the limbs quickly reveals that yoga is a demanding autosoteric (salvation based on self-effort) system, similar to original Theravada Buddhism with its eightfold path, which historically preceded Patanjali’s yoga system and probably influenced it.

Uh oh, I think you guys are going to get AquaBuddha on board for this one, too..

 

[Jeremy]

Yoga is just stretching. If you are worshiping some false god while you are stretching well that's... I don't know anyone who has done that and clearly that's something a bit more than doing Yoga stretches. I've seen many videos by Mak Driscoll and he is in fact often paranoid like this. For example, he went off on the movie Avatar for being "dark and demonic" etc... maybe he doesn't realize it's fictional. I don't think he would say the same about the fictional worlds created by famous Christian authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Ultimately, telling your congregation that it's evil to do certain stretches or watch certain movies is going to turn people away from Christ for the wrong reasons.

 

[dannno]

Yoga is just stretching. If you are worshiping some false god while you are stretching well that's... I don't know anyone who has done that and clearly that's something a bit more than doing Yoga stretches. I've seen many videos by Mak Driscoll and he is in fact often paranoid like this. For example, he went off on the movie Avatar for being "dark and demonic" etc... maybe he doesn't realize it's fictional. I don't think he would say the same about the fictional worlds created by famous Christian authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Ultimately, telling your congregation that it's evil to do certain stretches or watch certain movies is going to turn people away from Christ for the wrong reasons.

Ya, unfortunately I can't watch the youtube and I haven't yet read the full article.. I'm not quite sure if they are saying that people shouldn't pretend yoga is Christian or if they are saying people shouldn't do yoga stretches at all. You don't have to do yoga stretches and worship a false idol, you can just do the exercise. If exercising and trying to make yourself a calmer and better person is un-Christian, then, well, that's pretty retarded.

 

[Jeremy]

Ya, unfortunately I can't watch the youtube and I haven't yet read the full article.. I'm not quite sure if they are saying that people shouldn't pretend yoga is Christian or if they are saying people shouldn't do yoga stretches at all. You don't have to do yoga stretches and worship a false idol, you can just do the exercise. If exercising and trying to make yourself a calmer and better person is un-Christian, then, well, that's pretty retarded.

He thinks it's paganism to do Yoga. He's just paranoid and doesn't realize Yoga in the context of exercise is nothing more than stretching and relaxing your muscles. Maybe some eastern religions use it to do what he was talking about, but that's obviously not what Christians would use it for. I wonder if he would be okay with it if someone took all the stretches from Yoga, but called it something else.

 

[eduardo89]

He thinks it's paganism to do Yoga. He's just paranoid and doesn't realize Yoga in the context of exercise is nothing more than stretching and relaxing your muscles. Maybe some eastern religions use it to do what he was talking about, but that's obviously not what Christians would use it for. I wonder if he would be okay with it if someone took all the stretches from Yoga, but called it something else.

I honestly don't think you bothered to read the article. It's long and you can skip most of it on the history of yoga and the types of yoga, but at least read where he talks about yoga's imcompatibility with Christianity.

My advice is to not attempt to redeem yoga properly understood, as it is a system of belief that is unchristian, against Scripture, and thus demonic in nature. You cannot redeem such a thing.

So, in conclusion, Christians must reject yoga, as defined here. I’d also go so far as to say you should reject the term “yoga,” as it is impossible to divorce it from its historical and spiritual context without much explanation and linguistic gymnastics. Instead, feel free in Christian liberty to stretch however you’d like, participate in exercise, calm your nerves through breathing, and even contemplate the Scriptures in silence. But do so in a way that does not identify with yoga and non-Christian mysticism. Do not seek to negate your mind, but rather renew your mind with the Word of God. Do not seek to empty yourself, but rather be filled with the Holy Spirit. Do not seek to turn into yourself for enlightenment, but rather look out to the God of the Bible. Do not seek to become one with the universe, but rather be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

Exercise is a gift of God for us to take care of the bodies that he created for his glory. It’s good and important to exercise. But we should never, in our desire to be in shape and be healthy, adopt systems antithetical to Christianity because they make us feel good or have bodily value. Rather, let’s first stay true to God and his Word and work out our bodies to his glory by his values handed down to us through Scripture.

There are are a few more important paragraphs ahead of that, that's just the conclusion.

 

[WilliamC]

I love doing Bikram yoga and wish I was close enough to a studio to start again.

And yes I wear a speedo doing bikram yoga in a 105oF studio, just like when I used to swim laps.

I just cover up as soon as I'm done exercising so I don't come off like this

Feel free to poke fun at me, I certainly do.

 

[Jeremy]

I honestly don't think you bothered to read the article. It's long and you can skip most of it on the history of yoga and the types of yoga, but at least read where he talks about yoga's imcompatibility with Christianity.



There are are a few more important paragraphs ahead of that, that's just the conclusion.

Easter is historically a pagan holiday, but look at the huge banner his church's website is using to advertise it: http://marshill.com/

Clearly Mark Driscoll and his church are pagans?

 

[heavenlyboy34]

I wonder if eduardo actually read the article.

"Basically, what Singleton is saying is that despite the arguments that yoga is just stretching, there is no historical evidence that this is the case—quite the contrary. The history of yoga is overwhelmingly spiritual in practice and the postures of yoga are only one aspect of yoga, and they are part of a broader system aimed at union with God and attaining enlightenment. "

IOW, one can use the postures and technique without adopting another religion. I do yoga regularly and it's just relaxing and improves flexibility. A number of martial arts are also historically tied to eastern religions (i.e. Tae Kwon Do), but I don't see people railing against those.

 

[specsaregood]

Anybody that has seen their fair share of yoga pants in the wild recognize that its the work of the devil.

 

[eduardo89]

I wonder if eduardo actually read the article.

"Basically, what Singleton is saying is that despite the arguments that yoga is just stretching, there is no historical evidence that this is the case—quite the contrary. The history of yoga is overwhelmingly spiritual in practice and the postures of yoga are only one aspect of yoga, and they are part of a broader system aimed at union with God and attaining enlightenment. "

IOW, one can use the postures and technique without adopting another religion.

Yes the postures are one thing, and the article even says there is nothing wrong with stretching, exercise and the like. But if you set out to do "Christian yoga" you are not being a Christian. You must completely separate the postures and stretches from their yoga context, even calling it yoga is already giving in to the demonic nature of it. Read the full article HB, you obviously haven't if you only can quote that.

 

[eduardo89]

Anybody that has seen their fair share of yoga pants in the wild recognize that its the work of the devil.

You're 100% right. Yoga pants are like kryptonite to those who try not to lust over a woman's curves.

 

[Jeremy]

Yes the postures are one thing, and the article even says there is nothing wrong with stretching, exercise and the like. But if you set out to do "Christian yoga" you are not being a Christian. You must completely separate the postures and stretches from their yoga context, even calling it yoga is already giving in to the demonic nature of it. Read the full article HB, you obviously haven't if you only can quote that.

Is calling the holiday Easter making the remembrance of Jesus' resurrection demonic in nature?

Mark Driscoll makes a lot of contradictions. Just look at the huge Easter banner on his church's website.

 

[eduardo89]

Easter is historically a pagan holiday, but look at the huge banner his church's website is using to advertise it: http://marshill.com/

Clearly Mark Driscoll and his church are pagans?

I didn't know commemorating Christ's death and celebrating His resurrection and ascension to Heaven were pagan traditions.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/bytopic/holidays/easterborrowedholiday.html