| Dr. Jai Maharaj 2005-09-24, 2:26 pm |
| The Christian Theological Struggle with Yog
Dr. Rajnikant Lahri
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
IndoLink
A recent report from Religion News Service provides
insight into what happens when the Hindu practice of yog
is attempted by those of other religions. The article
states, in part, "A few years ago, Susan Bordenkircher
wasn't comfortable doing yog. It wasn't that she got bent
out of shape by any of the aasans -- downward facing dog,
half lotus forward fold or the scorpion, to name but
three yog positions. She just wasn't sure if it was an
appropriate activity for a Christian.
Long associated with mysticism and Eastern religions in
particular, yog is denounced by some who claim it
promotes pantheism and worship of self." ... An 1962 yog
book called "An Invitation to Christian Yog," included,
"sketches and written instructions for 25 yog postures;
each one is prefaced by a verse from the Bible. ...also a
Christian adaptation of 'Salute to the Sun,' a series of
movements devout Hindus perform at dawn as thanksgiving
for a new day. Roth offers 'The Salute to the Son,' a
series of movements designed to accompany the Lord's
Prayer."
In recent years, yog's popularity has boomed as many have
searched for a few minutes of stillness and for low-
impact exercise that fosters flexibility and strength.
Celebrities, too, have joined the masses on their yog
mats.
With the ancient exercises' contemporary resurgence,
Bordenkircher urges those interested in practicing yog to
choose their instructors carefully. "It can be very
destructive. I've really literally sat there and just
prayed for discernment' at some seminars, she said,
noting that she feels uncomfortable with those who
suggest that humans possess divine power.
Cecil R. Taylor, dean of the School of Religion at the
University of Mobile, said he would advise those
interested in taking a Christian approach to yog to 'make
sure it's thoroughly imbued with the spirit of Christ.'
'You'd be able to judge a lot by checking your spirit,'
Taylor said. 'Sometimes people just instinctively know,
'This is just not what I ought to be doing.' They don't
know why. It may be theological perceptivity.' "
More at:
http://www.christianaggression.org/...38326&type=news
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti
Hindu Holocaust Museum
http://www.mantra.com/holocaust
Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org
http://www.hindunet.org
The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate
The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian bible:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not so send
peace, but a sword.
"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in
law.
"And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.
o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the educational
purposes of research and open discussion. The contents of this post may not
have been authored by, and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the
poster. The contents are protected by copyright law and the exemption for
fair use of copyrighted works.
o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely not be read,
considered or answered if it does not contain your full legal name, current
e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice telephone number.
o Posted for information and discussion. Views expressed by others are
not necessarily those of the poster who may or may not have read the article.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This article may contain copyrighted material the use of
which may or may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This material is being made available in efforts to advance the
understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic,
democratic, scientific, social, and cultural, etc., issues. It is believed
that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included
information for research, comment, discussion and educational purposes by
subscribing to USENET newsgroups or visiting web sites. For more information
go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this article for purposes of
your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.
Since newsgroup posts are being removed
by forgery by one or more net terrorists,
this post may be reposted several times.
|