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Mohler and Yoga: Your Take

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by jaigner, Oct 7, 2010.

  1. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Study Yoga and see what it truly is. It's not just stretches. Have you seen a yoga studio? Our local one has "Mediation at 7" each night.
     
  3. Thousand Hills

    Thousand Hills Active Member

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    I'm a chubby country boy, so I don't think I'd be very good at yoga. However, from a spiritual standpoint, I do agree with Mohler's view on the subject.

    The OP posted from Mohlers blog, here is an AP article on it.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/10/07/national/main6935443.shtml

    From the article, I agree with Pat Robertson's comment its "really spooky", also I noticed that apparently muslims don't like yoga either.
     
  4. jcjordan

    jcjordan New Member

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    He posted an update today....all I can say is wow.
     
  5. dwmoeller1

    dwmoeller1 New Member

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    I don't have a strong opinion on this one way or the other, so I am just asking...

    Is yoga merely exercise? Clearly when I exercise I am not necessarily doing yoga. When one does yoga is exercise all its about? IOW, if one is doing the forms w/o the thinking behind it, are they really doing yoga or just something that has some surface similarities to yoga?
     
  6. John Toppass

    John Toppass Active Member
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  7. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Mohler is right on target. To a Hindu (a wicked religion), yoga is part and parcel of their religious practice. The spiritual goal of yoga is monism, or mind-body oneness. For more information on the difference between monism and Christian doctrine (trichotomy or dichotomy), see my book on my website, Strength in the Inner Man. My approach there is connected with the Asian martial arts (which I practice), but should be helpful in understanding the doctrinal part of yoga.

    It's true that many Americans are now practicing yoga as simple exercise (but ineffective except for stretching; where's the cardio?), but for a Christian it's not that simple. To an Indian Christian yoga is an idolatrous practice. So should not American Christians stand against it along with our Indian brothers and sisters in Christ?
     
  8. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    I don't agree with Dr. Mohler.

    You can practice the stretching and breathing control aspects of yoga, the exercise related parts, without engaging in the eastern mysticism that is attached to the practices.

    Mediation isn't a bad thing btw, we are commanded in Scripture to mediate on the precepts of the Bible.

    I do wonder why he picks the battles he does. This isn't a big deal in actuality. You want to talk about a big deal in the SBC let's get him to talk about the ridiculous attachment with unsustainable, exponential growth our denom advocates, how about the ecclesiologically challenging multi-site church issue...why this? why now?
     
  9. dwmoeller1

    dwmoeller1 New Member

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    Mohler would say that that is not yoga then - its just stretching and breath-control. From what little I know, I would tend to agree. If you disagree, why?

    Having worked with Transcendentalists before, I know that their meaning of meditation is very different than what Scripture means.
     
  10. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    There is Bible meditation, then there is Asian meditation. Bible meditation is resting your mind on the Word of God and letting the Holy Spirit take control and teach.

    Asian meditation (Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist all have similar approaches), on the other hand, strives for oneness of mind and body. In order to accomplish this, the usual practice is to empty the mind, not fill it with the writings of Lao Tzu (Taoism) or Daruma (Japanese Zen Buddhism) or the Hindu Upanishads. Emptying the mind is a spiritually dangerous practice, opening the meditator to demon influence.

    (I have to admit that we do see some empty Baptist minds on the BB here.... :smilewinkgrin:)
     
    #10 John of Japan, Oct 7, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 7, 2010
  11. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Michael McKinley, pastor of Guilford Baptist Church, Sterling, Virginia, says don't freak out, Hatha yoga is non-religious, I do it.

    9Marks blog
     
  12. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    It may be non-religious to you, but it certainly isn't to an Indian; it's idolatry. I hope there are no Indians you are trying to minister to, or your testimony with them may be harmed. Or excuse me, when you say "I do it" does that refer to Jerome or to McKinley?
     
  13. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Oops, sorry, it's the 9Marks guy (not me) who is into yoga.
     
  14. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Whew. Had me worried. :laugh: I didn't think you were the yoga type.
     
  15. jcjordan

    jcjordan New Member

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    I don't think the 9Marks guy really is into yoga.
     
  16. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    Hmmm.....am I really that bad?
     
  17. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    I've observed a couple of times.

    Yoga is good for the body and can be soothing and relaxing, which I'm pretty sure isn't a problem. All truth is God's truth, so can the physical benefit really be a problem?
     
  18. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Your signature has a wonderful quote against idolatry. I assume that truly does portray your heart--or do you just take the word "idolatry" in the quote to be something in a Christian's heart that he puts ahead of God?

    Living in Asia, I've seen real idolatry with real idols many, many times. It's wicked, it's an insult against the true God, it's commanded against over and over in the Bible. In view of yoga's close connection with a wicked, idolatrous religion called Hindu, shouldn't we be against it?
     
  19. Joman

    Joman New Member

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  20. dwmoeller1

    dwmoeller1 New Member

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    Not the physical benefit, no. But if exercise aspect can't be kept distinct from the philosophical aspect, then the question of the physical benefit is beside the point. All truth is God's truth, but physical benefit does not equate to truth, esp. if particular patterns of false thinking accompanies it.

    I don't know if that is the case. I merely point out that unless one can negate Mohler's claim that the philosophical is integral to the physical in yoga - such that the physical exercise by itself it no longer really yoga - then Mohler would seem to have a valid point. At least one that goes well beyond any physical benefits that might occur.

    So that is really the first question that must be addressed. Is Mohler accurate when he says that the purely physical exercise separated from the philosophical aspect of yoga is no longer yoga?
     
    #20 dwmoeller1, Oct 8, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 8, 2010
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