{"id":91395,"date":"2021-03-12T23:45:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-13T04:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/?p=91395"},"modified":"2023-10-07T23:50:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T03:50:46","slug":"yoga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/yoga\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoga"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Exodus\n20:3-5: <sup>3<\/sup>Thou shalt have no other gods before me. <sup>4<\/sup>Thou\nshalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is\nin heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under\nthe earth. &nbsp;<sup>5<\/sup>Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve\nthem: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the\nfathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that\nhate me;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For many Christians in the West who don&#8217;t understand the philosophy behind it, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise to strengthen and improve muscle flexibility \u2013 one reason an estimated 15.8 million people practice yoga in the U.S.&nbsp; Even pre-schools have incorporated yoga into their student\u2019s daily routines.&nbsp; Yet the question arises: is the philosophy behind yoga much more than physically improving oneself?&nbsp; According to R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, it is.&nbsp; He has warned Christians that yoga is contradictory to Christianity.&nbsp; What, exactly, is Yoga?&nbsp; Where does it come from?&nbsp; Is it compatible with Biblical convictions?&nbsp; To determine the Biblical answers, we look to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Historical Context:&nbsp; Moses\nwas the author of the Book of Exodus (Exodus 17:14; 24:4-7; 34:27) written\nbetween 1440 and 1400 B.C.&nbsp; The Mosaic\nLaw as documented in Exodus was given in part to show mankind that they we are\nincapable of keeping it. Since we are unable to please God by law-keeping, Paul\nexhorts us to \u201cput our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith\nin Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one\nwill be justified\u201d (Galatians 2:16).&nbsp;\nWithin this law were ten primary commandments, the first relating to God\nHimself from which all other law is based.&nbsp;\nTo misunderstand the first commandment is to miss the nature and\ncharacter of God, miss His provision for sin, miss that provision\u2019s personal\nnature and application\u2026miss the opportunity for salvation\u2026miss eternal life\nwith God in heaven.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Grammatical Usage: V. 3:\n\u201cother\u201d in Hebrew is \u201cacher\u201d meaning, \u201cfurther as in addition to, following as\nin allegiance to and different as opposed to\u201d; \u201cgods\u201d is, \u201c&#8217;elohiym\u201d referring\nto a, \u201cruler, an angel, divine one or judge\u201d; \u201cme\u201d is \u201ceynp\u201d and literally\nmeans, \u201cin my face or presence\u201d; V. 4: \u201cimage\u201d is \u201chnwmt\u201d and means, \u201cform,\nlikeness, representation, semblance\u201d; V. 5: \u201cdown\u201d is \u201cShachah\u201d and\nspecifically means, \u201cto prostrate before a superior to pay homage\u201d; \u201cserve\u201d is\n\u201c`abad\u201d and means, \u201cto labor or work\u201d; \u201cLORD\u201d is \u201cY@hovah\u201d meaning, \u201cthe\nexisting One\u201d; \u201cvisiting\u201d or \u201cPaqad\u201d meaning, \u201cto reckon or deposit\u201d; \u201ciniquity\u201d\nor \u201c`avon\u201d meaning, \u201cperversity, depravity and guilt\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Literal Application: You\nwill not add, consider anything equal or consider me opposed by any other\nruler, angel or divine being as I am ever present \u2013 seeing all, knowing\nall.&nbsp; You will not have any other\nreference of Me whether it be a form, likeness, representation or semblance including any likeness of anything that is in heaven\nabove, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the\nearth.&nbsp; You will not give yourself in\nhomage or labor on its behalf for I am the only existing One and therefore the\nonly One deserving of such; I will reckon to future generations the guilt of\nthis perversity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Contextual Interpretation: The definition of idolatry, according to Webster, is \u201cthe worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.\u201d An idol is anything that replaces the one, true God. The most prevalent form of idolatry in Bible times was the worship of images that were thought to embody the various pagan deities.<br> <br>From the beginning, God\u2019s covenant with Israel was based on exclusive worship of Him alone (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). The Israelites were not even to mention the names of false gods (Exodus 23:13) because to do so would acknowledge their existence and give credence to their power and influence over the people. Israel was forbidden to intermarry with other cultures who embraced false gods, because God knew this would lead to compromise. The book of Hosea uses the imagery of adultery to describe Israel\u2019s continual chasing after other gods, like an unfaithful wife chases after other men. The history of Israel is a sad chronicle of idol worship, punishment, restoration and forgiveness, followed by a return to idolatry. The books of 1 &amp; 2 Samuel, 1 &amp; 2 Kings, and 1 &amp; 2 Chronicles reveal this destructive pattern. The Old Testament prophets endlessly prophesied dire consequences for Israel if they continued in their idolatry. Mostly, they were ignored until it was too late and God\u2019s wrath against idol-worship was poured out on the nation. But ours is a merciful God, and He never failed to forgive and restore them when they repented and sought His forgiveness.<br> <br>In reality, idols are impotent blocks of stone or wood, and their power exists only in the minds of the worshipers. The idol of the god Dagon was twice knocked to the floor by God to show the Philistines just who was God and who wasn\u2019t (1 Samuel 1:1-5). The \u201ccontest\u201d between God and His prophet Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is a dramatic example of the power of the true God and the impotence of false gods (1 Kings 18:19-40). The testimony of Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship. Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate (Isaiah 42:8).<br> <br>Even today there are religions that bow before statues and icons, a practice forbidden by God\u2019s Word. The significance God places upon it is reflected in the fact that the first of the Ten Commandments refers to idolatry.&nbsp; <br> <br>Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images and false gods. Our modern idols are many and varied. Even for those who do not bow physically before a statue, idolatry is a matter of the heart\u2014pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, a love for possessions, misplaced faith (in this case, the practice of yoga) and ultimately rebellion against God. Is it any wonder that God hates it? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Scriptural Comparison: Yoga\nis an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to\nspiritual growth and enlightenment.&nbsp; The\nword &#8220;yoga&#8221; means &#8220;union,&#8221; and the goal is to unite one&#8217;s\ntransitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman,\nthe Hindu concept of &#8220;God&#8221;.&nbsp; This\ngod is not a literal being, but an impersonal spiritual substance that is one\nwith nature and the cosmos. It falls under the Hindu sect which recognizes\n&#8220;pantheism,&#8221; the belief that everything is God and that reality\nconsists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga\nphilosophy makes no distinction between man and God.&nbsp; <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">While the Bible affirms\nthat God is spirit (John 4:24), not flesh and blood (Matt. 16:17), His\ncharacteristics are those of a living, personal, individual Being. These\ninclude the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">* He lives (John 5:26).<br>* He loves (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-11).<br>* He speaks (Matt. 3:17)<br>* He works (John 5:17,20)<br>* He knows (Matt. 6:8,32)<br>* He wills (Matt. 7:21)<br>* He sees (Matt. 6:4,6,18)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">God is not just an\nimpersonal force, nor does He need a physical body in order to possess personal\ncharacteristics. God is spirit, not material or physical, and yet He possesses\nthe characteristics of a personal individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This basic definition stands\nin contrast to the Hindu concept of God, clearly demonstrating that Hinduism is\nin opposition to biblical Christianity.&nbsp;\nIn fact, every major assertion of Hinduism in relation to religious\nauthority, essence and destiny of man including that of salvation stands in\nstark contrast to the orthodox Christian faith.&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Hinduism has several missionary movements:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(1) Ramakrishna Mission<br>(2) Krishna Consciousness Society &#8211; The Hare Krishna movement<br>(3) Divine Light Mission<br>(4) Transcendental Meditation<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>As evidence of the success of these movements,\nconsider:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(1) The Krishna Consciousness\nmovement claims it is &#8220;gradually becoming the most popular movement in the\nentire world, especially amongst the younger generation.&#8221;&nbsp; It has built palaces in the United States\nand its devotees are often seen in airports and other public places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(2) Many popular musical\ngroups have songs that relate to Hindu themes including Moody Blues, The Who,\nJohn McLaughlin, John Lennon, and George Harrison of the Beatles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(3)\nTranscendental Meditation has become extremely popular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(4) Yoga\nhas become a common exercise<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(5) Games such as\n&#8220;Dungeons and Dragons&#8221; and similar computer games are filled with\nHindu concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">(6) The\nNew Age Movement also promotes Hindu philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Definition of Hinduism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Hinduism has two basic forms of definition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pantheism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Hindus believe that God\nis ultimately an impersonal, eternal force, essence, or power of existence,\nwhich has none of the attributes or characteristics of persons (such as\nknowing, thinking, loving, etc.). This force is called Brahman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">God (Brahman) is present\neverywhere in everything in nature, especially in all living things: every\nplant, every animal, and especially every man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Brahman can be thought of\nas a sort of spirit force which has no personal qualities, but which pervades\neverything in the Universe. The attributes of personality are believed to exist\nonly in physical, material things. But God, in pure form, is impersonal and has\nno personal characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This impersonal essence,\npervading all things, is also found within us. Hence, the &#8220;spirit&#8221;\nwithin us is Divine. It is part of God. The real inner you is God. Your inner\nessence is the essence of Deity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Our eternal souls are\n&#8220;part and parcels of God.&#8221; &#8220;The soul is a small God.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When you are aware of it,\nyou begin to notice everyday references to such concepts &#8211; consider, for\nexample the &#8220;Force&#8221; in the Star Wars movies. It is also part of the\nNew Age Movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Polytheism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This Divine Essence\nmanifests or expresses itself in the physical world in the form of physical\nbeings that have personality. As such, Deity is manifested in many gods of many\nforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">There are three Supreme\ngods: (1) Brahma, the creator, (2) Vishnu, the preserver, and (3) Siva, the\ndestroyer. These are generally recognized as equal. Certain sects, however,\nemphasize one or the other while recognizing all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Avatars are incarnations\nof these gods who have come to earth as men. The best known are avatars of\nVishnu: (1) Rama, and (2) Krishna in the\nBhagavad-Gita.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">There are also many\nlesser deities having various levels or realms of authority. Some rule over\ncertain areas of the earth or certain aspects of nature, such as fire, sun,\nwealth, water, etc. These can be reincarnated to various higher or lower\npositions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Dead ancestors and\nreligious teachers are also worshiped.&nbsp; This\nworship often involves the use of many images.&nbsp;\nThe worship of various deities and images is popular among the people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Hinduism has no concept\nof Creation in the Biblical sense. To Hindus, God forms physical beings from\nthings already existing or from Himself, but He did not create out of nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bible\nConcepts <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In addition to the Bible asserting that God\npossesses the characteristics of a personal spirit Being, it also stipulates\nthat man is not divine.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Spiritually, man is created\nor made in the image or likeness of God (Gen. 1:26f; 5:1; 9:6; James 3:9; 1\nCor. 11:7). But our inner being is not divine, not of the essence of God, and\nnot to be worshiped. To believe we are divine is blasphemous:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Acts 10:25,26 &#8211; Peter\nrefused to accept worship from Cornelius because Peter himself was &#8220;a <strong><em>man<\/em><\/strong>.&#8221;\n[Cf. Rev. 22:8,9; 19:10]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Acts 14:15 &#8211; When the\npeople of Lystra tried to offer sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas as gods (v8-18),\nthe inspired men said the people should cease such practices and worship the\nliving God. They said they were <strong><em>men <\/em><\/strong>of like passions with those\nattempting to worship them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">1 Samuel 15:29 &#8211; God is\nnot a man.&nbsp; It is not true that our inner\nessence is that of God. Therefore, it is not right to worship any man, neither\nancestors nor religious teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">[See also Matt.\n23:8-12; Ezek. 28:2,6-10; Gen. 3:5; Acts 12:22,23; Isa. 55:8,9; Heb. 2:7; John\n10:33; Num. 23:19]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">There is only one true\nGod.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Three-in-One deity: the\nFather, Son, and Holy Spirit. But unlike Hindu deities, these three are\ncompletely united in will, goals, purposes, etc. All have complete authority\nover all aspects of creation (in contrast to one over fire, one over wealth,\netc.). Hence, they are completely united to form one God (John 17:20, 21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Deuteronomy 4:35-39 &#8211; The\nLord is God and there is none else besides Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Isaiah 43:10,11 &#8211; Before\nMe there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the\nLord, and besides Me there is no savior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Exodus 20:3 &#8211; You shall\nhave no other gods before Me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">[Isa. 44:6-8; 1 Cor.\n8:4-6; Matt. 4:10; 2 Cor. 6:16-18]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use of images in worship\nis forbidden.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Exodus 20:4, 5 &#8211; You\nshall not make any graven image nor bow down to such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Acts 17:29 &#8211; Since we are\nGod&#8217;s offspring, we should not think the Godhead is like gold or silver or\nstone graven by art or device of men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">[Isa. 42:8,9; 40:18-26;\n44:9-20; 46:1-11; 48:3-6; 41:21-24; Psa. 115:1-9; 96:5; 97:7; Lev. 19:4; 26:1;\nEx. 32:1-35; 23:24; 34:12-17; Hab. 2:18,19; Deut. 16:21-17:7; 27:5; Dan. 3;\nRom. 1:23,25; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 John 5:21; 1 Cor. 5:10,11; 6:9,10; 10:7,14; Rev.\n21:8; 22:15; Acts 14:8-18.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">2 Corinthians 6:16-18: What agreement\nhas the temple of\n God with idols? For we\nare the temple of the living God; as God said, &#8220;I will make my dwelling\namong them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my\npeople.&nbsp; Therefore go out from their\nmidst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing;\nthen I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons\nand daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">What should be a\nChristian&#8217;s attitude toward idolatry as practiced in Hinduism? We should have\nno agreement with it, but separate ourselves from it and do not touch it (or\npractice it to any degree).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Specifically, Hatha yoga\nis the aspect of yoga which focuses on the physical body\nthrough special postures, breathing exercises,\nand concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for\nspiritual exercises, with fewer obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment.\nThe practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is\nlittle more than self-worship disguised as a high level of spirituality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I don\u2019t want to overwhelm, but here is a quote from a comparative religion text book which confirms the\nproper definition and implication of the exercise (I have italicized the\nspecific portions pertinent to yoga as well as provided a link to the original\nwork): <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The oldest and simplest form\nis Pantheism, which asserts that God is, and unfolds himself in, everything\nthere is. In other words all that there is is God. God is not a Creator from\noutside, but the sum total of all the reality of which we are a part. <em>That being the case, the \u2018way of salvation\u2019\nfor man is to become one, or feel one, with nature.<\/em> He must avoid artificiality,\nignore man-made rules of right and wrong, and be as true to nature as he can\u2026<em>The way of salvation is to realize the dream\nnature of all we think we know and get through to perceiving God or the\nAbsolute, which is identical with one\u2019s deepest self. This way is called the\nway of knowledge, and Yoga meditation is prescribed to attain this realization\nand unity.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>Religion: Origins and Ideas<\/em>. Robert Brow. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brow.on.ca\/Books\/Religion\/Religion9.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">http:\/\/www.brow.on.ca\/Books\/Religion\/Religion9.html<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The physical postures and\nbreathing exercises in yoga are inseparably bound up with these philosophical\nand religious ideas.&nbsp; But why is this\nimportant? According to the pantheistic philosophy of yoga, each one of us is\nalso part of this all-encompassing divine reality known as &#8220;God&#8221; or\nBrahman. As Brad Scott, a former practitioner of yoga has written: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">&#8220;..all creation to\nthe Yoga-Vedantin is comprised of the substance of Brahman. Hence, yogis are\npantheists&#8230; Brahman created the universe out of Itself, as a spider spins out\na web&#8221; (&#8220;Exercise or Religious Practice? Yoga: What the Teacher Never\nTaught You in That Hatha Yoga Class.&#8221; The Watchman Expositor: Vol. 18, No.\n2, 2001, p. 7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">And since\n&#8220;God,&#8221; or Brahman, is ultimately something non-physical, what we\nimagine to be our physical bodies are (according to yoga) merely just a crude\nlayer of mind. <em>The physical postures and\nbreathing exercises of yoga are actually intended to help move the mind in the\ndirection of altered states of consciousness.<\/em> The ultimate goal of yoga is\n&#8220;union&#8221; with &#8220;God&#8221; or occult enlightenment. Please allow me\nto support these statements with some authoritative quotations: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">On the Watchman Expositor\nwebsite there is a brief overview of yoga at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.watchman.org\/na\/yoga.htm\">http:\/\/www.watchman.org\/na\/yoga.htm<\/a>.\nThe author of this piece quotes from Swami Vishnudevananda, well known\nauthority of Yoga, in his book, <em>The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga<\/em>,\nas follows: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">&#8220;&#8230; the aim of all yoga\npractice is to achieve truth wherein the individual soul identifies itself with\nthe supreme soul of God.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">He also quotes from Swami\nSivananda Radha, in a book on Hatha Yoga, as follows: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When most people in the\nWest think of yoga, they think of yoga as a form of exercise. Too often&#8230;\nthere are yoga teachers who teach asanas without an understanding of their real\nnature and purpose. Asanas are a devotional practice which like all spiritual\npractices, bring us to an understanding of the truth&#8230;. Beyond this there also\nlies a mystical or spiritual meaning. Each asana creates a certain meditative\nstate of mind, (p.xv).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">And again, from the same\nsource: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Hatha Yoga plays an\nimportant part in the development of the human being&#8230; the body working in harmony\nwith the mind, to bring the seeker into closer contact with the Higher Self,\n(Ibid, p.xvii).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Indeed, it is for this\nreason that the Yogi authority Gopi Krishna writes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">&#8220;All the systems of\nyoga&#8230;are designed to bring about those psychosomatic changes in the body\nwhich are essential for the metamorphosis of consciousness&#8221; (Quoted in\nJohn Ankerberg and John Weldon, <em>Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs<\/em><em>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">If indeed a non-academic class or a school are not\nspecifically pushing the exercise for its spirituality, the question becomes is\nit possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a\nmethod of exercise in self-control, without incorporating the spirituality or\nphilosophy behind it? Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy,\nand that philosophy has not changed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">1) <em>It teaches one to\nfocus on oneself <\/em>instead of on the\none true God;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">2) <em>It encourages its participants to seek the\nanswers to life&#8217;s difficult questions within their own conscience<\/em> instead\nof in the Word of God<em>.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Yoga is a form of control often incorporated by people\nwho want to be in self-control (or teaching children to stay calm or be calm \u2013\na form of self-control).&nbsp; Unfortunately, it also leaves one open to\ndeception from God&#8217;s enemy, who searches for victims that he can turn away from\nGod (1 Peter 5:8) as God is not needed with respect to control, calmness, etc.&nbsp;\nPsalm 16:2 reminds us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cI said to the Lord, \u2018You are my Lord; apart from you\nI have no good thing.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Christians attain self-control, indeed self-worth and esteem by having a right relationship with God \u2013 the God of the Bible. So, I would have to conclude the answer is no, that kind of a separation can not be made.&nbsp; The point of yoga is to empty oneself, the point of Christian meditation is to fill oneself (as we note below).<br> <br>Whatever we do should be done for God&#8217;s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we would be wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul when it comes to purposed thinking and contemplation: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice<\/strong>. <strong><sup>5<\/sup><\/strong>Let your reasonableness be known\nto everyone. The Lord is at hand; <strong><sup>6<\/sup><\/strong>do not be anxious about\nanything,<sup>(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Philippians%204&amp;version=ESV#cen-ESV-29432J#cen-ESV-29432J\">J<\/a>)<\/sup> but in everything by prayer and\nsupplicationwith thanksgiving let your requests be made known to\nGod. <strong><sup>7<\/sup><\/strong><strong>Andthe\npeace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and\nyour minds in Christ Jesus.<\/strong> &nbsp;<strong><sup>8<\/sup><\/strong>Finally, brothers, whatever\nis true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is\nlovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is\nanything worthy of praise, think about these things. <strong><sup>9<\/sup><\/strong><strong>What you have learned andreceived\nand heard and seenin me\u2014practice these things, andthe\nGod of peace will be with you.<\/strong> &#8211; (Philippians\n4:4-9, ESV).&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Failing to heed this instruction exposes adults to\nungodly influence.&nbsp; Asking a child to\npractice anything else is to introduce a contradictory idea.&nbsp; Ideas have\nconsequences\u2026they express themselves in actions and reactions which is why God\nhas much to say about what we contemplate or meditate upon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This naturally brings us to the Biblical view of\nmeditation.&nbsp; Psalm 19:14 states, \u201cMay the words of\nmy mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O\nLord, my Rock and my Redeemer.\u201d What, then, is Christian\nmeditation, and how should Christians meditate? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Unfortunately, the word \u201cmeditation\u201d can carry the\nconnotation of something mystical. For some, meditation is clearing the mind\nwhile sitting in an unusual position. Yet, a \u201ccleared mind\u201d is nothing more\nthan a vacuum which must be filled.&nbsp; This type of meditation fosters\ncommunion with the spirit world around us. The\nBible specifically states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but\nagainst the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over\nthis present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly\nplaces.\u201d \u2013 Ephesians 6:12&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Concepts such as those advocated within yoga most\ndefinitely do not characterize Christian meditation. To the contrary, yoga\nopens the mind to the very real forces of evil \u2013 those forces intent upon the\ndestruction of the very soul.&nbsp; The very\nessence of yoga \u2013 union of self with the infinite to achieve spiritual growth\nand enlightenment, \u201cself\u201d being part of the infinite or god \u2013 couldn\u2019t be more\ncontrary to Christian instruction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In contrast, Christian meditation is not about the\nemptying of oneself, but is to be solely based upon filling oneself with the\nWord of God and what it reveals about Him (not about us):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">1) David found this to be so, and he describes the man\nwho is \u201cblessed\u201d as one whose \u201cdelight is in the law of the LORD, and on his\nlaw he <em>meditates<\/em> day and night\u201d (Psalm 1:2); <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">2) True Christian meditation is an active thought\nprocess whereby we give ourselves to the study of the Word, praying over it and\nasking God to give us understanding by the Spirit, who has promised to lead us\n\u201cinto all truth\u201d (John 16:13);<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">3) He speaks to us in a still small\nvoice which is why we are admonished to be still and know that He is God\n(Psalm 46:10);<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">4) Then we put this truth into practice, committing\nourselves to the Scriptures as the rule for life and practice as we go about\nour daily activities. This causes spiritual growth and maturing in the things\nof God as we are taught by the Holy Spirit.&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In this sense, Christian meditation has nothing to do\nwith practices that have Eastern mysticism as their foundation. Such practices\ninclude lectio divina, transcendental meditation,\nyoga, and forms of what is called \u201ccontemplative\u201d prayer.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Clearly we are to avoid even the appearance of evil (1\nThessalonians 5:22) which would include participation in what is clearly an\nanti-Christian exercise.&nbsp; In addition, parents\nhave a specific charge to raise your little one in the nurture and admonition\nof the Lord (Eph. 6:4) which includes protection from such divisive\npractices.&nbsp; \n\nConclusion: For all of the reasons offered above, I\ncannot in good conscience recommend that a Christian practice yoga\u2014even if they\nsuggest limiting themselves only to the physical postures and breathing\nexercises.&nbsp; In the case of yoga, where it\nbecomes quite difficult (if not impossible) to separate the non-Christian\nreligious and philosophical ideas from the physical postures and breathing\nexercises, my own advice would be to recommend a different exercise program,\none that would help relieve pain or stress without potentially compromising\nyour spiritual health as a Christian.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exodus 20:3-5: 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. &nbsp;5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[526,535],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Yoga - Grace Evangelical Free Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yoga - Grace Evangelical Free Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Exodus 20:3-5: 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. &nbsp;5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/yoga\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grace Evangelical Free Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-13T04:45:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-08T03:50:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tony Raker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tony Raker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"18 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/yoga\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/yoga\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tony Raker\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/#\/schema\/person\/6785bcea471ae92fb3660d811c5c74ef\"},\"headline\":\"Yoga\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-13T04:45:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-08T03:50:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/yoga\/\"},\"wordCount\":4053,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Issues &amp; 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