Judge allows Yoga in Public schools, rejects Church-State Fight

reply to post by Skyfloating


So are you suggesting that by doing yoga, one is also practicing the Hindu religion? What about Christians who practice yoga? Are they going to hell for dabbling in another religion? I practice yoga from time to time because it gives me a great stretch and helps to calm my mind, like many other activities do for me such as gardening and swimming. It has absolutely nothing to do with religion. Praying is to quietly confer with the God of one's choosing. It is ENTIRELY different from yoga which does not require a person to confer with a God or contemplate any religious teaching at all.

To suggest that by teaching a child to learn how to perform stretches that increase blood flow and tone muscles is the same as practicing religion is rather baffling.

Originally posted by Taissa
I love yoga, but it is a spiritual practice that does not belong in the public school. It should not be forced as part of a curriculum, manipulated as being for health benefits only. It is deeply rooted in a spiritual belief. If we cannot allow Christian or other religious prayers in school, then it's not fair to teach Yoga either.

Oh but some are saying its not really Yoga. Your saying that its a bastardy Yoga, half baked Yoga. Yes well leave it to westerners to basterdize something, try to extol virtue out of its context just to shove it up the christians backside.

Originally posted by nunya13
reply to post by Skyfloating

 

To suggest that by teaching a child to learn how to perform stretches that increase blood flow and tone muscles is the same as practicing religion is rather baffling.

You could do all of that without even the wiff of anything about Yoga. And like I said leave it to modern westerners to call something by its name Yoga and then deny its essence. Hamburger and fries mentality. Go into a Mexican restaurant and order hamburger and fries.

Originally posted by Superhans

Originally posted by Afewloosescrews
Again, I have to ask. Religion in school or not...which is it people?

People are okay with religion in school as long as its not any of the Christian ones. I always roll my eyes when i see these other "atheists" do stupid crap like rail against Christmas everywhere and then turn around and celebrate some obscure pagan holiday instead of it. The truth is, a majority of the "atheists" i meet and dealt with in the past are not actually atheists just anti-christian. They will often say crap about how they believe in all types of eastern "philosophies", go on about how illogical god is, pretend to talk about science and facts only to start rambling about some new age crap like energies or karma.

This is simply put down to your poor understanding of what atheism is. If I assume that buddists hate chocolate, then I would no doubt think buddism is a sham when I notice some monks eating a candy bar. But its not the buddists to blame, its my poorly educated understanding and false knowledge of what buddism is (hint: nothing to do with chocolate either way).

Atheism is no belief in a god(s). A Atheist can believe in the following if they so choose and still be Atheist: Martians, Unicorns, AFTERLIFE, Ghosts, Goblins, Spirit, etc etc etc.

It is simply no belief in a deity or deities..in the same way you (probably) don't believe in Loki, God of Mischief, a atheist simply does not believe in one more god than a theist..you (theists) believe in one god, but reject 99 others, an atheist just rejects the whole 100...until there is some proof. Its not a strong rejection based on a belief, it is just a final ascertation as to if there is evidence of such a being to warrant belief at the moment, and they concluded..no..not yet at least.

So, a eastern philosophy about things of mind, body, spirit, etc...has nothing to do with deities..its about a personal soul...they are simply an atheist spiritualist.

Incidently, I, an atheist, love Christmas, new years, etc...along with Halloween, and even easter (good feasting). I love me a good holiday. Ceremonies and such are manmade. A proper Christian celebrates the birth of Christ daily..not wait for once a year under a decorated pine tree while giving stuff to people and eating turkey.

reply to post by Superhans


Now it's more understandable, but it's crap, that's not the same at all. The problem was/is with you, not me. Your sentence structure was poor and confusing.

Originally posted by amtracer
reply to post by SpearMint

 

Perhaps you should read this book: Raja Yoga by Yogi Ramacharaka which was published in 1906. Just to let you know, exercise and stretching is never metioned, and it is a spiritual book, not a religous one (there is a vast difference).

Just because it can be spiritual, doesn't mean it has to be, and today it mostly isn't.

Originally posted by Logarock

Originally posted by nunya13
reply to post by Skyfloating

 

To suggest that by teaching a child to learn how to perform stretches that increase blood flow and tone muscles is the same as practicing religion is rather baffling.

You could do all of that without even the wiff of anything about Yoga. And like I said leave it to modern westerners to call something by its name Yoga and then deny its essence. Hamburger and fries mentality. Go into a Mexican restaurant and order hamburger and fries.

It is a school, right? So, your suggesting then a school should bend to misinformation about an activity?

I heard only Satanists play basketball. sounds insane now..but meh, give that seed a hundred years and who knows...if the public continues to get dumbed down, it may be seen then as a satanic practice...should a school then avoid basketball considering it is obviously (but actually not remotely) a religion?

Yoga is a series of mind/body balancing. There is no debate here. A debate is required to have two opposing and equal sides. Those rallying against yoga are the same exact idiots that rallied against martial arts, wearing the color black, and other nonsense items that have come down by simple minds throughout time

Originally posted by Oceanborn
reply to post by Trexter Ziam

 

In ancient Greece they were doing those things and were dedicating them to the gods. The games weren't religious by themselves but yoga is.

Yoga is religious then?
Answer me these questions:
What deity do they (yogians?) worship?
What service do they attend?
What rituals do they preform?
What is their icons?
What is their creed or formal statement of their religious belief?
What is their requirement for confession of faith?
Who are their ordained clergy/priest that lead their services?
Who are the leaders or group overseers?
What is the membership procedure ?
Do they have a congregation of members or followers?
Where can I find their churches?

Now, answer that and replace yoga with the actors guild, karate, chess club, Golds Gym, or any other accepted non religion practice. Bet they will be almost exact, and completely opposite of a religion that can answer every single question.

While your at it, do the same for atheism also.

reply to post by SaturnFX


Well the truth is they are in fact changing the definition of Yoga to fit a more westernized adaptation......muscle stretching.....as even some that appreciate Yoga have said on this thread. Reminds me of the stupid Chines character tattoo fad. All these tattoo artists and Rembrandts were suddenly experts in Chines writing. Come to find out most of it was poor spelling.....not to mention the shamanistic nature of the thing being kept away from public knowledge in general. Folks didn't know they were getting poorly rendered I Ching all over their bodies.....like it really meant something progressive rather than you may be a simple fad chaser.

Originally posted by Logarock
reply to post by SaturnFX

 

Well the truth is they are in fact changing the definition of Yoga to fit a more westernized adaptation......muscle stretching.....as even some that appreciate Yoga have said on this thread. Reminds me of the stupid Chines character tattoo fad. All these tattoo artists and Rembrandts were suddenly experts in Chines writing. Come to find out most of it was poor spelling.....not to mention the shamanistic nature of the thing being kept away from public knowledge in general. Folks didn't know they were getting poorly rendered I Ching all over their bodies.....like it really meant something progressive rather than you may be a simple fad chaser.

No...they are not..not at all.
Here is the words of a Swamii Link
This "change" is not a change..its people becoming informed. If the jewish people incorporated more yoga into their life, it would -not- be a jewish religion thing..it would simply be a neutral exercise.

They are not changing anything...education changes you, but you don't change facts.

In saying that...as far as fads go, I think Yoga is a far better fad to get into than say, drugs or tattoos. I say encourage healthy fads in kids. Pity in my days fads consisted of ripped jeans and doing damage to the body.

reply to post by SaturnFX


Well its really not about a comparative look at fads to measure some justification. Its about being uninformed which is what westernized Yoga is.

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by amtracer
reply to post by SpearMint

 

Perhaps you should read this book: Raja Yoga by Yogi Ramacharaka which was published in 1906. Just to let you know, exercise and stretching is never metioned, and it is a spiritual book, not a religous one (there is a vast difference).

Just because it can be spiritual, doesn't mean it has to be, and today it mostly isn't.

Some people find surfing spiritual. Personally, I find a walk in the woods spiritual.

reply to post by Skyfloating


Woohoo, enforced sun and moon worship, courtesy of the secular world who refuses to acknowledge such things!

Originally posted by Logarock
reply to post by SaturnFX

 

Well its really not about a comparative look at fads to measure some justification. Its about being uninformed which is what westernized Yoga is.

No, your still not getting it.
Yoga is many things...if Christians adapt yoga practices to their religion, it doesn't change yoga, it incorporates it...it is Christian yoga...same with muslims, buddists, spiritualists, shriners, and astronomy club yoga goers.

Westernized Yoga isn't a corruption of yoga, it is simply westernized yoga....you cannot corrupt a stretch if the only requirement is to stretch...regardless of the color shorts you wear (but the buddists wear flowing robes, not shorts...if your not wearing robes, your not doing yoga properly. -answer: no, it means your not doing buddist yoga).

Yoga is excercise, and it also allows a good flow of energy, and healing to occur, its very Christian, at that, for the early Christians were the true gnostics. The bible is an inner journey, it becomes Saturn when you make it fundamental. So I am a Christian and love yoga! I also love anything for the penial health too, for that is the city you meet God in according to Jacob in Genesis 32 30.

And may your inner Michael defeat your inner dragon! Yoga helps that process, whether you are spiritual, religious or athiest.

Originally posted by luciddream
reply to post by ThirdEyeofHorus

 

I think soon as someone try to "interpret" something, it goes to sh*t. Thats when personl bias and experience mixes with the original information.

Umm yah, that interpretation was pretty consistent with most practitioners. It was not a matter of personal bias. The site I posted had the basic qualities taken from the yoga sutras, and even the most secular teacher knows the goal is not to just flatten your tummy but to achieve Union with the Divine.
Unless you were talking about someone else's interpretation.

reply to post by Unity_99

And may your inner Michael defeat your inner dragon! Yoga helps that process, whether you are spiritual, religious or athiest.

So you agree it is a spiritual practice whether or not someone admits it, and it violates the whole separation of Church and State seculars are so adamant about...

reply to post by Unity_99


Wow, you just went full...

reply to post by SaturnFX

Atheism is no belief in a god(s). A Atheist can believe in the following if they so choose and still be Atheist: Martians, Unicorns, AFTERLIFE, Ghosts, Goblins, Spirit, etc etc etc.

You are twisting what i said. i never said they couldn't believe in anything, i said i roll my eyes. Because they sound retarded and they do. When i hear a guy ramble on how its scientifically impossible for jesus to have died and come back to life only for the guy to go onto start talking about new age nonsense- it sounds stupid. When people portray themselves to be this super scientifically literate people who pride themselves on "logic" and then go on about newage and pagan crap that they believe in I roll my eyes because i think they are retarded.
When i see them complain about public christmas displays and ask for pagan ones I roll my eyes, because they sound like retarded hypocrites

Originally posted by SpearMint
reply to post by Superhans

 

Now it's more understandable, but it's crap, that's not the same at all. The problem was/is with you, not me. Your sentence structure was poor and confusing.

The problem with you is/was that you i assume iCare, which i don't.