From: gpalo@digi.lonestar.org (Gerry Palo)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Why is Yoga considered an occult practise?
Date: 30 Dec 92 04:28:39 GMT
Organization: DSC Communications Corp, Plano, TX

In article <1hnp6sINNajp@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> haynes@cats.ucsc.edu (Jim Haynes) writes:
>

>
>It seems to me that yoga developed in the culture of India with the religious
>environment that is part of that culture; karate developed in Japan likewise,
>and other things in other countries.  In the U.S. we kinda want these things
>pulled apart so you can do yoga and still be a good Presbyterian or do
>karate and still be a good Baptist (or Catholic or atheist or anthroposophist
>or anything else).
>
>I remember reading an advertisement for the opening of a karate school in a
>Bible Belt town, saying quite pointedly that they would teach it without
>the foreign religious aspects.  Now when we talk about Christian fundamentalists
>and yoga, I imagine that they imagine yoga to be inseperable from all the
>things that they imagine "India" to be: reincarnation and strange gods and
>sacred cows and everything that in their minds is part of the concept "heathen."
>Similarly they imagine karate to be part and parcel of buddhism and ancestor
>worship and emperor worship and everything they have ever been told about
>Japan.  And they are the kind of people who would prefer to live in a
>community where everybody believes exactly as they do, who have no desire
>to live among people who do not accept their version of Truth.
>India conjures up in their minds

My own experience with fundamentalists is that most are much less narrow
minded about what other people believe than you imply.  They are convinced
that these other beliefs, such as reincarnation, are wrong and devil in-
spired.  But few of them are arguing for imposing their beliefs on others.
I should say that I am a Christian myself who believes in basically
all the fundamentals of fundamentalism and (also that I believe in rein-
carnation and karma.

Fundamentalist rejection of reincarnation is, however, not fundamentally
different than Hinduism's rejection of the Christian beliefs about Christ.
They are at odds with each other.  Likewise, if you really want to find
narrow minded religious parochialism, go to India sometime and see how
everyday people regard their beliefs over and against other religions.
This world is full of pots and kettles calling each other black.  There
are not a few atheists and "free-thinkers" - some on this very network --
which do the same thing in the name of their brand of openmindedness and
Scientifically Correct Thinking.

I personally don't believe it is as easy to separate out the practical
from the spiritual from things like yoga and karate as most people believe.
As for fundamentalists who think they can teach karate without the 
underlying spiritual influences, not in terms of belief but in terms of
_consciousness_, well, I have more than one bone to pick
with fundamentalists.  I think that those of them who would practice
karate might do better to try a little yoga.  

But the main point is that, one way or another our public education system
forces one or another form of spirituality on everyone, except for the
few who are well off enough to send their kids to private schools.  I
think that it is reasonable for fundamentalists who see their own forms
of spirituality banned as unconstitutional should be alarmed at another
form, quite alien to the whole culture and history of this country, be
taught in the same schools where they are not allowed to teach their own
values.  Educational choice anyone?

One thing I would add about the teaching of yoga to children is that I
believe it is potentially dangerous to teach breath control exercises
while the physical and emotional organism is still growing.  I would
have to go into a little basic anthroposophy to describe why, but I
would point out that in the Waldorf schools, which are based on the
spiritual world view of anthroposophy, none of the anthroposophically
oriented spiritual exercises, all very harmonious and balanced and healthy
_for adults_ are taught to the children.  The development of a healthy
breathing and emotional organism can be done in better ways during the
childhood years.

Gerry Palo (73237.2006@compuserve.com)