NewsFlash: Yoga Is Evil!

From Quesnel, B.C., we learn that some people think that Yoga is an evil religion.

"Yoga isn't just a stretch," she said. "It's an ancient Hindu religion that has been practised for a few thousand years. There's a strong spiritual belief which accompanies these stretches or poses."

Mrs. Brears said she finds it offensive that Christ has been taken out of Christmas concerts and no one is allowed to say prayers in schools. Yet yoga teaches reincarnation and being in a trance-like state.

Really? Yoga is a "Hindu religion"? Wow, someone needs a course or two on comparative religion. No, it is an expression of Hindu Philosophy, and Hindu is the religion.

While Yoga is highly tied into meditation and other aspects of religion, in North America, it can hardly be called "religion" in its own right. (Most people do it as a form of exercise and mind calming) Meditation can be any kind of thought pattern that you find relaxing.

The yoga poses are not part of the school curriculum, but are part of a supplemental program designed to combat obesity. The program is sponsored by the provincial government and 2010 Legacies Now, a funding body of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to promote programs in the communities.

Now we come to the reality of the situation - it's an extension of the Physical Education aspects of schooling, and intended to encourage fitness. Pretty simple and innocuous.

Audrey Cummings, who holds a fellowship meeting each afternoon at her Quesnel area ranch, said she hopes more people write in to convince school officials that yoga is a religion.

"When we kicked God out of schools, there was no absolute standard of right. Now there's only relativism," said Mrs. Cummings, whose children were home-schooled. "This is not right to bring it in and not advise parents we're introducing an Eastern religion into our schools."

Mrs. Cummings said she knows there are Christians who practise yoga, but she said they haven't looked into the basis of the practice, and the postures and breathing are part of the mystic discipline.

Yeah - whatever people. To judge from the increasing rotundness of Canadians, it seems to me that Christianity doesn't exactly encourage physical fitness, does it? Besides, what's wrong with adopting a set of practices that encourage strength, flexibility and balance - even if it isn't "explicitly Christian".

Of course, considering that Quesnel has also foisted upon Canadians homobigot Chris Kempling, I don't suppose I should be surprised at this latest demonstration of wingnuttery. In the meantime, I don't think I'll worry too much about being sucked into a vortex of evil every time I do an hour or so of Yoga as part of my normal exercise routine.