Fear the Dark Art of Yoga! Why Conservative Christians Are Freaking Out After Yoga “Miracle” | Alternet

When conformity is required, as it is in Christianity, what are the results? To begin with, the sacrifice of truth inevitably follows. One can be committed to conformity or one can be committed to truth, but not both. The pursuit of truth requires the unrestricted use of one’s mind—the moral freedom to question, to examine evidence, to consider opposing viewpoints, to criticize, to accept as true only that which can be demonstrated—regardless of whether one’s conclusions conform to a particular creed. 

ATHEISM: The Case Against God, 184-5

Whether it be The Golden Compass, Harry Potter, yoga, and yoga yet again, or any myriad of non-traditional belief systems, the evangelical or fundamentalist crowd will be up in arms.  Whether the sole purpose is entertainment- as in the movies above - or exercise, the fundies will take all the "fun" out of said pursuit; hell I have had individuals confront my use of mediation and Tai Chi.

In the evangelical or fundie mind they believe that Christ, through the trinity, created and holds the world together. “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). They reject the notion of the Tao or an invisible force called chi:  To the fundie mind, Tai Chi, even for physical purposes, is homage to a spiritual belief system at odds with God’s Word.

It is the same mind-set highlighted by Tarico:

When Mike took his first wobbly but unassisted steps, all involved were thrilled and thanked God for a miracle that to their minds was modeled on the ministry of Jesus. But not everyone in Mike and John’s Abundant Living Las Vegas congregation felt the same. When friends set up a GoFundMe page to help Mitch cover income lost during the time he was working with Mike, most parishioners refused to contribute. And when Abundant Living’s pastor blessed the therapy, members (and money) poured out of the church.

Many biblical literalists, and charismatic or Pentecostal Christians in particular, are deeply suspicious of yoga, which they see less as a healing or wellness practice and more as a seductive point of entry into the Hindu religion. Open, inquiring forms of Christianity may teach that “all truth is God’s truth,” or even that there are many paths to God, and even Evangelicals who take a narrower view of Christianity may see yoga as beneficial. But a more common posture among conservative biblical literalists is wariness and suspicion, or outright condemnation. One Christian website, Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, quotes from Yoga Journal and then adds their own commentary:

“’Your body will most likely become much more flexible by doing yoga, and so will your mind [Yoga Journal].’ As one can see, Yoga is more than just a physical exercise. We as Christians do not want to make our mind more flexible. We do not want to leave our mind open to false teaching.”

This is the kind of fear-based Christianity that boycotted Harry Potter movies and seeks to keep fantasy books out of children’s libraries. That is because this worldview takes the idea of sorcery quite seriously. Human development consultant Marlene Winell who coined the term Religious Trauma Syndrome to describe the experience of many who have been wounded by authoritarian, fear-based forms of faith. Winell was raised by Pentecostal Assemblies of God missionaries, and lays out the Pentecostal worldview succinctly, along with psychological harms it can cause.

Fear the Dark Art of Yoga! Why Conservative Christians Are Freaking Out After Yoga “Miracle” | Alternet