Dear editor:
I am addressing this letter to all Christians and especially to Christian parents who have children in the public schools. This is also a rebuttal to the letter entitled, "Yoga important for health" (Saturday, Aug. 16) by yoga instructor True Alisandre.
His letter was an elaboration on the recent front-page article in this newspaper, "Yoga for kids offers program of healthy living" (Sunday, Aug. 3). Surely this inclusion of an exercise-breathing-relaxation program, which definitely has a Middle Eastern religious foundation (Hinduism), should have been absolutely shocking to the Christian community!
Apparently it is not at all bothersome to all of you many, many Christians here in Hot Springs since there hasn't been a single letter protesting this very serious spiritual intrusion upon our young minds! All I can hear is the roaring sound of silence from all of you numerous Christians, including all of you many pastors! This is just another example of what will happen when God's people don't speak up or try to do anything about what is wrong!
One article: "Should Christians Do Yoga?" by Laura J. Bagby, CBN, was very educational. "We are bombarded by many messages of yoga's peaceful and healthful benefits, but what we don't hear in the United States, is the true origins of all of this."
"There are physical body postures offered to the 330 million Hindu gods. Yoga postures really are offerings to the (false) gods. If you do those postures and do their breathing technique and their meditation, then you will be accepted by a god (little "G"). That's the real danger!"
"In yoga they do what they call pranayama breathing. Prana is the Hindu word for life force. Yoga breathing attempts to manipulate that life force energy, which Christians believe is perilous. We are no match for the enemy (Satan) in those areas! Remember, the Apostle Paul reminded us of this danger in Ephesians 2:2 -- that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. We are not just talking about oxygen!"
A third area of concern in yoga is the concept of emptying the mind, which is contradictory to what Christianity teaches. The Bible teaches that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, not the emptying.
Another source on the Internet was called CARM (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry) with an article: "Should Christians Practice Yoga?" by Jeremy Butler. "Before we can answer whether Christians should practice yoga or not, we need to define what yoga is. There are many types and practices within yoga, but what they all have in common is their false way of trying to earn salvation by various works."
"It is not recommended that Christians practice yoga since it bypasses true biblical salvation which comes only by faith in Christ alone instead of trying the impossible way of trying to earn it!" This could possibly cause many of our poor unsuspecting children to take the wrong path and go to hell for all eternity!
Those parents who can afford to put their children in a Christian school should probably do so now. At the very least, how about writing a note requesting them to be excused from yoga?
Lloyd Hoffman
Hot Springs
Editorial on 09/02/2014