03/10/2024
I came across this great read on
SHOULD CHRISTIANS PRACTICE YOGA?
from the Apologetics study bible for students.
This is something I have had some heavy push back from Christians for years. I've had many conversations with my Christians friends and Christian pastors in regards to this topic and I knew the underlining of why I practice and teach this, and this article I came across, written by Stephen J. Bedard explains this wonderfully.
If you were to do an internet search with the words yoga and church you would find everything from churches offering yoga classes to claims that yoga is participation in the worship of false gods. How should Christians navigate such differences of opinion?
IT helps to understand what yoga is and where it came from. Yoga is a program of exercises and controlled breathing that helps to relieve stress and other health concerns. However, it did not originate simple for the purposes of benefiting mental and physical health. Yoga emerged as a spiritual discipline within Hinduism. Any judgment of yoga must take this into account.
A connection to Hinduism does not necessarily make participating in yoga wrong for Christians. Christ-followers would not, for example, abandon charitable giving just because it is one of the five pillars of Islam. There must be something specifically against Christian beliefs within a certain practice to necessitate a firm rejection of it.
Though yoga began centuries ago within Hinduism, it must be acknowledged that popular versions of yoga take different forms. There are yoga classes that include Hindu and other spiritual teachings, but there are others that focus exclusively on the exercises and breathing. (and there you have it)
While the Bible does not discuss yoga, there are principles that can give Christians guidance regarding the topic. In 1 Corinthians 8 the apostle Paul teaches on a comparable situation. Some of the Corinthians were eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols prior to being served. Paul tell the Corinthians that the false gods to whom it had been offered do not exist, therefor, the meat is just meat and appropriate for Christian consumption. At the same time, Paul warns the Corinthians not to abuse their freedom by causing those who take the pagan gods seriously to stumble in their faith in Jesus. In the same letter (1Co10:28) Paul also teaches that if an unbeliever informs a Christian that some food was sacrificed to an idol, then that Christian should refuse it. What is most important is the impact of one's actions on others who have little or no faith.
This point has a direct application to Christians participating in yoga. There is nothing sinful about exercising, stretching, and controlled breathing. Even though these particular exercises may have risen within Hinduism, it must be remembered that Hindu gods do not exist. The exercises are no more harmful, then, than was the meat that the Corinthian Christians were presented..
At the same time, Christians should be asking questions before practicing yoga. What, for instance, is the yoga instructors goal for her classes? Will any of the other religious aspects of yoga be included along with the exercises? Will one Christians' participation in yoga cause other Christians to stumble?
If a Christ-follower feels it is wrong to be involved in yoga, they should definitely avoid it. If the instructor and the participant are clear that the goal is only to alleviate stress and to support health and if it is not a stumbling block, however, it may be permissible.
