Yup...Yoga is the devil's work

[CutiePie2000]

All I can think about this is.....
eta: To bring it into perspective, Quesnel would be the boonies/sticks/BFE.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...9/bc-yoga.html

B.C. school yoga classes slammed
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 9, 2007 | 9:41 AM PT
CBC News
A school program to fight childhood obesity that includes yoga is drawing
complaints from some Christian parents in the Quesnel area in B.C.'s Cariboo region.

They say yoga is a religion, and shouldn't be taught in public schools.

Chelsea Brears, who has two children in the school system, said her son was asked to do different poses and "to put his hands together."

Brears, a Christian, said she doesn't want her children exposed to another religion during class time.

"It's not fair to take prayer out, and yet they're allowing yoga, which is religion, in our schools."

Local rancher Audrey Cummings doesn't believe Christian children should be doing yoga at all.

A school program to fight childhood obesity that includes yoga is drawing complaints from some Christian parents in the Quesnel area in B.C.'s Cariboo region.

They say yoga is a religion, and shouldn't be taught in public schools.

Chelsea Brears, who has two children in the school system, said her son was asked to do different poses and "to put his hands together."

Brears, a Christian, said she doesn't want her children exposed to another religion during class time.

"It's not fair to take prayer out, and yet they're allowing yoga, which is religion, in our schools."

Local rancher Audrey Cummings doesn't believe Christian children should be doing yoga at all.

"There's God and there's the devil, and the devil's not a gentleman. If you give him any kind of an opening, he will take that."

The two women have complained to the education minister and the Quesnel school board.

But school board chair Caroline Neilsen said the yoga is being taught as a stretching exercise, not as a spiritual practice.

Neilsen also noted that children who don't want to practise yoga can do different exercises or leave the classroom.

[valkyrie]

LOLWTF. Someone should complain that math is a religion and should not be taught in school.

Also, WTF is this woman smoking: "There's God and there's the devil, and the devil's not a gentleman. If you give him any kind of an opening, he will take that."

[Drolefille]

Didn't Calvin refuse to answer a math question because it was against his religion? Heck, I've tried to give it up for Lent before, that didn't fly either.

[RACooper]

Sounds about a stupid as those parents who protested the fact that kids learned to sing "One Tin Soldier" on the grounds that it was anti-Christian in it's message

[shinerbock]

I don't think this is that ridiculous. While I don't see Yoga as a religion, I don't think a school needs to be involving themselves in such things. A lot of people get uncomfortable when children are asked to do anything bordering on praying or even relaxation techniques.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by RACooper

Sounds about a stupid as those parents who protested the fact that kids learned to sing "One Tin Soldier" on the grounds that it was anti-Christian in it's message

How on earth is that anti-Christian? Did they think the "go ahead and hate your neighbor" part was a directive and NOT sarcastic?

Oh, and yoga is not a religion. That's like saying walking back and forth is a religion because you walk up to the communion rail.

Besides, if it was OK for Marcia Brady in 1973, it's certainly OK for Canadian kidlets now.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Oh, and yoga is not a religion. That's like saying walking back and forth is a religion because you walk up to the communion rail.

No, not really. Yoga, as widely practiced in the West has become pretty detached from religious underpinnings, but that just the Americanization of yoga. (McYoga, maybe?) I can tell you that when my wife was getting training as a yoga teacher, she had to read quite a few Hindi religious texts.

Per the ever-helpful Wiki:

Yoga (Devanagari: योग) is a family of ancient spiritual practices dating back more than 5000 years from India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In India, Yoga is seen as a means to both physiological and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga (see Yoga as exercise).

Yoga as a means of spiritual attainment is central to Hinduism (including Vedanta), Buddhism and Jainism and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. Hindu texts establishing the basis for yoga include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and many others.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't have a problem at all with yoga, and I think these parents took a great big gulp of overreaction. (Although I tend to agree with shinerbock -- is this something for schools to get into?) But these parents are not kooky just for acknowledging that yoga can be a religious practice rooted in concepts that many conservative Christians might find problematic.

[AlphaFrog]

Whatcha wanna bet that those parents had the fat kids that couldn't get into those poses and hate exercise in general.

/I'm just sayin'

[RU OX Alum]

it is something schools need to do becaus there are too many fat kids

there is hindu yoga, yeah, also buddhist and some atheist (devoid of religion or religously neutral) yoga out there, and probably some christian yoga too.

It just sounds like a couple of hicks who don't know anything.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

it is something schools need to do becaus there are too many fat kids

Then make them run laps or do something aerobic that will actually burn fat.

there is hindu yoga, yeah, also buddhist and some atheist (devoid of religion or religously neutral) yoga out there, and probably some christian yoga too.

Yoga traditionally is Hindu or Buddhist. There is indeed yoga adapted to Christian understandings (although these women would probably also consider that the work of that non-gentleman Satan) and yoga purely as exercise.

It just sounds like a couple of hicks who don't know anything.

Or who do know something of the history and origins of yoga, perhaps, but not enough and overreacted.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

It just sounds like a couple of hicks who don't know anything.

Pretty much...Quesnel is hicksville / BFE.

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Then make them run laps or do something aerobic that will actually burn fat.

Burning fat is only part of the solution there are three basic types of "strength" that your body needs to be strong

*cardio-pulmonary strength for breathing, good heart/lungs, good for endurance

*muscle strength - can you pick stuff up? can you take a blow, etc?

third and most overlooked

*flexability - it doesn't matter how "strong" or "fast" you are, if you don't have the full range of motion for any given body part, then you are at a disadvantage and this could lead to health problems later in life.

Although, you're right...these two were over-reacting

I think they just want their 15 minutes. These are the BC anti-yoga ladies of 2007, please take their picture so we can go home now.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Then make them run laps or do something aerobic that will actually burn fat.

Yoga traditionally is Hindu or Buddhist. There is indeed yoga adapted to Christian understandings (although these women would probably also consider that the work of that non-gentleman Satan) and yoga purely as exercise.

Or who do know something of the history and origins of yoga, perhaps, but not enough and overreacted.

Buddhism isn't a religion, it's a faith practice and doesn't go against christianity. It's possible to be buddhist and christian. But being that most people don't know that, I'm not surprised.
Also, my mum probably would have reacted the same way if I'd been doing yoga in school I think.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

Burning fat is only part of the solution there are three basic types of "strength" that your body needs to be strong . . .

I understand all of that. I would just place yoga low on the list of PE priorities that overweight kids need. Dietary education for parents might help the most.

Originally Posted by centaur532

Buddhism isn't a religion, it's a faith practice and doesn't go against christianity.

What exactly is your definition of religion vs. "faith practice." FWIW, every dictionary I've consulted calls Buddhism a religion.

It's possible to be buddhist and christian.

I suppose it all depends on how one is defining "Buddhist" and "Christian." I understand that this may be a "correct" assertion from a Buddhist perspective; from a traditional Christian perspective, I think it would be exceedingly difficult to reconcile traditional Buddhist understandings and philosophies with orthodox Christianity. But that's a whole 'nother discussion.

[valkyrie]

Originally Posted by centaur532

Buddhism isn't a religion, it's a faith practice and doesn't go against christianity. It's possible to be buddhist and christian. But being that most people don't know that, I'm not surprised.
Also, my mum probably would have reacted the same way if I'd been doing yoga in school I think.

Oh noes are we going there again? You cannot be Buddhist and Christian. You can be Christian and engage in certain Buddhist practices or agree with certain Buddhist philosophies, but you cannot be Christian and Buddhist.

ETA: Here is an earlier "discussion" on this issue.