Sweet Jesus: Yoga Class Draws a Religious Protest

[kpete]

Miriam Ruiz during a yoga class last week at Paul Ecke Central Elementary School in Encinitas, Calif. A few dozen parents are protesting that the program amounts to religious indoctrination.

.....................


“Inhale. Exhale. Peekaboo!” Ms. Bergeron said from the front of the class. “Now, warrior pose. I am strong! I am brave!”

Though the yoga class had a notably calming effect on the children, things were far from placid outside the gymnasium.

A small but vocal group of parents, spurred on by the head of a local conservative advocacy group, has likened these 30-minute yoga classes to religious indoctrination. They say the classes — part of a comprehensive program offered to all public school students in this affluent suburb north of San Diego — represent a violation of the First Amendment.

After the classes prompted discussion in local evangelical churches, parents said they were concerned that the exercises might nudge their children closer to ancient Hindu beliefs.

more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/us/school-yoga-class-draws-religious-protest-from-christians.html

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Religious indoctrination is bad -

unless, of course, it's Christian. Then you can indoctrinate all day.

[niyad]

2. yes, this is the same mentality that whines about the "war on christmas" and claims that

school massacres are a result of not allowing forced prayers and bible classes in the schools.

[grilled onions]

7. Oh Brother

I was a student of the late sixties and our gym class had a term of dance which also included records of a light version of the first training the GI got to experience. No one ever complained that they were pushing us into military careers. If there is a time when kids need calming it's now. I see Yoga as a healthy,non medical way to stretch,tone and give positive feedback to those young brain cells. If those parents are so afraid that it might "Hindu" their offspring then they sure have little confidence in their religious rearing of these kids. I would think it would be most healthy for a child to see all kinds of religion and only then can they make informative choices of what they feel are important to them when they grow up. The more they try to pull their kids away from religions not like themselves the more the kids (in time) will be more curious of them and seek them out Haven't they learned anything from trying to restrict candy when they were very young and later more lethal recreational activities? Kids are not ignorant. Be honest with them and they will make better choices.

[niyad]

3. on the other hand, "christian yoga" is okay

[Marr]

4. God, this country is full of morons.

Xenophobic, bigoted, utterly ignorant morons.

[Permanut]

5. Sounds like 700 Club groupies..

From DailyKos, November 30, 2007:

"But Wednesday, Pat Robertson, he who said we were attacked on 9-11 because his God hates gay people, abortionists and feminists, took intolerance to a whole new level. Robertson declared YOGA to be "scary" and unchristian because it causes one to unknowingly pray to Vishnu and Krishna. Seriously."

"Pat Robertson was responding to a question on the evil origins of Yoga. Magnanomously (sp?), he declared that "stretching is fine." Wow, thanks Pat. But he said that when one engages in the chants associated with the relaxation part of yoga, you are unknowingly praying to Hindu gods. And this, claims Robertson, is pantheism, which is evil."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/30/416157/-Pat-Robertson-s-War-on-Yoga


Just one of many things about Robertson and his fundy posse that make rational people think WTF.

[Buns_of_Fire]

8. "Om mani padme Pat Robertson is an asshole....." nt

[Permanut]

11. ..

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Namaste is such a threatening sounding name.

Isn't it?

[byeya]

9. The christofarians are an intolerant, bigoted bunch and, at the same time, blind to their almighty

hyprocisy.
I forgot to mention ignorant - they are ignorant, willfully so.

[Odin2005]

10. What a buch of xenophobic jerks.