The Associated Baptist Press reports an interesting panel discussion between several panelists, including two Texas Baptists. The subject? Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President, Al Mohler's recently expressed opposition to yoga practice. According to Dallas Morning News reporter, Sam Hodges:
"...Albert Mohler, caused a stir with a recent column decrying the practice of yoga by Christians...[concluding] the [second] column this way:
"Christians who practice yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with, a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a `post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality. Should any Christian willingly risk that?" (link)
With this as the backdrop, Hodges, poses to the twelve-person panel this question with instructions:
If you agree with Mohler, why? If you don't...Are there cautions you would give to Westerners...? Or should everyone, including Al Mohler, just limber up and chill out?
For now, I just want to record the two Texas Baptist's response (all responses here are abbreviated):
- JIM DENISON, Theologian-in-Residence, Baptist General Convention of Texas; President, Center for Informed Faith---"Americans are nothing if not adaptive...Millions of Americans are apparently happy to adopt and adapt yoga... But is this a good idea?...While I disagree with Dr. Mohler on a variety of subjects, I find myself persuaded by his logic here"
- GEORGE MASON, Senior Pastor, Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas---"Dr. Mohler seems to be on the prowl...to purge all impurities from Christian practice. The problem is...to follow Mohler's line of reasoning would be to deny that God could be honored by any spiritual practices outside the Judeo-Christian tradition...Spiritual practices like yoga can be infused with Christian meaning without opening the door to New Age thinking...Mohler's alternative...is not a healthy or faithful approach to a God who is also at work in the world outside of the Christian community"
Two very different responses, and in some ways surprising.
Now, I'd like to go back and pose a question toward Dr. Mohler's moral reasoning.* To do so, let's consider the quote once again:
"Christians who practice yoga are embracing, or at minimum flirting with, a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a `post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality. Should any Christian willingly risk that?"
The moral reasoning appears to be because a certain practice threatens to "transform" ones life, etc., one should not flirt with the practice. Indeed, Dr. Mohler asks, "Should any Christian willingly risk that?"
Here is my question posed to Dr. Mohler's moral reasoning:
Supposing we assume, for argument's sake, that it is proved that imbibing alcohol threatens both ones physical health and is known to "transform" ones inner life. In other words, it's proved a tragic hazard to ones well being...
Hence, supposing this is so, should one flirt with the practice of imbibing a substance into ones body which is known to produce "threatening" results to ones spiritual and physical well-being? Indeed, should any Christian willingly risk that?
Now, I am definitively not stating the two are the same; rather what I am stating is that the two are very similar--in fact so similar--it seems if the moral reasoning for the former is sound, the moral reasoning for the latter is sound as well. That's all.
With that, I am...
Peter
*please know I have not read and thought through Dr. Mohler's entire essays. I am only concerned presently with the same quote with which the panelists worked
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The twelve answers** are tallied below (please follow their complete answers for more contextual assistance).
- WILLIAM LAWRENCE, Dean and Professor of American Church History, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University--Throughout the history of Christianity, churches have dealt with cultural practices and found ways to incorporate them into the community of faith...I suggest [Dr. Mohler] look again at yoga, see the way that its practitioners use movement and breathing techniques to experience life
- JIM DENISON, Theologian-in-Residence, Baptist General Convention of Texas; President, Center for Informed Faith---"Americans are nothing if not adaptive...Millions of Americans are apparently happy to adopt and adapt yoga... But is this a good idea?...While I disagree with Dr. Mohler on a variety of subjects, I find myself persuaded by his logic here"
- GEOFFREY DENNIS, Rabbi, Congregation Kol Ami in Flower Mound; faculty member, University of North Texas Jewish Studies Program---"I'm not saying specific teachings that underpin traditional yoga are kosher for Jews or Christians (I really don't know enough to judge), but I would say that techniques which cultivate a disciplined body are an archly biblical way of worshipping the God of Israel"
- NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, Minister, ISKCON Kalachandji's Hare Krishna Temple, Dallas---The word yoga and religion have the exact same meaning. Yoga means to connect with God...
- DANIEL KANTER, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church of Dallas---"This is nonsense. Should we stop doing tao chi also for fear that Taoist thoughts might invade our precious souls?...I think in the case of Mohler's attack on yoga we have another clergyman vying for the public eye, a la the Quran-burning stuntman, and we have given it to him."
- AMY MARTIN, Executive Director, Earth Rhythms; writer/editor, Moonlady Media---"If Mohler is truly worried about integrating practices from other faiths, he's going to have to give up prayer candles, contemplation, sacred procession and so much more...[I'm unsure why she assumes Dr. Mohler presently uses prayer candles :^)]...So I say: Al, dude, do your downward dog! Forward bends are so calming...Fear not, Mohler, just call it stretching calisthenics and enjoy better health"
- JOE CLIFFORD, Pastor, Head of Staff, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas---"There is no fear in love...Do we really need more fear...more threats...more enemies to rally people against? Are Muslims...homosexuals and socialists not adequate for our demagoguery?...If yoga is now a threat to faith, perhaps we should reexamine our own faith, not manufacture fear of yoga. Loosen up. Down dog"
- DEAL HUDSON, President, Morley Publishing Group; President, Catholic Advocate---"The only thing insidious about yoga, as far as I can see, is that guys from Texas, like me, were never meant to be limber or flexible. Our sheer muscle mass precludes receiving the graces of yoga"
- GEORGE MASON, Senior Pastor, Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas---"Dr. Mohler seems to be on the prowl...to purge all impurities from Christian practice. The problem is... .to follow Mohler's line of reasoning would be to deny that God could be honored by any spiritual practices outside the Judeo-Christian tradition...Spiritual practices like yoga can be infused with Christian meaning without opening the door to New Age thinking...Mohler's alternative...is not a healthy or faithful approach to a God who is also at work in the world outside of the Christian community"
- CYNTHIA RIGBY, W.C. Brown Professor of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary---"...Mohler is right in indicating we are clueless when it comes to picking and choosing what we will do and believe...But I think he goes too far...My suspicion is that, while Mohler wants to insist that even watered-down versions of yoga are powerful Hindu practices, a certified yogi would probably identify "Christian yoga" as "not really yoga at all"
- MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas---Mohler seems to be threatened by the popularity of yoga...How mistaken can one be? Yoga is not a mutually exclusive practice, nor is it a religion; it is indeed a catalyst in achieving the union of mind and body...Yoga is neither Christian nor Hindu; it is a beautiful gift... [for]...mankind"
- RIC DEXTER, Men's Division Chapter Leader, Nichiren Buddhist Soka Gakkai lay organization---"From what I have seen of the many commercialized yoga classes, they have only a tenuous connection to the Brahaman (a precursor to Hindu) practice of yoga, beyond helping the practitioners understand meditation practices....From this we learn...to discern what true value exists in other faiths..."
**these constitute simple summaries only; it is worth your time to read exactly what each panelist said
Dr. Mohler better watch out. With that kind of reasoning, he may have folks calling him a legalistic fundy...a dangerous man in the SBC whose kind of thinking will doom the SBC if he's allowed to continue sharing those views. selahV
Posted by: selahV | 2010.10.20 at 06:22 PM
Peter,
Your question posed from the reasoning of the prior statement is both logical and biblical. In fact, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head.
Great post!
Posted by: Tim G | 2010.10.20 at 07:47 PM
I think the only issue with drawing the analogy that you did is yoga is not spoken of in the Bible and it is explicitly tied to eastern religions whereas alcohol is not...
On another note, isn't the argument that you adapted from Dr. Mohler very similar to Dr. Akin's?
Posted by: Luke | 2010.10.20 at 07:49 PM
All,
Thanks. You've made some great points. When all is said, moral reasoning reduces to precious few options consistent with biblical revelation.
In addition, nothing, in my view, seems to affect the structure between the way yoga is argued as sub-Christian behavior on one hand and substituting imbibing on the other. Both practices offer threats, both may be viewed as "risky". Luke pointed out at least one difference. However, as the panelists almost in unison agreed, Westernized yoga hardly connects with its "pagan" religious roots.
In addition, it could well be empirically documented that the risk of intoxicants far surpasses any risk meditative practices poses for either soul or body, especially if the meditative practices are "Christianized."
Please know this is an experiment in moral reasoning. I'm not arguing contra Mohler on yoga, nor am I even making a definitive argument for abstinence at this time. What one can conclude, it seems, may be precisely what SelahV stated concerning Mohler "better watch out"--when one simplistically charges another to be a "Fundamentalist" because he or she morally reasons to an ethical conclusion which may, by and large, be indicative of the 'Fundamentalist' community, it does not mean the charge is necessarily true. It does mean the charge is premature, and, at least in some cases, displays a foundational ignorance at best and an unfortunate recklessness at worst of how moral reasoning functions with biblical revelation.
With that, I am...
Peter
Posted by: peter lumpkins | 2010.10.20 at 08:50 PM
I tend to apply I Corinthians 10:23 to both alcohol AND yoga, and recognize that the point at which each ceases to be beneficial or constructive varies from person to person.
That said, I agree 100% with your evaluation of Mohler's reasoning. The same principle that he applies to yoga should (if true) logically apply to alcohol consumption, as well.
(By the way, I found the choice of panel responders rather telling. I had the dubious pleasure of spending and evening listening to/talking with Deal Hudson. He has some strange beliefs relating aesthetics and Christianity. I think I would tend to give points to any conservative he disagreed with. "crazy fundamentalist" can sometimes be a title of honor, depending on who is bestowing it upon you :)
Posted by: Megan | 2010.10.22 at 01:02 AM