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Thursday, September 08, 2005
Stuff you can't make up
Oh, God, it is to laugh:An award-winning medical journalist and Christian author is expressing concern that some American schools are introducing students to yoga, a practice that he maintains has spiritual as well as physical implications.
Three Pittsburgh area schools are taking part in a 16-week pilot program called "Yoga in Schools," designed to calm elementary and middle school students and improve their physical and mental health. But Dr. Walt Larimore, author of such books as Super Sized Kids and Alternative Medicine: A Christian Handbook, says people of any spiritual tradition need to be aware of yoga's religious background.
"Yoga has spiritual roots," Larimore points out, noting its integral connection to Hindu religion and its popularity among many proponents of New Age spirituality. "Adherents of yoga claim that it leads to spiritual enlightenment and union with the divine," he explains. "In fact, the pinnacle of that is called Kundalini arousal; and I've got some real concerns about the spiritual roots -- especially when yoga is being sold to people and those roots are hidden."
The author also says intense involvement with Eastern spiritual practices is known to cause psychological and emotional problems in some people. And since yoga has religious roots, he adds, one could argue that promoting it in schools violates the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, or the so-called separation of church and state.
Yes, how dare they promote an activity that has a spiritual component. That would be like -- I dunno -- dressing up creation myths as science Levitican prejudice as tolerance.
Look, I've got no beef with teaching yoga in gym class. Apparently, some people do. I'm willing to respect that. The problem comes when the table is turned and the Religiously Correct refuse to respect my right to shield my children from their teachings in our public schools.
The answer is, and has been, clear: keep religion out of the public schools. Beliefs vary, so teach your beliefs in your home, and let the schools share knowledge.
