THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
(Christian News Network)— More than 100 pastors recently signed a letter to the Ohio Board of Education, which was also sent to 39 school districts, to express opposition to yoga and transcendental meditation being taught in schools as they are rooted in Eastern religion and are a spiritual practice at their core.
The letter, signed by 105 pastors from various denominations, notes that yoga has been taught during school hours in Clear Fork, Galion, Lexington, Lucas, Mansfield and Shelby counties and asks for an assurance that such practices will be discontinued.
“Yoga is not merely an external physical practice with a purely physiological effect, but rather an internal spiritual practice advertised as being able to provide the power to change an individual and transform the world,” it reads. “Specifically, yoga’s ‘stretching’ and ‘breathing’ components, called ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayama’ in Sanskrit, are intended to be spiritually transformative.”
The correspondence points to various court decisions characterizing yoga as being rooted in Hinduism, including the 1988 case of Powell v. Perry, which concluded that “yoga is a method of practicing Hinduism,” and the 1995 case of Self-Realization Fellowship Church v. Ananda Church of Self-Realization, which spoke of the “Hindu-yoga spiritual tradition.”
The pastors further provide examples of classroom or physical education sessions that incorporated yoga, including where a Lexington language arts teacher allegedly taught sixth-graders how to “salute the sun god Surya,” or “bow to the sun,” as well as how to get into a “praying hands posture.”
In Plain School District, an elementary school is said to have created a “mindfulness room” that featured quotes from the Dalai Lama. Its yoga program was discontinued in 2013 following complaints from parents.
The letter also notes that those involved in Eastern religion refute assertions that yoga is not a religious activity. It cites Subhas Tiwari, professor at the Hindu University of America and graduate of Bihar Yoga Bharati University, who once said, “The simple immutable fact is that yoga originated from the Vedic or Hindu culture. Its techniques were not adopted by Hinduism, but rather originated from it.”
The pastors concede that while “[m]ost initiate yoga practice for exercise and stress relief,” for others, “spirituality becomes their primary reason for maintaining practice.” They point to a study of mindful yoga retreat participants, which found that “longer-term meditators were less likely to be religious monotheists and more likely to identify as Buddhist or with ‘all’ religions.”
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Further, “[w]hile proponents of Eastern religion allege yoga brings benefits to student practitioners, our biblical faith tradition brings just as many, if not more, scientifically-proven benefits,” the clergy contend. “Yet, ironically in a nation with Judeo-Christian heritage, it is school sanctioned prayer, Intelligent Design curriculum and the display of the Ten Commandments that are strictly prohibited from public schools.”
They therefore ask that the school districts discontinue teaching yoga and transcendental meditation to students.
Signees include pastors Howard Burnett of Perryville Baptist Church, Floyd Allen of Philippian Community Church, Ron Smals of Woodville Grace Brethren, Paul Larson of First English Lutheran Church, Russ Smith of Shiloh Wesleyan Church, Dan Zediker of Mission Point Mansfield, Bill Strader of Bucyrus First Alliance Church, Sylvester Ginn of Hesed Agape Fellowship, Layton Broom of Paradise Hill United Methodist Church, and William Jordan of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ.
“If you go to the fitness section of any bookstore and look in the yoga subsection, you will find references to the spiritual aspects of Yoga such as the chakra system, kundalini, etc. in almost every book on yoga. It is quite rare to find a book on yoga that does not incorporate spiritual concepts found in classic Hinduism,” Yungen explained. “To devout Hindus, yoga cannot be separated into physical and spiritual parts. Both are relevant to the practice, with the end desire being a profound religious experience.”
He said that some Christians have wrongly concluded that yoga can be adopted by believers as long as it is stripped of its pagan aspects.
“We live in an age where the acceptance of trendy practices, such as yoga, is hammered into us from every side, with the end result being an ecumenical generic inter-spirituality that fits everybody,” Yungen lamented.
“Believers in Christ have fallen prey to some dangerous ideas. One is that we feel free to draw from pagan sources. Or, as is popularly stated, we can chew the meat and spit out the bones. But this doesn’t make any sense from a biblical standpoint,” he said. “As a Christian, we can’t segregate into portions what part we think will do us harm and what part will profit us. If the foundational spirituality is contrary to God’s word, then it will be folly to interact with it.”
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
In a 2020 three-part series titled “Mysteries of the Mind,”The American Legion magazine tells veterans they should practice transcendental meditation if they feel stressed, saying that TM “can help veterans confronting PTSD.” Writer of the article, American Legion magazine editor Jeff Stoffer, enthusiastically adds:
Those who practice TM say the key to unlocking clear thought and function, no matter the situation, is to spend 20 minutes twice a day deliberately thinking about nothing, allowing the brain to essentially have a mind of its own. . . . Transcendental meditation, as a treatment for veterans diagnosed with PTSD, is not a New Age fad.
The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization. Focusing on service to veterans, servicemembers and communities, the Legion evolved from a group of war-weary veterans of World War I into one of the most influential nonprofit groups in the United States. . . . Today, membership stands at nearly 2 million in more than 13,000 posts worldwide.
Stoffer’s article does nothing but offer praise and accolades for meditation and downplays those who have concerns about it:
TM should not be ruled out because of any stereotypes or cultural biases. . . . Some skepticism is based on a perception that TM is a religious activity or has a specific spiritual or ideological bent. “To the contrary, we have found people becoming more understanding of their religion, more at peace with their god,” [brain-scientist Tony] Nader says. “We used to say that if religion is to invite God to your home, TM can be like cleaning your home.” . . .
“You’re not changing how you think. You’re not changing politics. You can be a Republican. You can be a Democrat. You can be Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim – it doesn’t change you. You’re still who you are. Your mind is just in a better place. It doesn’t change you. It changes your physiology. It changes your mind. It changes how you deal with everything else.”
It is most unfortunate that Stoffer’s article gives no warning of the potential dangers in practicing meditation. His one-sided, biased view will no doubt convince many American Legion readers (veterans) to give it a try. And if they take Stoffer’s word for it, they’ll probably never research the matter and discover the real dynamics behind meditation. Stoffer’s article claims that meditation “doesn’t change you,” but admits it “changes your mind.” What a contradiction! If something changes your mind, it does change you. And as we have witnessed within Christianity with contemplative prayer (a “Christianized” eastern-meditation practice), meditation alters the way one thinks about God, sin, salvation, and just about everything in life itself—and, biblically speaking, not for the good.
The American Legion magazine’s motto is “For God and Country Since 1919,” but we do not believe the God of the Bible would agree with its efforts to turn veterans into eastern-religion meditators.
If you know a veteran, perhaps you might consider giving them a copy of Ray Yungen’s booklet, Meditation! Pathway to Wellness or Doorway to the Occult?. If you want to give a copy of this booklet to a veteran and cannot afford to purchase the booklet, e-mail us at editors@lighthousetrails.com, and we will send you a free copy to give to your veteran friend or relative.
The following list of the possible results from meditating is derived from the various sources we used to compile our booklet on mindfulness meditation:
insomnia
fear
hypersensitivity to light and sound
anxiety
difficulty eating
panic and paranoia
psychosis
seizures
mania
visual hallucinations
unable to function or work
a loss of sense of identity
psychotic depression
elevated mood and grandiose delusions
unrestrained behaviors (sexual and violence)
pain
confusion and disorientation
feelings of emptiness and ennui (listlessness, dissatisfaction)
depersonalization
impairment of social relationships
cognitive, perceptual and sensory aberrations
disempowering
causes passiveness and compliance (even when those are negative responses to certain situations)
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
President Trump: “The United States and India are committed to working together to stop terrorists and fight their ideology.”
Hundreds of thousands of Indians came out to welcome U.S. President Donald Trump and First lady Melania Trump in the northwestern city of Ahmadabad as he began a two-day tour of the country. This is his first official visit to the Asian country.
Crowds cheered Trump as rode in the armored presidential limousine, “The Beast,” along the 22-km route from the airport to the Motera stadium, venue for the “Namaste Trump” rally.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Trump at the Motera stadium, where they both addressed a gathering of over 100,000. Tens of thousands of attendees donned white “Namaste Trump” hats bearing the U.S and Indian flags. People view the event as a sequel to the September 2019 “Howdy Modi!” rally. About 50,000 Indian-Americans showed up for that event in Houston, Texas.
“The US will always be faithful and loyal friend of India. Thank you for the spectacular welcome,” President Trump said.
The Times of India newspaper reported the opening events of the two-day presidential visit:
US President Donald Trump landed here on Monday for his first visit to India to a grand welcome by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thousands of people who lined the streets and packed into the Motera stadium to say “Namaste Trump”.
There were tableaux, folk dancers and musicians rolling out to the cultural tapestry that is India, at the airport, on the way and at the spanking new cricket stadium where about 100,000 people waited patiently since early in the morning to hear the two leaders speak.
Trump stepped out wearing a black suit and a buttercup yellow tie while the first lady was in a white jumpsuit by French-American costume designer Herve Pierre. In a hat tip to Indian textiles, the jumpsuit was paired with a green silk with gold thread embroidery discovered by the designer in an early 20th century Indian textile documents given to him by his friends.
The 22-km ‘India roadshow’ began as the cavalcade, with the the US president’s gleaming black car that has earned the moniker ‘The Beast’, moved out of the airport towards the Ashram [a Hindu monastery-turned museum associated with Mahatma Gandhi] and then to stadium. About 50 stages were set up on the way, showcasing dance groups and singers from different parts of the country.
Over 10,000 police personnel, besides officials of the United States Secret Service, and personnel of the National Security Guards (NSG) and the Special Protection Group (SPG) were deployed for the high profile visit.
(…) Trump and Modi resumed their roadshow till Motera stadium, the stage for the “Namaste Trump” event that saw a cultural extravaganza and addresses by the two leaders waving at the crowd during the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston last year. Also put up along the road were replicas of historic places in Gujarat.
Watch: President Trump’s full speech
Following the rally, Trump and the First Lady headed to the northern Indian city of Agra, home to the famous monument Taj Mahal. A similar welcome was accorded by the city as well, with thousands showing up to greet the visiting U.S. leader.
US, India United in Fight Against “Radical Islamic Terrorism”
Trump has backed India in its fight against Islamic terrorism. He offered to provide “India with some of the best and most feared military equipment on the planet” in its fight against “radical Islamic terrorism,” to use his own words.
“Every nation has the right to secure and controlled borders,” the U.S. President said in his speech. “The United States and India are committed to working together to stop terrorists and fight their ideology.”
Indian newspaper The Economic Timesreported President Trump’s comments:
India and the US are committed to defend their people from radical Islamic terrorism, resolved to significantly expand defence ties and are working on a “fantastic” trade deal, said US President Donald Trump on Monday while asserting that his country “loves” and is “loyal” to India. (…)
“India and the US are committed to fight terrorists and their ideology; that is why my government is working with Pakistan to crack down on terror groups,” Trump said (….).
“The US will always be faithful and loyal friend of India. Thank you for the spectacular welcome,” he added.
He also announced that the two countries will firm up defence deals worth $3 billion on Tuesday and that the US will become India’s premier defence partner.
“India and US have natural and enduring friendship,” Trump said to a cheering crowd.
The Mainstream Media Reacts
The public support for Trump was too overwhelming for even the critical media outlets to ignore. “India Greets U.S. Leader With Epic Party,” NPR reported. Even CNN begrudgingly admitted: “the crowd was massive.”
“Across the stands of the world’s biggest cricket stadium, a sea made up of the faces of Donald Trump and Narendra Modi stared out,” UK’s left-wing newspaper The Guardiannoted. “The 125,000-strong crowd who had gathered to welcome to US president on his first visit to India alongside the Indian prime minister.”
The German state television ARD disparagingly described the visit as the “meeting of two showmen.” It’s all about “superlative, megalomania and far-right; that’s what unites these two statesmen,” the state-run news outlet remarked.
The New York Timesbashed the President for “[m]aking no mention of a growing backlash against what critics call Mr. Modi’s anti-Muslim Hindu nationalism.”
UK daily Independent also echoed the NYT, complaining: “Trump fails to condemn Modi’s ‘anti-Muslim’ citizenship law.”
In December, the Indian parliament passed a law easing citizenship rights for refugees fleeing Islamist persecution in the neighboring Muslim-majority countries. The law opens the path to naturalization for the followers of six faiths, including Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians, but excludes Muslims. The move angered many Indian Muslims, who took to the streets across the country, setting fire to vehicles, throwing stones, and hurling home-made bombs at security forces called in to restore order. NYT, BBC, and other mainstream media outlets showed great empathy towards these enraged Muslims men.
Regardless of what the mainstream media outlets may say, the U.S.-India ties are rooted in the firm bedrock of realism. Both countries are aware of the threat of growing Islamism in the Muslim world and China’s military expansionism. Unlike his Democrat predecessor, President Trump has little qualms about naming these two threats, and above all, taking firm and decisive action to stem them. The destruction of the ISIS caliphate in the Middle East and recent decapitation of Iran’s regional terror network will not be lost on Indian leadership.
First Baptist Church Of Clinton, Tennessee is openly advertising their yoga classes. Yoga is an eastern religious practice that is meant to release the spirit of kundalini from a person’s spine. This is basically a process of demon possession. I beg these people to cease this practice and come back to Bible Christianity!
Yoga with Michelle Massie SEE: http://www.exclusive-fitness.com/about-us "She has been teaching both Yoga and Pilates for over 20 years. She is a Yogafit & PHI Pilates Certified Instructor with speciality certificates in Senior Yoga, Pre-Natal Yoga, Restorative Yoga with Props, and Anatomy & Alignment." Please call Michelle 865-531-5656 for class times and prices.
In this video, we review an animated Barbie video teaching children how to do yoga. We will look in-depth at what these postures mean, and we will see how yoga poses are actually worship postures devoted to the gods of Hinduism; entities the Bible calls demons. One posture is intended to mimick Shiva cutting the head off of Daksha and putting in on a stake. Yoga is not something Christians, or anyone else, should be practicing.
