Truly East has Come West! And now the West, having embraced the East, is feeling its serpentine bite.
As any Biblical Christian understands, Christianity is not a popularity contest - there is a cost to being a Christian! Included in the cost of following Christ is that Christians are to depart from, reject, and have nothing to do with pagan practices and false religion. Standing true to the convictions of the Bible and not waffling in the wind of compromise is the real issue. Like always, the world does not like that. In this case, calling YOGA "...a "sham", a "false philosophy" and "unchristian" " is causing Lawyers for the Hindu Council United Kingdom (HCUK) to "explore" further whether Christians have violated the 'Religion and Belief' section of the United Kingdom Equality Act 2006.
Truly East has Come West! "HCUK's spokesperson on Yoga, Amarjeet-singh Bhamra added:
"Yoga is one of the oldest known medical systems enshrined in the Atharva Veda,
the most ancient Hindu book on wisdom,
and it is now at the forefront of holistic and integrated medicine in the West.
"It is very disappointing that such medieval-like irrational prejudice is still allowed to flourish in the Christian Church in 21st Century multicultural Britain."
The following excerpts are from the September 4, 2007 Christianity Today article entitled,
The Hindu Council UK (HCUK), the largest national network of Hindu organisations within the UK, is considering whether a ban on yoga classes at St James' Church and the Silver Street Baptist Church in Taunton, Somerset, may breach the Equality Act 2006.
Lawyers for HCUK are exploring whether comments made by both The Reverend Tim Jones, Vicar of St James' and The Reverend Simon Farrar of the Silver Street Baptist Church that yoga is a "sham", a "false philosophy" and "unchristian" may indicate they have acted contrary to the 'Religion and Belief' section of the Act, specifically those parts relating to discrimination in providing goods, facilities and services.
HCUK is also considering whether to ask the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to investigate whether the priests' comments amount to "instructing or causing discrimination".
HCUK General Secretary Anil Bhanot said: "These priests might appear to be advising Christians not to practice yoga because they believe it is based on a 'sham' and a 'false philosophy' but what in effect they mean is that Hinduism is a false religion.
Read Chris Lawson's Commentary on Hindu Council Attacks 'Illegal' Church Ban on Yoga
