To the Editor:
According to www.christianheadlines.com, teachers are incorporating Buddhist type meditation in public schools. Michael Foust said, “Public schools across the U.S. are incorporating meditation practices in the classroom and placing children who don’t wish to participate in the hallways, according to a religious liberty legal group.” The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) said the practice is “similar to anciently established Buddhist and Hindu practices” and violates the U.S. Constitution. The schools use a program called Inner Explorer. Inner Explorer says on its website its mission is to “provide mindfulness in schools for PreK-12 classrooms, helping children develop self-awareness, self-control, resilience and compassion.”
Christina Stierhoff of the ACLJ expressed her opposition to this religious indoctrination. Stierhoff wrote, “Imagine your elementary school child coming home and explaining the actions their teacher asked them to do that day — to close their eyes and obey an audio recording that tells them to clear their minds, to watch their memories and emotions float away on clouds, and to feel the love and warmth from their connection to the universe.” Stierhoff wrote, “How would you react if this same audio recording is telling your child to look inside themselves to reach inner-goodness and peace? Imagine that day after day, your child is subject to ‘Mindfulness’ sessions that are similar to anciently established Buddhist and Hindu practices.” This is the new reality for parents across the country,” Stierhoff wrote.
Albert Mohler spoke out against non-Christian meditation. “The Biblical concept of meditation on the Word of God (Bible) does involve an emptying of course. We must empty our minds of ungodly and unbiblical thoughts, of desires for sin and resistance to the reign of God in our lives. But that emptying never involves an empty mind. Instead, it involves a mind in which unbiblical thoughts are replaced by the truth of Scripture — not a blank slate of meditation that revolves around the self. In Psalm 119, David writes, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.” David’s meditation didn’t revolve around David, nor did it involve David trying to empty his mind into silence. David desperately wanted to hear from God, and he knew he would hear directly from God in the law. David studied the Bible in order to cleanse his mind of wrong thoughts and have them replaced with right thoughts and patterns of thinking.” Professor Don Whitney of Southern Seminary said, “The idea of emptying the mind is not Biblically based.” The Christian’s mind belongs to God and the Bible says study the Bible. 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (Jesus)!”
Yoga has become a very popular form of fitness. It was promoted by Michelle Obama, Oprah and Hollywood. They have had mandatory yoga and meditation classes in public schools in Southern California for years. No wonder they are so messed up. Yoga is actually a form of spiritual alignment with darkness, with the Kundalini spirit, aka the Hindu goddess shakti. The word “yoga” means “yoke or union” with a Hindu god. Yoga opens one up spiritually to powerful demons. As one ex-witch now a Christian said, “yoga is inviting evil demons into your life. It gives demons legal rights to control your life.” I talked with a former Hindu who is now a Christian who said a Christian can’t practice yoga. Some of the yoga positions are designed to worship the sun or moon. Sadly some Christian churches have yoga in their churches. Paul warns about this in 1 Timothy 4 that, “some would depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” Christians can’t mix yoga which is a pagan religious practice with biblical Christianity. No one can practice non-Christian meditation or yoga to the glory of God. Non-Christian meditation and yoga shouldn’t be in schools and churches. Christian yoga is clearly a theological oxymoron!

D.D. Nave
Elizabethton