Monday, July 6, 2020

When Strangers Come Knocking---Part 11

This is the next installment of my series to be published the first Monday of each month.

There are members of false sects, like Jehovah's Witnesses, that come knocking door-to-door hoping to convert you. Instead of ignoring them, it is we who should try and convert them. In 1 Peter 3:16, our first Pope writes, "But in thy hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks thee to give the reason for the hope that thou hast. But do this with gentleness and respect,..." Before the Great Apostasy, the Church would send missionaries to the ends of the Earth to make as many converts as possible.

Those in false religions don't always come (literally) knocking at your door. It may be a Hindu at work who wants you to try yoga. It could be a "Christian Scientist" who lives next door and invites you to come to their reading room. Each month, I will present a false sect. Unlike the Vatican II sect, I do not see them as a "means of salvation" or possessing "elements of truth" that lead to salvation. That is heresy. They lead to damnation, and the adherents of the various sects must be converted so they may be saved.

In each month's post, I will present one false sect and give an overview of:



  • The sect's history
  • Their theology
  • Tips on how to share the True Faith with them

Yoga
As some of you are reading this post, you might be thinking, "Yoga isn't a false sect, why is this a topic for the 'When Strangers Come Knocking' series?" While yoga is not an organized sect, it nevertheless ensnares many into accepting the false religious ideas inextricably bound to it. Have no doubt about it; yoga is a religious practice--and a pagan one at that. Most people have been duped into thinking that yoga is just a "harmless form of exercise," and/or that any religious purpose can be divorced from the stretching, breathing, and meditation-like "mindfulness." Sadly, millions of Americans (and countless millions more worldwide) practice yoga. Vatican II sect churches promote it, and conduct classes on their property.

It can be said that there is no Hinduism without yoga and no yoga without Hinduism. Yoga influences (and has been influenced by) Buddhism and Jainism; that's three pagan religions. These facts strongly suggest that yoga is primarily spiritual in nature, which is the explicit understanding of its Eastern practitioners, and many Western devotees. In this post, the pagan roots of yoga and its inherent religious nature will be explored. My goal is that if your Vatican II sect neighbor ever asks you to accompany him/her to a yoga class at the local Vatican II sect parish hall or school, and assures you that it can't be bad because the Church (sic) allows it as harmless exercise, you'll be equipped to respond.

Pagan Origin
According to yogabasics.com: The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts [of Hinduism], the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (mystic seers) who documented their practices and beliefs in the upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned of the Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga). 

Today, yoga has developed into five main types:

1. Bikram Yoga
This type of yoga is often practiced in a hot and humid environment, where the temperature reaches about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). There are about 26 different poses in the Bikram Yoga and is perfect for those who are willing to lose weight: with only one class you can burn about 600 calories..

2. Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga's history dates back to the 15th century. Unlike other types, this yoga is practiced at a slow pace, relaxed, as it focused on meditation. Among the main purposes is to introduce beginners to the main relaxation techniques and asanas (postures or positions typical of yoga) and includes all kinds of styles of modern yoga.

3. Yinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa Yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga, and also for this variant, you can choose hot and humid environments as a place where to practice it. Vinyasa Yoga serves as a training to increase strength and helps to build lean muscle mass throughout the body. The advantage of using the Vinyasa Yoga as the primary method to build muscle mass is that all muscle groups receive the same attention, creating a careful balance thanks to a flowing and continuous movement. You may have heard of the Sun Salutation sequence or Surya Namaskar: it is a series of asanas performed at dawn, which incorporate and reflect all the sun's power and energy, worshiped and revered as God (sic) by ancient civilizations.

4. Kundalini Yoga
This type of yoga is also known as 'yoga of awareness'. In fact, this practice penetrates into your mind and has a strong spiritual tension. Its peculiarity is to use movement, sound, breath and meditation to relax and restore the mind and the body...

5. Anusara Yoga
Anusara Yoga is a relatively new form of yoga (1997), and it was founded by John Friend. This form of yoga is known as one of the most spiritual, and it focuses on your inner self, your mind, and soul. It can be considered one variant of Hatha yoga mixed with tantric philosophy. It's organized into three categories: attitude, action, and alignment. Anusara is a Sanskrit word that means "flowing with grace" and is based on the principle that all beings have an intrinsic goodness present in them.

(Source: See https://www.beamodels.it/news-en/5-different-types-of-yoga; Emphasis mine).

In all five forms of yoga, the following is present; postures/positions, breathing exercises, meditation,  and a "spiritual component" which is seeped in the pagan beliefs from which it came.

Yoga is synonymous with Eastern meditation and pantheism, the idea that reality is identical with Divinity, and that all-things compose an all-encompassing, immanent "god." The goal of the yoga practitioner is to unify himself/herself with the "Divine-self" or "God-Self." Through yoga meditation, the person tries to lose contact with the conscious mind for an altered state of consciousness. This disassociation is meant to allow a person to become "one" with "the Divine." Even those who do not get to such altered states, have unwittingly opened themselves up to a decidedly pagan worldview and possible demon possession. The idea of being "divine" is the opposite of Christianity which tells us we are sinners in need of Redemption by the God-Man Jesus Christ.

When yoga techniques are labeled as "relaxation techniques" or "ways to reduce stress," it is misleading. Traditionalist Catholic meditation is the conscious, focused, reflective, cognitive attention to God, such as when one meditates on the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. Yoga meditation results in an altered state of consciousness; really a form of self-hypnosis.

To Exercise or To Exorcise
The basic premise of yoga theory is the fundamental unity of all existence: God, man, and all of creation are ultimately one divine reality. An editorial in the Yoga Journal declares this basic premise:

We are all aware that yoga means "union" and that the practice of yoga unites body, breath, and mind, lower and higher energy centers and, ultimately self and God, or higher Self. But more broadly, yoga directs our attention to the unity or oneness that underlies our fragmented experiences and equally fragmented world. Family, friends, the Druze guerrilla in Lebanon, the great whale migrating north—all share the same essential [divine] nature. (See Yoga Journal, May/June 1984, p. 4).

This is why physical yoga and Eastern paganism are mutually interdependent. Two aspects of the  kinds of yoga (asanas: physical exercises; and pranayama: breath work) are purported to be the third and fourth step of an eight-step discipline leading a participant to Samadhi (enlightenment, God-consciousness). These eight steps are:

  • Yama (self-control, restraint, devotion to the gods [e.g., Krishna] or the final impersonal "God" [e.g., Brahman])
  • Niyama (religious duties, prohibitions, observances)
  • Asana (proper postures for yoga practices; these represent the first stage in the isolation of consciousness and are vital components for "transcending the human condition")
  • Pranayama (the control and directing of the breath and the alleged divine energy within the human body [prana] to promote health and spiritual [occult/pagan] consciousness and evolution)
  • Pratyahara (sensory control or deprivation, i.e., withdrawal of the senses from attachment to external objects)
  • Dharana (deeper concentration, or mind control)
  • Dhyana (deep contemplation from occult or pagan meditation)
  • Samadhi (occult enlightenment or "God [Brahman] realization" i.e., "union" of the practitioner with "God")
The eight steps are interdependent, the steps of "postures" and "breathing" cannot logically be separated from the others. Thus, the interdependence of all eight steps reveals why the physical exercises of yoga are designed to prepare the body for the spiritual (occult) changes that will allegedly help one realize "godhood status." (See, e.g., Swami Nikhilananda, The Yogas and Other Works, New York: Ramadrishna and Vivekananda Center, 1953, p. 592). The postures are thought to "open up the body's chakras." These chakras are alleged energy points going from the base of the spine to the head. At the bottom of the spine is your power which must be released by bringing it up to the head. The whole idea of an "energy-force" that can be awakened is based on the Hindu belief that "Ultimate Reality" is an Impersonal "life-force" that flows through the entire universe ("Brahman"). 

By the very fact you engage in this practice, you are giving credence to the pagan ideas that the "energy force" that "heals and strengthens you" also brings you to a pantheistic "godhood status" with the "ultimate reality."  Whether conscious of it or not, you have adopted pagan beliefs while claiming the title of Traditionalist Catholic. A person's ignorance does not purify yoga from its spiritual falsehood. Most people are familiar with the famous "lotus position" (sitting cross-legged like a statue of Buddha) used by yoga practitioners with an erect back, having their index fingers curled around touching the thumbs while breathing and/or meditating. Yoga instructors will tell their students its a way of keeping focused, and the position is conducive to strengthening certain muscles.

Actually, the position represents a spiritual concept called Gyan munda, which "symbolizes the union of Self with the universe, the unification of one's soul and the supreme soul. The thumb symbolizes the supreme soul, and the index finger refers to the practitioner's soul." (See https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6444/gyan-mudra). 

The theology of yoga should be apparent. It is not separate from the exercise. 

Four Inherent Dangers in Yoga

1. Demonic possession. Those who take yoga very seriously will often desire something called shaktipat (an instructor/"master"/"guru's" power to transmit a spiritual awakening of the kundalini or "serpent power"in the student's bottom energy chakra). Yet this is a pagan attempt to allow a demon to enter the practitioner's body. It can result when the word "OM" is chanted leading to an altered state of consciousness, or by assuming various yoga postures that are dedicated to the evil Hindu "deities."

2. Apostasy.  People who get involved in the basic physical exercises often get intrigued by the deeper philosophical aspects of yoga and become lukewarm in their faith or even end up leaving the One True Church for pagan mysticism. 

3. Indifferentism. Even if a yoga class seems harmless, with no spiritual emphasis, and no outward Hindu trappings, there is still real danger. By participating in a yoga class, you are endorsing a non-Catholic belief system which is incompatible with Church teaching. You implicitly accept the heresy of Indifferentism; the false teaching that one religion is as good as another, and it matters not what you believe or do. Worse yet, are Protestants or members of the Vatican II sect who pray and/or play hymns before, during, or after yoga. This is syncretism, the attempted "blending or amalgamation" of all religions into a One World Church; it is the logical outcome of ecumenism which is at the heart of many Protestant denominations, and it fuels the Vatican II sect. Do not believe there is such a thing as "Christian yoga." Certain things can be "baptized" so to speak, and put in the service of God. For example, the use of certain true axioms and concepts employed by pagan philosopher Aristotle was put to use for the Church thanks to the great St. Thomas Aquinas. However, things that are evil per se can never be made "Christian." Can you imagine these same people saying you can have a "Christian abortion" by praying and singing hymns during the murder of the child in the abortion mill? Equally ludicrous is the idea that performing pagan rituals created in honor of false gods and heretical ideas suddenly become "Christian" if you pray to the same God Who commands "Thou shalt not have false gods before Me." 

4. Association with pagans. By going to yoga classes, you will be influenced by all the people who buy into paganism, are pagans, or who perhaps even fall victim to demonic influence. It's one thing to go somewhere with the purpose of converting people to the Faith, and its something altogether different to join in with pagan exercises and philosophy. Why expose yourself to such spiritual danger? Play with fire and you will get burned. 

Tips for Proselytizing Those Who Practice Yoga
There are three types of people who practice yoga: (1) pagans (mostly Hindus and Buddhists), (2) those who think it is simply a harmless form of exercise, and (3) those who think yoga can be made "Christian." Each will be covered below.

  • Hindus and Buddhists. For the outright pagans, do not attack yoga directly. Strike at their false religion. See my post on Hinduism at https://introiboadaltaredei2.blogspot.com/2020/05/when-strangers-come-knocking-part-9_4.html, and my post on Buddhists here: https://introiboadaltaredei2.blogspot.com/2019/11/when-strangers-come-knocking-part-3.html
  • Those who think yoga is harmless exercise. Gently explain to them the connection to paganism. Also remind them there are many different exercise programs that work wonders and have no religious underpinnings
  • Those who believe in "Christian yoga." Once more, explain the pagan connection, and how you cannot serve two masters. Yoga is a pagan religious activity. You cannot believe in the God of Christianity and the demon-gods of the pagan pantheistic worldview. An inherently evil act, like paying homage to pagan ideals can never be Christian, any more than you can make abortion "Christian." Yoga cannot be separated from its pagan aspects and just be used as exercise. Experts in yoga agree that you cannot do so. Swami Prabhupada  states, "Yoga is full of surprises. The first surprise was that it is not simply exercise. Yoga is a moving meditation, a system for developing the mind, the body, and the spirit in unison. This holistic approach makes yoga feel different from Western sports training." (See A.C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada, The Quest for Enlightenment, Bhaktivendanta Book Trust , Los Angeles, [1977], pg. 3)

Conclusion
Yoga, while not in itself a false religion, is bound to a pagan metaphysical worldview. It is, in many ways, more insidious than a false sect because it is presented to the unsuspecting as a "harmless way to exercise," or even a "Christian way" of exercise. Do not be fooled. Any physical benefits that may be obtained are insignificant compared to the spiritual danger it poses to your immortal soul. Yoga is neither harmless nor Christian. Anyone who says otherwise is more than "stretching the truth" to rend you from the Mystical Body of Christ. 




54 comments:

  1. People in this Country have been brainwashed into thinking it is "Christian" to be tolerant of just about anything and everything, especially religions that are not Christian and their practices. Anyone who takes a stand is branded as "intolerant" a word synonymous with being branded as a "racist". Why have we gotten so afraid of words?? Was Jesus tolerant when he threw the moneychangers out of the temple?? No, he was forceful and was NOT tolerating their activity. Jesus was not"go along to get a long". He called people out and told them their sins and their need to repent and admonished them to "go and sin no more". Most people today want to divorce themselves from true Christianity and follow false God's. I personally believe most people who practice Yoga know it is wrong and that it is of a pagan religion and that is precisely why they practice it. They want to be seen as "tolerant" and it is their way of rebelling against Christianity, a religion they see as "intolerant". Just my 2 cents worth!

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    Replies
    1. Joann,
      Interesting. I never thought about people who are so PC they knowingly engage in false rites to seem “tolerant.” After seeing BLM this year, I would have to say you are probably correct.

      —-Introibo

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    2. Introibo,
      I have been constantly bombarded and admonished to be "tolerant", especially by some family members. I have been accused of being "intolerant" many times because I take a stand against sodomy, abortion, Yoga, etc. However, "if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything". It is the tolerant folks who tolerate the intolerable that are falling for anything. Some members of my own family refuse to speak to me because I am intolerant and speak out about BLM and it's agenda. I refuse to be a people pleaser and be tolerant of the intolerable so I wear the label INTOLERANT proudly!!

      JoAnn
      (a/k/a The Intolerant)

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    3. Joann,
      It’s good to be intolerant of evil! Who should tolerate e.g., abortion?

      —-Introibo

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  2. Married women with children walking in public wearing Yoga pants.
    This is a sign that Yoga is evil.
    Compare that with married women with children wearing a dress and chapel veil when assisting at the Holy
    Sacrifice of the Mass.
    God bless
    -Andrew

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    Replies
    1. Andrew,
      Yes, yoga is manifestly wrong, but its proponents do all they can to make it seem harmless and those of us who oppose it are labeled “extremists”

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. Andrew,
      I respectfully take exception to your statement "Married women with children walking in public wearing Yoga pants. This is a sign that Yoga is evil".
      Recently I went shopping online to buy women's leggings (pants) for when I walk my dog. The leggings were not called leggings anymore, but called "Yoga pants". I do not practice Yoga. I walk the dog in the pants. However, if I want pants to wear to walk the dog in, I had to buy leggings (pants) entitled "Yoga pants". Not everyone who wears "Yoga pants" is practicing Yoga. It is the practice of Yoga that is evil, not the pants!!
      By the way, when I attend Mass I do so wearing a veil and a dress!

      JoAnn

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    3. Most of the time yoga pants are immodest. Not saying they are evil if they are worn with a long tunic or covering over them, but that is rarely the case. Too often they are worn in a revealing way. But that is a side issue concerning immodesty, not yoga per se.

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  3. It's incredible that so many people fall into the trap of practicing yoga as if it is harmless. It reminds me of how so many fall for wearing a masks thinking that it protects themselves and others, when science says otherwise. Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmEt0UjrnfQ Our sins are being punished because of worldwide ignorance of so many things.

    Lee

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    Replies
    1. Lee,
      Hosea 4:6, “ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. ”

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. People need to "seek and you shall find" as the Bible states. How many people today are just plain lazy or in a drugged or alcoholic stupor and as a result are lethargic and just don't care?? Could never understand why liquor stores were deemed "essential" during the lockdown. Could it be the powers that be want the people in an alcoholic haze so they won't question things such as the wearing of masks, and won't inquire and ask WHY.

      JoAnn

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    3. Joann,
      Truly pathetic and sick that liquor and abortion were considered “essential.”

      —-Introibo

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    4. Maybe to keep the drunkards easy to manipulate.
      - Poni

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    5. Poni,
      Yes, indeed easy to manipulate. People's defenses were taken off guard and lowered by Dr. Death (Fauci) saying millions were going to die from the virus. As a result mass fear and depression set in and the liquor stores doors were deemed essential so the anxiety and depression ridden could drink and not have to think during the lockdown. Is it any wonder there is hardly any push back against BLM as a lot of whites have been manipulated into joining the "peaceful protests" and are being used and manipulated to further the BLM agenda. Of course, the whites can't see that they are being used and laughed at by BLM at the same time. "The blind lead the blind".

      JoAnn

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    6. Poni,
      You may be right!!

      —-Introibo

      Delete
  4. Good post, Introibo. A few questions, for the sake of clarity:

    - Is an altered state of consciousness intrinsically evil?

    - Is *seeking* an altered state of consciousness intrinsically sinful? If so, would it be mortal or venial?

    - Do the means and motives for seeking an altered state of consciousness impact the sinfulness of it?

    - Lastly, from an apologetics standpoint, given the section on indifferentism, regarding the impossibility of Christianizing yoga: suppose someone counters that pagan festivals were Christianized into Christmas or Easter (for example), or that former pagan temples (like the Romans Pantheon) were Christianized, so why can't yoga? How would you respond?

    Sincerely,

    A Simple Man

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    Replies
    1. Simple Man,
      Your first three questions can be summarized and answered in accordance with the teaching of Pope Pius XII in his 1952 Discourse to Italian Anesthesiologists.

      The pontiff teaches that there is a moral obligation of not depriving oneself of consciousness or mental clarity (altered state) without true necessity. To determine “true necessity” one must apply the principle of totality which asserts that a part exists for the whole and that, consequently, the good of the part remains subordinated to the good of the whole, that the whole is a determining factor for the part and can dispose of it in its own interest.
      (See theologian Gormley, “Medical Hypnosis” [1961], pgs. 119-123).

      Hence:
      1. An altered state of consciousness is not intrinsically evil

      2. If the altered state is sought after without true necessity (such as is present in a medical procedure) it is mortally sinful.

      3. The means of obtaining an altered state of consciousness does not change the licitness of the act, but the motives do. It must be motivated by true necessity and in practice must conform to the principle of totality.

      As to your last query, from an apologetic standpoint, there is a major distinction between e.g., Easter celebrations and using former pagan temples vs. yoga. In the former, the pagan festival or edifice was stripped of its pagan elements and subordinated to Christianity. Pagan worship was no longer rendered in those temples, and the glory of the Resurrection was celebrated at Easter.

      In yoga, you have a pantheistic, pagan ritual designed to create an altered state of consciousness based on false teaching. Even the health benefits are predicated upon belief in pagan chakras. Simply praying the Our Father, or sining hymns in no way deprives yoga of these innate pagan elements. Indeed, to remove them takes away the very essence of yoga’s existence. The postures are only valid if the chakras are real, otherwise yoga’s health benefits can easily be obtained through other means of exercise (which they can).

      The analogy to using former pagan temples easily falls apart if seen as putting up a Catholic altar, etc. and then using the altar to offer incense and human sacrifice to the Roman gods. How is that “Christian” if the paganism is substantially preserved?

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. Introibo,
      What about altered states of consciousness such as dissociation that occurs from having PTSD? Thanks.

      JoAnn

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    3. Joann,
      Altered states of consciousness that are the result of an illness (my father had PTSD from WW2) are not actively sought out. Since you have no control over the situation and was not sought after, there is no culpability. It is not only non-sinful, there is no special danger of possession.

      —-Introibo

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  5. Hello Introibo! This is very good! I posted it in Facebook. It got many shares. Maybe you can make a different image for every post in the series “When Strangers Come Knocking” on the particular sect or religious movement? It makes a thumbnail image in Facebook that can be useful in catching attention.

    The last was also very good! Contra was bothering me for one whole morning before that and forcing me to renounce sedevacantism by admitting that it’s heretical. I didn’t respond with much theological arguments because he knows my real name. I know his too. I didn’t want him to put me in his blog in case I use all our arguments to refute him and he gets sore from losing. His main issue was the loss of Ordinary Jurisdiction is heretical.

    Please take a look at this Introibo. It was one of his final messages to me:

    <>https://www.calledtocommunion.com/2009/11/solo-scriptura-sola-scriptura-and-the-question-of-interpretive-authority/

    Thank you and God bless!

    —JCA

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    1. JCA,
      Thank you for spreading the word my friend! I’ll consider changing the image. I decided to keep it the same in imitation of my prior “Singing For Satan” series.

      Contra is a piece of work. Rehashed Salza arguments doth not a blog make. Is he an FSSP supporter, or full out Modernist? Clearly, anyone who thinks sedevacantism to be heretical, but has no problem with his “Pope” declaring “There is no Catholic God,” and “Proselytism is solemn nonsense,” clearly has his head in the sand.

      —-Introibo

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    2. Hard to tell Introibo. He merely keeps repeating how he doesn’t care what we think of Vatican II but insists on sedevacantism being heretical. He also won’t give an answer as to his position regarding Vatican II unless I renounce sedevacantism.

      I also saw some of his comments in the Novus Ordo Watch comboxes. His theological understanding must really be wrong since he messes up big time with philosophy.

      —JCA

      Delete
  6. Introibo,
    Beside Yoga being advertised at N.O. churches, Tai Chi is also being advertised. What is Tai Chi and it's correlation to Yoga? Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. Intolerant,
      Tai-chi is an Asian form of exercise. It is considered by some as a martial art, and by others a way of meditation. Meditation here would be the alter state of consciousness. I don’t know much about it other than what I just wrote. The fact that it can promote pagan meditation and is supported by the V2 sect is enough to stay away.

      —-Introibo

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    2. Just curious JoAnn, but why are you changing your name

      Delete
    3. Anon @7:51 - I have been called Intolerant so much lately that I feel like it is my name!!

      Intolerant

      Delete
  7. Yeah I'm all for stretching regiments in ones own exercise. So for me I dont "practice yoga" but after practicing martial arts I do like to try and stretch as much as I can, if some of the stretching exercises cross over into "yoga poses" I assume it's ok cause I'm not actively trying to do a pagan ritual? Same goes for breathing techniques, in order to calm my heart rate and develop better cardio I will alternate breathing techniques sometimes, I assume that's fine to as I'm just doing it in the context of exercise? You see a lot of martial artists like the Gracies practice breathing techniques as to get better at their art. That would be ok I assume correct?

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    Replies
    1. David,
      As a general rule, you are correct. In certain martial arts it becomes cult-like. The leader or “grandmaster” cannot be questioned and starts talking like “Master Po” on the old “King fu” TV series with David Carradine. (I’m dating myself with that reference!) That show was full of pagan philosophy. If what you do is a sport, and not directly tied to yoga or paganism, I see no harm in it.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. Is yoga stretching wrong if it were called “group stretching class” and had zero meditation/spiritual component. (i.e. physical therapist uses to gain back flexibility, or person uses as exercise tape) would you consider it wrong?

      Is it the name that ties it to the religious yoga or the stretching or the meditation?

      I can understand when you mix the other elements at all, but I don’t see how ONLY the stretching aspect and even some breathing in a nonreligious exercise setting with no references to the pagan aspects would have to be considered tied to paganism. Stretching and breathing are neutral things. It would require the intent to make them a pagan ritual.

      Delete
    3. As a follow up point beyond yoga, it seems when certain things become secularized to a point where only neutral non spiritual or religious elements remain that it would be similar to stripping pagan elements as has been done in history by the church.


      If I wear a blue shirt it is not wrong just because a blue shirt pagan religion may exist that incorporates blue shirts into their pagan rituals. A blue shirt is by itself neutral so the context and intent would matter. Now I have mixed feelings with the name yoga as it can have some indication of how it used to be or is in some areas but often in the US is mostly just branding a stretching class.

      In general do the roots and reason something came about matter if now they are completely different?

      Delete
    4. Jeff,
      The questions you raise are good ones. The first question I have is why someone would call yoga stretching "group stretching"? What, if anything, is fundamentally different than yoga? What standard physical therapists do is fundamentally different from a yoga class, because "one size does not fit all." Yoga is for the masses, stretching requires no group or class, they are tailored by a PT to meet certain goals.

      As I wrote above:
      When yoga techniques are labeled as "relaxation techniques" or "ways to reduce stress," it is misleading. Traditionalist Catholic meditation is the conscious, focused, reflective, cognitive attention to God, such as when one meditates on the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. Yoga meditation results in an altered state of consciousness; really a form of self-hypnosis."

      The question remains:
      Can yoga can be separated from its pagan aspects and just be used as exercise? Experts in yoga seem to agree that you cannot do so. Swami Prabhupada states, "Yoga is full of surprises. The first surprise was that it is not simply exercise. Yoga is a moving meditation, a system for developing the mind, the body, and the spirit in unison. This holistic approach makes yoga feel different from Western sports training." (See A.C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada, "The Quest for Enlightenment," Bhaktivendanta Book Trust , Los Angeles, [1977], pg. 3)

      The stretching an breathing can lead to an altered state of consciousness, which is a very real danger of opening yourself up to demonic activity. Since this aspect cannot be separated from the activity, I would caution against it as pagan and dangerous.

      Some stretching exercises used by physical trainers along with weights, traditional calisthenics, etc. Is not yoga. "Group stretching" seems to be yoga stretching and breathing under a euphemistic label.

      God Bless,

      ---Introibo

      Delete
    5. Introibo,

      Your article has shifted my position from mostly not caring or knowing much about yoga and thinking it was fine to agreeing in most forms it is not permissible for a Catholic as it is a false religious practice in its intended form, but I still want to drill down on a couple specific cases that I don’t think would fit and don’t think would fit under indifferentism either or at least I don't understand how.


      To be more specific I completely agree in the aspects of meditation or even poses like the lotus. I have not done a formal yoga class, but I know a secular gym I used to be a member of had group yoga class as a stretching class where they mostly had people do various yoga stretches. When I google yoga poses most of them are the same types of stretches a person might naturally do or ones I did even as a young child in gym class many years ago or ones used in the Military or sports. (touching toes, lunges, hand stands, and more). I don’t know how the stretching and breathing would lead to any changed state of consciousness unless there was some deprivation of oxygen or something or deep meditation, but again I am strictly talking about yoga poses used for stretching and building endurance/strength.

      I guess my question is particular to the case of where a secularized version is used (no meditation, no chakra talk, no talking about feeling the energy or whatever they do), just a class that had people doing various yoga positions/stretches for the purpose of increasing flexibility and strength (through normal physical means not some magical energy). A class probably taught by a regular gym employee that also teaches spin and aerobics and not a Hindu yoga practitioner. (Many gyms will label a class as yoga for the branding of having a “yoga class”, but won’t have the spiritual or energy parts of things)

      I think you would agree that most yoga stretches are not intrinsically bad and that people may do them as they could naturally do them without ever even hearing about yoga?

      But would you agree the above described class would be ok or would just bearing the name yoga be enough for you to say it is morally not allowed to attend or are you saying the stretches themselves are intrinsically bad?

      Delete
    6. Jeff,
      The appellation "yoga" ALONE is insufficient. Just like members of the Vatican II sect calling themselves "Catholic" or Bergoglio calling himself "pope," doesn't make it so. You ask:

      1. would you agree the above described class would be ok ?

      Ans. In my opinion, yes it would be OK.

      2. are you saying the stretches themselves are intrinsically bad?

      Ans. Certain positions, like the lotus, would be, but strictly secular ones [ones that have true secular purpose] AS YOU DESCRIBED IT ABOVE, would not be intrinsically bad in my opinion.

      God Bless,

      ---Introibo

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  8. The Masonic/Satanic 12 step programs are now incorporating Yoga with them. Now people can get brainwashed and practice paganism at the same time!

    https://y12sr.com/about/why-yoga-12-step/

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  9. Introibo,
    Christopher Columbus his legacy and statues as well as his holiday are under fierce attack in this Country. I have recently read where the new wave of anti-Columbus attacks go so far as to say that Columbus intended nothing good. These attacks primarily charge Columbus with perpetrating acts of genocide, slavery, sex trafficking and oppression, etc. Since Columbus was Catholic are these attacks directed primarily at him or the Catholic Church of his time? There is so much vitriol written regarding Columbus it is difficult to find any truth today. Have you given any thought on doing a post regarding Columbus? Also, was the Church, at any point in time, pro-slavery? Thanks much!

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    Replies
    1. Intolerant,
      Yes, I’m considering a post on the much maligned Christopher Columbus. Through Columbus they attack everything godly and Catholic by rewriting history with lies. As for slavery please see my post:

      http://introiboadaltaredei2.blogspot.com/2018/04/slavery-and-catholic-church.html?m=1

      —-Introibo

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    2. Here is a classic cartoon regarding Christopher Columbus. (Trigger warning to flat earthers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgqW_hgpuEI

      Lee

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    3. Lee,
      Thanks for the "classic cartoon"! Society, unfortunately, has lost all sense of humor these days due to fear of offending or "triggering" someone. I am very intolerant of all this "triggering". People need to get over themselves and grow up!! My 5 cents worth!

      Intolerant

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  10. Editor.Do you know much about Bp Markus Ramolla?From what I understand he has taken over two former missions of Bp Dolan and has brought a Church in Ohio.It looks if his group is growing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @anon10:45
      I honestly don’t know much about him, but what I have heard is that he is devout and fully Traditionalist.

      —-Introibo

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    2. Eh, I'd say he inherited some negative traits from Bp. Dolan.

      Delete
    3. I retract this statement above.

      Delete
  11. There is now an offical Protestant "Yoga Church". I wonder how long it will take for the Vatican II sect to follow and have their own official "Yoga Church".

    "We are thrilled to offer this worship experience. Yoga Church at CUMC offers a sacred space where, through movement and meditation, we can practice connecting our body, mind, and spirit with God."
    The God of this world is the only God they are connecting to. Unbelievably deceived people, or politically correct people wanting to appear tolerant so they won't be accused of being intolerant! In any event, it is the "blind leading the blind".

    https://cumchb.org/yoga-church/

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    Replies
    1. “Yoga Church.” Won’t be long before Bergoglio begins “sharing Churches” with them. The V2 sect WILL copy them completely by having yoga in all parishes one way or another. More than half have it already.

      God help us.

      —-Introibo

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  12. The way this Country and the world is headed, I wonder if there will be any churches of any description to attend? Looks like Yoga may replace any and all churches as a form of worship to a false god. The NWO Yoga Church.
    JoAnn

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  13. Mississippi's flag has come under criticism for the Confederate flag being depicted on it by BLM. Mississippi wants to put in "God We Trust" on the flag instead. Now the State has come under fire for proposing to do so by the Satanists.
    I am beginning to wonder if the "coin shortage" in the Country is due to "In God We Trust" being inscribed on the coins?? Followed by a shortage of paper money.

    https://www.wlbt.com/2020/07/08/satanic-temple-threatens-lawsuit-if-god-we-trust-appears-new-mississippi-flag/

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  14. Why does the "When Strangers Come Knocking" series get a low amount of comments compared to the other posts?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @anon11:32
      An excellent question to which I have no good answer! If anyone wants to venture a guess, I’ll publish it!

      —-Introibo

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    2. My guess is that as an explanatory post that comes with bits of advice on how to hypothetically converse with individuals of these sects, there's not exactly much that drives readers (who are likely predominantly Catholic anyway) to discussion.

      Compare that to posts on contemporary issues or events, where answers may not be as clear cut; likewise, the simple fact that such events are occurring (relatively) in real time, they therefore generate greater interest.

      That's my $0.02, anyway.

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

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    3. Simple Man,
      A very real possibility! Thank you for commenting!

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  15. Thanks for a great article. Yoga seems to affect young women more than men, at least here in Texas. It's become mainstream, so your article was a good reminder of its real origin and implications.

    Here in Texas the largest pagan community seems to be not yogis but practitioners of santeria. There are botanicas and Hispanic fortune tellers throughout town. Glass candles with the Santeria saints printed on them are sold even at ordinary chain grocery stores. Santeria has become a real problem here in Texas because a great many Hispanic people are involved in it (certainly not all - most are Evangelicals and a few are Catholic, but still) and the Hispanic population is by far the majority of the people. I worry that through lack of catechesis more will be deceived into equating it with the Faith (despite Santeria being a pagan voodoo practice that uses Catholic Saints as symbols or something). Gangs are especially involved in santeria, as they believe the spells and so on protect them from law enforcement.

    Naturally uninformed protestants see all that Santeria stuff as being the same as Catholicism, which bothers me a great deal because it defiles the Faith to equate it with hoodoo garbage (ancestor worship, chicken sacrifice, and spells). I very much doubt the Spanish speaking Novus Bogus parishes do anything to warn their families against it.

    These days it's as if the floor waters rise on all sides.

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    Replies
    1. Milkbone,
      Well said! Santeria is indeed another indication of “flood waters rising!”

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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