Donegal priest claims yoga is "putting souls in jeopardy"

Permabear · 10-07-2014 9:37am #1

This post has been deleted.

GLaDOS · 10-07-2014 9:38am

Put a sexy women in yoga pants and I'd say my soul was in danger too

lazygal · 10-07-2014 9:44am

This just highlights how silly religious beliefs really are. Catholics aren't supposed to question the words of wisdom from the hierarchy. So this priest's ramblings should be taken seriously by catholics. However, given that I've never met a catholic in Ireland who actually believes and follows most of the doctrines of their faith, they think its ok to mock this priest as being a bit weird. When in fact the really weird thing is following a faith you don't really agree with.

kneemos · 10-07-2014 9:52am

An exploratory expedition obviously needs to be organised to see what is going on in Donegal,they've been left on their own too long.

Not the worst thing a priest has uttered in fairness.

robindch · 10-07-2014 9:53am

Pictures needed, I think, so we can understand the degree of risk which the priest is highlighting.

GLaDOS · 10-07-2014 9:56am

robindch wrote: »

Pictures needed, I think, so we can understand the degree of risk which the priest is highlighting.

Azwaldo55 · 10-07-2014 9:58am

Yoga is an eastern religious practice and is used in the worship of Shiva which according to Catholic teaching is a false god or else Satan masquerading as god to fool humanity.
Naturally if you are a Roman Catholic you obey the commandment to worship Yahweh only (Catholics believe Yahweh is a three in one god - Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and God The Father).
So if you practice yoga you are openly flouting the law of God.
I am an atheist by the way but was raised a Catholic and studied Catholic theology when I was in college.
The priest is 100% correct according to the rules of his religion.
If you don't want to obey the priesthood and you don't want to obey the rules of the Catholic faith then don't be a Catholic anymore.
I lost my faith and now I do not observe Catholic ceremonies or any other religious practice.
If you are a Catholic you can't have your cake and eat it.
If you don't obey the clergy and you don't really believe in Catholic teaching then leave the church set up your own and stop play acting.

The same goes for so-called Catholics who divorce, have abortions, have sex before marriage, use contraception, support gay marriage etc etc.

Stop being hypocrites and admit you don't believe in your religion and leave the church.

Valmont · 10-07-2014 10:01am

Surely one can be a loyal catholic and stretch one's limbs of an evening?

lazygal · 10-07-2014 10:03am

Valmont wrote: »

Surely one can be a loyal catholic and stretch one's limbs of an evening?

Not if you're doing religiousy stretches. You can stretch out like Himself did on the cross though.

kneemos · 10-07-2014 10:09am

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

Yoga is an eastern religious practice and is used in the worship of Shiva which according to Catholic teaching is a false god or else Satan masquerading as god to fool humanity.
Naturally if you are a Roman Catholic you obey the commandment to worship Yahweh only (Catholics believe Yahweh is a three in one god - Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and God The Father).
So if you practice yoga you are openly flouting the law of God.
I am an atheist by the way but was raised a Catholic and studied Catholic theology when I was in college.
The priest is 100% correct according to the rules of his religion.
If you don't want to obey the priesthood and you don't want to obey the rules of the Catholic faith then don't be a Catholic anymore.
I lost my faith and now I do not observe Catholic ceremonies or any other religious practice.
If you are a Catholic you can't have your cake and eat it.
If you don't obey the clergy and you don't really believe in Catholic teaching then leave the church set up your own and stop play acting.

The same goes for so-called Catholics who divorce, have abortions, have sex before marriage, use contraception, support gay marriage etc etc.

Stop being hypocrites and admit you don't believe in your religion and leave the church.

Can you not confess your sins and seek forgiveness rather than abandon the whole thing for the sake of a few infractions.You can be trying as they say.

Granted it is a pick and mix effort even for the most devout.

Azwaldo55 · 10-07-2014 10:09am

Valmont wrote: »

Surely one can be a loyal catholic and stretch one's limbs of an evening?

Not if the stretching is a pagan religious practice.

Muslims would enraged if Catholics started using Allah to refer to God.
Muslims do not believe in the same god as Christians and Jews. They believe in Allah. Jews do not recognize the Christian god or Allah. They do not mix their religious practices either.

Catholics do not believe that God is the same god worshiped by other non-Christian religions.

Also a Catholic does not recognize other Christian faiths. They believe there is ONE church and ONE path to salvation. Christians who do not follow the Catholic rite might as well be pagan savages.

I am an atheist but if you have ever bothered to read the Catechism Of the Catholic Church (the official rule book) you would know that yoga is beyond the pale for Catholics.

So if you do not believe in the rules then LEAVE.:D

intellectual dosser · 10-07-2014 10:11am

As a Donegal ex-pat, I do notice that no headline omits the fact that the priest is based in Donegal.

Can anyone confirm for me that the priest is in fact FROM Donegal?

magicbastarder · 10-07-2014 10:11am

i wonder does watching stargate put my soul in jeopardy?

lazygal · 10-07-2014 10:13am

magicbastarder wrote: »

i wonder does watching stargate put my soul in jeopardy?

Have you already put it in jeopardy by doing any of the following?

Sex before marriage.
Thinking contraception, abortion rights and divorce is ok.
Not believing in the resurrection.
Not going to mass, confession and other holy days of obligation.
Horsing into a steak on a Friday when that sort of thing was Frowned Upon.

If so, questionable TV viewing is the least of your worries.

Azwaldo55 · 10-07-2014 10:13am

kneemos wrote: »

Can you not confess your sins and seek forgiveness rather than abandon the whole thing for the sake of a few infractions.You can be trying as they say.

Granted it is a pick and mix effort even for the most devout.

You can't pick and choose.

Catholics are supposed to believe that they must follow all the rules or none at all.

For Catholics the clergy are the successors of the apostles and the Pope is the successor of St. Peter who was told that what he bound on earth is bound up in heaven.

There must be absolute obedience and absolute piety or else you are breaking God's commandments and doomed to hell.

I used to believe this but now I don't which is why I left the church.

magicbastarder · 10-07-2014 10:18am

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

You can't pick and choose.

Catholics are supposed to believe that they must follow all the rules or none at all.

why don't the catholic church excommunicate all non-conformers so?

Azwaldo55 · 10-07-2014 10:18am

kneemos wrote: »

Can you not confess your sins and seek forgiveness rather than abandon the whole thing for the sake of a few infractions.You can be trying as they say.

Granted it is a pick and mix effort even for the most devout.

You can only receive forgiveness according to Catholic teaching if you sincerely repent and then devote yourself to obeying the rules of Catholicism.

If you go to confession and then break the rules again then forgiveness is withdrawn.

Azwaldo55 · 10-07-2014 10:19am

magicbastarder wrote: »

why don't the catholic church excommunicate all non-conformers so?

They can be formally excommunicated by a ceremony performed by the clergy but they also excommunicate themselves when they disobey God.

lazygal · 10-07-2014 10:20am

magicbastarder wrote: »

why don't the catholic church excommunicate all non-conformers so?

Ah now. What would be the point of alienating all the A La Carte parents who will use contraception or IVF or terminate a pregnancy and think gay marriage is grand and doesn't Fab Uncle Joe and his partner Gary deserve a Big Day Out the same as the rest of us and ask why does their awkward 'atheist:rolleyes::rolleyes::roll eyes:' sister not want to be a godparent isn't it just a Nice Day Out?

flutered · 10-07-2014 10:20am

he is right up there with the pp who claimed that sex was only a muscular spasm.

realdanbreen · 10-07-2014 10:31am

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

Yoga is an eastern religious practice and is used in the worship of Shiva which according to Catholic teaching is a false god or else Satan masquerading as god to fool humanity.
Naturally if you are a Roman Catholic you obey the commandment to worship Yahweh only (Catholics believe Yahweh is a three in one god - Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and God The Father).
So if you practice yoga you are openly flouting the law of God.
I am an atheist by the way but was raised a Catholic and studied Catholic theology when I was in college.
The priest is 100% correct according to the rules of his religion.
If you don't want to obey the priesthood and you don't want to obey the rules of the Catholic faith then don't be a Catholic anymore.
I lost my faith and now I do not observe Catholic ceremonies or any other religious practice.
If you are a Catholic you can't have your cake and eat it.
If you don't obey the clergy and you don't really believe in Catholic teaching then leave the church set up your own and stop play acting.

The same goes for so-called Catholics who divorce, have abortions, have sex before marriage, use contraception, support gay marriage etc etc.

Stop being hypocrites and admit you don't believe in your religion and leave the church.

The vast majority of Catholics would not have studied theology or gotten into it as deep as you appear to have done. Most of us realise that like all religions you are dealing with man made rules & regulations and take them with a grain of salt. A belief in God is a different matter and would not be affected by the words or actions of 'holy' men or women.

Czarcasm · 10-07-2014 10:32am

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

You can't pick and choose.

Catholics are supposed to believe that they must follow all the rules or none at all.

For Catholics the clergy are the successors of the apostles and the Pope is the successor of St. Peter who was told that what he bound on earth is bound up in heaven.

There must be absolute obedience and absolute piety or else you are breaking God's commandments and doomed to hell.

I used to believe this but now I don't which is why I left the church.

And therein lies the get-out clause for my hedonistic behavior in this life.

I'm RC, just not a very good one, so I sin, but that's for me to worry about the consequences, which are apparently a lot worse than being called out for my hypocrisy on an internet forum.

As for the priest in the OP, while my beliefs are batshìt crazy, there are different levels of stupid, and while you might think people should rigidly stick to dogma, that would make you no different to the priest that says one has to stick to the Catholic pilates (I learned that phrase in this forum too, Catholics are allowed have a sense of humor!

).

Clearly your standards for Catholics differ from mine, but is that not the essence of tolerance - that you wouldn't tell me what to do, and I won't tell you what to do?

Brian Shanahan · 10-07-2014 10:50am

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

So if you do not believe in the rules then LEAVE.:D

You can't leave according to the rcc. They've set the rules up so they're the religious equivalent of the Hotel California.

Valmont · 10-07-2014 12:25pm

This all points to a gap in the market for secular yoga classes.

robindch · 10-07-2014 12:32pm

ScienceNerd wrote: »

I've seen enough - I'm with the priest on this one!

Nodin · 10-07-2014 1:40pm

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

Yoga is an eastern religious practice and is used in the worship of Shiva which according to Catholic teaching is a false god or else Satan masquerading as god to fool humanity.
...........

Are you seriously telling me that some young one is preaching Lord Shiva to whoever turns up to their yoga class of an evening? Because I'm fairly sure the yoga practised in the West has ditched this.........unless anyone would care to inform me otherwise?

(and no, I don't do yoga)

10-07-2014 1:44pm

Some of them are done purely as exercise classes, some are more spiritual but i've yet to hear of any actual shiva worship being mentioned

eviltwin · 10-07-2014 1:51pm

You would think a priest would encourage people to do something that is good for their mental and physical health. Yoga may have its origins in an alternate faith but who really does it with that in mind. I would imagine a lot of people don't even know their is a connection with religion. Anyway I'm not catholic so I don't care, I'll continue to do my yoga without fear. Namaste. :cool:

10-07-2014 1:51pm

Next in breaking news: Catholic Church bans Thursdays

robindch · 10-07-2014 2:47pm

bluewolf wrote: »

Next in breaking news: Catholic Church bans Thursdays

Thursday? Named after the most awesome Norse god ever!

Wouldn't blame them for wanting to ban it.

robindch · 10-07-2014 3:40pm

Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medina points out that Yoga isn't sufficiently "Russian" either and that Russian kids should study more Lezginka -- which isn't what you might think just looking at the first three letters, but actually a Cossack dance -- which isn't "Russian" either, but I suppose that doesn't count.

http://www.newsru.com/russia/04jul2014/battlelezginka.html

Mr Medina, btw, shot to international fame last year with his claim that Russians are superior to the rest of the world because they have an extra chromosome.

Dades · 10-07-2014 5:19pm

bluewolf wrote: »

Next in breaking news: Catholic Church bans Thursdays

Four day weeks - yay!

Oh wait - that's my football night...

/torn

Zen65 · 10-07-2014 7:26pm

I think yoga is actually mentioned in the bible. Something about Jesus tying his ass to a tree and walking a mile into the town?

That's a stretch!

Turtwig · 10-07-2014 8:40pm

robindch wrote: »

Thursday? Named after the most awesome Norse god ever!

Wouldn't blame them for wanting to ban it.

No, the most awesome Norse god is Odin! Then frig. Thor, while funny, was just not awesome.

Nodin · 10-07-2014 9:11pm

Turtwig wrote: »

No, the most awesome Norse god is Odin! Then frig. Thor, while funny, was just not awesome.

He brains people with a war hammer. What more do you people want?

shruikan2553 · 10-07-2014 10:57pm

robindch wrote: »

Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medina points out that Yoga isn't sufficiently "Russian" either and that Russian kids should study more Lezginka -- which isn't what you might think just looking at the first three letters, but actually a Cossack dance -- which isn't "Russian" either, but I suppose that doesn't count.

http://www.newsru.com/russia/04jul2014/battlelezginka.html

Mr Medina, btw, shot to international fame last year with his claim that Russians are superior to the rest of the world because they have an extra chromosome.

I was thinking isnt that downs syndrome? Translated and was not disappointed.

Turtwig wrote: »

No, the most awesome Norse god is Odin! Then frig. Thor, while funny, was just not awesome.

The blasphemy law was brought in for people like you

Azwaldo55 · 11-07-2014 10:26am

realdanbreen wrote: »

The vast majority of Catholics would not have studied theology or gotten into it as deep as you appear to have done. Most of us realise that like all religions you are dealing with man made rules & regulations and take them with a grain of salt. A belief in God is a different matter and would not be affected by the words or actions of 'holy' men or women.

The overwhelming majority of Irish people have no clue what being a Catholic means. As a former Catholic who studied the Catechism I can tell you what is what.

If you are a Catholic you do not take the rules with a grain of salt and the laws of your religion are not man-made. They are inspired by the Holy Spirit. A Catholic believes than there is only salvation through the Catholic Church and NOWHERE ELSE. No ifs buts or maybes. You believe it 100% or you can go to hell. Those are the rules.
All other religions are false, all other other gods are false or Satan is disguise and that is the beginning and the end of it.

The only way - THE ONLY WAY - to worship God is as a baptized Catholic who takes part in the Catholic mass and eats and drinks the ACTUAL flesh and blood of Jesus.

If you don't believe this then you cannot seriously call yourself a Catholic.

I don't believe this and this is why I am now an atheist.

Azwaldo55 · 11-07-2014 10:34am

Nodin wrote: »

Are you seriously telling me that some young one is preaching Lord Shiva to whoever turns up to their yoga class of an evening? Because I'm fairly sure the yoga practised in the West has ditched this.........unless anyone would care to inform me otherwise?

(and no, I don't do yoga)

Yoga is a system designed to unite the "kundalini" or corporeal energy with Shiva.

It is a religious practice. End of.

So if a Catholic practices it they are in breach of the 1st Commandment which prohibits worship of pagan gods.

According to Catholic theology the worship of pagan gods is a moral sin and unless the sinner repents sincerely they are in danger of eternal hellfire.

According to Catholic teaching pagan gods are in fact Lucifer now known as Satan and his fallen angels.

You can look this up if you like:

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

If you don't actually believe this then you are not a Catholic and therefore why be a hypocrite and continue to pretend?

I am an atheist because I admitted the truth. I did not believe any of this crap.

realdanbreen · 11-07-2014 11:00am

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

The overwhelming majority of Irish people have no clue what being a Catholic means. As a former Catholic who studied the Catechism I can tell you what is what.

If you are a Catholic you do not take the rules with a grain of salt and the laws of your religion are not man-made. They are inspired by the Holy Spirit. A Catholic believes than there is only salvation through the Catholic Church and NOWHERE ELSE. No ifs buts or maybes. You believe it 100% or you can go to hell. Those are the rules.
All other religions are false, all other other gods are false or Satan is disguise and that is the beginning and the end of it.

The only way - THE ONLY WAY - to worship God is as a baptized Catholic who takes part in the Catholic mass and eats and drinks the ACTUAL flesh and blood of Jesus.

If you don't believe this then you cannot seriously call yourself a Catholic.

I don't believe this and this is why I am now an atheist.

Fair enough, If you are as content about being an atheist as I am about being a Catholic then we are both happ out!:D

legspin · 11-07-2014 5:04pm

Zen65 wrote: »

I think yoga is actually mentioned in the bible. Something about Jesus tying his ass to a tree and walking a mile into the town?

That's a stretch!

First mention of elasticity in the bible.

Nodin · 11-07-2014 5:42pm

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

Yoga is a system designed to unite the "kundalini" or corporeal energy with Shiva.

It is a religious practice. End of.

.

So you're telling me that's how they teach it in most Yoga classes in the west? I'd call bollocks on that one.

"For a lot of people in the US, “yoga” is a series of pretzel-like physical exertions done to get fit, usually with some token Sanskrit thrown in here and there to keep things exotic and spicy. It’s an industry worth billions of dollars every year, between swanky supplies like see-through yoga pants (oops!), workout gear, and, of course, exclusive yoga retreats. It seems like everybody and their mother is either practicing yoga or training to become a certified yoga instructor these days.
As a fitness movement, yoga has swept across the US, and it’s been widely adopted in a variety of communities. It’s promoted for everything from supplementing physical therapy to help people recover from severe injuries to staying toned and fit for beauty pageants. Yoga is the New It Thing."
http://www.xojane.com/issues/yoga-religious-cultural-appropriation

Hotblack Desiato · 11-07-2014 9:22pm

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

If you don't believe this then you cannot seriously call yourself a Catholic.

I don't believe this and this is why I am now an atheist.

Not believing catholic doctrine is necessary but not sufficient to be an atheist - otherwise you'd still be a christian or some other sort of theist.

lazybones32 · 14-07-2014 8:50pm

Nodin wrote: »

So you're telling me that's how they teach it in most Yoga classes in the west? I'd call bollocks on that one.

"For a lot of people in the US, “yoga” is a series of pretzel-like physical exertions done to get fit, usually with some token Sanskrit thrown in here and there to keep things exotic and spicy. It’s an industry worth billions of dollars every year, between swanky supplies like see-through yoga pants (oops!), workout gear, and, of course, exclusive yoga retreats. It seems like everybody and their mother is either practicing yoga or training to become a certified yoga instructor these days.
As a fitness movement, yoga has swept across the US, and it’s been widely adopted in a variety of communities. It’s promoted for everything from supplementing physical therapy to help people recover from severe injuries to staying toned and fit for beauty pageants. Yoga is the New It Thing."
http://www.xojane.com/issues/yoga-religious-cultural-appropriation

He's correct. In the West, it isn't used as a religious practice but at its roots, yoga is a religious practice and the postures are essentially religious poses to 'open your soul' (?) or whatever intent was originally there. The stretches were designed as spiritual exercises and this is confirmed by Yogi.
I read an interesting article by an Indian Yogi a few years ago where he criticised Christians for adopting or attempting to practice 'Christian Yoga', as the two were wholly incompatible and were countering each other. This will have to do instead http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-malhotra/hindu-view-of-christian-yoga_b_778501.html

ShooterSF · 14-07-2014 9:23pm

lazybones32 wrote: »

He's correct. In the West, it isn't used as a religious practice but at its roots, yoga is a religious practice and the postures are essentially religious poses to 'open your soul' (?) or whatever intent was originally there. The stretches were designed as spiritual exercises and this is confirmed by Yogi.
I read an interesting article by an Indian Yogi a few years ago where he criticised Christians for adopting or attempting to practice 'Christian Yoga', as the two were wholly incompatible and were countering each other. This will have to do instead http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-malhotra/hindu-view-of-christian-yoga_b_778501.html

Like I'm going to believe anything that pickinick basket swiping git says.

Hotblack Desiato · 14-07-2014 9:40pm

But he's smarter than the average bear.

Duggy747 · 15-07-2014 11:56am

Yoga flame!

Obliq · 15-07-2014 12:28pm

Azwaldo55 wrote: »

If you are a Catholic you do not take the rules with a grain of salt and the laws of your religion are not man-made. They are inspired by the Holy Spirit. A Catholic believes than there is only salvation through the Catholic Church and NOWHERE ELSE. No ifs buts or maybes. You believe it 100% or you can go to hell. Those are the rules.

This "putting souls in jeopardy" by performing yoga designed to ....em...open the chakras to a spiritual energy (I think) would imply that the priest believes in chakras and the possibility that there are other gods that may be invoked by the practice? I always find it quite funny when one religion ends up effectively endorsing another by warning people of the "dangers" of other holy spirits

endacl · 15-07-2014 1:31pm

I started yoga about a month ago. Really enjoying it. Pilates for hippies...
No effect on my soul thus far. It's still imaginary. I thought my lower back and thighs were in serious jeopardy for the first couple of weeks though!

Nodin · 15-07-2014 1:45pm

lazybones32 wrote: »

He's correct. In the West, it isn't used as a religious practice but at its roots, yoga is a religious practice and the postures are essentially religious poses to 'open your soul' (?) or whatever intent was originally there. The stretches were designed as spiritual exercises and this is confirmed by Yogi.
I read an interesting article by an Indian Yogi a few years ago where he criticised Christians for adopting or attempting to practice 'Christian Yoga', as the two were wholly incompatible and were countering each other. This will have to do instead http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-malhotra/hindu-view-of-christian-yoga_b_778501.html

Which is my point.

lazybones32 · 15-07-2014 5:42pm

Nodin wrote: »

Which is my point.

But it still is a religious/spiritual practice whether people view it as such or not. All the movements have spiritual origins and some still retain the spiritual names.

Nodin · 15-07-2014 6:44pm

lazybones32 wrote: »

But it still is a religious/spiritual practice whether people view it as such or not. All the movements have spiritual origins and some still retain the spiritual names.

....it can't be a spiritual practice for them if they haven't a poxy clue about the spiritual end of it.

Donegal priest claims yoga is "putting souls in jeopardy"

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