DALLAS — Is yoga a threat to Christianity?
It's a question being raised by Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler. He says Christians who practice the ancient art are bending on their beliefs.
Mohler was in Dallas for an event Thursday night. he told News 8 the controversy started with an essay he wrote last month that appeared in an online blog.
He said yoga's stretching and meditative discipline is not a Christian pathway to God. Mohler said people should deny what yoga represents and see that it conflicts with Christianity.
He says he was writing about yoga's roots in Hinduism. Mohler was flooded with e-mails, but walked away learning a few things.
"I'm not against exercise," he said with a laugh. "I learned from a whole lot of Christians who think they're practicing yoga, but what they described to me is not what yoga has historically been.
Proponents of the practice say people come to yoga because they are often in pain, while others think it's a nice workout.
Other religious leaders have had the same debate. Muslim clerics have banned yoga in Egypt, Malaysia and Indonesia.
"It's clear that this struck a nerve," Mohler said. "I hope at least it's a fruitful converstation."
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