Judge to rule on whether yoga tied to religion

[theworldismine13]

Judge to rule on whether yoga tied to religion

A judge is expected to issue a ruling Monday on whether yoga is a religious practice that shouldn't be allowed to be taught in public schools.

An attorney representing a family bent out of shape over the public school program in the beach city of Encinitas filed a lawsuit in February to stop the district-wide classes. In the lawsuit filed in San Diego Superior Court, attorney Dean Broyles argued that the twice weekly, 30-minute classes are inherently religious, in violation of the separation between church and state.

Judge John S. Meyer is expected to issue his ruling in the case that went to trial.

The Encinitas Union School District is believed to be the first in the country to have full-time yoga teachers at every one of its schools. The lessons are funded by a $533,000, three-year grant from the Jois Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes Asthanga yoga.

The plaintiffs are Stephen and Jennifer Sedlock and their children, who are students in the district.

Superintendent Timothy B. Baird said since the district started the classes at its nine schools in January, teachers and parents have noticed students are calmer, using the breathing practices to release stress before tests.

"We're not teaching religion," he told The Associated Press. "We teach a very mainstream physical fitness program that happens to incorporate yoga into it."

Broyles said his clients are not seeking monetary damages but are asking the court to intervene and suspend the program.

The lawsuit notes Harvard-educated religious studies professor Candy Gunther Brown found the district's program is pervasively religious, having its roots in Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and metaphysical beliefs and practices.

Children who have opted out of the program have been harassed and bullied, the plaintiffs say.

Yoga is now taught at public schools from the rural mountains of West Virginia to the bustling streets of Brooklyn as a way to ease stress in today's pressure-packed world where even kindergartners say they feel tense about keeping up with their busy schedules. But most classes are part of an after-school program, or are offered only at a few schools or by some teachers in a district.

The Jois Foundation says it believes the program will become a national model to help schools teach students life skills.

 

[Bud Bundy]

Lol just call it something and get those fat ass kids to exercise.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

Yoga IS tied to religion, no matter how much these cacs want to b*stardize it, sell mats for it, and turn it into a workout plan for housewives

It's not even up for debate.

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

Yoga IS tied to religion, no matter how much these cacs want to b*stardize it, sell mats for it, and turn it into a workout plan for housewives

It's not even up for debate.

Books are tied to religion. So are hospitals and mathematics. Wanna get into litigation over them, too?​

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

Books are tied to religion. So are hospitals and mathematics. Wanna get into litigation over them, too?​

at this obtuse bullshyt.

Comparing physical and spiritual bridging exercise routines like Neigong and Yoga to reading, writing, and medicine makes no sense. If you want, you can peripherally tie anything to religion if you feel like it at some point in time, the point is these are religious practices and always have been.

If they wanna take movements and ideas from it, and call it Stretchy Workouty, thats fine with me... I don't really care. It's all irrelevant though. The reason this is being called into question isn't because it's religious, it's because it's non-Abrahamic religion in our schools and that scares PTA members.

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

at this obtuse bullshyt.

Nothing 'obtuse' about my observation. There is more going on about this case than yoga being part of a Hindu philosophy. If something being 'tied to' a religion is a violation of the separation of Church and State, then books, hospitals, algebra, and a few other things are equally at risk for the same type of litigation if someone chooses to press the issue.

I'm actually surprised our money hasn't been the subject of more lawsuits based on the separation of Church and State.......

​

 

[GetInTheTruck]

Yoga is a core part of hindu religion/philosophy. It isn't "exercise."

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

Funkdoc why are you comparing any of these things to yoga. Yoga is a religious practice. End of. All these things, medicine, money, hospitals, whatever, yeah they might have had something to do with religion in the past. But not really now. Totally irrelevant comparison.

 

[GetInTheTruck]

Books are tied to religion. So are hospitals and mathematics. Wanna get into litigation over them, too?​

This is a huge stretch.

The whole object of Yoga is "realizing" Brahman, the hindu definition of the ultimate reality. Practicing Yoga means accepting the existence of the soul or "atman" according to the upanishads which are themselves commentaries on the Vedas.

If they started teaching about "souls" in school liberals would have a fukking heart attack. Please.

 

[Commander in Chiefin]

Yet when they propose taking "god" out of the pledge of allegiance, people go ape shyt

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

Funkdoc why are you comparing any of these things to yoga. Yoga is a religious practice. End of. All these things, medicine, money, hospitals, whatever, yeah they might have had something to do with religion in the past. But not really now. Totally irrelevant comparison.

The whole object of Yoga is "realizing" Brahman, the hindu definition of the ultimate reality. Practicing Yoga means accepting the existence of the soul or "atman" according to the upanishads which are themselves commentaries on the Vedas.

Yoga, as practiced now in the West, is HARDLY 'religious'......



I'm questioning the rationale of the plaintiffs in bringing this lawsuit.
​

 

[mbewane]

Books are tied to religion. So are hospitals and mathematics. Wanna get into litigation over them, too?​

How so?

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

i already explained why this case exists. Non abrahamic religion in schools.

That's what has people up in arms, not religion in and of itself.

 

[GetInTheTruck]

Yoga, as practiced now, is HARDLY 'religious'......

Reclining Splits, Supta Trivikramasana in Ashtanga Yoga wtih Kino - YouTube

I'm questioning the rationale of the plaintiffs in bringing this lawsuit.
​

Yoga by it's very definition is rooted in religion. There's no way getting around it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UobbY9R2uJo"]Hindu anger at yoga studios - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

How so?

Books were created by Hebrews in the 1st Century in order to access different parts of scripture they kept on giant scrolls.

The number '0' was created by a Hindu and algebra is an Islamic term.

The first hospitals were in ancient Greek and Egyptian temples since religion and medicine were linked.
​