That's a little disappointing actually. If you're going to get those two together on TV, you'd think you could find a lot more interesting things for them to argue about than yoga.
UPDATE: I was reading some of the commentary on this exchange elsewhere, and someone highlighted John MacArthur's definition of Christianity: "The idea of Christianity is to fill your mind with biblical truth and focus on the God who is above you." Interesting... so when did John MacArthur become a gnostic?
Link via Conversation at the Edge and Bob Hyatt.
At 9/21/2007 02:57:00 PM, 
LeeC
Gnostic?
By claiming you can know both God and peace through His word?
There a twist.
Julie.
Show me where Dr. MacArthur said that please. I'm sure it's not intentional but lets all try to be honest in what we ascribe. If you do not confess that Jesus is Lord (and act according to Him being your Lord not just lip service) confess your sins and repent. You are going to hell.
As for yoga.
TIME magazine featured a quote from Subhas Tiwari, a professor of yoga philosophy and meditation at the Hindu University of America in Orlando, Fla.: "Yoga is Hinduism."
In an article dated May 14, 2006, Darryl E. Owens of the Orlando Sentinel quoted Sannyasin Arumugaswami, managing editor of Hinduism Today. Arumugaswami said Hinduism is the soul of yoga “based as it is on Hindu Scripture and developed by Hindu sages. Yoga opens up new and more refined states of mind, and to understand them one needs to believe in and understand the Hindu way of looking at God. ...
In an article entitled “An Open Letter to Evangelicals” from the January 1991 issue of Hinduism Today, Swami Sivasiva Palani writes, “A small army of yoga missionaries – hatha, raja, siddha and kundalini – beautifully trained in the last 10 years, is about to set upon the western world. They may not call themselves Hindu, but Hindus know where yoga came from and where it goes.”
In the West, the term “yogi” is used to refer to anyone who practices yoga. However, in the Bhagavad-Gita, the god Krishna says that the true yogi is one who has surrendered himself “fully unto me.”
According to Swami Vishnudevananda, one of yoga’s most influential leaders, hatha yoga “prescribes physical methods to begin … so that the student can manipulate the mind more easily as he advances, attaining communication with one's higher self.” It seems the student is being manipulated as well. Yoga’s “least religious” form, hatha yoga, influences one’s spiritual life as unmistakably as any one of the dozens of other yoga techniques. Hatha yoga is actually seen as the stepping stone to raja yoga (the form said to involve “psycho-physical meditation techniques to attain an experience of the truth and ultimate liberation from the cycles of death and rebirth, or moksha”).
Yoga claims physical and mental disciplines bring about union with God. According to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (once associated with the Beatles), meditation “brings us more ability for achieving something through right means, and very easily a sinner comes out of the field of sin and becomes a virtuous man.”
“The term Hatha Yoga has been commonly used to describe the practice of asana (postures). The syllable 'ha' denotes the pranic (vital) force governing the physical body and 'tha' denotes the chitta (mental) force thus making Hatha Yoga a catalyst to an awakening of the two energies that govern our lives. More correctly the techniques described in Hatha Yoga harmonize and purify the body systems and focus the mind in preparation for more advanced chakra and kundalini practices.
“Let us see the meaning of word Hatha, it is made up of Ha + Tha. "Ha" means Ida nadi, (moon principle) or left nostril and "tha" means Pingala Nadi (sun principle) or right nostril. Nadi means psychic passage of energy which can be compared with nerves in physical body. Hatha means balance of Ida and Pingala Nadis, or balancing of mental energy of Ida and Vital energy of Pingala Nadi. Ida Nadi can be compared with Parasympathetic Nervous system and Pingala nadi can be compared with Sympathetic Nervous System. So Hatha Yoga practices results in balancing the entire nervous system. The basic purpose of Hatha Yoga is to purify the Ida and Pingala Nadis and then uniting these 2 forces with the third Psychic Nadi Sushumna, which carries Kundalini at Ajna Chakra (eyebrow center).”
- Yogacharya Vishwas Mandlik, Vice Chancellor of Yoga at Vidya Gurukul (Yoga University).
At 9/21/2007 03:41:00 PM, Julie
LeeC
Show me where I ascribe anything to Dr. MacArthur please. I'm sure your reading into my words is not intentional but lets all try to be honest in what we ascribe.
You write - "If you do not confess that Jesus is Lord (and act according to Him being your Lord not just lip service) confess your sins and repent. You are going to hell." Okay spiffy, rude, but what was that an issue for certain Christians. It has nothing to do with the topic being discussed though.
As for yoga. Do you really not understand that people can interact with cultures without buying into every single aspect of that culture? Do you think that God is so small that truth can only be found in western christianity?
At 9/21/2007 05:15:00 PM, LeeC
Julie,
My intent was not to be rude.
Who are you saying told someone going to the gym that "They are going to hell"? Paggit? MacArthur? I assumed you were inferring someone.
Making sure you proclaim the Gospel every chance you get to a people who need to be saved is rude? Thats like saying trying to pull someone out of a burning vehicle without their permission is rude. I love people too much to not do that.
"As for yoga. Do you really not understand that people can interact with cultures without buying into every single aspect of that culture?"
Absolutely. I just made that argument in regards to Eastern martial arts elswhere. I've been a Buhddist, and a Wiccan and a few other things so please lets not be condescending. Yoga IS Hinduism, and is inseperable. You can do the excercises (Just as MacArthur clearly stated) but to truly do yoga is to worship the Hindu way. God will only be worshipped the way he demands, as is His right.
"Do you think that God is so small that truth can only be found in western christianity?"
No one gets to the Father except through Christ, or he is a liar.
And anyone who denies that and says they are a Christian, is decieved or lying. It has nothing to do with Western civilization. Or my preference or opinion any more than saying that if I jump off of the Golden Gate Bridge I will die is.
Psalm 19
The Works and the Word of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3There is no speech, nor are there words;Their voice is not heard. 4Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right,rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is sure, enlightening the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
no that's just because you don't do yoga and so haven't lived the drama that "interaction with other cultures and religions" causes within the Christian community. Forget talking about nuances of theology when you can't even go to the gym without being told you are going to hell.