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[quote=Anonymous]Yoga is a Hindu tradition that is practiced by millions of non-Hindus in the United States.  I imagine that few of these devotees are attempting to form unify with a supreme being.  If I asked someone why they did Yoga, they might say "exercise" or "it helps me stay centered or relaxed".  If I asked them about its religious significance, they would probably tell me that they didn't give it a second thought, or maybe they don't even know, it's just a popular class at the gym.

This is a perfect example of how one can appropriate a religious practice for non-religious benefit.  Also religions borrow from each other.  Most likely the Catholic Rosary probably was modeled after the use of prayer beads in India.  Even though the religious significance of the beads is very different, certain emotional aspects are very much the same, and practically every religion has a practice of counting beads or knots on a rope or shawl.

So given that we borrow religious traditions for secular use, and our religions borrow from other religions, why do we take offense when non-Christians borrow from Christian traditions?  I am speaking about Christmas and the thread on Atheists and Lent.  It seems incredibly inconsistent.  I think we should imagine how easy it is for us to sign up for yoga, and realize that this may be the same way an atheist approaches our traditions.

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