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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I imagine that the Christians who take yoga (I'm one of them) have no issue with Hinduism - we just don't practice it.  I also find challah bread and brisket tasty and I am not a practicing Jew.  :-)  I have no issue with someone who is not a practicing Christian taking up the more secular aspects of Christmas or Easter.  But I think if you're the kind of person who hates and criticizes a religion, you should leave its traditions alone or risk being called a hypocrite.  If you think Christianity is stupid, then you should think it's all stupid, not just everything but the cool stuff with the presents and songs.[/quote]

Sure.  No one likes an asshole.  But it's unfair to attack a whole group because it has some assholes in it.  You would not attack all muslims because there are muslim terrorists, nor would you assume every breastfeeding mother is a BF crazy who shuns formula feeders.

But on top of that, there are many posters who suggest that it is inappropriate for non-religious posters of any temperament to participate in religious traditions, or to accuse them of being closet theists for doing so.

So my points are two:

1.  It is unfair to treat any group as a unified whole, collectively responsible for the misbehavior of a few.
2.  If we religious people see no problem in appropriating, for secular purposes, the traditions of other belief systems, we should not discourage them from participating unless there is a specific and genuine theological problem (say receiving Catholic communion or attending a service closed to non-members).

To me, Christians are all called to spread the word.  We can do that in three ways:
*To teach our religious beliefs
*To live by example
*To welcome and support people who are open to exploring faith traditions

Of those,

*Teaching is really tough.  There's not much room at the water cooler for someone to debate faith vs works, the role of women in Christianity, or the implications of the bible on the foundation of a moral economy.

*Living by example is certainly achievable, but it only has so much influence on a person's philosophical/religious journey.  At some point they take a leap.

*The last, to welcome, is really important.  Rarely do non-believers step into religion based on a logical analysis of theology.  There is always a component based on community, feeling like they belong, seeing that the community positively impacts them and the world around them.  They may never have a vision in their bed at night, but they may connect on an emotional level if they are shown love and support.

So this is why I believe it is wrong to cut off any person who wants to try out a religious tradition.  You never know how it may affect them.  I say welcome them and let them see for themselves if they find meaning in it. [/quote]

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