Where there are grey areas not clearly outlawed in the Bible, Christian leaders should give grace and not force their personal opinions on Christian believers. Then they become like the Pharisees, who placed heavy burdens on the people. Who required standards that God himself did not ask for. Leaders often like to control the people. If an activity is healthy for the body and is not idolatrous nor blasphemous then do not forbid it.
Is it not better to do an activity that keeps you healthy and fit than a man (or woman) being in sin?
Either overt moral sins like pornography, adultery, alcoholism, drug addiction.
Or passive sins like gluttony, watching TV serials and sports or the internet for hours daily.
John Ankerberg cautions against the martial arts, but the testimonies he picks below are of Karate.
The founder of Judo hated all religions and kept the discipline secular. Although however, to some it is the only thing in their life, and is their religion.
My child and I started learning judo together, and we love it. As long as it does not become our idol, it is good and healthy regardless of its origins. A relevant passage from the Bible comes to mind. apostle Paul says you can eat food that may have been offered before idols as long as you pray thanking God for the food.
Can it become an idol?
1 Corinthians 8:4-6“An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
The passage says that the body was created through the Lord Jesus and "through whom we live".
As a Christian, your conscience will warn you if anything you are doing is against the Holy Spirit. Anything that is straying into Buddhism (for Judo), or Hinduism (for Yoga).
What about their pagan origins?
Even so, for some Christians even the slightest connection to pagan origins is enough to condemn the practice of judo, karate, yoga etc.
I suggest you ask them;
Do you celebrate Christmas, and if so, do you have a Christmas tree?
Jeremiah 10: "For the customs of the people are vain: for one 1) cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 2) They deck it with silver and with gold; 3) they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."
and 4) we put gifts under the tree as if in worship/
That sounds suspiciously like a Christmas tree!
Someone recently said to me the passage refers to idols. But if 3 out of 4 are met, then that sounds pagan to me...
But some Yoga stretches are sun salutations.
This seems like cultural prejudice out of ignorance and does harm to Christianity.
Many stretches we do for sports, in gymnastics and in athletics are also yoga poses ('butterfly', 'bridge', 'dancer', 'cobra' etc). Should we stop doing them?
Furthermore it is unknown if they were exercises already known to ancient society and adopted into yoga.
We must take authority over something good - beneficial stretching of the various postures of the human body. Glorify God through the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
One can do a yoga pose to Jesus, playing worship music and praising God.
Again, we must take authority, and not surrender it.
Just because another religion claims something good as its own does not mean we must surrender it.
For instance, the 'namaste' greeting used in India is supposed to mean, "I worship the spirit within you". Certainly, it is not Christian as only followers of Jesus have the Holy Spirit. But does that mean this harmless greeting should now be opposed by Indian Christians?
God created every pose and physical orientation of our muscular and skeletal system. Everything was created by Jesus and through Jesus.
Colossians 1:16
It is like Paul said about eating food that may have been offered to idols - God created the food.
1 Corinthians 8
For many years I thought those who refer to this as a command to ignore an insult, were dishonest. Recently, I was thinking it over and realized, it is our modern American and Western society that sees a slap as violence. In earlier times and even nowadays in the developing world, a slap is a rebuke or a humiliation.
Notice also that Jesus refers to a slap, not a blow with a fist, nor a blow with a stick, knife or other weapon.
Sadly, I do not know how many Christians have been misled to not defend themselves by a misinterpretation of this verse.
Then I read that the Japanese bow and kneel as a mark of respect. I also told myself and my son to think to himself while in that posture, that, "Jesus, I am kneeling before you, not Jigoro Kano".
I was gratified to read that Kano was secular and hated all religions. So I did not have to worry about strains of Shintoism or Buddhism in the teachings.
I always try to find a Bible verse that aligns with a new teaching I learn in judo.
for instance,
when learning about relaxing the body during a fight, I remember "be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted in the heavens, I will be exalted in the earth".
when learning about judo being the gentle way absorbing or deflecting an attack and turning the tables on the attacker, I remember, "a soft answer turns away wrath" and ignoring an insult, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."
In the end these are philosophies and every philosophy must bend the knee to Jesus.
Someone recently said to me the passage refers to idols. But if 3 out of 4 are met, then that sounds pagan to me...
But some Yoga stretches are sun salutations.
Many stretches we do for sports, in gymnastics and in athletics are also yoga poses ('butterfly', 'bridge', 'dancer', 'cobra' etc). Should we stop doing them?
Furthermore it is unknown if they were exercises already known to ancient society and adopted into yoga.
We must take authority over something good - beneficial stretching of the various postures of the human body. Glorify God through the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
One can do a yoga pose to Jesus, playing worship music and praising God.
Again, we must take authority, and not surrender it.
Just because another religion claims something good as its own does not mean we must surrender it.
For instance, the 'namaste' greeting used in India is supposed to mean, "I worship the spirit within you". Certainly, it is not Christian as only followers of Jesus have the Holy Spirit. But does that mean this harmless greeting should now be opposed by Indian Christians?
God created every pose and physical orientation of our muscular and skeletal system. Everything was created by Jesus and through Jesus.
Colossians 1:16
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;all things have been created through him and for him.
It is like Paul said about eating food that may have been offered to idols - God created the food.
1 Corinthians 8
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God.[a]
4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
But didn't Jesus command us to not defend ourselves?
Matthew 5:39 New International Version (NIV)
39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
For many years I thought those who refer to this as a command to ignore an insult, were dishonest. Recently, I was thinking it over and realized, it is our modern American and Western society that sees a slap as violence. In earlier times and even nowadays in the developing world, a slap is a rebuke or a humiliation.
Notice also that Jesus refers to a slap, not a blow with a fist, nor a blow with a stick, knife or other weapon.
Sadly, I do not know how many Christians have been misled to not defend themselves by a misinterpretation of this verse.
But what about kneeling to your sensei or the founder's photo?
As a judo beginner, I was uneasy at kneeling and bowing to Jigoro Kano's portrait and to the sensei at the start and end of each class. I did not want to stop learning judo over this.Then I read that the Japanese bow and kneel as a mark of respect. I also told myself and my son to think to himself while in that posture, that, "Jesus, I am kneeling before you, not Jigoro Kano".
I was gratified to read that Kano was secular and hated all religions. So I did not have to worry about strains of Shintoism or Buddhism in the teachings.
But will there be a divergence or tension between Christian teachings and martial arts teachings?
We must make all areas of our lives submit to the Bible. Yet we must also wrestle with how we are interpreting the Bible - whether our opinion and conviction is correct or incorrect. We must be open to examining if we may have misinterpreted the Bible.I always try to find a Bible verse that aligns with a new teaching I learn in judo.
for instance,
when learning about relaxing the body during a fight, I remember "be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted in the heavens, I will be exalted in the earth".
when learning about judo being the gentle way absorbing or deflecting an attack and turning the tables on the attacker, I remember, "a soft answer turns away wrath" and ignoring an insult, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."
In the end these are philosophies and every philosophy must bend the knee to Jesus.
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