Oh yes I do.  I would choose pilates as a safe religion free exercise.  For many Christians in the West who don’t understand the history behind it, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. However, the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

The word “yoga” means “union,” and the goal is to unite one’s transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of “God.” This god is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos. This view is called “pantheism,” the belief that everything is God and that reality consists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga philosophy makes no distinction between man and God.

Hatha yoga is the aspect of yoga which focuses on the physical body through special postures, breathing exercises, and concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for the spiritual exercises, with fewer obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment. The practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is little more than self-worship disguised as a high level of spirituality.

The question becomes, is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it? Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy, and that philosophy has not changed. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life’s difficult questions within their own conscience instead of in the Word of God. It also leaves one open to deception from God’s enemy, who searches for victims that he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).

Whatever we do should be done for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we would be wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT).  God bless you!!! :):) 

The exact origin of the Nicolaitans is unclear. Some Bible commentators believe they were a heretical sect who followed the teachings of Nicolas—whose name means “one who conquers the people”—who was possibly one of the deacons of the early church mentioned in Acts 6:5. It is possible that Nicolas became an apostate, denying the true faith and became part of a group holding “the doctrine of Balaam,” who taught Israel “to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.” Clement of Alexandria says, “They abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, leading a life of self-indulgence.” Their teaching perverted grace and replaced liberty with license.

Other commentators believe that these Nicolaitans were not so called from any man, but from the Greek word Nicolah, meaning “let us eat,” as they often encouraged each other to eat things offered to idols. Whichever theory is true, it is certain that the deeds of the Nicolaitans were an abomination to Christ. They, like the Gnostics and other false teachers, abused the doctrine of grace and tried to introduce licentiousness in its place (2 Peter 2:15, 19; Jude 1:4). 

Jesus commends the church of Ephesus for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans as He does (Revelation 2:6). No doubt the leaders of the Ephesian church protected their flock from these destructive heresies and kept their people from committing the same evil deeds. All sin is hateful to Christ, as it should be to His followers, as we hate men’s evil deeds, not the men themselves. For the church at Pergamos, Jesus had not commendation, but censure. Unlike the Ephesians, they actually embraced the teachings of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:15). Jesus warns them that unless they repent, they are in danger of the judgment that is sure to fall on those who teach false doctrine, attack His church, and destroy His people. The sword of judgment is poised over their heads, and His patience is not limitless (Revelation 2:16; 19:15). 

The lesson for us is that the church of the Lord Jesus throughout the ages has been plagued by those of the Nicolaitan spirit. The only way to recognize false teaching is to be intimately familiar with truth through the diligent study of the Word of God.  God bless you!!!  :):):)

I answered the about Yoga and it is in New age and idol worship in my side bar.

For many Christians in the West who don’t understand the history behind it, yoga is simply a means of physical exercise and strengthening and improving flexibility of the muscles. However, the philosophy behind yoga is much more than physically improving oneself. It is an ancient practice derived from India, believed to be the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

The word “yoga” means “union,” and the goal is to unite one’s transitory (temporary) self with the infinite Brahman, the Hindu concept of “God.” This god is not a literal being, but is an impersonal spiritual substance that is one with nature and the cosmos. This view is called “pantheism,” the belief that everything is God and that reality consists only of the universe and nature. Because everything is God, the yoga philosophy makes no distinction between man and God.

Hatha yoga is the aspect of yoga which focuses on the physical body through special postures, breathing exercises, and concentration or meditation. It is a means to prepare the body for the spiritual exercises, with fewer obstacles, in order to achieve enlightenment. The practice of yoga is based on the belief that man and God are one. It is little more than self-worship disguised as a high level of spirituality.

The question becomes, is it possible for a Christian to isolate the physical aspects of yoga as simply a method of exercise, without incorporating the spirituality or philosophy behind it? Yoga originated with a blatantly anti-Christian philosophy, and that philosophy has not changed. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead of on the one true God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life’s difficult questions within their own conscience instead of in the Word of God. It also leaves one open to deception from God’s enemy, who searches for victims that he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).

Whatever we do should be done for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we would be wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT).  God  Bless you !!!!:):)  

The definition of idolatry, according to Webster, is “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.” An idol is anything that replaces the one, true God. The most prevalent form of idolatry in Bible times was the worship of images that were thought to embody the various pagan deities.

From the beginning, God’s covenant with Israel was based on exclusive worship of Him alone (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). The Israelites were not even to mention the names of false gods (Exodus 23:13) because to do so would acknowledge their existence and give credence to their power and influence over the people. Israel was forbidden to intermarry with other cultures who embraced false gods, because God knew this would lead to compromise. The book of Hosea uses the imagery of adultery to describe Israel’s continual chasing after other gods, like an unfaithful wife chases after other men. The history of Israel is a sad chronicle of idol worship, punishment, restoration and forgiveness, followed by a return to idolatry. The books of 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles reveal this destructive pattern. The Old Testament prophets endlessly prophesied dire consequences for Israel if they continued in their idolatry. Mostly, they were ignored until it was too late and God’s wrath against idol-worship was poured out on the nation. But ours is a merciful God, and He never failed to forgive and restore them when they repented and sought His forgiveness.

In reality, idols are impotent blocks of stone or wood, and their power exists only in the minds of the worshipers. The idol of the god Dagon was twice knocked to the floor by God to show the Philistines just who was God and who wasn’t (1 Samuel 5:1-5). The “contest” between God and His prophet Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is a dramatic example of the power of the true God and the impotence of false gods (1 Kings 18:19-40). The testimony of Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship. Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate (Isaiah 42:8).

Even today there are religions that bow before statues and icons, a practice forbidden by God’s Word. The significance God places upon it is reflected in the fact that the first of the Ten Commandments refers to idolatry: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:3-5).

Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images and false gods. Our modern idols are many and varied. Even for those who do not bow physically before a statue, idolatry is a matter of the heart—pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, a love for possessions and ultimately rebellion against God. Is it any wonder that God hates it?

God bless you!!!  :):)

The expression “New Age” came into existence in the 1970s and 1980s. It was encouraged by the circulation of the New Age Journal and a book by Mark Satin called New Age Politics. Marilyn Ferguson’s best-selling Aquarian Conspiracy was a presentation of the social agenda and philosophical vision of the New Age. Ferguson’s writing attained status as the unofficial scripture of the movement. As Russell Chandler, one-time religious writer for the Los Angeles Times, wrote in his small bookletUnderstanding the New Age, “If Ferguson wrote the New Age ‘Bible,’ Shirley MacLaine is its high priestess.”

Shirley MacLaine’s book Out on a Limb chronicles her reluctant conversion to New Age belief. This book includes her travels and studies, which include science fiction-like dimensions, out-of-body travel, contact with extraterrestrial beings, and “trance channeling” (séances)—a “guided tour” of the unseen world. MacLaine’s second book, Dancing in the Light, tells about her reach into the world of yoga, reincarnation, crystal power, Hindu mantras, and past-life recall experiences mediated through acupuncture. Her spirit guides informed her that each individual is God, and she passed along the “wisdom” that a person is unlimited. One only has to realize it. 

New Age thinking has its roots, then, in Eastern mysticism which bypasses the mind. There is a new organ of perception—the third eye—which gives spiritual light. One needs to get to the “psychic self” by training one’s self to ignore the messages from the mind. Really, it is throwing the mind in neutral.

The Western mind, of course, is trained differently. We are people who use our reason, hopefully. The New Age thinkers came along and said that the mind is not bypassed, but it is actually the mind that is achieving “cosmic consciousness.” They tell us that the mind can create reality. 

Neil Anderson in his timely book Walking Through the Darkness writes this about the New Age movement: “The New Age movement is not seen as a religion but a new way to think and understand reality. It’s very attractive to the natural man who has become disillusioned with organized religion and Western rationalism. He desires spiritual reality but doesn’t want to give up materialism, deal with his moral problems, or come under authority” (page 22). Then Anderson summarizes the New Age thinking (pages 22-24) as follows:

(1) It is monism, the belief that all is one and one is all. History is not the story of humanity’s fall into sin and its restoration by God’s saving grace. Rather, it is humanity’s fall into ignorance and the gradual ascent into enlightenment.

(2) All is God. If one is one, including God, then one must conclude that all is God. It is pantheism—trees, snails, books, and people are all of one divine essence. A personal God who has revealed Himself in the Bible and in Jesus Christ is completely rejected. Since God is impersonal, He doesn’t have to be served. He is an “it,” not a “He.”

(3) There is a change in consciousness. If we are God, we need to know we are God. We must become cosmically conscious, a state called “at-one-ment” (a counterfeit of atonement), self-realization, god-realization, enlightenment or “attune-ment” (being “tuned in” to the cosmic consciousness). Some who reach this enlightened status will claim to be “born again.” This is counterfeit biblical conversion. The real essential is not whether we believe or meditate, but whom we believe in and what we meditate on. Christ is true personal objective reality, as He said that He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

(4) A cosmic evolutionary optimism is taught. There is a New Age coming. There will be a new world order, a new world government. The New Age thinkers believe that there will eventually be a progressive unification of world consciousness. This, according to the Bible, is a counterfeit kingdom led by Satan himself. Christ has the true kingdom, and He will one day rule on earth with peace for all who accept Him as Savior and King (Revelation 5:13).

(5) New Agers create their own reality. They believe that they can create reality by what they believe, so by changing what they believe, they can change reality. All moral boundaries have been erased by the metaphysical influence of Taoism’s yin and yang, the ebb and flow of competing and complementary forces. There are no absolutes because there is no distinction between good and evil. Nothing has reality until one says that it is reality or says that it is truth. If finite man can create truth, we are in desperate trouble in our society. Unless there are eternal absolutes from the eternal God, man will eventually become his own destruction.

(6) New Agers make contact with the kingdom of darkness. Calling a medium a “channeler” and a demon a “spirit guide” has not changed the reality of what they are. This is the kingdom of darkness of which Satan is the head, who asked Eve, “Has God said?” Those involved in this kind of activity are in contact with a world that is totally opposed to the biblical God revealed to us in Jesus Christ who defeated Satan in His life (Matthew 4:1-11) and then through His death and bodily resurrection (Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-18).

The New Age movement is a counterfeit that appeals to the minds of individuals leading them to think that that they are God and can enhance their lives through their own person. If this is thought through, it becomes quickly apparent that this is impossible. We are born, grow up, live a while on Planet Earth and die. Humans are finite. We can never be God. We need someone greater than us yet like us who can provide us forgiveness and life eternal. Only One has filled this description, the God-man, Jesus Christ. Through His death and bodily resurrection, He has won for us what we desperately need—forgiveness before God and the guarantee of purpose and meaning in this life with life beyond the grave. Don’t miss out on who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you. Read John 3 in the Bible. Ask Christ to be your Savior. Your life will be transformed, and you will know who you are, why you are here, and where you are going.  God bless you! :):)

Absolutely. Christians shouldn’t engage in that type of mysiticism, especially something that is supposed to involved something supernaturally. Since it’s not from God, if you think it actually works in some way that is wrong. Even if you don’t think it does anything then why hang something occultic in a Christian household? It’s linked with spiritism.  god bless you!!! :):)

As with much of ancient history, the exact origin of Molech is unclear. The term is believed to have originated with the Phoenician mlk, which meant a type of sacrifice made to confirm or acquit a vow. Melekh is the Hebrew word for king. It was common for the Israelites to combine the name of pagan gods with the vowels in the Hebrew word for shame: “bosheth.” This is how the goddess of fertility and war, Astarte, became Ashtoreth. The combination of mlk, melekh, andbosheth result in Molech, which could be interpreted as “the personified ruler of shameful sacrifice.” It has also been spelled as Milcom, Milkim, Malik, and Moloch. Ashtoreth was his consort, and ritual prostitution was considered an important form of worship, as though “reminding” the two how to procreate would ensure a plentiful harvest. 

Phoenicia was a loosely gathered group of people who inhabited Canaan (modern day Lebanon, Syria, and Israel) between 1550 BC and 300 BC. In addition to sexual rituals, Molech worship included child sacrifice, or “passing children through the fire.” It is believed that giant metal statues were made of a man with a bull’s head, either with a hole in his abdomen or outstretched forearms that made a kind of ramp to a hole in his torso. A fire was lit in or around the statue. Babies were placed in the statue’s arms or in the hole. If a couple sacrificed their first born, they believed that Molech would ensure financial prosperity for the family and future children. 

Molech worship wasn’t limited to Canaan. Monoliths in North Africa bear the engraving “mlk”—often written “mlk’mr” and “mlk’dm,” which may mean “sacrifice of lamb” and “sacrifice of man.” In North Africa, Molech was renamed “Kronos.” Kronos migrated to Carthage in Greece, and his mythology grew to include becoming a Titan and the father of Zeus. Molech is affiliated with and sometimes equated to Ba’al, although “ba’al” was also used to designate any god or ruler.

The Israelites had their first exposure to Molech worship when Abraham followed God’s call to move to Canaan. Although human sacrifice was not common in Abraham’s native Ur, it was well-established in this new land. God referenced this exposure when He asked Abraham to offer Isaac (Genesis 22:2). But, unlike the native Canaanite gods, Abraham’s God abhorred human sacrifice. Just as He provided a ram to take Isaac’s place (Genesis 22:13), He provided His own Son to take ours. Over five hundred years later, Joshua led the Israelites out of the desert to take their inheritance of the Promised Land. God knew that the Israelites were immature and easily distracted from worshiping the one true God (Exodus 32). Before the Israelites had even entered Canaan, God warned them not to participate in Molech worship (Leviticus 18:21) and repeatedly told them to destroy those cultures that worshiped Molech. They didn’t. Instead, they incorporated Molech worship into their own traditions. Even Solomon, the wisest king, was swayed to build places of worship for Molech and other gods (1 Kings 11:1-8). Molech worship occurred in the “high places” (1 Kings 12:31) as well as a narrow ravine outside Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10). 

Despite occasional efforts by godly kings, worship of Molech by the Israelites wasn’t abolished until the Israelites’ captivity in Babylon. (Although the Babylonian religion was pantheistic and characterized by astrology and divination, it did not include human sacrifice.) Somehow, the dispersion of the Israelites into a large pagan civilization succeeded in finally purging them of their false gods. When they returned, they rededicated their relationship to God, and the Valley of Hinnom was turned into a crematorium for garbage and the bodies of criminals. Jesus used the imagery of an eternally burning fire, consuming countless human victims, to describe Gehenna, or hell, where those who reject God will burn for eternity (Matthew 10:28).

I think women today are getting abortions because the feel their pregnancy was a mistake.   The Jews burned their babies as a form of idol worship. The only similarity is that they both murdered their children.  God bless you! :):)