Naga Church Council Restrains Students From Practicing Yoga

The council believes that this move will protect their “religious sentiments” from the “spiritual practice.”

Image used for representation. 

(Photo: The Quint)

The Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC), a constituent of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, has directed its associate churches in Nagaland to refrain from practicing yoga owing to it being deeply “spiritual discipline rooted in Hinduism,” News18 reported.

The call to enforce the move was made at the 67th general council of the CBCC hosted by the Baptist Theological College recently. A total of 514 delegates of the CBCC churches were present at the meet.

The council called to bar Naga students from continuing with this practice so as to protect the religious sentiments of Christians, since the practice is “not compatible with Christianity.”

The move, they believe, will uphold their freedom of religion envisaged in the Constitution. At the meet, the CBCC decided to crusade against oppressive forces and ideologies that endangered Christian faith and practices, the North East Today reported.

Reportedly, this move comes ahead of the Assembly polls in Nagaland scheduled to take place on 27 February, the report added.

In August 2017, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council had issued a similar directive asking its constituent churches in the state to stop practicing Yoga. The press release stated that “yoga is a spiritual and physical discipline deeply rooted in the religious beliefs and practices of Hinduism, and hence it is not compatible with Christianity,” the North East Today reported.

(With inputs from News18, North East Today )

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