The irreconcilability of Far Eastern spiritual practices and the Orthodox faith
© 2012 by Amelia Bacic-Tulevski. Excerpt reprinted with permission.
Are Christians permitted to practice meditation and yoga? Does karma mean “what goes around comes around?” Is reiki a legitimate therapeutic technique with promising results? In scrupulous detail, Amelia exposes the spiritually fatal nature of these and other elements of Far Eastern spirituality.
Contemporary American life is riddled by suggestions of how to become “spiritual” without having to be Christian. One yoga studio at a time, the ancient religions of the Far East, as well as New Age interpretations of the same, are slithering their way into Western life and converting the hearts of Christians of all denominations. For some, the appeal is religious. Meditation and yoga promise to put man in touch with his so called highest nature. Seekers who yearn for a more “enlightened” state of being find the mantras, riddles, parables, and sayings of the Far East mesmerizing. They are intrigued by the idea of a perpetual cycle of reincarnation; they are even more intrigued by the idea of being liberated from its chokehold. They are dazzled by notions of supernatural powers—the idea that “masters” can summon and harness energy in order to heal diseases and transform the course of one’s life. To the atheist or Christian whose faith is weak, the enticement of these religious practices and philosophies can be tremendous.
