Food, Traditions, & Yoga: What Can (Or Can’t) a Christian Do?

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(9) About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  (10) He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  (11) He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. (12) It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. (13) Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” (14) “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” (15) The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (16) This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.’ (Acts 10:9-16); ‘(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. (9) Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (10) For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? (11) So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.’ (1 Corinthians 8:8-11)

The context of these passages is focused about food (a subject I am rather fond of).  Acts 10:9-16 is about food and also about the sharing of the Gospel to the Gentiles, something a Jew (like Peter or Paul) would have initially had a reservation about, as tradition as well as law held that Jews should not interact with Gentiles (except in business or diplomacy).  Peter, in his vision, was told by Jesus that all things were declared ‘clean’ by God, so if the Gentiles ate pork, it would not be a stumbling block to them from hearing the Gospel and accepting Christ.  1 Corinthians 8 is a chapter discussing food that was sacrificed to idols or false gods.  If a Christian liked ‘Idol-Fried Chicken’, for example, he (or she) could eat it, if they were not doing so to worship the false god.  It was also recommended that a Christian should not eat ‘Idol-Fried Chicken’ if it would cause someone to fall away or choose not accept Christ, thinking that they had to ‘worship’ the false god to enjoy the idol-sacrificed food.

While these focus on food, what about other items regarding ‘Gentile’ traditions?  We all have traditions we may hold onto from our ‘Before-Christ’ past that have no bearing on our worship of Christ.  I grew up around Pittsburgh, and things like rooting for the Steelers or the Penn State Nittany Lions and enjoying chipped ham or city chicken (a breaded and fried kebob of pork and veal) are still favorites.  As long as I do not hold a reverence for them that interfere with my worship of Jesus, these are OK to do.  Now, if someone else was, say, an Ohio State or Cleveland Browns fan, I would not necessarily bring up the Steelers beating the Browns or Penn State beating the Buckeyes if I thought it would cause them to fall away from Jesus or cause them to sin.  I would not offer someone a chipped ham sandwich if they do not eat pork and would respect their decision not to and get them something else to eat that is not pork.

There are other items that are also brought up from time to time; yoga is an exercise that originates from the Hindu faith.  Can Christians do yoga?  If it done purely as an exercise routine and does not involve any reverence toward a false god or deity it can be done by a Christian.  Getting into a contorted pose for the sake of maintaining health is not a problem (unless you are weightlifting, then contortions are not recommended).  Like eating idol food in front of another, yoga or the Chinese exercise regimen of tai-chi should not be forced upon those who either don’t want to it or who believe it is wrong from a Godly perspective (Spiritual or otherwise).  I choose not to do yoga as I would likely end up in traction in the ER, but if you choose to not to do yoga because it takes away from focusing on God, that’s OK.  If someone does yoga to maintain flexibility and mobility and it helps them in their service of Christ, that’s OK.  If you do yoga to ‘transcend’ or ‘enter nirvana’, that’s not OK and I would submit that you do not do it and get back into reading Scripture, continual prayer to the Lord, and fellowship with other Christians.

The important thing in this is to maintain respect toward others who may either not have as strong a Faith that you do or have a belief or tradition differing from you that strengthens their worship of Christ.  Like your beliefs or traditions should be (like mine being the Steelers and chipped ham) these should never be at a level of importance that meets or exceeds your Faith and worship of Christ and does not diminish or take away from serving Christ.