Eighty-six-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, who for years was the Vatican’s chief exorcist, has condemned the ancient practice of yoga by deeming it “evil”. Comparing it to satanic worship, Amorth has said that yoga leads to the worship of Hinduism and “all eastern religions are based on a false belief in reincarnation”.
“Practising yoga is Satanic, it leads to evil just like reading Harry Potter,” he told a film festival in Europe recently. Needless to say, his statements haven’t gone down well with yoga institutes across Rome. There has been a huge outburst among yoga practioners there, who’ve asked the Vatican to condemn this statement. Italian yoga schools said Father Amorth’s criticism was illogical.
They have been quoted in local papers saying, “It’s an accusation that has nothing to do with reality. It’s a theory — if one can call it a theory — that is totally without foundation. Yoga is not a religion or a spiritual practise. It doesn’t have even the slightest connection with Satanism or Satanic sects.”
Shilpa Shetty, who is an ardent yoga lover and has even come out with a DVD talking about the benefits of yoga, says, “Yoga is a science and the single most holistic approach to curing oneself internally, externally and mentally. People have a right to opinions, but I say practice yoga and form your own opinion. Today’s generation is intelligent enough to know the difference between what’s good and bad. For someone like me, who has only benefited from yoga, this statement sounds absurd.”
No comments:
Post a Comment