Category: Reconnect Podcast

25. A Christian Response to Yoga

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Reconnect Episode 25Did you know that yoga is integrally linked to Hinduism?

If you didn’t know this, do you think you should know more about it before practicing it if you are a Christian?

If you did know this, can yoga be stripped from its Hindu meaning and origins as it is commonly practiced in the West?

Is it appropriate to “Christianize” yoga?

Are some yoga classes recruitment grounds for Hinduism and the New Age Movement?

Have you ever been to a yoga class that has everyone say “Namaste”?  Do you know what this means?  Is this an appropriate word for Christians to use with others?

Is it permissible for Christians to practice yoga?  Is this a strong brother/weak brother situation that Paul addresses in Romans 14?

When Christians practice yoga what message are they conveying to Hindus and those of the New Age worldview?

Mary Eady of TruthXchange answers all of these questions in this episode of Reconnect!

She has written a booklet entitled, Letter to a Friend: Yoga.  It’s currently being repackaged for a new round of publishing, so I can’t share a link to it at the time of releasing this episode.  It is one letter in a series by TruthXchange intended to guide Christians in sharing the truth of Scripture in a winsome way with their friends when addressing difficult practices and beliefs that are commonly accepted in our culture and even at times the Church, yet are in conflict with what God has revealed to us in his word.

Show Links:

Judge Decides Yoga can be Taught Encinitas Schools (CBS8)

Should Yoga be Allowed in Public School (The Week)

TruthXchange Store (Hopefully Mary Eady’s letter will be available soon)

Holy Yoga (Listen to this episode and then surf this site)

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24. The State of Pluralism

Contradict Cover Image (Small)>> Listen to Episode 24 Now! <<

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Andy is in the process of turning his book, Contradict – They Can’t All Be True, into an audio edition.  This episode is a sampling of the work in progress as he reads the first chapter.  The influence of Hinduism in the West with its connections to religious pluralism is addressed, which leads perfectly into next week’s episode asking the question, “Is it OK for Christians to do yoga?”

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23. Law and Gospel on Facebook

Reconnect Episode 23
>>Listen to Reconnect Episode 23 Now!<<

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I (Andy) have recently noticed, on the Contradict Facebook page I administer and on other pages, that most posts on homosexuality speak just the Law of God ( i.e. his standards, commands, and expectations). The Gospel is typically missing.

I took a photo of a gay wedding cake and then added the text, “Jesus died for this sin too!” off to the side of the image. With this single statement the Gospel is proclaimed, and at the same time homosexuality is still shown to be sinful.

jesus died1

Jesus is the Savior of all adulterers. I am one of them. To clarify, in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”, he defines adultery as any lust. He defines murder as hating anyone. Jesus essentially shows us that we all have broken God’s Law, that we are all sinners in need of divine redemption. He provided that redemption through the shedding of his blood for our sins, through his life, death, burial, and resurrection.

“To share or not to share?”  That is the question.  In this episode George shares why he chooses to abstain from sharing religious posts on social media sites, while I share why I am in full support of such posts.  To close George shares four Facebook posts pertaining with homosexuality and wants to know if I’d share them or not.  Putting the Law and Gospel principle into action, I decide to share or not to share.

To learn more about Law and Gospel watch the videos with Law and Gospel in their titles in the following playlist I created on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS-hGmUdPsUnbaRFbrhQqhy9zj-h5mwub

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22. Mixed Martial Apologetics with J. Warner Wallace

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Christian apologists typically favor a specific approach to defending the Christian faith. These approaches, or methods, are numerous and each school of apologetics touts its top apologists as the best models to follow when training in apologetics. It’s not uncommon to see advocates for certain schools of apologetics debate why their chosen method is superior. J. Warner Wallace however argues that we don’t need to argue over which method is the best, but instead says we need to embrace and train in all of these various schools of apologetics. He calls this training in Mixed Martial Apologetics!

Reconnect Episode 22Andy asks Wallace to name and explain some of the branches of Christian apologetics and when he thinks they are best utilized. Andy closes by sharing arguments he has heard against such a mix-bag approach to apologetics, asking Wallace to make a case for Mixed Martial Apologetics.

J. Warner Wallace is the author of Cold-Case Christianity and God’s Crime Scene. Wallace’s many resources for training in Mixed Martial Apologetics are available at his site, coldcasechristianity.com.

Episode Links:

“What is Apologetics” by Andy Wrasman

“It’s Time to Train in MMA: Mixed Martial Apologetics” by J. Warner Wallace

J. Warner Wallace articles on Apologetics from his Blog

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21. Qoheleth: The Search for Meaning in Life

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Reconnect Episode 21George shares his paper, “Qoheleth: The Search for Meaning in Life”, with Andy.

Solomon’s method for searching for meaning in life is one to consider. His conclusion is one we should all the more consider.  With such an endearing topic, Solomon truly is a preacher for our day.  George and Andy make some connections to how we can take Solomon’s search for the meaning in life and use it as a tool to share the Gospel with those who are searching themselves, or to use it to spur others on to simply consider the meaning in life for the first time.

Episode Links:

George Allen III’s Presidential Academic Showcase Research Paper: “Qoheleth: The Search for the Meaning in Life”

J. Warner Wallace’s Blog Article: “When it Comes to the Meaning of Life, the Question is not “What”, but “Why”‘

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