Protesting Yoga in Schools, But Welcoming Bible Study [View all]

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http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/culture/6843/protesting_yoga_in_schools__but_welcoming_bible_study/

February 18, 2013
Protesting Yoga in Schools, But Welcoming Bible Study
In Encinitas, parents warn of encroaching “neopaganism”
By KATHERINE STEWART


Oh mighty sun god, we worship you.

Katherine Stewart
Katherine Stewart is the author of The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children (PublicAffairs). She has written for the Guardian, Reuters, and The New York Times. Her website is www.thegoodnewsclub.com, and you can find her on twitter @kathsstewart.

When is touching your toes just touching your toes, and when is it an effort to indoctrinate small children in Hinduism?

That is the question that emerged from reporting in the New York Times, Fox News, and the Guardian on the threat of a lawsuit by a group of public school parents in Encinitas, California over a yoga class in a public elementary school.

But the most compelling aspect of the controversy has nothing to do with the religious nature of yoga, or with the fears of parents. Rather, the case raises serious questions about the separation of church and school, and about the many religiously-driven programs that are already active in public education, even in Encinitas. As it turns out, there is so much religion in public education today that the fuss over yoga is like worrying about a stain on your blouse when your trousers are covered in mud.

There are two important ways to think about the issue of yoga—or other potentially religiously-inspired content in public schools. The first test has to do with the content of the program; the second has to do with the connection of the sponsoring organization to the curriculum being presented.

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