Does something become inherently sinful because of it’s roots or heritage? A while back we had a huge discussion on Christianity and yoga. Some suggested that yoga is bad because of it’s Hindu roots. The same arguments have been used for rock and rap music, Christmas, Halloween, marathons, etc. Can something’s roots poison it beyond Christian use and enjoyment?

At what point do we cross the line of syncretism, where we are blending our historical Christian faith and other cultures or religions? And can we appreciate work done by nonChristians (like a Van Gogh painting) without endorsing Van Gogh’s lifestyle?

On a side note, I have a good Christian friend who goes to yoga at her gym once a week. She hasn’t been asked to do anything outside of her faith and she has a vibrant walk with Christ. If there were things that her instructor asked her to do that weirded her out, like transcendental mediation, then she’d just not participate in that exercise.