Now I know I'm not quite old enough to remember, but when ol' bill started of the sally army, and do you remember when he started preaching to those people who weren't allowed in the church, and how he took songs from the 'devil' and put new words to them. Yeah, you remember how people would say that was evil.
Now, I know in my older teenage years I am becoming more liberal (for the better I feel) but in relation to recent thoughts and comments about an officer using tai chi in a meeting my feelings are this: yes, new age prectices, carried out in new age beliefs is quite probably a dangerous practice, BUT, if the practices are used in a different context, concentrating on God, and not the centre of the body or whatever IT IS PERFECTLY FINE! IT IS A CONTEMPORY, RELEVENT USE OF THINGS AROUND US! SHOULD AN OFFICER CHOOSE TO USE A FORM OF TAI CHI TO HELP HIS CORP FEEL AT PIECE DURING A MEETING IT IS HIS/HER RIGHT, AND QUITE PROBABLY RESPONSIBILITY CONSIDERING ANY BENEFIT IT IS GIVING TO THEIR CONGREGATION, TO DO SO.
Champagne Charlie is my name!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I'm guessing you're referring to the officer from the ICO doing Tai Chi at Reading Central. I'm also assuming that it was Lucy who spoke to you about it (if she didn't, I'm surprised ;) )
Whilst I think that the Officer who performed the Tai Chi would know all about it and must believe that she knew what she was doing, I also think there are some things that are simply wrong.
Comparing the use of eastern mysticism and modern songs with new words just isn't possible. This is because music itself can never be evil, only the way it is used. Tai Chi and other martial arts are, however, tools for various religions.
Take for instance this quote from pastornet.net.au/response:
"Tai Chi involves the practice of Taoism. In order to achieve physical well being, the Tai Chi student must be attuned to the universe by concentrating below the navel section of the body — which is said to be the body’s psychic center. Tai Chi cannot be reconciled with Christianity."
I have studied a little about Martial Arts, as for a while I was going to start doing it. There are only a few totally removed from eastern religion, the others are deeply steeped in it. Tai Chi is all about "gathering chi" and a Christian should not be doing that. Does this make sense?
Dave
What you say is very true, and I can see the school of thought your arguments come from.
But consider this...
For centuries the christian faith has taken pagan symbols festivals and traditions, and bent them to fit with our faith. In fact, it's funy I should be writing this just before British Christmas. A prime example. The church taking a pagan event and using knowledge they had already to fit and actually in the end overule the paganism.
I know most of the practices and symbols in this context are only continued by the catholic church and high anglican churches, but if we were to denounce this practice then would we therefore denounce our brothers and sisters. In my opinion the use of Tai chi as it was done to my belief (but you may have a better knowledge of what happened) was carrying on a tradition of the christian church, taking practices from other religions and using them to glorify God.
Ok, so that doesn't seem to partner well with what your friends at pastornet.net.au/response say, but remember, what people put on these websites; theirs, mine, yours, SAUKT; is merely opinion and personal belief. I know, the great complication of 'Faith,' but I feel that this means that there can be no closure on the subject, only opinions.
But thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts and ideas here, thus expanding my thinking etc, I'll be sure to speak to you soon :)
Hey! why don't we chat bout tai chi on the thing lol instead of msn because i never get round to chatting bout it with you ? what you say ? because you know how i feel about tai chi but i want you uses on why you think we should use it in The Salvation army to let the corps feel at piece? why don't they feel at piece with god in prayer and worship? my question is can people be really saved to be wanting to look in a diffent practise instead of god? correct me if you feel im wrong?
Post a Comment