Virginia Lieutenant Governor Candidate says Yoga is the Devil’s Playground

Conservative pastor,  E.W. Jackson –a minister who compared gays to pedophiles and Planned Parenthood to the Klu Klux Klan is Virginia’s GOP candidate for lieutenant governor. He is also the author of  “Ten Commandments To An Extraordinary Life”.  Here is an excerpt from his book:

When one hears the word meditation, it conjures an image of Maharishi Yoga talking about finding a mantra and striving for nirvana…The purpose of such meditation is to empty oneself…[Satan] is happy to invade the empty vacuum of your soul and possess it. That is why people serve Satan without ever knowing it or deciding to, but no one can be a child of God without making a decision to surrender to him. Beware of systems of spirituality which tell you to empty yourself. You will end up filled with something you probably do not want.”

Jackson is a perfect example of why I say Religion and Politics don’t mix. Back in the day when I tended bar, we had only two rules — 1. No discussing religion 2. No discussing politics. Discussing either of these two subjects was a sure fire way to a bar brawl. I do not believe in organized religions, but I have plenty of friends who are religious who practice what they preach. They do not go around spewing nonsense or spend the day trying to get converts. I do have a HUGE problem with those running for public office (like Jackson) or who already hold public office and openly hold these kinds of beliefs and are in the position to draft laws that you and I are supposed to live by.

This type of speech does nothing to unite but instead continues to divide and attack groups of people with a different world view or lifestyle than themselves. Those who were elected to “serve the people” should be held to a higher standard of behavior than the citizens they actually work for. Freedom of Speech does include the right to talk like an ass, but we have to remember — we are a huge country with a mix of different ideologies, lifestyles, ethnicities and yes — spiritual/non-spiritual beliefs.  Those in office have influence over his/her constituents. Their speech also fuels the fire for those who are unstable and have violent tendencies — to act on them. How many gays have been killed because of “hate speech”?  We hear reports of kids who are gay or suspected of being gay being bullied at school. The kids who bully other kids who are different than them or are perceived as different, don’t think of this stuff all on their own — they learn from adults.

Don’t get me started about all the Religious Right’s rhetoric against women — whether they are working women, single mothers, “welfare-moms”, lesbians, etc.  Its all about blaming a certain group of people for the problems in America.

If they want a group to blame — how about greed? Corporate greed. The Bible talks a great deal about that. How about our governments treatment of the poor, sick, elderly and disabled?  What would Jesus think about that? And isn’t the Christian doctrine based on the teachings of Christ?  Jackson attacks the practice of Yoga, which I doubt he knows anything about… believing that meditation opens the door for Satan. If he actually took the time to learn about Yoga and its philosophy he would know that it encompasses empathy, self reflection and tolerance. This guy could use some “quiet time’ to contemplate why he thinks the way he does. I doubt he is interested in doing that…I mean contemplation….I think he is looking for a larger pulpit…the political pulpit.


About Inge

Cancer survivor. Healthy organic food coach. Public speaker. If you have a story you want told, contact me at iscott.orangejuiceblog@gmail.com/