WHY BISHOPS LIE?
The Catholic press, priests in their media appearances, as well as bishops in their sermons keep repeating that the system of "Yoga in daily life" is "entering schools" this autumn, which is totally incorrect; moreover, it is a lie, because it has been denied by the Government itself, and the Catholic Church had known very well that it was untrue even before starting its campaign against yoga
by Drago PILSEL
Novi List, Rijeka, Croatia, August 24, 2003
At the celebration of Velika Gospa [Mother of God] at the sacred site in Sinj, Split-Makarska archbishop Marin Barisic, making an untruthful assertion that government plans to introduce yoga into schools, said that Croatia, including the offering of yoga in schools, is becoming a colony of spiritual offerings. In Poljisani, later the same day, Barisic demonstrated that archbishops will not give up their struggle against yoga, as he stated that the Croatian bishops "will always intervene when Christ's way of spiritualizing the body and embodying the spirit is questioned". On the other hand, at the celebration in Vrpolje, Sibenik bishop Ante Ivas accused those promoting yoga of being like "sects that knock on our doors every single day". That is, he implied that yoga is a (false) eastern religion. Djakovo bishop Marin Srakic was the most fierce opponent of yoga. At the celebration of Velika Gospa in Aljmas, he said that some want to fill the dark void of human souls with yoga and other eastern offerings and that "yoga is a denial of Christian hope"!
Obviously, none of them was concerned about contradicting himself as, otherwise, at least purportedly, Croat bishops advocate pluralism. And the contradiction arises from their rejection of Hinduism as an unwanted interloper.
Possessive And Hysterical Shepherds
Namely, bishops failed to make a distinction between a harmless plan ("Yoga in daily living"), according to which a few hundred teachers would, starting with September, learn basics of yoga - and Hinduism. Thus, the bishops denounced one of great world religions as an intruder into Croatian culture and Croatian national being and created a bunch of problems in the relations of our country with India. But they do not care. Supposedly, that is a problem for the government, which, the bishops rail, foolishly "imposed yoga" on the schools! That brazen lie was repeated by a "spiritual teacher", Rijeka parish priest Milan Spehar in the section "Reactions" of this newspaper on August 12.
Spehar, otherwise infamous for his readiness to send police and the president of the republic against unsuitable religious communities, as he demonstrated a few years ago (even now, demonstrating total lack of democratic and media culture, Spehar calls on Mesic to "punish" the author of this column), is doing nothing else but demonstrating what a priest must never be: the care for the good of Catholic believers must not be sought in denying the rights of other believers, individuals or groups. The question that imposes itself at this point is: why are we witnessing such outbursts of possessiveness and hysteria by shepherds and religious workers?
Lies Used To Make Up For Lack Of Argument
One thing is certain - every person has a legitimate right, even if that is totally irrational, as the medicine has proven that yoga is healthy, to believe that yoga is harmful. However, various Spehars and Barisics do not have the right to lie and abuse their pulpit or newspapers for deliberate and conscious spreading of untruth. How many times do they need to be told (as if they do not know that already) that yoga will not be thought in schools? The Ministry of Education does not want to introduce yoga into schools and will not approve anything similar. The government has confirmed that. The instruction of yoga will take place outside schools. Therefore, Mr Spehar, outside schools and the school system in weekend workshops in rented space and on voluntary basis, and will be limited to teachers. Do we need to draw this?
Spehar, Barisic, editor of Glas Koncila Miklenic and others, are using lies to try to make up for their lack of arguments against yoga. They are trying to impose the belief that yoga is very dangerous for all of us. Do you know why? Because they are incapable of creating adequate, interesting, and modern plans of religious activities, so that their believers are dispersing, sick of quasi-religious babbling of various Spehars who care more about driving expensive cars and having a dark tan than about working for the poor and our youth.
Translated on January 28, 2004
