Most people would say, if asked about recreational activities, that there is no difference between one creative movement and another. But that is not what the church says when it comes to eastern recreational activities such as the martial arts, yoga, transcendental meditation, and alternative therapies. The church says that these activities are underlied by eastern religions, even by the occult, and that Christians ought not practice them. It becomes complicated for the ordinary man or woman to weigh it up in their mind, as to the pros and cons, as to what the Bible actually says even with the passages right in front of them. Yet there are Christians who practice non-eastern recreational activities such as which are taught in western based exercise classes and sports centers, which by their outward appearance are similar to those that are practiced in the east.I have sought to answer the question, can a practicing Christian engage in the martial arts, yoga, transcendental meditation, and alternative therapies and similar activities, while at the same time be attending a church and participating in the Holy Communion? I explain the Bible's difficult passages that speak about sacrificing to idols, passages which also speak about the arising of the antichrist at the end times.I also explain the passages that speak of the spiritual gifts that can be seen being practiced in some churches. These include speaking in strange tongues, healing by the laying on of hands, and casting out demons.
