Concerned over mindfulness practices

I have been a supporter of public education for all my life, and I spent 30 years — 15 as a teacher much with special needs students and 15 years as a principal — in public education.

In the last few years, I have seen trends that we are implementing that give me concern.

Over a year ago, I received a letter from a grandmother who wrote to me stating her concerns over a program that was being implemented called mindfulness.

At that time, I didn’t know what it was. Then, a few weeks later, I had two teachers come to say how uncomfortable they had felt when the program was used.

It was at that point I began to research and to find out what mindfulness was all about.

I found out that a man by the name of John Cabot-Zinn, in 1979, who was an avid student of Buddhist meditation, had a vision of what his life work would be.

His vision was that he would introduce the ancient Eastern disciplines he’d followed for 13 years, mindfulness meditation.

However, he knew he would have to convince Americans that mindfulness is not a religious practice, but rather a scientific one. He knew Americans wouldn’t accept it if they knew the truth about it, that it is a Buddhist/New Age practice.

We are being told that mindfulness is safe, not religious, and is not the same as Eastern or Buddhist meditation. It would be said that mindfulness is a type of meditation, but there would be few mindfulness teachers who would deny that mindfulness has roots in Buddhism.

Part of my problem with mindfulness is that all awhile, we as Christians are told we can no longer pray in public schools, we can no longer post the 10 Commandments and the Bible can no longer be read. There have even been objections for athletic teams to pray before or after a game in some places.

I believe in the freedom of religion, and I will support anyone who wants to worship however they want, even if it is Buddhism, Hinduism or whatever else, even though I believe there is absolute truth, and that is through Jesus Christ.

So, if mindfulness is part of Buddhism, and it is a religion, and it is whether we want to believe it or not, then it is a doorway into another religion.

Then my objection is that if we are not allowed to come into public schools and try to teach students about Christ while sitting in a captured audience, then why should we watch as our children are introduced to another religion?

That is my concern.

Lee Cruse,

pastor of Grace Bible Church