Yoga sex scandal reveals more quack medicine

I was about to give another "ho, hum" when I read of yet another sex scandal by a purported religious/spiritual leader. Ilichi Lee, a yoga leader, is accused of seducing his female followers ... what else is new? And even when I read that he's accused of bilking followers out of money using heavy-handed tactics, it was just another story. That's pretty much what all churches do, he just took it farther than most.

But then I read this on CNN:

Dahn Yoga teaches that what it calls brain wave vibration can ease some of the debilitating symptoms of illnesses such as diabetes and arthritis.

This is nonsense, pure bad science!

Religion disguised as medicine or science is inexcusable. My faithful reader know this a hot topic for me. (I've written about this before, also see Don Imus' cancer, or Christian Science, and schizophrenia).

Yoga, at least the popular activity that's practiced in America, is a great form of meditation and exercise, and teaches good lifestyle habits. What we call "yoga" is derived from Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, and emphasizes mind-body balance, peaceful contemplation, and meditation. These are all good things.

But when any religion claims to cure a disease, they're risking people's lives. Arthritis is merely painful, but ignoring diabetes can be deadly.

If I told you that you could improve or cure your diabetes using some unproved drug or technique, I'd probably be in trouble for practicing medicine without a license. Why are religions exempt from legal scrutiny and prosecution when they do the same thing?

Ilichi Lee, you should stick to seducing women and taking obscene amounts of money from your followers, but don't try to be a doctor, OK?