Western views & Yoga views on Secularism VS Fanaticism in

Question

The philosophy of 'Yoga' maintains that 'liberation' for the entangled soul is achieved by engaging in a yoga process like karma, jnana or bhakti and is not dependent on whether or not you believe in a particular teacher or guru. There are several philosophies in the world, especially originated from the West, where emphasis is on accepting an particular prophet or teacher for the soul to be 'delivered'. Using Secularism as a principle and observing the increased conflict in the modern world due to fanaticism in various theistic followers, comment and contrast the Yoga system with the Western approaches on this point on 'Secularism and fanaticism'.

Answer 1

I am familiar with several non-secular yogas so your point can't be that Yoga is inherently secular !!

See Christian Yoga by Dechanet, In discussing deliverance you take at least 3 dogmas to be true

1) That there is a state unknown to you but you believe it to exist, called deliverance

2) that you believe it is not affected by who is your teacher

3 you essentially eliminate part of your human makeup , which is Mind AND Will. There either is truth or there isn't and to assuage your non-religiousness by saying it doesn't matter what you believe or if you believe -- well that is a very strong belief

Fanaticism is of at least 2 sorts. One is the person acting on their urges and passions and throwing off the reins of conscience and reason. This is far more likely to occur in a secular setting. Even the supposed ignoring of the suffering of others because you don't believe it matters -- that is fanaticism by my lights.

But Two there is the fanaticism of wrong thinking, and the only cure there is right thinking.

reading your post my main thought is: How could anyone be concerned only with their own deliverance? and for you to be right does not in any way imply others are wrong. A 'secular' approach that was rational and charitable would accept all "men of goodwill"