Right thing. Wrong Reasons.

Over at Pharanguyla, PZ bemoans a church forcing the shutting down of library summer programs for what they percieved to be promotion of witchcraft and drug use.

Some programs involved making tie-died T-shirts ("Promotes the hippie culture and drug use"), or Zen garden and Yoga classes ("promoting other religions"). I would agree that these are completely harmless. Tie-died shirts no more promote drug use than having long hair. I suppose the leaders of this church would encourage sumptuary laws.

Zen and Yoga are indeed derived from other religions but are not approached from a religious standpoint. Rather they are approached from the perspective of relaxation techniques and physical therapy respectively. This is much the same as approaching the bible from the perspective of a historical document. Unless you're wanting to be converted, it should have no effect.

Meanwhile, I can't say I'm sad to see other programs go. The library was also offering classes in astrology, palmistry, numerology, and tarot card reading; All classes full of vacuous nonsense. These classes have no place being funded by public tax money, especially in what should be a place of knowledge.

But if you're going to force a library to cancel its classes, don't do it because it "promotes other religions". Do it because they're 100% grade A bullshit.