After two churches banned yoga classes, causing comment and puzzlement in the United Kingdom, a Catholic priest and school principal in India has declared that British clergy who describe yoga as a “sham,” a “false philosophy” and “un-Christian” are uninformed about the practice.

Leaders of Britain's Hindu community are expressing disbelief and outrage at claims by two English church ministers that yoga should be banned after saying that the meditative exercise is a sham and not compatible with Christianity.