February 2015 response to A Catholic priest in Northern Ireland warned that those who enjoy yoga and Indian head massages are taking risks with their "spiritual health" opening themselves up to "Satan and The Fallen Angels".

People need to think about what the priest said using these guidelines.

He is speaking Catholic doctrine but the severity of the condemnations imply hatred for the faith of yoga believers who are into the spiritual side. If he said that Protestantism means opening yourself up to forces that pretend to be from Heaven we would see this for the hate speech it is. It violates the fact that faith in religion should be strictly formulated in such a way that no harm or undue offence is caused should the faith turn out to be wrong.

A religion that hates the spirituality of others opens itself up to the same hatred. We know Protestants who believe that the Catholic mass is a masterpiece of idolatry where bread and wine are worshipped as God. They claim that there is no evidence that mass goers are any better than those who never bother with religion and they conclude that the belief that the Mass makes you good and holy is superstition. They think you are opening yourself up to Satan's tricks by taking the communion.

No loving God would let demons be that good at pretending to be good spiritual entities that you would connect with during yoga. Those who practice the spiritual side often report a great love for all humanity and a drive to do good works. Surely God is bigger than our spiritual or religious errors? The priest's objections to yoga are about fear and power not faith in God.

Yoga believers do not say we should kill people for homosexuality or adultery. The Christians say there is nothing wrong with that in principle for it was commanded by God until he became man in Christ. I would look at my own faith before I would accuse any other of colluding with darkness.

You need very strong and good evidence before you can make such accusations. Religion just makes statements it cannot support with evidence and those statements often alienate and attack and hurt and divide.