Banning a yoga class from a church hall simply reveals how out of touch the church is with modern society.

Perhaps there was once a time when yoga was seen as some kind of evil cult, trying to tempt us away from the true faith by encouraging strange body contortions and making those who take part suspiciously flexible.

But, really, haven't we moved on from such silliness, even in rural Devon? Why would a yoga class pose any threat to the Rev. Nigel Dilkes of Pilton Church, in North Devon? What grounds does he have for refusing it permission to use his church hall?

He claims every group wishing to use the church hall has to abide by rules covering the use of all church property. The hall must only be used for activities compatible with the Christian faith, he told DevonLive.

Crucially, he added: "The test of this is whether a belief or world view underpinning the activity acknowledges that there is only one God and that the New Testament person of Jesus Christ is God himself."

Yoga teacher Atsuko Kato gives a class at the Alwington Village Hall in Devon

I'm not a fan of the Church of England and find it difficult to understand why people believe in God and, especially, the kind of pedantic mumbo-jumbo trotted out by the likes of the Rev. Dilkes, who incidentally, used to be a research scientist and has a doctorate in plant biology. 

While yoga might have an element of spirituality connected to it, I really don't think anyone attending a class does so because they're looking for a religious outlet. It's basically a secular activity about keeping fit and being calm.

Anyway, I wonder if the Rev. Dilkes sets the same test for other groups using the church hall?

What about retired police officer Mick Harrison, who was due to give a talk there last September - was he quizzed whether he agreed that "Jesus Christ is God himself", whatever that means?

Atsuko has been teaching yoga in North Devon for 25 years

And what about the cheese and wine tasting evening? Goodness knows what that could be a cover for.

Frankly, the church is not in good shape and cannot afford to be so out of touch if it wants to survive and maintain its privileged position in our society.

A British Social Attitudes survey in 2018 found that only 14% of the population identified as belonging to the Church of England, down from 31% in 2002, and only one in five of those actually attended.

Worryingly for the church, the largest fall was among young people aged 18 to 24, among whom just 2% identified as members.

Atsuko says she was not allowed to host yoga classes in a church hall because it was not "compatible with Christian beliefs"

The majority in every age group said they had no religion at all. I think this is a good thing, as it means that more and more people are recognising religion and its proponents, like the Rev above, as spreading a rather strange kind of magical thinking we are all better off without.