Megachurch Pastor John Lindell: “Yoga Is Demonic”

USA Today reports:

A pastor of an Assemblies of God megachurch recently took aim at yoga, saying it has “demonic roots” and warning Christians to avoid the popular activity.

Pastor John Lindell told the attendees of James River Church in Ozark, Missouri — which has a congregation of about 10,500 – that the positions in yoga were “created with demonic intent to open you up to demonic power because Hinduism is demonic.”

Lindell said the sun salutation, a common sequence of positions in yoga, is meant to worship Surya, the Hindu sun god. “To say the positions of yoga are no more than exercise are tantamount to saying water baptism is just aqua aerobics,” Lindell said.

RELATED: Lindell first appeared on JMG in 2015 as the leader of a public referendum to repeal an LGBT rights ordinance in Springfield, Missouri, saying, “It is possible for someone who has been a lifelong alcoholic to stop. It is possible for somebody who has a cutting tongue and a big mouth to stop. It is possible for someone who is engaged in homosexual behavior to stop.” The repeal was narrowly approved by voters and the ordinance has not been reinstated.