Rector throws Tai Chi class out of church hall

Published: 11:42AM GMT 05 March 2010

The organisation had been assembly at St Marks Church in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, for years when Reverend Jonathan Frais unexpected served them a month"s notice.

He pronounced their sessions were "inappropriate on a Christian premises."

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Instructor Richard Odell branded the preference "ridiculous", saying: "We have been here for utterly a couple of years. It"s scornful and effectively observant the church is right away not rebuilt to endure the presence."

Jean Mills, a student, said: "Our classes concentration on the health benefits of low respirating and delayed exercise. We all cruise ourselves Christians with multiform of us unchanging churchgoers.

"For roughly 4 years I have attended Tai Chi lessons and from the conflict Mr Odell done it transparent to us that he did not learn a religion."

Mr Frais said: "Tai Chi is a use from the Taoist religion. Although the decrease techniques are not training a opposite religion, it advocates practices that come from a opposite faith.

"It got to the point where it struck me as inapt on Christian premises for an countenance of an additional sacrament to be hosted."