Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 2
August 17, 1950
NUMBER 15, PAGE 11a

Dancing Is Dangerous

W. C. Anderson, Christopher, Illinois

Everyone will seek some form of recreation. More wholesome recreation can be found than dancing. There may not be any harm in dancing for exercise, but who dances for exercise? If men were allowed to dance only with men and women only with women, not much dancing would be done. The apostle Paul listed a number of things that he called "the works of the flesh." He said that those who commit these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. One of the sins he listed is revelry. The definition of revelry fits dancing. If you don't want to go to hell, stop your dancing.

Young people should refrain from this dangerous form of entertainment. It is said in the Bible that those who love dancing do not care for a knowledge of God's ways. "They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe. They spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment go down to Sheol. And they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." (Job. 21:11-14).

Many married dancers become infatuated with someone other than his own husband or wife. This results in a broken home. The children are perplexed and know not which way to turn. Many of these children later become our criminals. Many in the penal institutions are there because their home life was broken asunder by dancing parents.

A man or woman may begin his dancing with the purest kind of motives, but during the close contact he has with his dancing partner fleshly passion is aroused. There is no use for a person to think that he can play with fire without being burned. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life." (Gal. 6:7, 8) No intelligent person would say that arousing fleshly passion by close contact during the modern dance is sowing to the Spirit. If you should draw a line down the center of a sheet of paper and put the works of the flesh on the left and the fruits of the Spirit on the right, where would you list dancing? Every lover of truth would place dancing on the left with drinking liquor, gambling, adultery and murder.

Some dance to entertain others. There are better ways of entertaining than by moving the body about and kicking the feet around like the natives of the jungles.