To Dance or Not to Dance?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, February 05, 2007
- Viewed 55
- (14) comments so far
According to the Bible Belt Blogger, here are the concerns: It is estimated that large segments of Christian youth in certain parts of the country are attending high school dances and participating in proms. It is ironic that at the same time we recognize the importance of getting our youth involved in “True Love Waits” rallies, some of the same parents feel social dancing is equally good for their child’s development. The caution to be sexually pure is hollow when temptation is encouraged through involvement in dances. Just one life lost for eternity because of a freer interpretation of biblical morality is more than any individual, parent, or church should allow. God is not willing that any should perish, neither should the church be negligent in warning of those practices which may allow it to happen.
FOR DISCUSSION: So… let’s have a little discussion here… are you pro-dance or anti-dance?
According to the Bible Belt Blogger, the Assemblies of God's Commission on Doctrinal Purity and its Executive Presbytery have approved the following statement... "...The church calls all Christian adults and parents to abstain from social dancing for themselves and their children in light of God’s desire for His people to be a separate and holy people (2 Cor. 6:16-18, Titus 2:11-14, 2 Tim. 2:21-22)." Here are the concerns...
Comments
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Leonard on Tue, February 06, 2007
I am pro-dancing but I look like I am having a seizure and I never look like I am dancing to the actual song that is playing. Got no rhythm but I got heart. Hold on I gotta a go, I hear footloose getting ready to play.
brenda! on Tue, February 06, 2007
Speaking of Footloose—I attended an AOG Bible college when Footloose was in the theatres. My dorm mates and I would crank those Footloose songs and dance in the halls every day after chapel. Yes, we did get a talking to.
Camey on Tue, February 06, 2007
A little discussion? I believe His word clearly teaches that there is a time to dance.
Her heart knew the time had come. The journey had seemed like such a long one.
How can one ever explain what it feels like to live in such pain?
Or what it is like to not be able to walk?
What it is like to have to depend upon others in ways that can be humiliating and yet not?
When it seemed like no answers could be found, one day one came floating down!
There was movement and strength where there once was not.
And where there was once tremendous pain – now none!
Life was breathed back into her body again.
And she knew the time had arrived to dance with the wind…
Dancing since then has been a part of my personal worship of the Great Physician. I even danced after my dad passed away… still am.
Daniel on Tue, February 06, 2007
While I respect people who choose not to drink or dance, I have a really hard time when they try to justify it from Scripture or (worse) impose it on others.
Now obviously I should add a caveat about how some of the things that pass for ‘dancing’ in our culture are really sex standing up, but excluding those kinds of ‘dancing’, I’d say, hit the dance floor! And have a couple glasses of champagne while you’re at it. http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif
My two cents.
-Daniel-
I_am_not on Tue, February 06, 2007
Pro-dance if it glorifies God.
Bruce on Tue, February 06, 2007
I grew up in the anti-Dance movement. Well, actually it was the anti everything movement. I am not sure Todd is old enough (maybe) to remember the big squabble the Montpelier Church had over playing cards?
That’s my heritage.
As a Fundy Baptist teen in the early/mid 70’s I was subjected to a lot of embarrassment due to the positions our Church took (and our pastor enforced) No dancing period. Not even square dancing in gym. I had to sit with the boys that were branded as “queers” while the class square danced.
Dances were off limits. I learned to get around that by spending Fri or Sat night with a Friend. Even though I attended the dance…........I never danced. I was fearful….......and believe me the Church/Pastor put the fear of _________in us.
Now I am old, fat, out of shape, physically disabled…..........and I would love to dance, but can’t. I told my wife I would love to try line dancing. She laughed http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif and suggested that was a quick path to the emergency room.
Enough of the anecdotal stuff…............
Dancing is permissible. There is a fine line though. Some dancing has a seductive, sexual quality that is dangerous if done with someone who is not your spouse?
Anyone (of course not) ever watched Shakira’s video…........These Hips don’t lie…....They sure don’t. This is an example of sexual, seductive dancing
Bruce
Leonard on Tue, February 06, 2007
I grew up in a time when instead of people making disciples we used rules to make disciples. We said if you follow these rules you will stay away from the danger of hell and become mature. That is what this feels like to me. One negative side affect is that it destroys any kind of appreciation for cultural dancing. All people groups dance as a part of their culture. This forces dancing into a subculture. I think that is sad.
silentfool on Tue, February 06, 2007
Dancing is an innocent bystander in a battle between young people and the “Christian” adults who have no idea how to reach them.
I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about teenagers, but from my experience, giving them a list of things that they can’t do, doesn’t work. Instead you have to get at the root of the issue which is in each individual heart and mind. Telling kids they can’t dance isn’t going to make them stop, even if they’re a model Christian teen. They have to see for themselves the danger (if any) and make the call themselves.
Aside from all that, I still think it’s a senseless and useless debate. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think that the bible ever talks about dancing in a negative way. In some ways I believe it’s almost commanded that we show are love and appreciation to God by dancing. Somehow some Christians forget the good side and concentrate on the potential bad… Don’t get me wrong, “sex standing up” is wrong no matter how you cut it, but stoping dancing isn’t going to stop sex.
In parallel it would be more biblical for them to tell teens to stop watching TV. Sure, some of the content out there is OK, but much of it is filled with un-Godly principles which fills their minds and eventually leaks out into action. If they’re really trying to protect their young people they need to be more consistent. However, we all know that won’t happen because the people criticizing actually watch some of the trash on TV themselves and wouldn’t want to be hypocrite…or are they already?
RevJeff on Tue, February 06, 2007
David danced in his undergarments… Since most teens today wear about the same amount of clothing in public, maybe they are just trying to be more Biblical…
When did RULES from a denomination ever increase the holiness of the youth? If you want to see the effect of rules and rebellion study the Amish and their “wild year” that the teens participate in before devoting themselves to the “lifestyle.”
Why not actually engage your denomination’s members in discipleship and train families to train youth to WALK their faith? Then the issues will not be points of legalism or conformity, but of devotion to Christ.
Jan on Tue, February 06, 2007
Boy this is a blast to the past!
I rememember when the debate was “Should a girl where pants on Wednesday night?”
This is just another meat to idols issue. If it’s sin to you then abstain. But don’t judge others who do and demand they do what you do. LIke so many other don’t sin my opinion… trick or treating, card playing, dressing up for church, pokemon cards, etc.
It may sound harsh, but I believe when we engage in this kind of legalism, we just open the door for Satan to divide us and draw our focus away from our real ministry and calling.
Bruce on Tue, February 06, 2007
Well there is one dance that didn’t turn out well….......I think I remember John the Baptist lost his head after a (seductive) dance.
We must be careful not to over-correct…........I am not sure how healthy it is for testosterone charged young men to be slow dancing with a girl. Everything I read tells me that sex among teens has become a recreational activity. Some forms of dancing “may” add fuel to the fire.
There are many forms of dancing that are purely recreational…....and certainly cculd be engaged in freely.
Of course some of the wild dancing of the 60-70’s….......hopefully no one wants to bring that back http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif
Steve Smith on Tue, February 06, 2007
I’m in the same camp as Leonard; I love to dance, but I have all the subtle rhythmic acumen of a drum set falling down a flight of stairs. I make Elaine from Seinfeld look like Ginger Rodgers. Seriously. Yet, I have great joy in it. Me and King David would be seen as companions in this. I also love to dance with my wife or my daughter at weddings and other celebrative occasions, but of course my dancing is more formal and restrained. I love to watch my young adult daughter dance because she has real skill and is a pleasure to watch. On the other hand, I have to agree with Daniel about many of the current trends in dancing these days; I can’t stand to see what appears to be the equivalent of rhythmically performed sex acts while clothed in public. My daughter is friends with many girls from other cultures and ethnicities who seem to believe that dancing and being overtly sexually suggestive are completely intertwined. Now, I’m no prude, but some of the things these girls (and guys too, I’m not letting them off the hook either) do I would expect to be followed up by an expectation of money placed in an undergarment. So, while I love dancing in many forms, I also take a dim view at the license taken the by current dance culture, and the resultant complications that arise from the interactions based on purely sexual communication that are then ‘mis-interpreted’ (the guy thinks “you’ve just done the equivalent of a lap dance for me, why can’t we go get busy in private?” The girl thinks either “yeah, I got your attention, but you ain’t touching this, ha ha” or “What kind of girl do you think I am? Where did you get THAT impression? I was only dancing”) So, while I have encouraged my daughter to enjoy dancing, I have certainly discouraged her from following the examples of her friends, which means that she’ll have to use discretion and not always follow the crowd, even if she is seen as ‘uncool’. But I’m in much the same boat, as I’m a proficient guitarist/musician but I will not send mixed signals to my peers or my my fellow believers by worshipping God one day with my instrument and then going out to play songs glorifying various addictions and/or vices. There’s my 2 cents.
Steve Smith
‘Great guitarist, inarticulate but funny to watch dancer’
tpowell on Tue, February 06, 2007
I was raised in the no-dancing, no-nothing fundie church of the late 60’s and 70’s. I overcame that just as many of you have. But I sense that there is an underlying attitude of “I am a mature Christian so I can do as I want.” Paul warns against this attitude in 1 Cor. 8:1-2. He also says that if we eat meat offered to an idol- to use Jan’s illustration- when we know it stunts the spiritual growth of a less-mature brother or sister, then it is sin. I believe that so many times we as Christian examples and mentors must sacrifice an activity that we feel we have a right to do so that we will not impede the growth of the young Christians we are discipling. If I do anything that negates my witness, especially in the eyes of the lost or spiritually immature, then I have harmed the cause of Christ. Then it becomes sin. In today’s society, people are watching. We as Christians have to “deny” ourselves and “take up the cross” and follow Jesus. Just because I have a right to do something doesn’t mean I should.
Travis
Peter H on Mon, February 12, 2007
TPowell and Bruce, you’re absolutely correct. Our liberty should not impede the growth of others or ourselves. Many who claim their “liberty to dance” so freely sin personally and publically when they do so. There is no blanket statement that can be made on such an issue. Yes, david danced, but not with anyone elses wife (or future wife) Anyone would be hard pressed to find any good biblical evidence supoprting or commanding dance. In a culture (and church) as sensually minded as the current one…. I belive it’s time to re-think our interaction with such a medium because in certain applications it is clearly innappropriate. By the way… I did not grow up in a fundie church, but certainly appreciate their desire to remain holy. I’m pretty young, but very concerned. It’s time the rest of us are concerned about such issues also….
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