SHOULD WE DANCE?

Garden City, Michigan church of Christ Bulletin

The modern dance is popular because it appeals to man’s sinful desires. The practice of petting has been brought into the dance hall and set to music. It is designed to express “love making” which is often fulfilled after the ball is over. Where can one so promiscuously fondle so many of the opposite sex in a single night?

The results of the modern dance are condemned in Galatians 5:19-21. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness....revellings, and such like....those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The modern dance creates evil desires that cannot be morally fulfilled outside of marriage. Lust between those not married is sinful and is condemned as adultery by Jesus in Matthew 5:28. The modern dance puts men and women into close physical contact and along with indecent and suggestive body movements, resulting in the sin of lasciviousness. Thayer in his Greek-English lexicon (pp. 79-80) defines the Greek word “ASELGIA,” which is translated lasciviousness, as “indecent body movements, unchaste handling of males and females.” Also revellings are mentioned above as a sin. Liddell & Scott in their Greek-English lexicon (p. 402) define the Greek word KOMO,” which is translated revellings as “a revel, carousal, merrymaking, with music and dancing.” These definitions accurately define the modern dance. Notice it says that those who practice such things will not go to Heaven.

Nearly every adult dance is accompanied by the drinking of alcohol. Many prostitutes readily admit they were led to their way of life by the modern dance. If we are serious about going to Heaven we will “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:1, 1). We are to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Galatians 5:24 says, “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts”—but those who dance have not. If you are a Christian, you will not dance. The modern dance belongs to the world—the Christian belongs to Christ. Romans 8:13 says, “If you live after the flesh you will die” spiritually. Nothing is worth our missing Heaven!