The Cedar County advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Iowa) 1853-1856, 1854-01-28
From the Georgia Citizen.
Is Dancing a Sin.
BY REQU EST.

There is no doubt, that many persons
commit sin the act OF dancing. II is an
act, considered by some, as not having
Gods sanction. 1t is found sometimes
written in the catalogue of vices; and
those OF easy conscience, who are obliged
to cross the line, that separates vice from
virtue, to engage in it, commit what they
believe to be, an ungodly act.
Now dancing, apprehend, is placed
in the wrong list, it belongs to virtue, in
stead of vice. II so, and were it univer-
Isally considered virtue, its immoral
Influence, il any such, is attached to ii
with its power TO retard the progress OF
religion, wou'd cease, it would shine
bright as a virtue, and blush no longer in
the garb OF vice.
There are two modes Of worship usu-
ally practiced among mankind. Onc is
an obedience to what is conceived to be
Gods written or revealed law. The
Iother Is an obedience to his fixed laws OF
nature. The two codes from the source,
must Of necessity harmonic with each
Iother; therefore an act found to be con-
genial with the laws Of nature is, virtu-
Gus, and OF divine sanction.
After asking one question, Nigh
stop. In music and dancing, where are
the laws Of nature violated, Does not
the pleasure of the act arise from our
natural organization Man is endowed
with five senses, every one of which is
susceptible of impressions, and so happi-
Ily constituted, that pleasure is the result
Of impressions adapted to their nature +;
consequently, man may indulge the
Sense OF taste in that which produces the
most agreeable sensations, the olfactory
nerves with pl pleasant odors, and the ear
With sweet sounds, and act at the same
time, in obedience to Gods laws.
In opposition TO music and dancing, it
is urged, that whatever we do, should be
done to the glory and honor of Cod
Now, who, how pious soever he may be
Ihesitates TO indulge the taste in all the
sweets the country can afford? To gorge
the stomach with rich compounds, almos,
beyond the power Of the organs to digest
! A sd ,,l> ,,l
or of God! Simple food is all the sys-
ten requires. mention this in order to
show, that we are often mistaken in re-
gard TO the nature OF the. act. We often
times, ignorantly, cherish vice that
public sentiment has clothed in the cos
tune of virtue; and prescribe virtue,
because at some unlucky hour, il has
been caught in the company of vices.
The ear is forbidden to hear music.
that is not sanctihed by sacred verse. -
". .l.o tenge-e aao,eea - ls l.. l~oe~ -
lick all the sweets OF a land flowing with
Milk and Honey, Is the tongue superior
Ito the ear. that that which is allowed with
impunity 10 one, is denied to the other 2
Are music and dancing to be prescribed,
because they form a part of the amuse-
ment of the wiched2 The same may be
said OF all the senses OF a man, They
are all indulged by the wicked. ln dam
cling, | ask again, wherein is Gods will
opposed He who created the ear, c,e-
ated the susceptibility to be moved by
the concord of sweet sounds Dancing
is the visible expression of that emotion
Of the soul, and no more sinful, | appre-
hend, than laughing, singing, OF any 9TH
er outward demonstration OF internal
emotion, produced only by some other
cause and were il erased from the ca'a-
|, logue OF vices, and placed among the vir-
tues, where il belongs. countenanced and
practiced by the good, ii might cease to
have It's unhappy influence, and all the
virtues Of plcty and morality might be
EIDlllc It's u&SbtidAIS. N1DI has GlAtIl 10
man everything conducive 10 his happiness
upon earth. He is invisible, and | ash,
how can he be honored, but by proper
appreciation Of the visible gifts be mas be-
slowed upon us! These gifts are cogni-
izable only through the medium of the
five senses, and SO happily adapted to
man, that pleasure Is tne result. Is the
manifestation or expression Of the pleas
ure experienced from these divine gifts
. vanity Is it a vice or a rntuez Is il
to the honor OF disno0or OF God Who
J in bcholdlng pleasant scene, does no
sometimes forget God, and everything
around him, save that which he is gazing
al! Has the eye III this committed .