Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-03-16

a fitting aid to HE glorious peroration' Lot
Israel rejoice In II I'M that made him; let the
children OF Zion be joyful in their King. Let
them praise his name in the dance let them
sing praises unto him with the timbtel and
| the harp, Praise him with the sound OF
the trumpet praise him with. the psaltery
and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and
dance; praise him with the stringad instru.
ments and organs. Praise him upon the
loud cymbals, praise him upon the high
sounding cynbals. Let everything that
hath breath prais, the Lord. Praise ye the
Lord" (Pst. li9 and 1907
| Here Is n fue commentary on sombre long
faced doleiul christianity; and with Its
reading we close the Book we have not yet
found our iujunction against dancing or So
c'al tnjoyment generally.
But the student will say It Is not the dances
but tho manner OF dancing which is sinful.
Let us us look into that little. The man
Nor of dancing in Bible times was more
bOisterous than in modern times, q Sam.
6li and lG) History informs ~ that dances
were used to depict the various human pas.
sions and national peculiaritios. How about
members of the opposite sex dancing to-
gethor in Bible timcs2 Taxing the Bible by
Itself IL proves nothing conclusively, but
taken in connection with knowledge of
the Mosaic law relative TO women and thei
assoc alton with men, the strong Inference
/ Is that the sexes did not dance together rs
rule An examination OF these Mosaic avs
OF the sexes would only lead US into indie
ceuoies which the object In view will not
Justify. Lot us rather be content with
statement which no ono can dcny, that no
ono thing more clearly marks our moral and
| lao, La,
ment OF those laws. muse they were only
productive OF great harm aud very low
standard of virtue, Any student OF history
can easily verify this statement and tne dis
QUESTION Of It is too unpleasant TO permit ne
to extend IL.
Profano history informs IA that almost
from the beginning OF the world dancing has
been in vogue in nearly all countries. Every
nation had Its own national dance. The
dance of olden times was usually performed
by professional dancers, while the spCcta
tors only looked upon It rs we look upon a
play, but did not participate. Dancing WINS
an accomplish ment which the mN-ses had
not then acquired, so was reading at the
same period in history. A few only could
read, and the masses went in and listened.
No moie tenable argument can be offered
against teaching the masses to dance than
against teaching thom to read. Both &C
compliments are frequently abused.
Is there anything improper about the mo
tions of the dance? Most nssuredly not.
Poets sing about II and artists paint Il, while
all the thinking world praises IL. We are
reduced then to n consideration of only n
single feature of tho dance of to-day, and
that IL the association OF the sexes. Tint
the Mosaic law has been abandoned In most
OF its requirements needs no proof, Does
any one insist that this abandonment OF the
old sex laws IL "A sin against God and his re-
qulrements2 God in his attributes and quail
inoations is q conception, not n revelation.
The God of today ia the God of Abraham,
isaac ana Jacob, but mans conception OF
Him has changed with Increased intelligence
and culture. Bible History Ia m uked with
an unbroken line OF smoking altar, b,eed.
ing sacrifices and ceremonial worship. Mans
conception of God then was that lie was Il
God Of wrath and only appeased by much
blood and smoke, Tnero were distinctions
mlio between clean and unolean mcat., rs
well as distinctions of days exclusive of tho
sabbath sloR cloth and ashes were nece 3.
sary to pcnitenoe ana everything In worship
took ON external emblems as necessary hd
junct.
d. | !
I'm II we are aided and strengthened by the
new dspensntion. We hnd no one today
seriously advocating sack cloth and nahes a.
n necessary adjunct TO true penitcncc. Ao
cordlng 20 mans improved conception Of
God, penitence Is recognized - having It,
seat in the soul OF man. and ashes upon tho
head show no more real penitenco than mud
on the feet. Neither does garme mt of sack
cloth contain any moro true nonitenoe than
one OF broadGloth.
Along the line of these improved concep
tions OF God comes changes in tho sex rela
tions and social int 7, curse. The wells have
been removed from ths aces OF women men
and women associate In IN rriage from theiI
own choice AMI not from The ohoios of 9TH
ers. man wins his wife by his virtues
his love and atten ion to the womaA OF his
choice, rather than n foot race, some act OF
knight errlntry, gladitorial conquest or q
forcible abduction,
As result OF this improved conception
, woman's sphere has been elevated nom a
condition OF servitudo 20 one equality with
, man. This changed relation has eleyat cd
r ana improved both sexes The bonrhcrnt
effect ofwoman's influence In her close asso-
, citation with man IL known aud felt In these
, times as II never was before. When the
, young man goes out into the world and
meets trouble as a result OF either II broken
, moral or physical law, what are the memor
les which crowd upon him "a he suffer.
the paugs OF remors-? Are thay Of hi.
his father with his straight forward, sensible
advice on leaving home; or are th'y OF his
D mother with her fearful and tendcr admOni.
tlon, and her ferVent and never cen lag
. prayers for his welfare? They are OF hi,
Q mother Isit because she is his mother? Yes
but more than all because she IL womao
1 why 10 10 that in these days OF improved
conception of tho Biblical Injunction "honoi
thy mother" seems almost sppe' auOus aud
8 forms an inherent part Of every mans m.
turc, no matter how depraved2 don't act
1 how IL can be successfully denied that on,
OF the best influences which can be brought
8 to bear upon young man is that OF Bssocia
y tion with true, upright members u the op.
Q posite sex. The devices OF man provide
h means for such assoc iation, aud, within Tho
y limits OF propriety, they should DO encour
/ aged These means must be In thor natur,
i. social and directed 10 some purpose.
II party Of ladies and gentlemen meet
/. In a certain room, the ladies' on one side ant
the gentlemen on tho other and sit az stand
: in silence, Is there any good results frou
> such nssociatlon2 Each Is wrapped W his OF
j. her own thoughts, and, leaving out ans
r question OF psychological influence, no on,
o mind gathers any impression apart from IL
+ own individuality. Continue this al ploas
/ ure and You get only negative results soor
followed by listlessne4s aud lothargy. Le
/ some gentleman arise and approach n lady
Iau hat 0aA