The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-08
DANCING NOT A Sin.
Pastor Seudder Points Out the
Dangers of the Popular
Amusement.

nacie continued his series of addresses
on questionable Amusements" last
night. The topic he presented was:-
rs it Sinful to Dancer and these
are his views on that question:
Dancing said Pastor Scudder, lis a
form of amusement in which the women
are particularly interested. Men seldom
go into ecstasies over 1t. as do the gent
Ter sex. They delight in more vigorous
sports, but to women dancing is delecta-
Bile per Sc. The grace and poetry of mo-
ton appeal to her finer sensibilities
The psychological basis for dancing is
good spirits. An organ-grinder canno
play a minute on the street before the
children swarm about and commence
forthwith to engage in an enthusiastic
and highly original style of dance.
Dancing in some form has existed in all
ages, and 1 suppose it always will, for
in human nature, as in the Hebrew
language, dancing and joy are synony-
nous. The words to dance, in Hebrew
mean to leap for joy Miriam led off
were drowned in the Red Sea. David
danced when the ark of God was
brought to Zion. and Lyman Beeeher ex-
perieneed such ecstasy at times In reyi-
val work hat after the meeting was
over he wou go home and caper about
his room to the music of his own violin.
dancing in Judea and dancing IN Am
erica, however, were very unlike. Form
eriy the sexes danced separately. With
no Scriptural precedent, therefore. to
guide us, we must consult convenience
ing is of such a character
that you can glorify God in
it no one can justly ~criticise it: If you
confine your dancing to respectable meth
0dS If f~hFplQhOHf Won MAINTAIN YOUR
own self respect and purity of heart,
there can be no valid objection of your
gaNs the abuse only hat We should
DANGERS OF DANCING.
II know there are some fanatics who
panies, one of which walks to heaven
and the other waltzes to perdition. Such
people, however, are in a hopeless mi
nority. Most people believe in dancing
There are multitiudes of Christian peo-
pie who dance themselves and allow
their children to do the. same, put they
use and abuse. There is a danger, how
ever. lest immature people should be-
come unduly fascinated with this amuse-
Judgment. AS it is the Office of the pull
DIT 10 warn against evil in all its forms,
/ offer the following cautions
Take heed when We dance. IN other
WOEus, OOSCA ~ PAOtEA
change day into night and night into
day. The Bible says, There. is a time to
dance and that, 1 take it, Is not during
the small hours of the night. Every
party should break up at IL O'CLOCK or
before. We are human beings, not bats
and owls.
with reference to clothing. Scantiness
of feminine attire and a sudden transi-
ton from a heated atmosphere to the
outside chilly air have Man cost tfn1 ma dyAss :
entertainments are not. rightly named.
From observation 1 should say that
some of the aides were only parity
dressed and evinced a disposition to
revert to the primitive fashion that OBJ
FAMED in the Garden of Eden. Many
have paid the cost of such physiological
folly by suecumbing to pneumonia ahd
CAUTION IN DANCING.
Secondly, be careful how you dance.
The manner of dancing. is a paramount
ents and the pulpit should be explicit.
There is a proper and an improper way
of dancing. The proper way is for g
man to hold his partner at a respectful
distance. and a woman should allow no
more familiarity in dancing than when
sitting in a parlor or walking upon the
street. Undue liberties are taken !
hensible and sometimes hurtfui to NOR
saThe Chief of Police of New York
CIV once SIdtCu IIdI lHlCC-lObl LIE VI
the abandoned women in that city were
led asfrov h~oreh dnr"'~~. T~N~~ r.
danger, then, improper modes of indulg-
ing in hts amusement, anu youths pNos
Die should b on their guard.
BE careful where and with whom you
dance. Conhne your dancing as much
as possible to the home circle and choose
your partners from you own acquaint-
ances. The danger. of dancing depends
largely upon the class of people you
dance with. Public balls, where inno-
cent women intrust themselves to the
arms of men unknown before the ball
commences, are no places for our daugh-
ters. Many a well dressed man is a
libertine in heart and life. Beware of
him; you know nothing. Oftentimes such
dancing, SO the Scripture says, shall be
turned into mourning.
zone other precaution should be given.
Let not the love of any pleasure steal
away your love to God and desire to
Yield Him loyal service. Pleasures are
not sou food. They are condiments, and
we must partake of them sparingly.
You cannot live OF plums. You
need the bread of life to be spiritually
robust n healthful. The head and the
heart are located above the heels. Re
member this. Let the motto on your
tombstone be:-.She hath done what she
could. not She was a graceful dancer"