The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-10-17

attack made by MIR. Swaffield was the
more bitter of the two.
II am sorry, he said. that the subject
OF church dancing schools should be forced
70 the attention of the Christian ministers
of the Christian church. The church
dancing class" the very title used is sif-
hcent to preclude any reference TO 1t as
a factor in Christian practice. Is a
Christian church in adopting the church
dancing school carrying out the intention
OF the founder OF Christianity in making
e 2 factor In the dissemination OF
Christianity? Z
One of our ministers thinks he has
scriptural warrant for going into the
dancing school business. | am glad he
he thought. Thoughts are not facts
where the law of the Christian church is
concerned. The Bible is the only rule
OF faith and practice. # the Bible does
the legitimate teaching of church work
we had better froWn upon it. Where
dancing was mentioned ia the Scriptures
it was only on occasions where thanks
We're being returned to God for mercies
vouchsafed. In not a single case do we
find men and women dancing promiscu-
dances. solomon says there is a time to
dance In almost the same breath he
says there is a time to kill. Solomon
was a bad old man He danced and dane
ed While his kingdom WAS passing away.
No Christian minister has any right to
take the word OF Solomon in order to
establish a church dancing school.
" In he Church of Christ none of the
Scripture passages warrant church dane
ing schools. The Christian is not at lib
erty to practice anything wrong even for
it was a disgrace for any man to dance.
A Roman philosopher said that the man
who danced was either drunk or a fool.
The Koran expressly prohibits dancing,
and the Mohammedans ~denounce dam
ing. This custom of dancing is borrowed
from a bad age and is not improved by
being smiled upon by the Christian
Church. The modern dance tends to drag
down to perdition. Its tendency is not To
purify, but to disgrace. It interferes
with the usefulness of the true child Of
God.
II was told by one of the ministers that
the church dancing school is done to en-
tice young men away from low dance
halls. Are the young men who would at
dancing schools the young men you
wonld want to fratern.ze with the
daughters Of deacons and members of the
church, We might as well say that a
church saloon is a necessity to keep the
young men from attending other
saloons. This would only be carrying
the matter to a logical conclusion. Before
! got through With the pastorate 1t may
be hat If this idea is carried out the
deacons and church members viii be ask
Ing the young people to come up and have
a sacred drink.
another excuse for the church dane
ing school is the necessity of catering 20
the mixed multitude. with all due re-
spect to the density Of the population III
the lower part Of the city we do not need
athe church dancing school TO meet the
Gemand of the down tow or uptown pop
uistion, Peter did not find 1t necessary to
establish a church dancing school TO as
sist him IN winning souls to Christ,
neither did any of the other apostles. a
church that requires to establish a dane
ing school to keep it alive is in great need
Of something. A church tina can't pay
its bills doesn't require q dancing school