Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-11-14
Should a Christian Dance2

SnOuId christian Dance!
Should Christian Dance?" was Rev.
Knuckey's topic Sunday evening. He
said: That God intended man to be joy
! ful and glad is as evident as that He in
tended the sun to shine and the birds to
sing II anyone has a right to be happy
and Joyous il Is the child of God. The
Christian religion does not make one long
faced. Man is a social being and must
have amusements. There are ones that
Christian can rightly take part in and
ones that he cannot. This text ought
ever TO be his guide. Il Cor. x, XXI. last
part.
"On this subject the attitude of the
| Christian should be defined and unwaver-
ing We shall present few facts to-
night and will ask you. as Christians, to
decide whether the dancing school or
house is the place for disciple Of Christ.
In the first place. the church has always
put its seal Of condemnation upon dane
ing. Our own church. especially, makes
1t matter Of Christian conscience. We
do not however make il a question Can |
dance, being church member?' but Can
|, being a Chrstian? II is possible TO be
church member and not Christian.
In the next place can Christian dance
when il keeps a person from salvation
and destroys an experience? We believe
that it is conceded by all Christian work
ers that penltent never came seeking
Christ and received conscious pardon Of
sins or salvation while reserving the priv
ilege Of dancing. Can one retain saliva
ton on a condition that he cannot receive
Il? Again. this amusement and the as
surance Of salvation, or witness Of the
Spirit. do not go together. This, as far
we have been able 10 observe. is the COM
mon experience. Regeneration and as
suranee are vitality related. To forfeit
the witness Of the Spirit Is TO grioye the
Holy Spirit. Can one do so and do Gods
will? We trow not
Again. Il destroys ones influence. In
fiuenee is the Christians yaster sphere.
In this sphere he either gathers with
Christ, or scatters." The world has but
little or no confidence in tho dancing
Christian" They are looked upon as
hypocrites. The penitent does not send
for such 10 point him 10 Christ. He rea-
sons that TO be lifted up one must be
above his own condition. In the next
place we bring this before your eonscien-
COS as Christians for decision. because Of
the immoral tendencies Of the dance.
"A converted dancing master said few
months after his conversion. I want now
To use my voice and influence against this
greatest evil OF this age and shall DO sat
isiiod II | can bring one-iiitioth as many
souls TO Christ as have led 20 a life Of
vice. crime and ruin through tho influence
Of dancing academies.' He further says:
1t has been my observation that two
thirds Of the dancing school girls arc
ruined Prof. LaFloris said that Of $500
fallen women Of SanFraneisco rs out Of
every hundred began their downward Ca
reor by dancing. 4 prominent Catholic
bishop said: The confessional shows that
nineteen out Of every twenty Of our fallen
women began with tho dance And so
the statistics from tho East and West
show tina; tho percentages range from
siSty-iiyo 70 seyeniy-fye. Now we do
no; say that all who dance arc impure.
There arc no doubt ones who follow this
amusement who prize virtue above life.
but should ! Christian who stands for the
uplifi Of humanity Eiyo his influence or
presence TO anything that would bo for
The possible downfall o. ones created In
the image Of his God7 Again there is the
waste Of time. and also running Of ones
health. Statistics tell US that tho man
Nho becomes an excessive dancer aver
ages but ten years o. lifo. The woman
SIX. or less. To tho Christian the body
should bo sacred. To suicide Is 70 sin. I;
is no; q question whether l. be second
Of time or few years.
'ln conclusion. 10; Us say wo do no;
picture out tho pathway Of tho inferno
for those who dance. No doubt ;horo are
soma good people who dance. We have
but desired to bring this matter before
tho bar Of your Christian eonseione0s.