The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-02-14
Dancing.
WYOMING READER writes

/ WYOMING READER writes Tor
u information and instruction re-
garding the universally popular
and much talked-of recreation, dam
cling, as follows:
Editor Intermountain Catholic: Your
lucid and interesting article on mar
! riage and the ceremonies connected
with it emboldens me to ask if dancing
is condemned by the church? In hear
ing it discussed, have heard on differ
! ent occasions some maintain that dan
cling was prohibited because it was
dangerous to morals, leads to sin, or
was the source of grave scandal. The
discussion on this subject arose from
| the action of the governor of Nebraska
J who could not allow an inaugural
ball, which included dancing in the pro-
gramme. What is the attitude of the
| Catholic church on this matter?
Cheyenne, Feb. l, 1908.
Replying to our esteemed correspond
ent we would preface by stating that
Governor Mickey of Nebraska may be
a good politician, but not a sure guide
| in faith and morals. He would be
shocked at the action of David in dan
cling before the ark, but Mickey be-
of morals as often as a lady changes
her style of headgear.
To answer the general question pro-
pounded, we are not aware that the
Catholic church condemns dancing
when it is used as a means of enjoy
ment among families and in innocent
places Even at the ball intended for
Governor Mickey's Inauguration there
is no reason why the guests should not
enjoy the light fantastic step. Those
who maintained that dancing was
dangerous to morals and conducive to
SIM may have very tender con-
sciences, or be themselves victims of
human frailty, but their consciences
should not be used as yard measures
for Others Mere sensibility does not
constitute a sin. If one does not will
a thing, even though bad, there is no
sin. Hence st. Paul said, There is no
malice except in the will" One can
not sin against his will. There are
sins enough without adding to the list
man-made sins What may be an oc-
casion Of sin to one person is not an
occasion of sin to another, and in all
such occasions conscience is the best
guide. The answer then, would be, that
if persons find that dancing is sug-
gestive of wicked or unholy thoughts
which are not easily repressed, it is
prohibited to them, whereas if others
differently constituted enjoy it as
harmless amusement, and find in it no
occasion of sin, they are permitted to
dance
AS to the grave scandal part of it,
some persons can see scandal where
there is no scandal. This is called
pharisical scandal. 1t is so termed be-
cause it resembles that of the Pharisees
who were scandalized at the action of
the Savior who healed on the Sabbath
To see number of innocent persons,
with happy, joyous faces, sharing in
the pleasure and amusement of the
Terpsichorean art, should not scandal
ize any well-disposed looker-on, and
they who pretend to be scandalized are
like persons who stumble over straws,
but would leap over mountains.
This regards the question of dancing
in its general bearings, but there are
times and places where !
young people are. always exposed to |
sin. In all such occasions they are
forbidden, and no prudent parent will |
permit their child to be present at such |
places. The good Christian mother in |
tuitively and with keen instinct knows |
when and where to draw the line for !
the protection of her child With this |
knowledge her love and affection will
always prompt her to do the right |
thing. AS in all amusements there
should be moderation, as excessive in
diligence of anything is not conduciv-
to the development of virtue and good
morals, so in dancing there should be
and careful selection of the
company that is invited, and the place
chosen for the amusement