Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-09-09
A CHURCH DANCE.
Ono Of the Churches at Oma-
ha, Neb., gives Public
Dance at Pastors
Residence.
P. 4. Hubert Arrested, Serious Charge.
The Will of John c. Russell
Makes no Provisions for
His Eight Year Old Son.

| A very recent occurrence in church
affairs in Omaha, interests the writer to
a degree that calls from him public sx-
preston on what seems to him to be a
public interest
A few evenings ago the pastor of a
certain church, assisted perhaps by others
, OF his flock, hired an orchestra, built q
; platform on the lawn of his residence, aud
there gave public dance l say public
because tickets were offered and sold to
! any and all who might chose to "heIp the
church" Some if not all the members of
| this particular shurch claim belief that
there is no harm in dancing. to this we
partially egree, but is it not en indisputs-
BILE fact, universally accepted, that there
are many things generally conceded to be
unharmful in themselves, that is highly
improper for people in certain walks in
; life to indulge in.
What different from profrane is a
professional christian dance and give
, dances. play cards, visit saloons and use
, prOtrane language!
We may have too lofty conception of
what the duty and condct OF christian
should be, no matter to what religious sect
: or denomination he may be allied; to US
it seems there is much more in christian
ity than the name on the church roll.
None honor and respect true christian
more than we, and to the same degree do
we disrespect he whom we believe by
their actions and conduct to be preachers
of one principle and actitioners of
another. We respect man to some
degree who tells us that he is cot the
world and do not try to have us believe
the contrary, because then we may be able
to correctly judge just how FIR we may
trust HIM. But christian by name only
has rare opportunity to rob us, to de-
ceive US and break up our happy home,
as did one Rev. P. A Hubert in Lincoln.
Neb., a few v eeks ago.
A few more words on the church dance.
1t looks bad enough (to most fare-mind.
ed people, in the church or out.) to see
members of any church on dance floor.
how much worse does it appear when we
can truthfully say public dance was
given by the church, for the church, on
the church grounds. We believe We
voice the sentiment of all honest thinkers
when we say the pastor of a church is the
church and his residence church grounds,
or at least should be held undefled as
church grounds proper.
The old adage "wise men can some
times be taught by fools" may apply in
this case.
The learned pastor OF the church refer
red to may be wholly conscientious in this
matter, but you 'oan not catch deer with
brass band" While we know there are
M my who are looking to get to heaven
through churches whose rules are rot
antagonstic to their likes and dislikes,
we believe he is not purifying the morals
of his flock, nor exertlng christian in.
duence over others by encouraging things
wholly foreign to christianity.
Again say, some, If not all members
OF this particular church, claim there is
no harm in dancing, no harm in attend
ing card parties, no harm In going into
saloon and taking drink; but we believe
the mistake lies in the fact that every
mans action has an influences with seme-
body, either for good or for bad, and
while the action of one may wrought no
evil results to himself, it may be the cause
of another who pattroned after him, weld
ing the first little innocent link of long
chain. the last link of which may contain
handouts OF shackles, many instances Of
this kind can be recalled, starting as i
did from inducements. in themselves ap.
pearently harmless.
1t may seem strange that such an
article should come from the pen of one
claiming no religious qualifications what
ever. Some may say it is sinful redicule,
but it is not intended as such. 1t is
simply the conscientious belief and ex-
preston of the writer.