The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-02-10

for the sexes TO dance separately.
We know that David danced before
the ark when it was brought TO Jeru-
, salem on one of the most solemn &C.
ca>ions in Jewish history. The word
| translated dance in this connection
suggests violent efforts of leapiug.
| David was then man advanced IN
| life and he was also King. His act,
| however, does no, seem 10 have been
| unbeconling 70 an elderly man or de
rocatory TO his dignity a. q King.
Later. the Jews initsted the act ot
| David. and the dance was incorpora-
ted among the joyous festivities al
! the close OF the feast of Taberr.cltS.
| Often the most eminent members OF
| the Sanhedrim, on these occasions.
| accompanied the music with leapinG
and dancing. later, among the Jews
dancing came into social life on nc-
casions of G eat rejoicing We see
the dangerous side of the dance when
| Salome danced for the qualification
| Of the half-drunken Herod. and was
| thus instrumental in the death OF
John the Baptist.
| THE ATTITUDE oE THE CHURCH.
What attitude shall the church As
| sumo and maintain toward the mod
ern dance? Dancing in some form
| always has been; dancing in some
/ form will ALWAYS be among men
| There are three attitudes toward the
| dance which the church may assume.
| The first is that Of indifference to-
ward the customs of modern life.
This spirit early controlled the con-
| duct OF great sections of the Christ
| ian church. 1t revealed itself IN the
various forms of asceticism which
early appeared among Christians.
| There were various degrees of the
! ascetic life. such as the anchored or
| hermit, VINO lived in solitude; and
| the cenobite. who lived in a convent
/ or community. There were thus
many forms OF the monastic system
| or condition II was a cOwardly
religious life. 1t was neither manly
| nor Christian II resulted from the
/ m5sinterpretation of certain passages
| OF scripture. and from the carrying
over into Christianity OF various
/ abon1inable forms OF 1leaIhenism. Our
/ Lord distinctly taught Us that he did
| not pray that His followers should be
taken out Of the world. but that they
| should be kept from the evil that is
| in the world. They are the light of
| the world; that light must not be
| hidded under d buShel. They are the
| salt of the earth that salt must be
! mingled with the meat which il IS iu
tended to preserve. Christ came TO
| make brave men and beautiful
women 70 live in the world and 10 en-
noble. sweeten. beautify and divinize
the world by their presence in it. He
! did not scome 10 make monks and
= = l.. j.
monasteries and nunneries. II re-
| ouires vastly less Christian character
to run away from the world than TO
remain in it and try TO save it. The
church cannot be loyal 10 her Lord
and be Indifferent TO any interest of
humanity. This sentence OF Terence,
the Roman dramatic writer: Il am
man, and / deem nothing common
to man foreign to me-" when spoken
in Roman theater. evoked thunders
OF applause. 1t well might; it was
sentence worthy of a Hebrew prophet.
The church can say: Il represent
the divine man, and | deem nothing
common TO the race for which He
died foreign to me-
Is the true relation of the church
to the dance that of indiscriminate
denunciation? So many churchmen
have Thought and acted. They have
iadiscriminately and unqualifiedly
denounced..all dances Of all persons