Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-19
PASTOR OPPOSES SOME
ANTI-DANClNG CHARGES
WESTLAkE METHoDISTs HEAR
INTERESTING SERMON
rParents Can Take Their Boys and
Girls Safely Through the Ball
room Period OF Ten Years If They
WHIP

II am decidedly opposed to indls-
criminate charges against the Dance
said Rev Mr.. Rider. pastor of the
Westlake Methodist church, last even.
Ing. "They do great harm; they have
driven we'll meaning people out of
many of the churches; they have kept
,nany out Of the churches who, but
for the fear of religious ostracism,
would have become good church MEM
hers. Much Of this severity has come
from the so-called reformed dancing
imaster who had unworthy ideas of
fwoma nhood. There are good Christian
church members who have indulged
and do indulge in certain forms Of the
kdance.'
Rev. Mr.. Rider preached the second
of a series of sermons on the general
subject of "Amusements and Dissipa-
ton" the topic being "The Dance"
He continued in part:
1.-The dance, though simply sinless IL
Il its select social form, must be subject
to tests, and among Christian people
1t must be subject to tests of the Chris
tian ideal. That test is intellectual,
moral and religious. The dance is not
intellectually elevating. There may be
features of the occasion which are thus
elevating, but surely not the dance,
( for it is physical.
intellectually Enervating
"1t may be, and very often is, intel
lectually enervating.
zone friend said, L never began a
course in literature till l quit dane
ing Another lady friend said to me
why cannot l hold my gentlemen
friends?' The reason was frankly
stated: because the gentlemen friends
whom you want, and that best friend,
are disappointed in your literary at
tainments. You can dance like a
nymph, but you so murder the Ian
guage, and are SO barren of ideas, that
acquaintance with you, while on the
start Is pleasing, is a sad disappoiNt-
ment in the long run. This is why you
cannot keep your friends.
II could tell you u story in which
a little cripple girl reformed a COM
pany of dancers. She could not dance
but she could talk. She could say a
lew things beside too killing and per-
fectly lovely.
The Moral Test
1.-THE moral test must be through
vocation. Have a great and good, at
least legitimate calling. and amuse-
ment of all kinds will be incidental.
But we need all to be patient with
young men till they come to this set
tied work of life. The dancing period
is about ten years. You parents can
take your DOyS anu SlTlS LlIOuSll llliS
period safely If you will.
"The religious test is all important to
lis who would be followers of Jesus
Christ. 1t presents the highest ideal
of life, the highest personal consecra-
ton of all our powers to our Creator
who gave them to us. Then it adds
to this the great aim of the Christian
life, namely, service-service to our fell
| low men. Phillips Brooks said the
greatest saying of Jesus was For their
sakes 1 sanctify myself Do you won
der at the Christ life. so sacriflcing,'
so self denying? It was for the sake
of others. And when his followers be-
come seized with this passion, this
laltruistic devotion, amusement Will
come in still, but only as reinforce
ment for the high calling of God In
Christ Jesus. The dance under those
circumstances will either wholly dis
appear or be the merest incident.
"You will observe such teaching as
j have given you does not admit of
black list of things not to do. My
Reaching is like my Masters, the fol-
lowing of principle and life. Come,
let us reason together.
MAKE home happy. Don't scold IL
your children occasionally disappoint
You in their amusements. Remember
You were once young, and ought to be
how, and perhaps would if you could.
Keep the gospel ideal before them
lin love always, and you will find it will
win in the long run, and the run will
mot be long"