The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-06-05
THE METHODIST CHURCH AND
DANCING
10 the Editor OcaIa Ranner.

There was news item i'm your &c
sue Of May Ii, copied from the New
York Herald, which, We fear. will nor
be understood, and if not explained
may mislead many of your readers
II was under the following headlines.
''MethOdists Are Now Ready to Allow
Dancing; Bishops Also Recommend
Striking Out Theauer-Going From tba
Book of Discipline"
The item was as follows:
when the board of bishops recon-
mended TO the general conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church last
Tuesday that the word dancing. play
ing at games of chance, attending the.
alters, horse races, circuses, dancing
parties or dancing schools, be strick-
en- from the famous paragraph 24S of
the Book of Discipline they created a
sensation that expressed itself in an
oUtbUrst of applause. The bisbons
T made it plain that they do not an
prove of these amusements. but he
heye that the number and kind of
amusements have grown so great that
the question should be left to the con-
science Of the people themselves and
that the opposition of the church 20
amusements it regards as unwbole
some may best be stated in the terms
of general principles. They recon,
mend that paragraph 24S be changed
back to its original wording, as it was
in 1872, when the certain kinds of
amusements were specified"
Now, this news note, which I here
quote at length, is liable to be mis-.
understood, and as a result do harm.
in the following particulars: In the
first place, many will think that these
bishops and the general conference
they are asking TO make this change
in their rules on worldly amusements.
represent universal Methodism, when
they are only one of many branches
of Methodists of the NJ. E. church,
(nOrth). What they do will not ap-
ply to, nor bind, the NJ. E. church
(south), the Canadina Methodists, the
Wesleyan Methodists, nor many other
branches of Methodism.
In the second place. should the NJ.
E. church (north) remove from their
general rules the particular amuse-
ments specified, that viii not mean
that they are ready to allow dancing,
card playing, theater-going and the
like, because before those words were
inserted in 1872 the church had a rule
against ''the taking of such diversions
as cannot be used in the name of the
Lord Jesus" and the diversions here
named have always been regarded as
belonging TO this class. The bishops
seeing that there are so many amuse
ments that cannot be used in the
> name of the Lord Jesus, think it un
wise 10 mention only five of them
and leave the others unnamed, as i.
they were allowed. They propose
therefore. to drop out the names Of
these few diversions, which have beer
specified in their rules since 1872, moi
because they are ready TO allow them
r but because there are so many Of like
nature. too numerous TO mention
And also because the general rule, as
it stood previous to 1872. and viii
continue. il these specified diversion:
are stricken out. places the church un
questionably against all, without men
tioning apvf of hem. The bishops
themsely.oy aid in connection wit
the resc6lhmen0s5ftn: Grave inJus
tice will be done if this recommends
ton is interpreted as an abandonment
of our early opposition to world!
amusements; indeed, il is a return U
the principles and exact words o
John Wesley"
The Methodist Episcopal ehurc
(south) has never specified these par
ticular amusements by name in ne
rules. for the very reason that IN
bishops of the NJ. E. church (north
are now proposing to take them GU
OF InelrSs ana sun OuA NAO L.
always held that indulgence in thes
things was a violation of our churc
VOWS.
Our bishops. in their capacity
chief pastors of the church, and by o
der Of the general conference u
highest and only law-makihg body
the church, have sent out In 1hel
ouadrennial address to the minister
and members Of Southern Methodist
repeated that amongst the mdulgeh
es which are contrary TO the Scrl
lures. and the vows that all our men
bers have voluntarily assumed d
the modern dance. card playing, u
ater-gOing, attendance upon Jhe l"'