The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-04-20
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
The rlOdern Dance.

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voted and consecrated followers of
Jesus? Hardly up from the spirit
ualistic clubs and free love circles comes
| the corrobOrating testimony. Out from
the windows of the dance houses we
hear, cts all right" From the inner
most chambers of the house Of the
strange woman comes the same. 1t
comes from the dens of infamy, from
midnight haunts and from the darkness
of heathenism.
am nOtcomparing dancing Christians
with these classes. By no means. l
am simply showing that their testimony
must be corroborated by a class of
| persons with whom they would not
under any circumstances appear in ad-
vocating any other cause. There is one
argument that ought to settle it for
every church member and that is the
church condemns 1t. The communion
table and the dance are as opposite as
things can well be.
When you were converted was it
hard to give it up? You were willing
to give up anything for Christ. 1t
seemed inspired then. You really pre-
ferred the church to a party, con-
science condemned it then, how does it
approve it now when conscience is gov
erned by the principles of Gods word:
it will condemn every form of sin. Sup
pose you do not go to public balls, yet
in the social dance familiarities are al
lowed that would under other conditi-
ons be considered insulting. 1t is fact
that in the dance familiarities are allow
ed which are violation of the spirit of
the seventh commandment If the world
can carry the dance too far and the pri-
yate dance can in any way be the first
step thereto, are we keeping ourselves
unspotted from the world if in any wise
We c0untenance it?
How can Christians lend their in
fluence to lead others on to worldly
things. Paul's principle of eating meat
is binding on US. If his eating meat,
though he could do it without harm
should make weaker brother stumble,
he wouldn't eat any.
If our indulgence in things will cause
another to go astray or injure them we
will desist for their sakes. We must
abstain from all appearance of evil
We must not use our liberty lest the
weaker brother, for whom Christ died,
should perish.
But it does you no good; it is the
amusement of the world and as such
tends to worldly mindedness; to the loss
of spirituality and hence is unworthy
Of and inconsistent with the Christian
profession
If it has been the means of leading
one astray that settles the whole mat
ter for the christian. ia thing binders
growth IN grace the christian has no
right to trife with it.
Suppose one is under conviction of
sin, would he go to the dance for re-
lief? Not unless he wished to stihe his
convictions.
Come with me to sick room. There
lies a young lady. She had been under
conviction. She was asked to attend a
dance. Friends insisted. Well, she said
she would go if she were damned for it,
Now she is in despair, going down to
death in an agony of horror. Let US
enter another room. A pale emanci-
pated face meets US. Sorrow is de-
picted on every lineament Despair is
visible Marks of dissipation are evil
dent. The Pickering light Of a lamp
casts a weird luster about. A faint
voice comes from that bed 0, what a
history it tells. A life of dissipation,
revelry, debauchery, loss of friends,
honor and good name and soul
1t would have made a stout heart
quail to hear her bitter lamentations
and terrible denunciations on the inno-
cent amusement called the dance. In
the real whirl of the dance she learned
her first lesson, and its destinations
led her farther and farther until at last,
after a few years of sad and sorrow
full life she is brought face to face with
death and with her last breath she re-
grets her past, wishes she had never
INDUCED, urges the young to shun the
fascinating evils and leaves her dying
testimony against it as one of the most
fascinating, yet dangerous evils of the
day. Shun the very appearance of evil
and whatsoever you do, do it for the
glory of God.
Now let me give you some reasons
why Christians ought not to engage in
this so called amusement. | do so be-
cause | believe it tends to destroy
spiritual life. is antagonistic to holiness
of life; hinders growth in grace and
tends to break down the distinction be-
tween the church and the world. To
say the least it has the appearance of
evil; it grieves many good Christians
and has provoked the condemnation of
church courts. The word of God says,