Is Dancing Lawful?

Is dancing lawful?

  • Yes

    Votes: 69 84.1%

  • No

    Votes: 5 6.1%

  • Unsure

    Votes: 8 9.8%
  • Total voters
    82
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blhowes said:
Just curious. Those of you who are married, did you have dancing at your reception? I regret now that we didn't.
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I ponder this more and more often being that my wedding is coming up in July. I would really like dancing at our reception. I'll read to see thoughts on this (if anyone has replied to your comment)
 
I was too fundy then (and way too clumsy) to have dancing at my wedding 33 years ago. However, three of my kids had dancing at their weddings. And, last Nov 11 (one year ago TODAY), I did the traditional father-daughter dance with my middle child (first daughter). I'm sure her younger sister is expecting it as well.

Actually, I had to co-opt a very effeminate (but not gay) elderly widow into teaching me how to do a ballroom dance. For weeks before the Nov 11 wedding, he practiced with me in the basement of our retirement community, much to the amusement and hilarious laughter of dozens of my employees who passed by en route to our underground parking facility. He kept saying, "hold me closer, I'm not shy."

Although I felt pretty stupid going through the paces at the reception in front of 300 guests, my daughter (who knew EXACTLY how far outside my comfort zone this was) cried and felt very loved.
 
Yes, mixed dancing is lawful. I think it would be fun to have folk dancing at my wedding reception should I marry.
 
Years ago my wife and I took a ballroom dance class at a local community college. We had a blast! We hope to take another class in the near future since it's been about 23 years. It's fun and good exercise. It's a great night out for a married couple. :2cents:
 
Dancing....

AV1611 said:
Some at the church I attend have been trying to organise a dance on the lines of this. I have spoken out against it and I was wondering what your thoughts were?

Standard Bearer - V.60 - I.2 - Strength of Youth - The Christian and Dancing (1) By Rev. Ronald L. Cammenga
Standard Bearer - V.60 - I.6 - Strength of Youth - The Christian and Dancing (2) By Rev. Ronald L. Cammenga

"1. Concerning "dancing" (or going to Balls), I only ask Christians to judge the amusement by its tendencies and accomplishments. To say there is anything morally wrong in the mere bodily act of dancing would be absurd. David danced before the ark. Solomon said, "There is a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Just as it is natural to lambs and kittens to frisk about, so it seems natural to young people, all over the world, to jump about to a lively tune of music. If dancing were taken up for mere exercise, if dancing took place at early hours, and men only danced with men, and women with women, it would be needless and absurd to object to it. But everybody knows that this is not what is meant by modern dancing (going to Balls and dances). This is an amusement which involves very late hours, extravagant dressing, and an immense amount of frivolity, vanity, jealousy, unhealthy excitement, and vain conversation. Who would like to be found in a modern dance-hall when the Lord Jesus Christ comes the second time? Who that has taken much part in balls and dancing, as I myself once did before I knew better, can deny that they have a most dissipating effect on the mind, like using drugs and the drinking of alcoholic beverages does on the body? I cannot withhold my opinion that dancing and the going to balls is one of those worldly amusements which "war against the soul," and which it is wisest and best to give up. And as for those parents who urge their sons and daughters, against their wills and inclinations, to go to balls and dances, I can only say that they are taking on themselves a most dangerous responsibility, and risking great injury to their children's souls." - J C Ryle
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Lawful, but not necesarily graceful! At least when it's me dancing!!
 
Ecclesiastes 3.1-4:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 
I think we need to read between the lines of Ryle's quotation in the opening post. What he is actually saying is nobody invited him to the prom. Or the ball, or whatever. And he is trying to convince himself that it doesn't matter, he doesn't like dancing anyway, or girls and their silly gossiping and frivolity and vanity. Poor guy. I can just picture him sitting outside the Gym in an ill-fitting suit plucking the petals of a corsage that he had bought... "just in case..."
 
I saw this thread, started pondering this, and this is what I came up with.


Is dancing lawful? Hmm, I don't fully understand the question.

In our society today, when we think of something being lawful, it generally means that the law upholds and/or supports what it is we are speaking of. If it is not lawful, then the law forbids it. But there is another rendered implication of the term 'not lawful'. 'Not lawful' could also make allusion to the fact that a given subject is not addressed in the law at all. Now, I know that for some people this is stretching it a bit far, so please bear with me.

In the context of this thread, if the Bible:
-Stated "It is okay to dance",then the Bible upholds the act of a person dancing, thus dancing is lawful.
-Stated "You shall not dance", then the Bible forbids dancing, thus dancing is not lawful.
-Did not address dancing, then the Bible does not uphold the act of a person dancing, thus dancing is not lawful.

Or is it?

At this point I am left at a decently-sized question. Do I only use what the Bible clearly says that I ought not to do to show me what is not lawful and then I can just do most everything else OR do I only use what the Bible says I ought to do as a Christian and then most everything else I really shouldn't do? I have observed over time, I tend to lean with the latter. It is so popular among young people (a.k.a. college-aged Christians) that the former is what is true. I don't mean to say that it is wrong so much that it is abused by so many shallow-minded individuals and liberal churches.

...but I am still unsure about where dancing should fit into all this.
 
k.seymore said:
I think we need to read between the lines of Ryle's quotation in the opening post. What he is actually saying is nobody invited him to the prom. Or the ball, or whatever. And he is trying to convince himself that it doesn't matter, he doesn't like dancing anyway, or girls and their silly gossiping and frivolity and vanity. Poor guy. I can just picture him sitting outside the Gym in an ill-fitting suit plucking the petals of a corsage that he had bought... "just in case..."
Click to expand...


LOL
 
k.seymore said:
I think we need to read between the lines of Ryle's quotation in the opening post. What he is actually saying is nobody invited him to the prom. Or the ball, or whatever. And he is trying to convince himself that it doesn't matter, he doesn't like dancing anyway, or girls and their silly gossiping and frivolity and vanity. Poor guy. I can just picture him sitting outside the Gym in an ill-fitting suit plucking the petals of a corsage that he had bought... "just in case..."
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Umm, not exactly. From Ryle:
Who that has taken much part in balls and dancing, as I myself once did before I knew better, can deny that they have a most dissipating effect on the mind, like using drugs and the drinking of alcoholic beverages does on the body?
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(emphasis added)

And not to be mean, or anything, or even to agree with Ryle, but if we are to read between the lines of his statement, why not read between the lines of this post? We could say something like "this reaction is sure proof that as a child the subject had secret, embarrassing impulses towards actively participating in big-band music which were severely repressed by an overbearing parent/guardian." It might be off the mark: but can we prove that it is more off the mark than the psychoanalysis of the good bishop?
 
py3ak said:
And not to be mean, or anything, or even to agree with Ryle, but if we are to read between the lines of his statement, why not read between the lines of this post? We could say something like "this reaction is sure proof that as a child the subject had secret, embarrassing impulses towards actively participating in big-band music which were severely repressed by an overbearing parent/guardian." It might be off the mark: but can we prove that it is more off the mark than the psychoanalysis of the good bishop?
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Right. And as long as we are psychoanalyzing things, I should admit I had the converse problem: I had an open and obvious impulse to flee from big-band music despite my mother's overbearing efforts to get me to learn to dance.

Happily for me, and for the Ryle position too, I guess, my rebellion prevailed!

But lawful? David danced like a dervish. It seemed pleasing to God and everyone but Michal.
 
py3ak said:
k.seymore said:
I think we need to read between the lines of Ryle's quotation in the opening post. What he is actually saying is nobody invited him to the prom. Or the ball, or whatever. And he is trying to convince himself that it doesn't matter, he doesn't like dancing anyway, or girls and their silly gossiping and frivolity and vanity. Poor guy. I can just picture him sitting outside the Gym in an ill-fitting suit plucking the petals of a corsage that he had bought... "just in case..."
Click to expand...

Umm, not exactly. From Ryle:
Who that has taken much part in balls and dancing, as I myself once did before I knew better, can deny that they have a most dissipating effect on the mind, like using drugs and the drinking of alcoholic beverages does on the body?
Click to expand...
(emphasis added)

And not to be mean, or anything, or even to agree with Ryle, but if we are to read between the lines of his statement, why not read between the lines of this post? We could say something like "this reaction is sure proof that as a child the subject had secret, embarrassing impulses towards actively participating in big-band music which were severely repressed by an overbearing parent/guardian." It might be off the mark: but can we prove that it is more off the mark than the psychoanalysis of the good bishop?
Click to expand...

Oh boy, I can't tell if you are kidding as much as I was. ;)
 
VirginiaHuguenot said:
Ecclesiastes 3.1-4:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Click to expand...

There is a time to dance, therefore dancing (of some description) is lawful.

Readers may be interested to know that Ian Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster requires ministers to swear, upon their ordination, that they "will oppose all dancing".
 
Daniel Ritchie said:
VirginiaHuguenot said:
Ecclesiastes 3.1-4:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Click to expand...

There is a time to dance, therefore dancing (of some description) is lawful.

Readers may be interested to know that Ian Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster requires ministers to swear, upon their ordination, that they "will oppose all dancing".
Click to expand...

Daniel, on what scriptual grounds? Obviouslt not a "Thus says the Lord"... Not arguing, just do not know what those who base their assesment on dancing rests upon...
 
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