December 1, 2006, Vol.5, No.23.

What About Dancing?

Wayne Goff

The Junior-Senior Prom in almost every high school across America serves as the instrument that rudely awakens every family of Christians to this moral question when their teenager is faced with the decision of whether to go to the prom or to stay away. And I believe that this type dance is the one that provides the greatest difficulty for Christians who must face the question regarding the dance. Unprepared parents may tend to ignore the information available from the Bible as well as secular sources regarding the dangers of dancing in order to maintain the popularity and social status of their children among their peers. This kind of social pressure cannot be emphasized too strongly, for I believe that it is the real issue for most Christians. This article will provide biblical information regarding the modern dance. I hope you will study the material honestly and conscientiously.

In Exodus 15:20 we read of dancing done by Israelite women on the other side of the Red Sea as a means of expressing their joy over freedom. And in 2 Samuel 6:12-14 we read of David dancing before the Lord as the ark of the covenant was carried to Jerusalem. There seems to be a similar type of “dance” referred to in Psalm 149:3 and 150:4 which carries the concept of religious enthusiasm. However these do not fit the mold of the modern dance, inasmuch as there is no hint of mixture of the sexes, nor is it done for pleasure of the senses.

Other references to dancing are found in Exodus 32:19, 25; 1 Corinthians 10:7; Matthew 14 and Mark 6, which describe a sensual, sinful dance condemned as the “play” of the lascivious. Such dancing can easily be seen as the ancestor of the kind of dancing done by millions across our country. In the dance the sensual Salome, the daughter of Herodias, performed before Herod, Herod and those with him became so enamored by the birthday celebration that he offered her anything up to half of his kingdom! This resulted in the pitiful request to have John the Baptist’s head delivered on a charger! It is apparent from the remorse Herod displayed as he saw the results of his ill-conceived offer that John was not the only one who had lost his head.

Many men lose their moral control by the passions and lusts aroused by the modern dance. The dancing of men and women today incites lust and passion in every conceivable way. Whether it is the slow dancing of closely held bodies as they sway to the music or the wild gyrations of the body in mock imitation of the sex act, dancing encourages lustful thoughts and is a prelude to fornication itself.

In accentuation of the dance, lights are turned down low, sensual rhythmic music beats out suggestive tunes, women wear scanty, revealing clothing, and drugs and alcohol are almost always offered to eliminate any inhibitions (moral pangs of conscience) the participants might possess. The worldly people recognize the value of this “atmosphere” and shamelessly acknowledge its purpose, while some Christians naively deny it.

But Christians cannot afford to be part and parcel to the worldly influences around us. We have vowed before God and men that we are Christians dedicated to offering our bodies as “living sacrifice(s)” (Romans 12:2) to our Maker and do so by keeping our bodies and minds clean and pure (1 Corinthians 6:18). The promises received by the faithful Christian are sufficient motivations to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Biblically, the modern dance and its accompaniments are condemned in the words “revelries” and “lasciviousness” found in Galatians 5:19-21 and elsewhere in the New Testament.

Lidell & Scott (renowned Greek scholars) describe “reveling” as “a jovial festivity, with music and dancing; a carousal; merry making.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged defines “revels” as “the entertainment (as dances, games, pageants, and masques) provided at a revel” (1967 ed., p.1942, 2nd appearance, definition 2b). Bible scholars and secular authorities are agreed on the meaning of “reveling” and include dancing as part of its contents. The apostle Paul warns us then in Galatians 5 that those “who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (verse 21). Is a Junior/Senior Prom, Victory Dance, or Homecoming Celebration and its few hours of worldly honor and reveling worth the cost of an eternal soul?

“Lasciviousness” is equally condemned in the Bible and also includes dancing in its contents. Thayer (another Greek scholar) defines the word as “unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness.... wanton (acts or) manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. 79-80.)' The same Webster’s Dictionary cited above describes “lascivious” as “lewd, lustful...: tending to arouse sexual desire; libidinous, salacious” (1274). One only needs to listen to the comments and descriptions of the worldly regarding popular dancing to know that it fits the bill of sin once more. The Encyclopedia Britannica says, in fact, “The end product is doubtless the same - physical pleasure in the activity of dancing and sexual awareness of a partner, whether embraced or half-consciously observed.” (“Dance, the Art of”, 1985 edition. 16:990).

The Christian who chooses to ignore the evidence and dance regardless must again ask himself if the few moments’ pleasure is worth the eternal price! Let us not think that God will kindly overlook our worldly compromise with a nod and wink!