The Dancing Brethren by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 30, 1882

The Dancing Brethren.

By Editor

MR. DONALDSON of the Presbyterian Church, at Emlenton, Penn., of whom we wrote a few weeks ago, was suspended from the communion by the Session of the church, for dancing. The Presbytery sustained this doctrine by vote of 22 to 1, and the Synod by a vote of 73 to 20, and he now goes to the General Assembly. These minorities, though small, indicate that there is a limited number in that church who believe dancing to be right and proper as an amusement for Christians. There are probably as large a proportion favorable to it in all the leading denominations as in the Presbyterian. It seems some would rather be expelled from the church of the living God, than give it up. Now we propose that all these, of every name and order, come out from among the non-dancers, and be separate. Let them form a new connectional church, called, say the Union Dancing Evangelical Church. They need not dance at their worship, but they could dance at stated times in the church parlors. There could be an annual or a quarterly Sunday-school ball, and the Superintendent could give rehearsals. Christmas, baptisms, and ordinations could be celebrated in the same way. Of course revivals would occasionally interfere with dancing, but these would be rare. The feeble health of some and the pressing business of other members would make revival workers very few. Conversions would not be nearly so certain a mode of growth as accessions from other churches. There would be no danger of doctrinal disputes separating the Union Dancing Evangelical Church from other churches as it would be liberal, and other churches might see platoons of their members seceding and going to the new organization, and could say of them: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The U. D. E. Church could have its own religious periodicals, and foreign missionary society, and without drawing away more from the old churches than its prayer-meetings would abate the numbers of the others. Here is a golden opportunity for some fiery reformer to add one to the number of denominations, and at the same time add greatly to the efficiency of all others.—Golden Censer.