A Dancing Church.-

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 11, 1913

A Dancing Church.—

The Wilkesbarre Record of December 12 prints a letter by the Rev. J. Talbert Ward, rector of St. Clements Episcopal Church, written to the president of the Civic Club, endorsing the dance. “Young people,” he tells us, “naturally want to dance, and hundreds of them in our city each night will have that desire gratified.” And then he says: “We have a parish building with a fairly good-sized auditorium floor, where our young people from time to time have their social gatherings, where dancing is allowed. I wish to extend for the use of your organization, or any one rightly attacking this city problem, our parish house in whatever way it might seem wise to use it.” But where will yielding to these natural desires stop? There are other natural desires that young people have. Shall all be gratified? The question also comes, What is the gospel for? Is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to sanctify the worldly things, the unwholesome public dance, the theater, the regular pleasures of the world, or is it so to convert hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ that there will be no desire for these things, but that the strength and power of the individual shall be used in a wider, broader, more useful manner? It certainly would not be hard to find “converts” if public dances and all other things desired were allowed, but we apprehend that those who love the dance would not know anything about the dearer, more precious joys of life in the Lord Jesus.