Does the Bible Address the Subject of Dancing?
The Bible nowhere explicitly says, “Thou shalt not
dance,” but neither does it explicitly say, “Thou shalt not use
crack cocaine.” However, the Bible most certainly condemns
dancing implicitly.
In Gal. 5:19, Paul listed “lasciviousness” as one of the
works of the flesh. This word literally denotes, “the
unchaste handling of males and females.” This exactly
describes the modern dance. Think about the many
marriages and homes that have been destroyed because of
the draw and attraction of dancing. How many young people
have been destroyed because of dancing? A former owner of
one of Chicago’s largest dance halls said, “We know the
natural desires of people. We know that sex is the strongest
impulse planted in the human race. You can picture the
effect on a boy or girl . . . When the hunger is keenest . . . at
one of these dances which calls for close abdominal contact
and frequently bringing the cheeks together and the enter-
twining of the limbs . . . there is but one reason for its
popularity. That reason is sex appeal.” If you don’t believe
dancing arouses sexual urges and responses, then you are
sadly mistaken. If it doesn’t, then just have the boys dance
with the boys and the girls dance with the girls and see how
long it lasts. The encouragement of these sexual urges and
responses is a matter in which God has reserved for
marriage and not on the dance floor, such as takes place at
the Junior & Senior prom. Participating in activities that
encourage these sexual urges and responses outside of
marriage is wrong. The Bible says in I Pet. 2:11, “. . . abstain
from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” Paul told
Timothy, “Flee also youthful lusts; but follow after
righteousness” (2 Tim. 2:22).
Many parents have rightly refused to allow their children
to attend the prom, where they know their precious children
will be tempted to engage in that which can hurt them.
However, many parents hear no evil and see no evil. Many
parents have the idea that their children will really miss out
on a good time if they don’t go to the prom. But, there are
some things that our young people would do well to miss out
on and going to the prom is one of them.