In order to be an RA he had to sign a pledge to not drink alcohol or dance. Because, "Dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire."
He went on to emphasize that Christ's teaching is more about dos than don'ts. We should be more concerned about what Christ is calling us to do and be.
Dancing has been around about as long as people have. And religious teachings have warned us about this art form all along the way. In my lifetime movies like "Footloose" and "Dirty Dancing" have addressed these issues. Do you remember that when Ed Sullivan had a young Elvis on stage he could only be televised from the waist up?
Many decades ago a friend told me this story: As a teenager she was a member of First United Methodist Church in West Palm Beach Florida. She and her friends wanted to have a graduation party in the church basement that would include dancing. The minister said "No" and when she asked why he couldn't give her an answer. He told her that was the rule. The district superintendent's office was in Miami. So my friend, who at that time was 17 years old, made an appointment, got on a bus, and traveled from West Palm Beach to Miami in order to respectfully ask the district superintendent to let them dance at their party.. This was a long, arduous, 70 mile trip.
His answer was an emphatic "NO."
I'm happy that we no longer empathize what we shouldn't do and concentrate much more on who God wants us to be. As pastor David said, "Don't is passive. Do is proactive." I can't and shouldn't try to control others."
Forty or so years after my friend's experience, in that very church I, myself, led an aerobics class for women and a couple of men. using Jane Fonda's workout tapes. She was pretty sexy looking in those leotards but I don't think anyone was corrupted due to the workouts. And we developed some life long relationships.
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