No Room for Dancing to Ba'al

The Chicago Tribune writes:

Dancing bans were once common throughout the rural United States, particularly in Protestant-dominated areas.

Historians date dance bans back to the Calvinists, with the first written treatise against dancing coming from Increase Mather, the Boston clergyman who was president of Harvard College from 1685 to 1701.

Strict Protestant denominations like Mennonites and the Amish have frowned upon dancing, as have the Baptists. While Scripture does not refers to dancing as an evil, opponents quote the Apostle Paul's letter to the Galatians, in which he warns that the flesh is at war with the spirit and admonishes followers to shun sexual immorality, debauchery and drunkenness.

However, BBC supplements this:

PRE - 1556 A.D.

Classical and early Christian writings report dancing as dangerous and sinful, particularly if it allowed close physical contact between men and women from the lower orders. In the medieval period, circle dances were common with partner dances later becoming more popular.

And, so it seems, what makes certain kinds of dancing immoral, often times, is because it is conducive of lewd and lascivious behavior.  This is important because it is not always apparent what counts as dancing, what counts as lewd or “dirty” dancing, or even what lewdness itself is.

2 Peter 2:7 describes those who are “lewd” or “unrestrained” or “sensual” or “depraved.”  The Greek word is ἀσέλγεια and EDNT (p. 169) defines it as:

In the NT ἀσέλγεια normally has a sensual meaning and refers esp. to sexual debauchery: In addition, the word describes behavior in which sexual debauchery is only one element among many. Ἀσέλγεια is thus a comprehensive expression for evil and perversion.

Nevertheless, what about concrete examples?  Perhaps, it might be better to give clear examples of that which is not lewd. A concrete example of modest attire can be seen in the Moody Bible Institute “Classroom Dress” standards from Moody’s “Student Life Guide 2009”:

Men

Collared, knit or ribbed shirts (not plain or printed athletic t-shirts), sweaters, hoodies and sweatshirts, track jackets, dress slacks, khakis, and jeans in good repair. [Good repair: no holes, patches, rips, tears, or excessive fraying. Overalls are not permitted.]

Women

Dresses, skirts, blouses, hoodies and sweatshirts, sweaters, shirts with two-inch or wider shoulder straps, dress slacks, khakis, and jeans in good repair. [Good repair: no holes, patches, rips, tears, or excessive fraying. Overalls are not permitted.] The hemlines of dresses and skirts are to reach the top of the kneecap, and slits may be two inches above the kneecap.

Not permitted:

§  Stretch pants, leggings, or knit gauchos.

§  Garments that are tight-fitting, shoulder-less, low-cut or fail to cover the midriff and back area at all times.

§  Plain or printed athletic t-shirts.

As with attire, so also with dancing.  There are clear examples of modesty and clear examples of lewdness as well as a spectrum of vagueness in-between.  Different societies have different standards, and yet the Bible holds an absolute timeless standard.  The desire is to be above reproach as in 1 Timothy 3:2 and overly conservative in a positive way as seen by the example of Job in Job 1:5.  Err on the cautious side, but try not to err at all.  However, the caution is to avoid the mistake of the Pharisees in Mark 3:1-6, who both incorrectly interpreted the meaning of working on the Sabbath as well as misunderstood the purpose and priority of this commandment in relation to God’s command to love our neighbor.

With this, it seems that perhaps the best concrete advice would be summed up in something that some friends and I put together for Church a number of years ago:

Clubbing/Dancing:

1.     Flee from sin. Many of the dance styles are highly sexualized. Dancing of this type is “revelry” and “out of control” as similar to Israel in Exodus 32:6,19-25.   But dancing that is done as worship to God is not sinful.  2 Sam 6:12-16.  Ask yourself, Are you dancing to bring attention to either yourself or your body?  Is this dancing stirring up sinful desires?  Or, perhaps, Why am I going clubbing?  What activities will I be doing there that Scripture would address as needing to “flee from sin”?

2.     Maximum Edification. Don't go clubbing/dancing if you know it'll stumble someone.  Consider the effect and example your actions and decisions have on others.

3.     Love Limiting Freedom. If it distresses your brother, you should, out of love for him, abstain from going to a dance club.