News: Wheaton College to allow dancing?

Did they once ban it, then? Interesting.

I just looked them up, and they have a dance club listed as a student organization. They also have quite a few concerts, from what I was able to gather, and I'm thinking it would be very difficult to say, "Hey, listen to this upbeat music, but don't you dare dance to it!" And they've had at least once square dance that I was able to find.

Their statement of responsibility, though, says that they require their students to abstain from most forms of social dancing. I'm guessing they're not talking about organized dancing like the lindy hop or square dancing, and choreographed dance certainly wouldn't count.

Where did you hear it?

personal note: I find it appalling that a school would have students sign a pledge stating that they won't dance. Absurd.

 

Dancing?

Oh God forbid!!!

Next, they'll allow women to wear bathing suits in PE that doesn't cover the knees!!

 

Is that Wheaton College in Illinois? Doesn't surprise me.

 

Anyone who watches the "dancing" that has developed in this world in the last 80 years can not deny that the bulk of it is ungodly. Any other conclusion is tantamount to sticking ones head in the sand.
The excuse "show me in the scripture" does not alleviate the obvious.

 

That's what chaperones are for: to step in when dancing becomes inappropriate. I've seen my daughter dance (she's 15) her dancing is neither ungodly, nor is it coordinated . She knows what's not appropriate.

I can understand forbidding "inappropriate" dancing, but forbidding dancing altogether is rather extreme.

 

ahhh once again hehe seriously dancing itself is wonderful expression and the bible doesn't forbid it but rather encourages it so why must we forbid?

karen

 

You wouldn't like our Christian school Kelly. We are very separated and students and parents both sign agreements...but then, no one has to attend there if they don't like the rules...


Sue

 

You're right, then, Sue, I wouldn't. I see nothing inherently sinful about dancing, even many forms of social dancing, so these kinds of rules strike me as man-made and needless.

But still, in a lower school, I could see a case made for it (although I think more effort should be placed on teaching children how to discern good movements from sinful ones), but a college? I should hope we can trust college students at a Christian school to use discernment in their dance choices.

But you're right - students can choose to attend. I myself would not.

 

Our young ladies are being taught how to be modest, (something more churches would be wise to go back to).

The young ladies don't wear bathing suits in PE. They wear knee-length culottes.

The young men wear sweatpants to play basketball in instead of shorts too!

Oh, my; how do these restricted youngsters ever grow up to become fabulous, God fearing husbands and wives???

 

I know that this post is about Wheaton College but it seems that dancing is the subject in General. May I say something here. I don't allow, never did and will never let my children attend dances. My church never will have a dance. I don't believe dancing is wrong. I love to dance but I dance with my hubby in my home. I dance with my children. It's so much different then in the days of square dancing and those types. As parents why in the world would we want a boys hands on our daughter or for our sons to have his hands on girls. If you have been to a dance you know what goes on. I don't care how many people say that they have so many chaperones now days. It's still the same. I asked some of our teens at our church and they try to make excuses but they still admit to things that go on. Maybe if it weren't for slow dances and the type of music and the clothes they wear it wouldn't be so bad. I guess what needs to be asked, would Jesus be on the dance floor dancing with some woman?

I keep forgetting to sign my name, sorry.

Jesus Never Fails,
Mary

 

journey, did you attend dances as a youngster?

I think that forbidding them to attend a dance is wrong, depending on the circumstances. For instance, if you want to hold a dance at your house, where you will be watching and you will know what's going on, then it should be okay.

Of course, it would also have to depend on the type of music being played. Some music is made for the sole purpose of having people "get their groove on," if you know what I mean.

Bottom line, their should be some trust going on there. If you can't trust your kids to dance appropriately, how can you expect them to be resposible for more meaningful and technical tasks?

 

It has nothing to do with trust Bro. James. It is a matter of keeping them out of temptation's way and abstaining from the appearance of all evil.

 

My children attend a Christian school (jr high & high school), and they have school dances. My church youth program had a Valentines Day dance, and the Men's ministry had a father daughter dance.

We must be promoting pedophilia with the Father Daghter dance

 

Well John; I doubt you would hold your daughter like a boy her age might be wont to do. Also, I'm not telling other schools what to do. I'm merely stating what our school does.

 

You mean, like during the slow songs like "Butterfly Kisses", do we have our arms around each other, or she puts her head on my shoulder? Yes, we dance like that. Why is it that I can hold my 6yo close to me and it's okay, but my 15yo or 12yo and I can't display any kind of physical closeness? I think too many people have dirty minds.

Oh yeah, I forgot, we do all the crazy moves to the YMCA as well.

 

Why are you being so sarcastic John? No one told you not to dance with your daughters, no matter how old they are.... It's up to you what you want to teach them.

 

But would a policy forbid it? And then, what is the reason a policy would forbid it? Ultimately, it is about saying that it's wrong to dance. Unless we want to be relativistic and say, "it's wrong for us, but not for you," anyway.

 

I believe it's wrong to dance with anyone other than your spouse. But, I can't tell anyone else how to live their lives.

 

For the records, the Jews of Jesus' time danced at social events often. Men danced on one side of the room and women on the other. Spouses were not allowed to dance with each other.

In the movie "Fiddler on the Roof", the wedding scene has an amusing farce on the subject.