CENSURE UPON DANCING.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18234, 19 November 1924, Page 8

CENSURE UPON DANCING.

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY DEBATE.

(PBBS9 ASSOCIATION CTT.THWWQ PALMERSTON N., November IS. On Friday morning Mr F. Jones, aa elder of Matamata, rather startled the Assembly by suggesting that dancing was taught in the Presbyterian Girls' Colleges in the guise of lessons in deportment. The Assembly to-day discussed a motion by Mr Jones: That this Assembly discourages dancing' and the raising of funds by such means for schemes in connexion with the Presbyterian Church. Mr A. D. Nicholson (Auckland), seconding the motion, said dancing was one of the chief deterrents to spiritual life. There was a Presbyterian minister who had actually led the grand march at a dance.' (Loud cries of "'Shame.'') The Rev. John Paterson (Wanganui) moved as an amendment: That this General Assembly, while recognising the liberty of all Christian men in matters not forbidden in the Word of God, enjoins upon all its ministers, office-bearers, and people to discourage all forms of amusement tending to weaken spiritual life, and especially to avoid such amusements, particularly dancing, in connexion with Church functions as a means of raising money for Church purposes; and that the matter be remitted to the Life and Work Committee, a full statement to be prepared for the guidance of the Church on the subject. The Rev. Dr. Gibb supported the amendment. It would be wiser, he said, for the question to be considered in the quieter atmosphere of the committee than to be settled in the Assembly. The whole development of dancing and of the dancing spirit in recent years was most serious, and to think that a Presbyterian Church had advertised a fancy dress ball was shameful. They must, however, not lose their balance of judgment. They all knew that there was dancing and dancing, and in his own Church there were some of the most worthy member? of the congregation whose daughters had been taught dancing, and who attended Government House functions. Again, were they going to ban some of the erames that were played at their Bible.Class socials? Some' of those game? entailed what he might call more "body handling" than some dancing. The Rev. Mr Paterson's amendment was then made the substantive motion and carried unanimously.