Is dancing just harmless entertainment—or a reflection of what our hearts truly cherish? This article delves into the tension between the spirit of the times and spiritual clarity and poses uncomfortable yet timeless questions. By Ellen White

Reading time: 10 minutes

Dear Sister,

You ask whether it is a sin to attend dance events or parties. You find this leisure activity very appealing; but if it were a sin, you would want to refrain from it.

Before I answer directly, I ask you to take a brief look at the times in which we live today—and at your calling.

The Times in Which We Live

Before I answer this question directly, I ask you to reflect on the position and mission of God’s people in today’s world.

John the Revelator, looking through time, saw the third angel flying through the midst of heaven. He cried out: “Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)

The prophecies show that this heavenly messenger represents a group of people—religious teachers.

They call upon people to heed God’s law and to wait for His Son from heaven.

That is why this solemn message of the third angel is proclaimed by those who have themselves recognized it as truth—and who are inwardly convinced of it.

A World in Error

The world carries on—carefree and without God. It remains on the path of error.

From the pulpits one hears: “Don’t let this unsettle you. Jesus won’t come for thousands of years. Everything will stay the same as always.”

Others go even further. They disparage God’s law, calling it a yoke of slavery.

Sleeping “Christians”

But while “Christians” sleep, Satan is highly active. He works with great energy. And with perseverance. His work of darkness will soon come to an end. His power will be bound. That is why he has come down in great wrath, to “deceive even the elect, if possible” (Revelation 12:12, Matthew 24:24).

The Crucial Question

Is this a time when we should associate with the ungodly—in frivolity and worldly pleasures?

And to put it even more directly:
Are we more likely to win them over to the truths essential for survival if they see us at the theater or in the ballroom? [at the movie theater or at the disco?]

Unbelief and the Days of Noah

Unbelief is spreading unchecked.

“Christians” not only reject the belief in massive crises that will befall the world in the future, but they also dismiss accounts of past crises and God’s intervention.

Many declare the Flood to be a myth.
And the Book of Genesis to be a fable.

Jesus saw it differently

Our Savior did not. He speaks of Noah as a real person. Of the Flood as a real event. And of that generation as a foreshadowing of our own time.

The World Before the Flood

It is written about the time before the Flood: “The wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5)

And further: “The earth was corrupt before God and full of violence.” (Genesis 6:11)

This is a picture from the Bible, drawn by an inspired writer. And just like this—says Scripture—the world will be again before Jesus returns.

Living for the Moment

In Noah’s day, people sought their greatest joy in pleasure—in the fulfillment of their desires. This world was their everything. “Eat, drink, and be merry!” was their cry.

And today?

Today it is no different. The love of pleasure is boundless. The spirit of worldliness permeates everything. And it controls many people.

Yet they hardly consider this: Their words and deeds are heading toward a tipping point, and every sin will have its ultimate consequence.

Responsibility and Vigilance

Back then, there was a God who confronted the inhabitants of the pre-Flood world with the consequences of their actions. Today, He is still here. He takes stock and ensures that everyone reaps the harvest of their own deeds.

The Mission of Jesus’ Disciples

God’s faithful watchmen are to make this evident—clearly, distinctly, and unmistakably. Every member of the congregation has this mission. The truth must be recognizable. We are living in the last days. The LORD is near.

The words of the great apostle apply directly to us as well: “But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night or to darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us stay awake and be sober.”

The big question is:

What role do we play in these serious times?

Do we want to follow the worldly lifestyle—and pride? Do we give ourselves over to wild revelry and debauchery?

Theater, billiards, bowling, waltzing, and the like

The faithful Christian will not seek out places of entertainment nor choose any pastime for which he cannot ask for God’s blessing. He will not be found in the theater, the billiards hall, or the bowling alley.

He will not join in the merry waltzes nor enjoy any other beguiling pleasures that drive Jesus from his thoughts and feelings. To those who advocate such pleasures, we reply: We cannot engage in them in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

God’s blessing cannot be expected for an hour spent in the theater or at a dance. No Christian would want to die in such a place. No one would want to be found there when Jesus returns.

When we think of the final hour and face the reckoning of our lives, will we perhaps regret that we attended too few festive gatherings? Or will we not rather bitterly regret that we wasted so many precious hours on “self-indulgence”?

Habituation to Sin and Religious Self-Deception

It has become a habit for professing Christians to gloss over nearly every harmful vice to which they are addicted. Through constant proximity to sin, they lose their sense of its true magnitude.

Many who call themselves God’s children gloss over sins that His Word condemns. They combine church charitable causes with their godless debauchery. In this way, they don the garb of heaven to serve the devil within it.

Souls are deceived, led astray, and lose their virtue and sincerity through these fashionable excesses.

Dancing and Card Games at Home

In many religious families, dancing and card games are practiced as pastimes in the living room. It is argued that this is harmless domestic entertainment that can be safely enjoyed under parental supervision.

Yet this fosters a love for these seductive pleasures, and what is considered harmless at home is soon no longer regarded as dangerous outside the home.

It has not yet been proven that any real benefit arises from these pastimes. They confer neither physical strength nor mental peace. They do not instill virtuous or holy thoughts in the soul.

On the contrary: they destroy interest in deep reflection and religious worship.

Admittedly, there is a great difference between the better, more refined societies and the unrestrained and morally degenerate gatherings of simple dance halls. Yet all are steps on the path to distraction and moral decay.

Dancing as a School of Immorality

The pleasure of dancing, as it is practiced today, is a school of depravity and a grave curse upon society. If all those who are ruined by it each year in our major cities could speak—what stories of destroyed lives would be revealed!

How many of those who still defend this behavior today would then be filled with pain and horror!

How can parents who wish to follow Jesus decide to expose their children to such temptations or to attend such parties themselves? How can young men and young women trade their souls for this beguiling pleasure?

Man’s Inner Emptiness and Jesus’ Invitation

The vast majority of people are so absorbed by the things of this world that divine truth finds no lasting place in their hearts. And yet, all earthly goods are unable to satisfy the soul’s needs.

There remains an indescribable longing for something they do not possess—for peace and tranquility that do not come from this earth.

So it was with the visitors to the temple in ancient times: amid impressive ceremonies, dazzling splendor, music, and festivity, they remained empty inside.

How welcome, then, was the call: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37)

The same message that delighted the heart of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well: “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst; indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

Only Jesus can satisfy this inner longing of the human soul. His invitation extends right into our own time: “Come to me and drink.”

The Decision of the Heart

Thousands of people travel over land and sea to acquire possessions that will soon pass away, yet they indifferently reject the offer of eternal riches.

The Savior’s loving invitations, His earnest pleas, and faithful teachings fall on deaf ears and hard hearts.

To many who have the time and opportunity to come to know the truth, Jesus must explain: “You were unwilling to come to me so that you might have life.” (John 5:40)

A Glimpse of Jesus in Gethsemane

My sister, if you study the life of Jesus closely, as it is described in the Bible, and if He is revealed to you through the Holy Spirit as He truly is, then you yourself will realize that dancing has no place in the life of a disciple of Jesus.

If you feel the urge to participate in it, then go in your mind to Gethsemane and look at how Jesus suffered.

Do you see the Savior, in superhuman anguish, bowed down under the burden of the sins of the whole world? Hear his prayer: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Matthew 26:39)

The hour of darkness has come. Jesus has entered the shadow of His cross. Alone, He must drink the bitter cup. Of all the people on earth whom He has blessed and comforted, there is no one there to comfort Him in this terrible hour. He is delivered into the hands of a murderous mob. Weak and exhausted, he is dragged from one trial to the next. His own people are his accusers; the Romans are his executioners. And so he—who knew no stain of sin—gives up his life like a criminal on Golgotha.

The Cross and Its Effect on the Heart

This story should deeply move every soul. To save us, the Son of God became a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was wounded for our transgressions, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:3–5).

God holds each of us accountable for a soul of such value. If the awareness of this immeasurable sacrifice remains alive within us, the dance floor will lose its appeal.

Jesus as Our Role Model and the Final Decision

Jesus not only died as our sacrifice but also lived as our role model. In His human nature, He is perfect, blameless, and pure.

To be a disciple of Jesus means to become like Him. Our entire being—soul, body, and spirit—needs to be purified, refined, and sanctified until we reflect His image and follow His example.

My sister, this is our task as disciples of Jesus. We need not fear pleasures or joys that support us in this process. But we should avoid anything that distracts our attention or weakens our zeal.

And in this light, the question answers itself: On which side does dancing fall?

From: Review and Herald, February 28, 1882

Previously published in German in 2016 and 2002 in a different writing style.