Why Christians can’t dance

[zeemike]

I tried this with the skeptics and they did not get it, and could not get past the spelling errors, so lets see about you Christians out there.

Christians can’t dance because they see that it is sexual…with men and women and sometimes women and women and men and men ….putting there organs close together. And to them that seems something you only do if married and in bed at night with the lights off…and for some only if you want a baby.
Dancing seems sinful and so they don’t dance.

And low and behold when they read the bible they have the same problem that the skeptics do but in an altogether different way. They read it as if it were the voice of god telling them to do things, and not to do things, and threatening them with hell if they do. And so they miss the real jewels of the story and wind up with a handful of dirty notions.

Little do they know that there is great truth in there book but they will never see it for fear of dancing.

[Duke Newcombe]

1. Decided to rent "Footloose" this weekend?

"Christians can't dance" is a bit of a generalization, isn't it?

Duke

[zeemike]

7. it sure is ...but it is better than watching Americas most wanted. n/t

[texastoast]

2. Not all Christians prohibit dancing

But Baptists do. Hell, you couldn't dance at Baylor until 1995.

[Ian David]

4. I was on a cruise ship with a Baptist youth group who weren't allowed to dance.

Apparently, their chaperones had told them that the rules were suspended for the duration of the cruise.

Or had given-up out of frustration.

Let me tell you...

They were the BEST dancers on the ship!

And the girls were fleshy and cuddly.

[zeemike]

5. A video idea...Christian girls gone wild n/t

[zeemike]

8. I think most of them do it under the covers...n/t

[knitter4democracy]

31. Same pre-marital sex rates between evangelical teens and all other teens.

I remember our college chaplain did a survey on it, and he talked about it with a few of us on a trip once. Exact same rates. All that preaching had zero impact on behavior.

[zeemike]

36. No amount of reasoning can stop the raging hormones

And in moments of passion the brain switches off anyway so what good is reason.
And God made us that way or we would never have children.

[knitter4democracy]

38. I agree, actually.

One thing Hubby and I totally agree on is that all that insanity messed up the first year of our marriage. I can tell you we won't be doing that kind of crap to our kids.

[zeemike]

42. Good for you Knitter

If you give them all the love and attention they need they will never let you down.
Cold and harsh treatment will drive them away and warmth and love will bond them to you for life.

[knitter4democracy]

43. That's the plan.

:)

I never want the fighting the guilt we did over something good and beautiful.

[Ian David]

3. Jump back!

[Mojambo]

6. What is the great truth? n/t

[zeemike]

10. You said the hidden question,,,you get 50 dollars.

there are many, where would you like to Begin?

[Mojambo]

11. I'll pass, chief

The great truth is that I find the search for the "Great truth" incredibly boring.

[zeemike]

14. It sure is...a good car chase movie would be so much better. n/t

[Mojambo]

16. I was thinking more of an alien invasion flick.

I love watching movies where mankind gets wiped off the face of the planet.

[zeemike]

17. That would do it. and it could happen too n/t

[Mojambo]

22. One can only hope. n/t

[zeemike]

23. Now don't be so down on us earthlings

Ganges Conn could have been the Christ.
Besides we are just children in the scheme of things and sometimes children are cruel to each other.

[Igel]

50. Eh, "great truths".

I've seen people derive "great truths" from various documents. New Testament, Maxwell's equations, whatever.

Often they do this while denying any "little truths". They're false, based on the same standard that the "great truths" are judged true.

Are are simply things that the people hold true independent of any document, and the "truths" from the documents are those people's inner truths externalized.

If I have to play games to get to a "great truth" it's probably not there, and I don't see a reason to appeal to the document in my claim. If I don't like what a document says, I simply ignore it. It makes life much easier, and, oddly, by simply not caring whether or not a document validates my beliefs (or vice-versa), many of them become strangely coherent in ways that traditional interpretations don't allow. By that I don't mean by ignoring much of it I impose a sense on it, just that the details are no longer at odds the with overarching narrative, and many internal contradictions and rough spots simply vanish.

[zeemike]

52. I don't see anything wrong with that strategy

It is far Superior to just dismissing anything that disagrees with you as foolish nonsense just because you don't understand it or it conflicts with a dogma you hold dear.

[On the Road]

9. Threre Was That Baptist Preacher Awhile Back

who claimed that rock music was evil because it was syncopated and therefore sexual.

His solution? John Phillips Sousa.

[zeemike]

12. Well you can't dance to JP Sousa ...unless you are a tuba, n/t

[knitter4democracy]

32. Many preachers say that.

The craziest guy I ever heard, though, said that French kissing was oral sex. He was practically laughed right out of chapel, and he never came back. :D

[zeemike]

46. Do you reckon he thought that you could get pregnant that way?

My god that would be so wrong to go through life without the simple pleasure of a wet warm kiss.

[NCDem60]

13. Reminds me of this old joke...

Why don't Southern Baptists make love standing up?


They're afraid someone will see them and think they are dancing.

[zeemike]

15. Now that is a good one...n/t

[knitter4democracy]

33. Or this one:

Why don't Nazarenes have pre-marital sex?

It leads to dancing.

[zeemike]

35. :-)

:blush:

[Demeter]

18. No Soul, No Rythym, No Heart, and a Tin Ear

and two right feet!

[zeemike]

20. Yes but that is just the physical reasons n/t

[MullenBank]

19. Please edit

Should be "their organs" and not "there organs" unleass you meant "there" as in "them there organs"...

[zeemike]

21. No no no,,,never go back I always say

And how did you know that I did not mean it the way it was written?

And besides this spelling checker said no misspelled words and I believed it.

But I will edit it to say welcome to DU

[Beregond2]

24. I didn't get the "Skeptics" post and I don't get this one either.

I agree with your point about literalsim being a problem on both sides of the issue, but what does dancing have to do with anything?

[zeemike]

26. Nothing realy...just a canard or a red hearing or a straw man

Like a pretty young girl that dances alone on the dance floor to get your attention. And although not everyone likes to see pretty young girls dancing I do so I used it.
But you did get the point, literalism is a problem on both sides.
And i guess I was trying this approach to the subject just to see if you wold get it and some did, but most in this forum were not able to see past the absurdity of it. and some not even past the first misspelled word.

And only one had the curiosity to ask the question of what is the great truth you are talking about, but that poster was just here to have fun.
It would have been more fun had I posted this in the lounge but really I did have a serious point to make on a religious topic so that is why I posted here.

[Random_Australian]

25. Ooooh! It's equal-opportunity daydream-posting!

Hah, I was mistaken - I thought you only considered skeptics to be a cardboard cutout of the real thing, whereas you actually do it to lots of groups of people. :)

To put it plainly, I notice a slight absence of, y'know, getting to know some christians (or giving them credit beyond cave-man intelligence) and rather a lot of "hahah! I intepret things correctly - and everyone else is an intellectually blind base-emotion-driven hack"

Or, to put it even simpler -
MORE asking questions, getting people to discuss things.

LESS stereotyping groups, telling other people what they believe and how they think.

[zeemike]

27. It was actually night time here

But everything is different down under...I hear that even the water swirls the wrong way down the toilet down there...I leaned that from watching The Simpson's.
And I know I am arrogant but arrogant people are people too, and we have a right to say what ever is on our minds. And the truth is that I am a Christian that can dance without guilt and still love Jesus.
And my big point that I was trying to make is that there are interesting and important things in the bible that go unnoticed by most because of taking every thing literally and seriously.
Just like some people will read the story of Pandora's Box and just see a fairy tail and think no more about it, but others will see that there is a meaning and point to the story that has noting to do with reality, and the story is just a vehicle to deliver that point.

But I was not trying to put anyone down or insult anyone...just trying to provoke a discussion and avoid watching Americas Most Wanted...I have only one station to watch and it is Fox. And you have to admit this was more fun than that.
But I have tried the direct approach before in this forum only to have people tell me that the bible is a pile of crap and that i am stupid to believe such nonsense. so if I am going to be thought of as stupid why not act as expected.

[MullenBank]

28. dude

I'm just busting your balls. Got only love for ya.

I'm an atheist- been one since age 12 or so. I work (currently) in Eastern North Carolina which is just about ground zero for the American bible belt. Everyone I work with is an active practicing christian. No jews. No catholics. Just baptists. To them the Bible is, without exception, the literal word of god. For example- I work with a nurse who believes god created the earth 6k years ago and that humans and dinos existed simultaneously-- they just got wiped out in the flood-- yeah, THAT flood; noah, arc, two by two and so on. She s not an exception here- she's the norm.

I used to be disgusted. Now I'm just amused.

[zeemike]

29. Thanks..and that 's why one should always were a cup on DU n/t

[Random_Australian]

44. Eh, water swirling is more about the size and shape of the container.

Yes, arrogant people are people too. My point was it seemed not to invite much discussion.

True, I missed your point. In complete honesty, I think you should have emphasised the whole "we tend to miss things in the bible" a lot more than the "other people are so repressed and stuff" aspect, which dominated your post. (At least in word count)

I admit that this is more fun than Fox, or any of its affiliates. :) I do so readily and without reservation.

If someone is going to tell you that you are stupid, you make them look like a moron, not you. Never lower yourself to a morons level; it gets you nowhere in the end.

[zeemike]

45. Ben there done that

Many times actually here and on other boards for the last 15 tears. and the responses are almost predictable.
From the non believers "how can you be so stupid to believe those fairy tails" and the one most common "I suppose you believe in unicorns too" I have no idea why the non believers are so obsessed with unicorns.
And from the Christians (I like to call them so called Christians because they clearly have no idea what Jesus taught) "the bible says...yada yada yada. and then they get mad and condemn me to hell when I challenge their minds by quoting Jesus.
I have tried it on several Christian boards and get banned artier a shot while.

Here there are few believers that can or will speak up. and a lot of atheist and agnostics which is fine with me because to be honest I like them better. Some of them can be even funny and entertaining and i have this notion that we are closer intellectually than I am with some of the Christians.
But the christians that do hang out here keep pretty quiet because they don't believe in confrontation all that much. They seem to take Jesus at his word and understand what the gospel is really all about. You can see it here in this thread. The ones that did post are truly lovely people with good hearts.

But I am not afraid of being thought stupid, and it fact I get great pleasure out of it because I know who I am and what I am and have no need to be anything else. Besides I am 65 now and I can relax and just enjoy things I used to fret over. Like whether people like me or respect me or think I am smart.

[Random_Australian]

47. Really? I don't remember saying "how can you be so stupid",

and I happen to be an atheist.

By the way, feel free to revive this old thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=79553&mesg_id=79553

[zeemike]

48. You didn't say it, and I thank you for that

And I did not mean to leave the impression that all atheist do it because they don't, and in fact there always at least one, like you, that gives me a pretty good argument. That is what makes it all worth while.

And I find your approach to the subject in the thread you gave me interesting, and you are right it seemed to work pretty well.
But I probably will not revive it because it would take too long to read all the post there and I feel that would be necessary for me to do that to answer without just repeating what someone else has said.

You appear to be a clever young man that will do well in this world and perhaps some good as well.

[Random_Australian]

49. Thankyou, that is kind of my goal.

Anyway, back to studying. It's exam season!

[uberllama42]

51. How dare you disabuse me of my false notions about the Coriolis effect!

Why can't you just respect my right to my beliefs?

[zeemike]

53. I don't know what the Coriolis effect! is

Later I will look it up so I can understand what you mean.

On edit
I could not wait and now I know...just a sarcastic remark I guess.
thats fine I do sarcasm too...it's fun

[knitter4democracy]

30. Hubby and I used to be Nazarene. We didn't dance.

The first time I ever danced at a school dance was when I was in Russia for a semester in college, and all of us Nazarenes in the group agreed never to rat each other out to our colleges (was against our handbook, the code of conduct we all had to sign in order to go there). I'll never forget how scared I was when I found out another guy in the group had taken our pictures, worried he'd blackmail us. He never did, thank goodness.

The Church of the Nazarene used to entirely prohibit dancing, mostly because it's seen as a sexual behavior and leads to sex or at least impure thoughts of sex. They now allow "spiritual dancing" which they define as dancing that comes from being moved by the Spirit in a church-type setting. Dancing in the aisles at church is okay; dancing and rubbing your body parts all over someone in a club is not.

We had dancing at our wedding, and my in-laws actually threatened not to come. Many of the Nazarenes left before the dancing got started, which was too bad, since we had a great jazz band. Nothing was bad about it, but it embarrassed them and made them uncomfortable, so I guess that's okay.

I remember doing refreshments at the school dances. I was perfect for the job--in student government and pretty much required to be there but didn't need anyone to give me breaks since I couldn't dance.

[zeemike]

34. That is the problem with forbidden fruit

When you forbid it it makes it just that much more sweet and desirable.
The only things god forbid are listed in the ten commandments and you should know that.
The rest of the old testament is about the laws that Moses gave to the 12 tribes...it was not meant for us but for them in their time and place.
And Jesus confirmed that himself when he told the man that asked "What must I do to have eternal life" and He answered Obey the ten comandments...nothing less and nothing more.
And I would suggest to anyone to read the ten commandments again with this idea in miind... that it only this that we must do to achieve eternal life and give it some thought.
A great burden can be lifted off the soul I believe, if one can do that.

But I don't think it is ever a good thing to make someone uncomfortable or embaressed...but if they knew about it and came anyway then you did noting wrong.

[knitter4democracy]

39. I try to focus on the two greatest commandments.

If I can do those on any given day, it's been a good day.

Our wedding was quite difficult. My mom and his parents are Nazarene, but my dad (who hosted the reception at his home) is Deist, though my stepmom's Methodist. He wanted to have a father-daughter dance, and Hubby and I wanted to have our first dance, but MIL was adamant that we couldn't have dancing. Since she wasn't the host, Dad won out (especially when he got the jazz band for free because the leader owed him a favor). She was furious and said that she wouldn't come but ended up relenting. The other Nazarene family and friends understood, and most of them were fine with it; the only ones who left early were the old-school ones, and I'm really glad they never caught my stepmom's family drinking the beer they smuggled in.

[zeemike]

40. You can't go too far wrong with that strategy

It probably took courage for your MIL to do that. and I am sure your are thankfully for it.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

37. Most Christians have no problem with dancing

Have you ever been to a wedding with a bunch of German Lutherans or Irish Catholics?

[zeemike]

41. I was raised an Irish Catholic

And no one likes a good time more than they do.