“SILLY OUTBURST”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 187, 12 August 1935, Page 8

“SILLY OUTBURST”

CHURCH AND DANCING DUNEDIN COMMENTS DUNEDIN, Aug. 10. Dancing is not generally denounced by New Zealand churches, but at the same time it is against the principles of many religious organisations. Strangely enough, however, it is not viewed with the same serious disfavour by Dominion Presbyterians as by the Scottish Church people, whose scathing judgment against one of their provosts nas been recounted in a cable. “The New Zealand Presbyterian Church does not denounce dancing,’’ declared the Rev. Douglas Smith, chairman of the Public Questions Committee of the Presbytery. “The only decision taken about it is to urge the management boards, which have charge of church buildings, to discour age the holding of dances in their buildings, but no general disapproval of dancing that is properly conducted hag received support in our Church. Personally 1 have no objection to a dance which is conducted under reasonably strict supervision. As a youth I attended dances and can see no reason to regret having done so.” Archdeacon Whitehead (Anglican) said; “There is only one thing more deplorable than the original utterance, and that is the publication of it. The whole outburst is silly and scarcely worth while commenting upon. 1 feel it was a waste of money cabling such nonsense right, round the world to newspapers. Our Anglican Church has never taken any serious attitude about dancing. Dances are organised and held in our Sunday school halls, and we do not mind it at all. It appears that if we want, a reunion of churches it will not only be our doctrine we shall have io consider but our moral notions as well.’’