Is it a sin to dance at a party? To grind?

[Sinner and a saint]

Let me preface this question with my reason for asking:
The other day I went with some friends to a dance party with a rave theme. There were strobe lights and loud music, but there were no drugs or alcohol allowed. My friends were all dancing and some of them in a somewhat sexual manner (dancing close, grinding, that sort of thing). I wasn't at all, but eventually with a lot of prodding from my friends, I danced a little in the same way with a girl. I didn't have any sexual thoughts or feelings at all though. But I still didn't feel quite right, and I'm trying to figure it out.

Is it a sin to dance in a sensuous manner at a party? Is it wrong to grind or dance in similar ways?

 

[Incariol]

I don't really think so.

 

[Sinner and a saint]

If it is or isn't, then why or why not?

 

[briareos]

You chose to use the words sensual and sexual, go with your gut on this one. You already know it is not good to act out sex, whether it's while dancing or while you pill potatoes. There is a reason people choose to dance that way, it's purposely sensual and sexual. Is it a complete sin? Maybe not, is it appropriate for someone who has chosen to pursue holiness, sanctity, uprightness? No. For one if you dance with or on a woman in a sexual manner and not be tempted way to go, but it's a trap, a temptation and a possible downfall.

When you say to your friends "I believe in Jesus and I live for him" and then they see you dancing with a womans bum on your crotch acting out sexual activities I promise you your testimony and witness is going to be damaged, it may not hurt you but it will hurt them and I bet that one day if you continue it will put you in a compromising situation that will be hard to get out of. It is sensual and sexual for a reason, it's about sex.

I am not being a prude I am saying it will damage you and your witness as a christian.

 

[dsyxelic]

There is a reason grinding is known as "sex with clothes on". I don't want to label it as "sin" or "not sin" but all I know is that it would be much better to avoid grinding.

 

[Buzzy]

There are sins and there are convictions. A sin is something that God has proclaimed leads to death if you do it. There are plenty of those to be sure. In addition there are convictions of the Holy Spirit that he tells you that YOU are not to do for various reasons in your life. I was a smoker and the Holy Spirit helped me quit (I was not able to myself) and since that time he has told me that I cannot even have a nice cigar with friends once in a while. I feel it is a sin to disregard and disobey the Holy Spirit but I don't run around and tell everyone that it is a sin to smoke a cigar once in a while with friends or even to smoke because God never said it was.

What you have to figure out is... was that feeling you had the Holy Spirit telling you that you were doing something you shouldn't? If so then you shouldn't do it.

 

[briareos]

In one verse Paul uses the words "trespasses and sins" this leads me to believe there are trespasses and there are sins. I believe there are things you should not do, even if they are not sins. You can do something that isn't a sin and still be wrong for doing it for a variety of reasons.

 

[heron]

There are sins and there are convictions.

this leads me to believe there are trespasses and there are sins.

Speaking from a woman's point of view... I pictured what usually happens when people come home from a party and their mind starts wandering. Someone that you'd never given a second thought to before, might suddenly seem appealing just because of the attention given, and the close physical moments.

That puts a person into a mode of wanting closure with a person for physical reasons or emotional attention, instead of rationally thinking through whether they're a good match, have the same ethics, have compatible goals in life, or would support your dreams.

It brings relationships down into the animal instinct mode, instead of human rationale or spiritual agreement.

We trespass on another person's goals and aspirations when we try to steal through manipulation, to get what we want. It's not necessarily sexual, but sometimes a matter of conquering and proving, competing or enjoying the flirt.

 

[If Not For Grace]

Fire warms and burns - the motive behind the action is the "core" issue.

God loves it when you sing and dance to His glory.

 

[Pal Handy]

wwjd ?

 

[BFine]

"Is it a sin to dance in a sensuous manner at a party? Is it wrong to grind or dance in similar ways?"

*You already know the answer, the next time your friends prod you to do something
that you feel is inappropriate--don't do it. They want you to compromise your faith walk and do the things they approve of...this is how many Christians become ineffective witnesses for the Lord, they keep caving into peer pressure.

I encourage you to grow more in your faith so you can learn to "stand" when pressured to do something that is inappropriate or conflicts with biblical standards.

We all have "caved" when pressured by our friends to do something that
isn't good for our witness as Christians...learn from the experience and don't
repeat it.

 

[susan.baker]

I chaperoned my daughters "Back to School" dance recently and was absolutely shocked by how the kids were dancing. When I got home I started looking up ways to encourage my daughter to stray away from this new fad, and I found this website:

www.parentsagainstdirtydancing.com

It has lots of information and a great forum to discuss this issue with other concerned parents and teenagers.

 

[iambren]

Sin?

Dance--no

Grind--yes

 

[whale8jonah]

I think the fact that you have been moved to ask this question perhaps indicates your own view on this?

James 4:17 "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them."

The opposite is true too?

I'd humbly suggest to listen to what God was telling you - how was the Holy Spirit leading you (pun not intended!) when you were dancing? My impression is that He was calling you to question whether this was the right sort of thing for you to do. You mentioned that it didn't feel quite right, and I think that's your answer.

Also a bit relevant...in 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about doing or not doing something (in this case eating certain kinds of food) if it is a stumbling block for other Christians. Here, people were eating food sacrificed to idols which some Christians thought was OK. But this was a problem for some other Christians who were doubting whether it was right or not. Paul was advising that for these people, they should be more sensitive to their fellow Christians.

The bottom line is that even if people, even Christians, tell you that something is OK, if you feel it is sinful, then don't do it.

 

[holythemholyme]

I am sure in times of jesus it wouldn't be acceptable to randomly start grinding a stranger. Not a great idea back then, not a great idea now.