Ballroom Dancing is of the Devil!!!

Just for fun, after my young adult Bible study ended tonight, I forced everyone over my house to watch an episode of "Jack Van Impe Presents." Jack Van Impe is one of the older and still more famous self-proclaimed prophecy experts on the airwaves (who of course has been consistently wrong about every major prophetic prediction and warning, yet still is on the air and maintains many enthusiastic followers). Today wasn't so much about prophecy but about "apostate churches" and "worldly churches." Apparently one of the horrible sins infecting churches these days is the acceptance of ballroom dancing as a legitimate form of entertainment. In fact, some churches even offer ballroom dancing inside their doors!!!

Van Impe was clearly disgusted by this and repeated his displeasure several times. Ballroom dancing was mentioned along with substance addiction as one of the problems facing the culture today. Now, I certainly agree that there's all sorts of bad doctrines floating around various churches and denominations today. And I also agree that many Christians have let unwholesome habits or entertainment into their lives. But come on, ballroom dancing? What is wrong with fundamentalists and the extreme holiness types? Where do the derive their definition of "worldly"? Does "worldly" equal anything remotely "fun" not connected to private spiritual disciplines and fundamentalist worship services?

No music. No playing cards--even if its just for sport and not for money. After all, it has the appearance of worldliness! Today it's playing Uno with your buddies. Tomorrow it's standing around a poker table in a drunken stupor gambling away all your family's money. No movies. Unless they are Left Behind movies or "The Passion of the Christ." Absolutely no drinking, not even one drop! (Pot-luck galores and constant obesity is OK though, of course). No music not found on Christian radio stations. Well, actually, most fundamentalists hate contemporary Christian music thinking it also to be "worldly." All good Bible-believing Christians should only sing and listen to songs from the 18th and 19th centuries (acceptable worship music ceased being written after 1955). No name brand clothes, even if they are modest, because only "worldly" people wear those. No nice homes or cars either (unless you are a prosperity charismatic, though they'd happily accept most the rest of the above). Basically, if it feels good DON'T do it. Anything that brings human pleasure is wrong and bad.

This is the essence of true holiness apparently.

"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of the world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules. 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!' These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." --Col. 2:20-23

Legalism and fundamentalism does not create Biblical holiness, only a false and extra-Biblical illusion.