A young lady, in giving her reasons for preferring a particular
church, remarked that she “liked it best because it allowed
its members to dance.” She had been brought up to regard this
as inconsistent for a professor of religion. She could not help
feeling that it was running a risk to try to get to heaven and
carry the world with her. But here was comfort. She had found a
religious guide on which she could, as she fancied, shift off
the responsibility. Instead of deciding for herself, in the
light of Christ’s teachings, she chose to take a second-hand
opinion of a mere man as a rule.
One is reminded of an incident related by Dr. Whately, of
an old bridge which had long been thought unsafe even for
foot passengers. People usually went a considerable distance
around rather than venture upon it. But one evening a woman in
great haste came up to the bridge before she reflected on its
unsafe condition. It was late, and she had yet to dress for a
party. She could not go all the way around, tho still afraid
to venture. At last a happy thought seemed to strike her. She
called for a sedan chair, and was carried over. Now the young
lady who desired to follow the world and go to heaven too, was
afraid to trust her own judgment on the subject of dancing.
She feared the tottering arch might give way, and she be lost
forever. To make all safe, she added to the weight of her own
chance of error the additional chances of her human authority
being wrong also.
(2787)
=Risking Life=--See COOLNESS IN DANGER.
=Rivalry=--See STIMULUS FROM RIVALRY.