The Perils of Worldly Rap Music and Secular Dancing in our Church and Institutions

The Seventh-day Adventist Higher Secondary School located in Navi Mumbai, India, recently held its Annual Fest 2023. There was a lot of worldly dancing and secular music, including rap, at this event. While these forms of expression may be embraced by many as a means of cultural expression, Seventh-day Adventist institutions should reject them because of the harmful influence they have on our youth.

Seventh-day Adventist Higher Secondary School’s Annual Fest 2023 Featured Worldly Dancing and Rap Music #sda #adventist #adventista pic.twitter.com/ZoeRuW6bN2

— Advent Messenger (@Advent1844) November 21, 2023

Rap music is characterized by hypnotic beats and intricate rhymes that often glorify materialism, promiscuity, violence, and drugs—all values that stand in stark contrast to the principles contained in God’s word. This has the potential to sow confusion and entice our youth to gravitate toward and embrace lifestyles that are contrary to the teachings of the faith. Satan uses this music as a distraction to pull our young churchgoers away from the truth.

The secular dancing, with its diverse styles and sensual movements, blends in with the light shows and worldly music. We are essentially recreating dance clubs in our schools. These displays conflict with the modesty and purity that our institutions require, as well as the reason God has raised them.

“God’s purpose in giving the third angel’s message to the world is to prepare a people to stand true to Him during the investigative judgment. This is the purpose for which we establish and maintain our publishing houses, our schools, our sanitariums, hygienic restaurants, treatment rooms, and food factories” (Manuscript Release, Vol. 1, p. 228).

Provocative dance forms are a temptation to all, and they go against God’s will, as stated in Matthew 6:13, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” These dance shows raise questions about the appropriateness of such expression within the sacred space of our church schools. They are a danger to the integrity of religion and will always be detrimental to every student.

These incidents are happening in Adventist circles all over the world and are leading to the dilution of the church’s standards and moral teachings. This is inconsistent with Adventism. This is not preparing our youth to stand during the investigative judgment. We are preparing them to fail. Worldly music, secular dancing, and a lack of effective leadership in our schools are a formula for disaster. This is a moral failure on many levels. Persistent failure to provide vision and direction is a reason to dismiss those in charge of our institutions.

These dance club exhibitions would never take place in our schools if we had pastors and leaders who were fulfilling their duties by providing adequate spiritual guidance. But the lack of supervision and proper management is due to insubordination and willful disobedience to the clear words of inspiration.

“Low songs, lewd gestures, expressions, and attitudes, deprave the imagination and debase the morals. Every youth who habitually attends such exhibitions will be corrupted in principle” (Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 652).

“Beguiled with music and dancing, and allured by the beauty of heathen vestals, they (Israel) cast off their fealty to Jehovah” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 454).

“Association with worldliness in musical lines is looked upon as harmless by some Sabbath keepers. But such ones are on dangerous ground. Thus Satan seeks to lead men and women astray, and thus he has gained control of souls” (Manuscript 82, 1900).

“The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time … A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the din and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit’s working” (Selected Messages, Vol. 2, pp. 36, 37).

“But there has been a class of social gatherings in Battle Creek of an entirely different character, parties of pleasure that have been a disgrace to our institutions and to the church. They encourage pride of dress, pride of appearance, self-gratification, hilarity, and trifling. Satan is entertained as an honored guest, and he takes possession of those who patronize these gatherings. A view of one such company was presented to me, where were assembled those who profess to believe the truth. One was seated at the instrument of music, and such songs were poured forth as made the watching angels weep. There was mirth, there was coarse laughter, there was abundance of enthusiasm, and a kind of inspiration; but the joy was such as Satan only is able to create. This is an enthusiasm and infatuation of which all who love God will be ashamed. It prepares the participant for unholy thought and action” (Manuscript Release, Vol. 14, p. 120).