Ellen Gould White
What does Ellen White write about...
Ellen Gould White über: "What does Ellen White write about dance and music?"
Answer
Ellen White clearly distinguishes between sacred music that honors God and secular music that can be misused by Satan. Regarding dance, she warns against modern fashionable dancing, which is associated with godlessness and moral decay, and she sharply separates it from the biblical example of David, who danced in reverent joy before God. Music can be a blessing when it is dedicated to God, but it often becomes a tool of Satan when it replaces prayer and devotion.
Difference between biblical and modern dance
»David’s dancing in reverent joy before God was cited by pleasure‑seekers to justify modern fashionable dancing, but there is no basis for such an argument. In our days, dancing is associated with frivolity and nocturnal revelry. Health and morality are sacrificed to pleasure. The music and dancing in joyful praise of God at the dedication of the Ark bore no resemblance at all to the excesses of modern dance. The former served as a reminder of God and exalted His holy name. The latter is a device of Satan to cause people to forget God and to dishonor Him.«
Warning about dance and opera as tools of Satan
»The opera with its captivating performance and bewildering music, the masquerade, dance, the card game—Satan uses all these to tear down the barriers of principle and open the doors to sensual excess. In every gathering for pleasure, where pride is nurtured or appetite satisfied, where one is enticed to forget God and lose sight of eternal interests, Satan binds his chains around the soul.«
Music as blessing or curse
»Music has taken the hours that should have been devoted to prayer. Music is the idol that many professing Sabbath‑keeping Christians worship. Satan has nothing against music if he can make it a channel through which he gains access to the minds of youth. When it is well used, music is a blessing; but often it becomes one of Satan’s most attractive devices to entangle souls. When abused, it leads the unconverted to pride, vanity, and folly. When it is allowed to replace devotion and prayer, it becomes a terrible curse.«
Leisure parties with music as a provocation against God
»The low, ordinary leisure parties, gatherings for food and drink, singing and music, are inspired by a spirit that comes from below. They are a sacrifice to Satan. In these amusements the spirit is dulled, like when drinking schnapps. The door is opened to vulgar associations. As Israel of old ate and drank, the pleasure‑seekers rise to play. There is merriment and feasting, revelry and cheerfulness. In all this the youth follow the example of the godless authors of certain books.«
- Ellen White on Christian education and music
- Ellen White on amusements and secular entertainment
- Ellen White on worship and sacred music
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
