QOTD: Would You Pole-Dance For Jesus?

Question Of The Day-

Dance Studio Offers Pole Dancing Classes With Christian Theme

Now when T-Pain sang- “I’m In Love With a Stripper” I’m sure he wasn’t thinking about a woman dancing to the sounds of Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams! Women taking pole dancing classes so that they can learn the moves of popular video vixens is nothing new, however has this Texas dance studio gone too far?

In a dance studio in the town of Spring, outside of Houston, women are taking on the now-popular fitness trend of stripper aerobics – but instead of moving to a pulsing beat, they’re grinding along to Christian music.

“Pole Fitness for Jesus” was the brainchild of Crystal Deans, the owner and class instructor at of Best Shape of Your Life.

She said her goal is to teach fellow female churchgoers how to get fit, work their legs and core and to make a connection with God. The goal is not to teach women to be strippers.

“We do the upbeat contemporary Christian music because people have to bring their church program to get into the class, so we basically are just continuing the whole worship thing here,” she said.

According to the studio’s website, the first eleven women that bring in their church program every 2nd Sunday of the month receive a free class.

On other days, the studio offers regular pole dancing classes without a religious bent.

Women seem to be singing the class’ praises for its tough workout and its wholesome outlook.

“I think it’s a fabulous thing. I was raised around religion. My parents were very religious, and it’s a great way you get the stigma off,” said Tiffany Booth. “It’s not just dancing on a pole. You have music and you have girls together working out. There’s tons of different kinds of workouts; this just happens to be one.”

I’m not sure that wrapping your legs around a pole is something that is needed to develop a stronger relationship with the Lord. I think that these women are using this class as an outlet for other… activities. When will we stop trying to use religion to JUSTIFY our own behavior?

Readers what do yall think? Is “pole dancing” for Jesus sacrilegious? Or would you consider learning how to work the pole to the tune of Mary Mary?

Journey

Despite your ridicule of the idea, it is certainly possible to be a Christian and pole dance. Just because pole dancing automatically brings images of stripping and erotic dancing to mind doesn’t mean that’s the way it has to be – a pole is an inanimate object, you can use it however you want! Some worship teams take a color guard approach and do interpretive dance using flags, and there’s nothing saying you can’t do the same type of thing with a pole. It’s YOUR mind that’s in the gutter if you automatically assume what these women are doing is “grinding.”

If these ladies were showing up after services to take lessons in Chinese acrobatic pole, no one would bat an eye. But guess what? A lot of moves in modern pole dancing and Chinese acrobatic pole are extremely similar, if not identical.

I’m a Christian and have been pole dancing for 2 years now. Christian pole dancers walk a fine line and take a lot of heat from all sides. The key is to know where to draw the line in your dancing, as well as standing firm – don’t be ashamed of your Faith or your pole dancing.

“To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do
not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences
are corrupted.”
~Titus 1:15
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  Thank you for your insight.