Post by water on May 27, 2008 14:31:14 GMT -5
News travels fast so I’m guessing many of my friends know I’ve stopped participating in Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. “I’ve left the fraternity” is a better way to phrase it since I never really participated much. I pledged as a junior in college and after crossing my focus was on graduating and landing a good job. After college the fraternity slipped a few more spots in priority as I discovered Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC, intramural basketball, DJ-ing, weeknight Cosby show parties, and software development. Let’s just say the fraternity didn’t feel much of a loss when I submitted my resignation letter to the National Headquarters.
I left the fraternity because I don’t believe Greek-lettered organizations and Christianity are compatible. Am I saying that the millions of people in fraternities and sororities will be denied access to heaven because of their membership in these groups? No, that’s not my point. As a Christian I believe we are justified, or freed from blame or guilt, by our belief and trust in Jesus the Christ. Even though I don’t consider membership in a fraternity a deal breaker in terms of salvation, my studying of the bible revealed the conflicts and I was convicted enough to make a change. Again, leaving the fraternity was easy because I wasn’t active anyway. Making other changes in my life, as a part of my sanctification process, have been much harder by comparison.
My wife is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta and we place this “Greek” matter under the nonessential category of our faith. We can agree to disagree and both have the joy that comes from trusting in Jesus. One concern I have with fraternities is the amount of negative influence members seem to have over each other. Although negative influence may be a problem with sororities, I don’t see it as much with sororities. I don’t often hear of sisters encouraging each other to call over strippers for wild parties! I find myself cutting sororities some slack, but in the end I still find sororities incompatible with Christianity for many other reasons. In defense most sisters would point to the common ground of service to others; however, they tend to downplay problem areas like hazing and placing things ahead of God in our lives (Idolatry). Wow, I didn’t think there could be so much passion over topics categorized as nonessential. I’d better move on.
I thank God for my path in life to date. I made some true, lifelong friends while in a fraternity and hanging out with fraternity and sorority members. Joining a frat wasn’t the worst of my transgressions or acts of disobedience. I’ve been on an interesting journey where all of the twists and turns were likely needed to bring me to the place I am today: more informed but still growing, learning to love others, and learning to serve.
Allow me to reflect on a story from Hampton (circa 1988) where a classmate asked me to walk with her to her dorm and meet her dad who was in town for the day. She had told me earlier her dad pledged Alpha so I was excited to meet him. I had just pledged myself. The meeting ended up being very awkward and I could tell her dad wasn’t involved in the fraternity. He didn’t seem to remember the secret handshake and didn’t bother to cover up our attempt at “the grip” as my line brothers and I had just been taught...cover that up! He had love for me as a person and potential suitor for his daughter, but his fraternity days were but a season in his life and that season had long passed. Even though my daughter is years away from attending Hampton, that father is me.
At his wedding in 92 is where an ex delta in the wedding party told me why she denounced I was like whoa the Pastor is a Q....Wow
I left the fraternity because I don’t believe Greek-lettered organizations and Christianity are compatible. Am I saying that the millions of people in fraternities and sororities will be denied access to heaven because of their membership in these groups? No, that’s not my point. As a Christian I believe we are justified, or freed from blame or guilt, by our belief and trust in Jesus the Christ. Even though I don’t consider membership in a fraternity a deal breaker in terms of salvation, my studying of the bible revealed the conflicts and I was convicted enough to make a change. Again, leaving the fraternity was easy because I wasn’t active anyway. Making other changes in my life, as a part of my sanctification process, have been much harder by comparison.
My wife is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta and we place this “Greek” matter under the nonessential category of our faith. We can agree to disagree and both have the joy that comes from trusting in Jesus. One concern I have with fraternities is the amount of negative influence members seem to have over each other. Although negative influence may be a problem with sororities, I don’t see it as much with sororities. I don’t often hear of sisters encouraging each other to call over strippers for wild parties! I find myself cutting sororities some slack, but in the end I still find sororities incompatible with Christianity for many other reasons. In defense most sisters would point to the common ground of service to others; however, they tend to downplay problem areas like hazing and placing things ahead of God in our lives (Idolatry). Wow, I didn’t think there could be so much passion over topics categorized as nonessential. I’d better move on.
I thank God for my path in life to date. I made some true, lifelong friends while in a fraternity and hanging out with fraternity and sorority members. Joining a frat wasn’t the worst of my transgressions or acts of disobedience. I’ve been on an interesting journey where all of the twists and turns were likely needed to bring me to the place I am today: more informed but still growing, learning to love others, and learning to serve.
Allow me to reflect on a story from Hampton (circa 1988) where a classmate asked me to walk with her to her dorm and meet her dad who was in town for the day. She had told me earlier her dad pledged Alpha so I was excited to meet him. I had just pledged myself. The meeting ended up being very awkward and I could tell her dad wasn’t involved in the fraternity. He didn’t seem to remember the secret handshake and didn’t bother to cover up our attempt at “the grip” as my line brothers and I had just been taught...cover that up! He had love for me as a person and potential suitor for his daughter, but his fraternity days were but a season in his life and that season had long passed. Even though my daughter is years away from attending Hampton, that father is me.
At his wedding in 92 is where an ex delta in the wedding party told me why she denounced I was like whoa the Pastor is a Q....Wow
