One of my closest friends is a DPhiE (now alum) and she's Southern Baptist, and another very close friend is Jewish and a Phi Mu. Sororities and fraternities should not change their ritual. Stay true to the ritual.

Do I recall Chi Omega being able to initiate classes from second semester primary recruitments at six weeks, since most of those students had already made grades during first semester? And where a campus only allows UC to be recruited (no frosh) isn't a six week initiation then allowed by Chi Omega?

Granted, it has been awhile, but when I rushed, we were "required" to work it into conversation during house tours that we were founded by "five Christian women".

My own experience as a non Christian/non Jew is that the religious elements of my ritual were totally fine with me. At the time I was agnostic, now I'm an atheist. I regard the Christian elements of our sorority as a pleasant and old-fashoned - much like the Greek mythology incorporated into these organizations.

I don't try to convert people to my way of thinking - we are all welcome to interpret based on our experiences. And I knew had I pledged D Phi E or SDT, there might have been elements that didn't line up with mine. They both cut me just before prefs, which I found disappointing.

Now, if they wanted to edit or change our ritual, I can't say I would be appalled or devastated. I think the critical elements would still be there. Namely - and I hope this is the underlying thesis of all orgs - "these are your sisters, be kind to each other".

But I don't have much of a stake in soft-pedaling religion in ritual.

Now, had our ritual stated that only Christians were good people and we should spit on non-believers, and that whites are a superior race, I would have politely gotten up and left.

It must be the partial quarantine getting to me, because somehow that sentence makes me laugh out loud.