Hazing at Savannah: "washed the feet of others during a worship service."
 

On April 11 of last year the university (Savannah State University) imposed the second highest form of discipline, suspension from campus against Commissioned II Love. Suspended groups are denied access to university facilities and benefits. University officials on September 11 formally applied expulsion from campus to the group, the highest form of discipline, charging that members of the group had violated terms of the suspension by participating in a Christian music event. Members of the Christian ministry were allegedly accused by school officials of "harassment" for sharing their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection with others and "hazing" because members of the group, following the example of Jesus, washed the feet of others during a worship service.

Reportedly university officials took the position that regardless of whether or not people present willingly participated in the foot washing, that was an activity that is likely to endanger the health of participants.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...harassing.html

Hmmm. I think the University went too far unless there's something here we're not seeing. But the washing of feet is a common Holy Thursday practice among Catholics and I know is done by other Christians as well. Regular people, in churches... not hazing. Holy Thursday was April 11th last year which fits with the story. Unless the pledges were made to wash the actives feet I don't think there's an issue. It sounded more like the fraternity did it during an independent service.

Could this have even happened someplace where Catholics are a large segment of the population? It would seem that anyone who recognized the Holy Thursday ritual in the practice would never have regarded it as hazing or endangering the health of participants.

I wonder what's really going on here? Wouldn't it seem like there had to be more to the story?

Hmmm... it's a basic feature at the Holy Thursday Mass, so I wonder what the big deal here was?

About the only thing I can think of is that they did it publically as some sort of protest or in-your-face service, which the bit at the end of the article about the group "verbally responding to those who disagree with their beliefs" kind of leads me to suspect.

plus, making someone wash your feet is hazing

I doubt it was done that "willingly"

If it was a fraternity, they would have been baned for ever and the individual brothers would have expelled/suspended. I don't think this group should get any special treatment.

It doesn't say they made pledges wash the actives feet, just that the fraternity washed the feet of "others"

On Holy Thursday, this is a long standing Catholic (and other Christian) tradition. In some churches a lot of people take turns washing feet, in others a group is in charge of it. This was, if anything, a service project.

Just because it's not something you're used to doesn't make it hazing. Nor is it particularly unhygenic as the university claims. It's not necessarily the most pleasant job in the world but that's sort of the point.

Someone is taking their Holy Rolling a little to seriously.


Oh, and Hi, Dale.

Actually, it would seem that anybody familiar with the gospel narratives of the Last Supper, which one would think would include a reasonable portion of the Georgia popultion, would be familiar with the practice.

Foot washing is not limited to Catholics -- many Protestants also observe foot washing on Holy Thursday/Maunday Thursday. It is regularly practiced at other times by Pentacostals, Primitive Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists and other groups.

Thanks for picking out the non-Catholic demoninations that practice it. I thinks it's just sad that they're saying it doesn't matter that it was voluntary and apparently not a pledge thing, it's still hazing. How does one haze oneself?

It's crazy is what it is.

And just to be clear, while it is certainly not universal, footwashing on Holy Thursday/Maunday Thursday can be found among Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists and others. Just wanted to be clear that the examples I gave shouldn't be considered exhaustive.

My ELCA church doesn't wash feet - although if someone suggested it, it might happen. We like new traditions, in fact, last year we started a Seder Meal tradition. But we do have first communions on Maunday Thursday.

Precisely, and many Catholics don't participate either *innocent look*

I didn't realize it was that widespread in other denominations. Cool.

I was just thinking that in a more Catholic part of the country, no one would think hazing, even for a minute. (and really Savannah has a pretty decent Catholic population anyway, now that I think about it.)

But since you're right, maybe it's only totally secular institutions that could possible make this mistake.

There's got to me more to this story. Anybody know what it is?

Who's Dale?

I'm Presbyterian and I have never seen that being done.

April 11th was a tuesday last year. trust me, it's my birthday.