Quote:
Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby
I am a non-Christian woman who is in one of the oldest groups, and the Christian symbolism doesn't really bother me for two reasons:
1) It's more like, we draw inspiration from an old testament story here and there than like, reciting scripture. I think the bible is a very nice book of stories, many with good messages.
2) It's really not offending anyone to take part in the ritual without believing in the Christian God. The meaning of ritual is not the literal words, it's the way it connects you to the other members, past and present, who have done the same thing.
Now, I don't think you should conceal, during rush, that you are not Christian, as you are better off being released by a sorority that doesn't want non-Christian women than joining and being made to feel an outcast. But the types of chapters that will welcome non-Christian women into their pledge class are not going to mind if you don't believe in a literal interpretation of the bible during ritual.
(Side note: you can look to see which groups have open creeds and the like to get an idea of how Christian symbolism is used. For example, my creed uses "God" a few times, and I just picture the Flying Spaghetti Monster when I say it.)
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All of this. I appreciate the history of our ritual; the thought that thousands of sisters before me, going back over 100 years, have said these words and gone through these ceremonies. And thousands of sisters after me will do the same. It's the bond the ritual creates that's important. With every fraternity and sorority, the overall message of the words and traditions in the ritual is a positive one, and anyone can live by them, regardless of what religion they practice (or don't practice).