[the411]

Originally posted by ladygreek
To the411: Because you do feel so strongly that Delta (or any sorority) is contradictory to your faith, then yes I feel that formally renouncing your membership is necessary. When you became a Delta, you took an oath to a lifetime commitment. If you can no longer honor that oath than yes, cut the ties completely. I am not saying this as a judgement or out of meaness, but I think it is only fair to the sorority that you officially remove your name from the rolls and return all official outward manifestations of your membership. That will completely release you from your lifetime commitment.

My Sister,

I’ve read and re-read my previous posts in an attempt to acknowledge anything that I’ve said to offend you, but I can’t seem to figure out why you are taking the stand that you’ve taken with regards to my personal, God-mandated choice to be inactive. You seem to be taking my decision rather personally, and I’d love to talk with you in an effort to learn why that is. However, twice I’ve invited you to chat with me via PM, and twice you’ve declined. Consequently, I am compelled to respond to you in your comfort zone—a public forum.

If I were to draw an inference from your previous posts, I’d have to translate your words as such: "If you got a problem with the sorority, then why don’t you just get the %#@*& out!!!" Surely that’s not what you’re saying, considering such an attitude is not at all Christian and your org is founded on Christian principles. But, given your present commitment to the org and my past commitment, I think I can understand your hurt—after all, I am a counselor by trade, so let me at least take a stab at what you’re struggling with:

You are one of the GC folks who knew and loved the old me. I was a diehard, OUT member who was braced and ready to represent and defend the org at the drop of a hat. How can that same person go from being a GC moderator to a Jesus-freak who kicks the org to the curb? Is that how you’re feeling? You’re having a hard time grasping the idea that someone could so easily walk away, given all that we learn and go through to become members. Certainly, I must have never been committed to begin with to leave so easily, boldly, proudly, and confidently! How dare I come in here and tell the world that I choose not to affiliate myself with such an esteemed organization (whose name I've still never actually mentioned as the one I joined)-- an organization you yourself hold so dear. The more I think about it, the more I empathize. I finally understand your resentment and your ceaseless urging that I formally disassociate myself. My heart goes out to you. Here is where your use of the word painful is applicable. It is painful for you to sit back and watch me make what you’ve translated to be a personal attack on the org. So, rather than vent to me privately, you’d prefer to avenge the org via a public rebuke. The greeks need to know that I’ve been put in my place, and it seems that you’ve taken the liberty to do just that. I sincerely pray that I am wrong about all this. At the end of the day, I applaud your passion and determination. I love you, Sister, and it is that love for you, coupled with my desire to see you at your spiritual best that I must say this:

For me (and many other greeks I know, including Deltas), membership in a BGLO was a form of bondage. By bondage, I mean that, through my membership, I found myself outside of the divine will and word of God. Knowing that I was far from God because of my affiliation, I returned to Him through the saving, redeeming, all-powerful blood of Jesus Christ. When I confessed with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in my heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10), I was saved from a life of bondage (i.e. lifetime commitment). Make no mistake about it, it was GOD who called me out of the sorority. When I answered the call, and obeyed His instructions to repent and relinquish my affiliation, I was immediately removed from the rosters, figuratively speaking. God said to me: I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins… State your case, that you may be acquitted (Isaiah 43:25-26). That, dear woman of God, is what freed me from the lifetime commitment.

Let me break it down to you: Once saved, I was acquitted; once acquitted, I was freed;. Once freed I was no longer under any obligation to that which had me bound. That being said, there was not, is not, and never will be a need or justification for me to formally demit from the org. To do so, is to fulfill your proposed obligation to it, to you, or to the members who share your views, despite the fact that I’ve already fulfilled my sole obligation to Christ. My trust is in the living God, not in (wo)man (Psalm 118:8). I know that I have satisfied His requirement, thus I don’t have so little as an angstrom of concern about what is fair to a non-living organization. If it didn’t create me, I owe it nothing. If it didn’t save me, I owe it nothing. If it doesn’t call me, keep me, guide me, or bless me, I owe it nothing. I am God’s.

In my initial post, I stressed that I was speaking from my own experiences and relationship with God and I said that "a true Christian does not and will not ostracize another for being active, just as I expect others to respect my decision to be inactive." But, I have to tell you that--though I suspect it's not your intention at all-- I get the feeling that you’re berating me for a choice that I’ve made for myself based on my personal, unique relationship with my Lord and Savior. You must realize that your tone and deiberate public display might possibly prove my case rather than refute it. I can love and respect you for being an active member of Delta Sigma Theta, but I feel you aren’t giving me or passers-by much of an impression that you can love and respect me for opting not to be. Through spiritual discernment, I know what the conversations have been about me since I posted my response to frat2b. But, I'm spiritual and brave enough to welcome criticism, rebuke, and nasty-toned posts from anyone when they are the end results of my firm stand on the Word of God. After all, Jesus wasn't exactly prom king Himself. If I have to suffer, I'd rather suffer for Him.

I like what preachdawg said about doing a "fruit inspection." Jesus talked a lot about the fruit that we bear (Matthew 7:15-20) and Paul actually differentiates for us the bad fruit or "works of the flesh" (Galatians 5:19-21) from the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) that is displayed by those of us who belong to Christ. Notice that Paul says fruit rather than fruits, signifying that these nine attributes form a collective whole—neither can exist without the others. Everyday I make sure my fruit is good fruit, and I charge you, my Sister in Christ, to do the same. In doing this, it is my prayer that you are more mindful about the message and tone that you give off when you post. Should you choose to respond again, I hope you take me up on my offers (this makes 3) to talk privately, as this appears to be a very personal issue you have with me. (I am eager to hear that I am wrong in this assumption.)

Hit me up in a PM and I can address the oath issue from a scriptural standpoint. It would be inappropriate to do so here.

I don’t bite, I hug