Interesting Article: Faith & Frat Boys

[dzandiloo]

A sister who works for Greek InterVarsity sent a link to this write up in Time Magazine & I thought I'd pass it along for anyone who's interested:

Faith & Frat Boys: Can devout Christians reconcile their beliefs with college culture? A look inside one campus

[blueGBI]

This is interesting because I'm a member of Campus Crusade here which is seen by many as the "Greek" Christian group. We have a decent amount of people for the different greek councils as members and most of them, everyone knows that they are Christian but they don't beat people upside the head with it. I know, as a brother of APO, that even though my faith is important to me, I still have to respect my brother's boundaries. If anyone wants to talk about Jesus and my beliefs with me, I'm open, but if people don't want to, its cool. I personally believe its great for Christians to be involved in the Greek system because it takes you out of the Christian "bubble", makes you adjust to the real world, and teaches you alot.

[kddani]

Originally posted by BetaRose
Most of the article was good, but I was disturbed by the student who said that "he pledged after an older InterVarsity member told him it would be "an incredible ministry opportunity."

I was thinking that, too. NOT happy with someone being encouraged to join a group so that they could minister to them. Not cool at all

[RACooper]

Originally posted by kddani
I was thinking that, too. NOT happy with someone being encouraged to join a group so that they could minister to them. Not cool at all

Happens ever year or so at the chapter... someone wants to join so they can save us - the usual response is we want a Brother, not a preacher.

[Tom Earp]

OMG, this is to funny!

Dont these do rightous freeks realize, that We are most if not all Founded on Relegious Principles. Said that as I cannot speak for all GLOs.

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by BetaRose
Most of the article was good, but I was disturbed by the student who said that "he pledged after an older InterVarsity member told him it would be "an incredible ministry opportunity."

Ugh, yes. Or this:

Reaching out to other students is easier for the faithful who live in regular campus housing. Senior Kathryn Nelson, 22, a Crusade member from *******, Ohio, recalls how she invited the atheist girl across the hall in her old dorm to join her at Bible study and would talk with the Jewish girl two doors down about faith. Now that she shares a house with nine other Christians, she has lost such casual, everyday interactions. "When you're living with people who aren't Christians, your ministry is right in front of your face," she says.

My sophomore year when I lived in the dorms, I basically was that atheist girl and my roommate was that Jewish girl. There was a girl on our floor who continually invited us to her Bible study and prayer groups. She seemed very sweet, but her insistence on not respecting our choice of religious faith was off-putting, and we never ended up becoming friends with her because we just felt awkward around her.

[DeltaSigStan]

As one of the only two Delta Sigs who go to church, I find it incredibly hard to straighten out both my faith and my fraternity.

None of the other guys in my house are very religous (even a couple STRONG atheists), so I've gotten a little slack since I've ben going. It's so hard to spread the word to people who worship substance.

However, I've been meeting more and more religous people my age at state who DON'T drink, smoke, or do anything like that yet still know how to have a good time.

I feel that while still in college, I can be a little more "flexible", but I still watch myself.

I just think in such a superficial, self-absorbed environment, you really need to watch yourself and how you practice faith, but it's hard when you're engrained into a culture of booze, boobs and bud.

[MikeBFiji]

I wouldn't speak so harshly of the ministry opportunity. I highly doubt he is trying to force his brothers into anything they don't want to do. He is more likely just helping the men that wouldn't normally go to church or go to Bible express their spiritual side. As a christian one is suppose to help spread the word of God.

[EIUSigma]

Yesterday my chapter actually just had a sober function with Christain Campus House. They came over and we barbequed and played softball and a bunch of other games. One of our girls is the Vice President of Christian Campus House and a bunch of girls go to church or mass of some sort, including myself.

[33girl]

Originally posted by MikeBFiji
I wouldn't speak so harshly of the ministry opportunity. I highly doubt he is trying to force his brothers into anything they don't want to do. He is more likely just helping the men that wouldn't normally go to church or go to Bible express their spiritual side. As a christian one is suppose to help spread the word of God.

That isn't what he said. This is what he said.

That was what attracted Greek InterVarsity's Straub to frat life. He pledged after an older InterVarsity member told him it would be "an incredible ministry opportunity," he says. "Try to think of another time when you'll live with 100 other guys, most of whom don't want to be bothered with God right now."

That sounds more like Amway than spreading the word of God.

All I can say is if a sister in my chapter said something like that, I would think seriously about terminating her. Same if you replaced "ministry" with "College Republicans" or "Greenpeace."

[Wolfman]

This was an interesting article. Although I am middle-aged (mid-40s), I pledged when I was a junior in college. It was an issue with me and "how it would affect my walk with the Lord." An off-the-record conversation with a visiting member of the Fraternity during a pledge party about how the Fraternity was "religious" was God's way of letting me know that I was on the right track. Occasionally I do have conversations about this issue among fraternity brothers,and this is an hot topic in my Fraternity,Omega Psi Phi. I do think the cartography of the secular/ sacred divide is a bit different among BGLOs. The "PC" stance in our Fraternity is definitely Christian Protestant Evangelical; how we actually live at times is another issue! If you read anything that a national officer writes, 95% of the time the salutation is in the name of Jesus Christ. This is a strong heritage in our Fraternity, which we need to nurture,and take more seriously, to actually live it day in and day out. Life is a mission field. In fact, there is no neutral ground-- someone (or the institutional settings we're in) is always trying to inculcate us with their worldview--secular,Christian,whatever. Honesty and respect are the keys to navigating this issue. I learned to love and respect my LBs who did things I didn't do;they never tried to force me into being who I wasn't. And more than ever I realize that, as a Christian believer, I am a "sinner saved by grace" and am a begger pointing others (hopefully by my life!) to the source of my strength and hope. This is what has made my Fraternity experience have real value. It's not simply about "wine, women and song" but it's rooted in a vision of life that is grounded in the One who makes all relationships possible.

"The value of our Fraternity is not in numbers but in men, in real brotherhood"--Bro. Walter H. Mazyck,Esq., The Oracle, March 1925

[Tom Earp]

Originally posted by Wolfman
This was an interesting article. Although I am middle-aged (mid-40s), I pledged when I was a junior in college. It was an issue with me and "how it would affect my walk with the Lord." An off-the-record conversation with a visiting member of the Fraternity during a pledge party about how the Fraternity was "religious" was God's way of letting me know that I was on the right track. Occasionally I do have conversations about this issue among fraternity brothers,and this is an hot topic in my Fraternity,Omega Psi Phi. I do think the cartography of the secular/ sacred divide is a bit different among BGLOs. The "PC" stance in our Fraternity is definitely Christian Protestant Evangelical; how we actually live at times is another issue! If you read anything that a national officer writes, 95% of the time the salutation is in the name of Jesus Christ. This is a strong heritage in our Fraternity, which we need to nurture,and take more seriously, to actually live it day in and day out. Life is a mission field. In fact, there is no neutral ground-- someone (or the institutional settings we're in) is always trying to inculcate us with their worldview--secular,Christian,whatever. Honesty and respect are the keys to navigating this issue. I learned to love and respect my LBs who did things I didn't do;they never tried to force me into being who I wasn't. And more than ever I realize that, as a Christian believer, I am a "sinner saved by grace" and am a begger pointing others (hopefully by my life!) to the source of my strength and hope. This is what has made my Fraternity experience have real value. It's not simply about "wine, women and song" but it's rooted in a vision of life that is grounded in the One who makes all relationships possible.

"The value of our Fraternity is not in numbers but in men, in real brotherhood"--Bro. Walter H. Mazyck,Esq., The Oracle, March 1925

Thank You!

You just said a Mouthful and True That!

[AlumInitiateLiz]

Well said, Wolfman. VERY well said.

[GeekyPenguin]

I think there's nothing wrong with this type of involvement, minus the guy who joined to mission to people.

I don't see people leaving the house to go to a Bible study meeting together any differently than I see people leaving to go to a College Democrats/Republicans meeting, or a Senate meeting, or whatever.

I think the problem is when it's in the house and people feel like they can't be in their own living room watching American Idol without being proselytized.

My sorority is as religious as you want it to be. For some people, that's not at all, and that's okay. For others, it's extreme, and that's okay too: so long as you don't think I should be the same way.

[alphaalpha]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
My sorority is as religious as you want it to be. For some people, that's not at all, and that's okay. For others, it's extreme, and that's okay too:



so long as you don't think I should be the same way.

I really strongly agree with everything you say, especially the last line. As a christian the thing that i hate more than anything else is people who think that i am not good at all unless i think exactly the same as them. This is especially true for other christians, who don't think that i am christian enough, or a christian their way, as in beleiveing/ having values that are exactly, not equaL, BUT exactly as they beleive.

If i don't tell others how to live their life, then they have no right to tell me!!!!