Brothers and sisters in Christ
I never pledged a fraternity while in college, but I was tempted to. I found the camaraderie and the wild parties—not to mention the sorority girls—attractive. For me, it was probably a good thing I didn’t become a part of Greek life on my big state university campus. However, I’m glad to hear that there’s now an alternative for young believers on college campuses: Christian fraternities and sororities.
The AP reports that “Members get pumped up about prayer, Bible study and service projects, passions they say campus officials should and often do embrace as fresh amid a Greek culture typically seen as centered on hazing, keg parties and little else.” Daniel Weaver, chapter president of Lambda Sigma Phi at the University of Alabama, said, “We want to be a light on this campus.”
Some schools, however, haven’t been too keen on the idea of having these groups on campus. For example, University of Florida administrators last year refused to recognize Beta Upsilon Chi because the frat required its members to be Christians. The frat sued in federal court and won, for the time being.
“You’d think that [schools] would look at this and see the benefit of having them on campus, but they don’t always,” said Timothy F. Tracey, an attorney for the Christian Legal Society, who represented Beta Upsilon Chi.




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back to top31 Comments to “Brothers and sisters in Christ”
Two thoughts:
1- Aren’t the established campus groups like Campus Crusade and the Navigators enough? Don’t they promote the same “prayer, Bible study and service projects” that these frats do? And don’t most of the denominations have chapters on campuses? It seems these fraternities would take away the members from these already established organizations.
2- Another thing that comes to mind is that these are so close to thew world as to have little difference, other than sobriety and moral standards not enforced in so-called secular fraternities/sororities. Many of those have in their by-laws a moral code, but it is rarely enforced or practiced. Some even have chaplains. I guess it is just that this generation has become so stained by the world that they think they have to be like the world to reach the world.
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I have always thought that being a member of a Fraternity and being a Christian were mutually exclusive (relics of my bad experiences with fraternity members in the 80s). Hopefully, Beta Upsilon Chi can be “in” the Fraternity but not “of” the Fraternity.
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“The frat sued in federal court and won, for the time being.”
That says a LOT right there doesn’t it? That they had to sue to have the right to be recognized? And consequently won?
Nope. No harassment of Christians. Nosirreee! Not a bit of it.
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I’m open to being convinced otherwise, but the idea of Christian frats and sororities has always rubbed me the wrong way. Apparently real frats and sororities are too dissipated for a righteous Christian to join, so we have to form our own ghettoized copies. I agree with Peter L. We have (too) many parachurch ministries for college kids to join as it is. How about instead of stooping to worldly ideas about fellowship and fraternity, we try to figure out how to display true Christian brotherhood in the setting of the church?
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Greek culture on campuses has plenty of problems that have nothing to do with binge drinking and hazing. Christian university students should pass up the entire Greek experience, and not try to create an alternative Christian Greek system.
It makes more sense for Christian friends to share an off-campus apartment. Moreover, the Christian frat becomes one more non-ecclesial entity that diminishes the place of the local church.
This has “bad idea” written all over it. CLS’s involvement makes me suspicious too (even though I’m a past member of CLS). CLS seems to spend too much of its time trying to overturn campus non-discrimination policies. They’re looking for a test case that they hope will invite the federal courts to create a broader carve-out to the Smith case. It seems that establishing Christian fraternities may be part of that silly effort.
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Oklahoma State University *tried* to start something like this when I was there – it was billed as a sorority for Christian girls. I went to the info meeting more out of curiosity than anything else. The bottom line of it was that it was still for the rich girls, and the girls who showed up were the ones who wore the Christian tag on Sundays but quickly took it off for the rest of the week.
I was a part of the Navigators in college and have no regrets about that decision whatsoever.
I have no idea what became of that “Christian” sorority, but I do know several of the girls grew into their adulthood and away from any kind of recognizable faith.
Seems like time to invoke the Francis Schaeffer clause – let’s join them where they are and stop trying to be something altogether different.
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I returned to the undergrad world for a second bachelor’s degree in 1994, 2 years after I left the active army for the reserves. My first undergrad experience was at a Dallas commuter college entirely bereft of “Greek life” so the whole sorority/frat scene was alien; although I had ideas about it from my oldest bro’s experience at East Tx State (now Tx A&M Commerce, Tx) and the John Belushi magnum opus. [Animal House was a great advertisemt for the Greek life, no??]
The students I met who were in BUX or its counterpart Sigma Phi Lambda (”Sisters for the Lord”) were a stark refreshing contrast to the secular frats. Lotsa future missionaries, vocational parachurch staff, pastors and pastors’ wives.
Given the inevitable bad publicity of underaged alcohol poisonings it surprises me any college would reject a Christian frat. (Sure American protestants drink..esp when on Euro missions trips, but beer keg parties in the states? No way!) Secular frats also face lawsuits when drunk kids do stupid things and wound up as quadripalegics (as happened at UTAustin where the frat and the University were sued for failure to supervise “adult” students at an off-campus gathering).
The parachurch activities alluded to by Peter L? Well, they can’t refuse anyone. There’s no selectivity or exclusivity in such parachurch ministries nor should there be. At Austin Peay in Tenn super-friendly FUGNODs were nearly always present at the parachurch stuff with their invariably attractive gal pals.
As for Christian frats, young men need to belong to some type of brotherhood to combat the isolation and anomie endemic to in-residence university life. I’ve always viewed the frats as fulfilling the deep male-bonding need, the one which other 20somethings satisfy by becoming paras in the 82nd or joining DeMolay, or the Masonic lodge
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Acronym update FUGNOD (”fat ugly girl no one dates/ed”) was a term I did not coin and seldom used. I understand it has limited usage and hasnt made it into Websters.
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BASIC is Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Its a huge Tx A&M parachurch org.
Still troubles me that parachurch groups exist to mainly evangelize and steer youth towards “real” churches. Many young men and women told me they just werent able to connect with the “real” churches but they loved Crusade, Navigators etc.
As long as they are growing and being discipled, I for one dont view paras as any type of alternative to real church.
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Don’t you people realize that the freedom to organize only applies to non-Christians. When Christians organize, that can potentially foster (gulp…) “organized religion.” We cannot have that! Where do any of you people get off thinking that Christians should have the same public freedoms as non-Christians?
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Abuse is common among farternities and sororities and they discriminate on the basis of gender by definition. But so what? Christians should and could devote their fraternities and sororities for humanitarian efforts and promote lots of wholesome fellowship. Then again, some could promote more abuses all in the name of religion. But it’s a free country isn’t it?
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Also, private universities should have the freedom (within reason I suppose) to make their own policies on Greek groups without gov’t or lawyer interference. So I can see the difficult ‘dance’ that this issue can present.
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#1, Peter L wrote; “Aren’t the established campus groups like Campus Crusade and the Navigators enough?”
Seems like an irrelevant question. I am a big fan of those groups and others on campus, but whether they are “enough” or not does not address the question of whether Christians should be free on equal terms with other groups to organize on campus. Whether they should is another question, I suppose.
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#3 Make It Man
That says a LOT right there doesn’t it? That they had to sue to have the right to be recognized? And consequently won?
Nope. No harassment of Christians. Nosirreee! Not a bit of it
#10 Joel Mark
Don’t you people realize that the freedom to organize only applies to non-Christians. When Christians organize, that can potentially foster (gulp…) “organized religion.” We cannot have that! Where do any of you people get off thinking that Christians should have the same public freedoms as non-Christians?
I am a little confused. (It’s been a long time since I was in college, and I was too square at the time to join a fraternity.)
Are we talking about the University of Florida in particular or public universities in general? Are there “Greek” groups at UF that have rights to be selective about memberbship that compare to rights that Christians are not getting?
Are there groups for Muslims only? Are there groups for black people only? Are there groups for atheists only? Are there groups for homosexuals only?
I am not sure what the comparison is aimed toward?
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Random, I looked at the website for the Democratic party (at my local county level). I saw groups for every subset of mankind: gays, blacks, Hispanics, feminists. Seeing myself as a Christian Hetero Anglo Male ProLifer (CHAMP) I launched that group.
Campii are no different a club for everyone. You just hafta look harder.
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I have heard of parachurch groups being booted from campus when they’ve denied homosexuals the right to serve in leadership positions. (I cant recall the school but the student didnt divulge gayness until being considered as chairman of the Intervarsity group).
I foresee a day when all parachurches–in order to have “official” campus recognition– will have to kowtow to the gay/orientation diversity agenda or be expelled from campus. Which might not be all that bad, really. Being recognized as an official “campus organization” entitles groups to the use of university bldgs and permits them to be linked on the school’s website.
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What is the history of “Greek Life” on campuses. Were not all universities Christian at one point? Was the interest in Greek culture and literature not linked to the Greek New Testament and the study of Koine Greek which was so prevalent on campuses at one point?> Could Christians emphasize and return to these roots?
As a side note, I think it is a travesty that the Christian world went Greek and ignored Hebrew roots. It is still very one sided in seminaries. Very sad. Even so, a return to the classical languages would be a good thing for all Christians.
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Sawgunner,
Love the Latin plural–I thought I was the only one!
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Cameron- Except I thought campi only has one ‘i’.
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#16, #17
I am not sure what point you are trying to make.
Various groups include or reject a variety of other groups in a variety of contexts. I am not sure how we got from fraternities at the University of Florida to…what?
In a more general context, Christians here say to homosexuals…you are not being persecuted in our country/culture.
In today’s world, that argument has some merit, though it can be argued. The general trend is toward acceptance and inclusion.
I would argue that the same generalization holds for Christians in our country/culture. Yet there is a frequent atmosphere on this web site among the Christians of being discriminated against.
It may be that the general trend is for our society to be more inclusive and tolerant of a variety of groups, including some who have been persecuted in the past. Some of these changes may be for the good; some may not be.
In the last eight years, evangelical Christians have swung between a strange, contradictory air of we are on the upsurge and we are seeing power slipping out of our grasp.
I would suggest that if you see power or acceptance slipping out of your grasp the place to look for the reason is mostly in the mirror and not so much in devilish agendas lurking in every corner. You had it; you blew it.
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Peter L,
I think you’re right. Still sounds better than the contemporary form ‘campuses’.
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I have read the posts on this thread with some interest. I have a couple of things to say:
Neither one of my children attended a Christian college. One attended a public ciollege and the other, a public university here in the state of VA. (Horrors!!)
After declaring that she had no interesst in Greek life, no one was more surprised than she was that a sorority sought her out on her campus in a process known as “continuous open bid.” She was invited by some young women who were already her friends to join, and while she was checking it out, found that the members of this sorority tended to be the “good” girls, and those who were academically inclined. She had few girlfriends in high school, most of her friends were guys. So she decided to join the sorority, and for the first time in her life was one of the girls.
My husband and I who had joined the military in lieu of college had no experience with Greek life except Animal House and the occasional usually bad press about Greek life in general and hazing gone bad, etc. It is rare to see any good press about Greek life. We were not terribly pleased that she decided to join a sorority, and told her that she was footing the entire bill for it herself, which she did.
After seeing my daughter’s involvement in her sorority, I have a much more positive view of Greek life. My daughter was very active in her collegiate chapter and was the VP for a year. They are involved in a lot of philanthropic ventures, although they are a social fraternity, and As the VP of her chapter, she was very concerned that hazing, which violates the rules according to her chapter’s charter, the national organization’s bylaws, the college’s policies, and the Pan-Helenic Council, not occur in her sorority.
She did say that there were some Greek organizations that did engage in hazing and were very cliquish, but she did not have much to do with those organizations. Hers was not one of the popular ones on campus. By and large, there is a move among Greek organizations to be seen as a more positive influence. I have to say, I was impressed with what I saw with regard to her organization. She has maintained her ties as an alumna, and finds it very rewarding.
It was because of her positive experience that my son even considered joining a fraternity whan he went to college 2 years after his sister. Both he and his sister maintain that it was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Socially, as the new kid in every school, he had a difficult time fitting in, and was not popular at school when he was growing up.
His fraternity, (at least the chapter on his campus) opened many doors for him socially and he still maintains his friendships with his fraternity brothers. As a grad student on alumnai status, his fraternity has welcomed him and they look to him for guidance.
He too did not join the “cool guy” fraternity on his campus, the vast majority of the guys in his fraternity were former Boy Scouts (My son was an Eagle.) His experience was just as positive as his sister’s experience. In fact alcohol rarely played a role in his fraternity’s activities because he attended a dry campus. Having said that, I know that drinking took place off campus, and not just at fraternity functions. I’d be a fool to think it didn’t happen college wide.
All this is to say, depending on the organization and it’s focus at the national and chapter level, Greek life can be a positive experience. I have written an article (which as yet I have not sold) called “Don’t beware of Greeks”. It is a positive look at Greek life on campus, since I have not seen much positive press about the topic.
As my son said, when I interviewed him for the article, “You have to trust the job you did as a parent in raising your kids to make good decisions and then trust that they will.”
Both of mine did.
On the topic of Christian fraternities and sororities, I say, “Why not”? If it affirms kids in their faith and is biblically based, what’s the problem? Youth groups at church that cater to the college demographic often fall way short. Maybe an organizarion by and for it’s members is not a bad way to go. If they follow the usual blueprint, there will be plenty of give back to the community and outreach. Generally, fraternities require more commitment than say, a Bible study. College kids especially like to meet with like-minded peers.
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Klasko,
I think your post illustrates several sensible points.
One is a common characteristic that I believe is called picking an “emblam.” That is, when we discuss a group or class of people, we tend to focus on members of the group that fit our prejudices.
If we encounter a black person who acts in a negative way, we then decide he or she represents black people. If we meet a white person who acts in a negative way, we decide that person represents white white people.
My comments were not about fraternities. For various incidental reasons I have had little to do with fraternities and sororities, both in college or since. My mind is faily open on the topic; it comes as no surprise to me that many college students have wonderful and beneficial experiences with belonging to a fraternity or sorority, especially if they use common sense in choosing one to join.
I have no objection in general to a fraternity being oriented around a religious belief. I think there may be problems with such a type of organization in a public university. At some point people have to make choices; as a non-religious person I would not encourage a child to attend a religious college; though if for some sensible reason (I can envision ones existing) they wanted to attend one, I wouldn’t regard it as a horrible choice, but they should understand that certain rules and limits comes with that territory.
My original point is that the web site frequently displays special pleading and a sense of drama queen theatrics about Christian life in America. Not you, in particular Klasko; this is just a general comments intended to irritate as many people as possible.
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Simple question,
Would you rather have you son or daughter live in the co-ed dorms or a Christian Frat/Sority?
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Lloyd
That’s a simple answer for us, “Christian Frat/Sority” would take first place – “co-ed dorms” isn’t an option in our family.
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I haven’t read every comment in the thread, but I have to agree with Klasko that Greek life can be a positive experience. I was never in a sorority, but both of my sisters are and if I had it to do over again, I probably would be too. They can be a great way to build leadership experience and get involved in philanthropy. If the sorority is a good one that cares for its campus image, there’s an accountability built in that keeps young women on good behavior.
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Evan (#5),
I am co-counsel with CLS in the UF BUX case, and I write in a spirit of correction. CLS does not establish Christian fraternities. CLS represents them when their constitutional rights are denied. No one is out to pick a fight; universities are given every opportunity to change unconstitutional policies before litigation is commenced. But when litigation is commenced, we intend to win. Securing the constitutional rights of our clients is the goal. And when litigation is necessary, of course favorable precedent is ALSO the goal. At least consider that the Kingdom is advanced when one Christian fraternity is able to compete for the hearts and minds of men on campus, and the Kingdom is advanced all the more when the victory for the one fraternity secures freedom for other Christians who want to organize on campus for any Christian purpose–witnessing, discipling, worship, charity, etc.
You, of course, are free to criticize CLS, and to associate or disassociate with CLS according to your conscience. You are no less a Christian or Christian lawyer by not being involved. But to label its efforts “silly” in this forum seems uncharitable at best, and certainly lacks either theological or legal credibility.
To be clear, I respect and commend your concern that Christian students not seek to conform to the world or replace the local church. They must not. I hope and expect, however, that Christian fraternities like BUX strengthen their members’ commitment to their local church, and serve as a means for their members to fulfill the cultural mandate by taking dominion over campuses, even Greek systems, for Christ’s sake.
In Christ,
Roger
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I’m a little confused about the Christian fraternity thing. How exactly is that different from campus ministries that others have mentioned? The only difference I can think of is that one option requires membership fees and has selective membership, while the other is free of charge and open to anyone.
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Regarding Greek organizations in general, I have a lot of mixed feelings but tend to view them negatively for the most part:
Most people complain about the keg parties and hazing. There’s nothing inherently wrong with keg parties, although what commonly happens at such parties IS a problem. It’s possible to attend, have a good time, and remain sober, but it’s incredibly easy to take it up a notch.
I’m not too concerned with hazing. In my mind, the people being hazed asked for it. You signed up of your own will and you are paying money to the organization, all in full knowledge that you will have to go through a rough initiation period…just in the hopes of being accepted. That’s what I call asking for it.
My biggest issues with Greek organizations are the selective membership process and the formation of an identity. There’s something wrong with putting a picture of an 18-year-old on an overhead projector while 100+ girls debate whether or not they should let the 18-year-old into their group. My wife was a “Greek” and I spent 2.5 years working in a sorority house, but there’s no way I want my daughter’s image flashed up on that screen so she can be judged.
I can’t speak for every Greek organization, but the ones at my alma mater came with an identity. Students pursued the identity they most wanted to claim. When you said “I’m a Delta Gamma”, that said something about you. If you were dating a Sigma Chi, wow, that really meant something special. Some of the conversations I overheard on my job were shocking, and the girls should have been embarrassed to be talking that way about people…based solely on their sorority or fraternity (or even lack thereof).
I can’t make a blanket statement that going Greek is good or bad. I think it’s a case by case basis, and by that I mean person by person. Some people can go through 4 years of Greek life and do just fine. I’m thinking that a majority, on the other hand, are not suited for that environment at that early of an age.
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I hate to admit a long-ago crime, but here goes.
When I was a college student I lived in a huge old ram-shackle house full of non-frat, non-sorority students. We were not frat/sorority rejects (I never had the ghost of a desire to belong to a fraternity); we were just generally the kind of people that did not exactly desire to go the frat route, to say the least.
We were quite diverse, ranging from hippies to geeks to starched-shirt conservative types and even had two infamously lesbian girls down at the end of the hall, with whom we got along with just famously, that being then. But, most emphatically, none of us were fraternity or sorority.
Anyway, across the road was a sorority house. There were a good deal of activity that went on in the sorority house (they never drew their blinds) which proved to be an educable experience in and of itself.
They always had parties; the frat boys would swarm the place, loud music was the norm, and milling drinking crowds of these drunken well-dressed young men and women would surge about on the street and yards below the windows of our old (non-frat) house.
That was okay on weekends – but one time they had a big party on a weeknight, said party going on well into the wee hours of the morning. The noise proved impossible to shut away – and some of us had tests in the morning.
To make a long story a little bit less long, everyone in our house (probably 15 people or so) was fed up and angry as the loud and raucous party went on and on and on.
Well, I had a Patrick Henry moment. So I supplied the troops with three dozen rotten eggs out of my refrigerator (they had been in there for a very, very, very long time).
One of my roommates, a most versatile young man, came up with a half dozen smoke bombs that, it turned out, he had been saving for just such an occasion. Most manned the upper story windows along the street which brought a great advantage in terms of bomb-sighting the milling frats below.
I was a member of the small elite commando unit that attacked the sorority house from behind with the smoke bombs.
Suffice it to say, that that evening was a watershed event; we struck a resounding and splendid blow against our mortal and eternal enemies; my principle memory, gained as I sprinted back from the highly successful smoke-bomb attack within the sorority house itself, was seeing a drunken frat boy standing in the backseat of an open convertible, clutching a beer and yelling some sort of obscenity, get plastered by a rotten egg right smack on his forehead. In the darkness and confusion and smoke of the battle, it was a complete and utter rout.
It turned out the lesbians had particularly good aim; I hasten to remark, however, that I am not making any generalizations regarding lesbians and their targeting/throwing capabilities.
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Beautiful — reminds me of my own university experience.
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