While working before as instructor/registrar/secretary to our school director, I noticed that during board meetings he exchanged secret handshake to other directors. If you happen to notice the same with your company directors or Big Bosses, don't be surprised. They happened to be members of college fraternities.
Why would anyone want to join a fraternity? It can't be denied that once you're a member of a certain fraternity,there's the promise of parties, living college life to the fullest, meeting pretty sorority girls and indulging in wild, alcohol-soaked adventures. On the other hand, there's the chance to become a leader and embody the values and ideals of a fraternity.
What I just dreaded about this kind of group is the process on how they recruit members. We're not strangers of the dangers of hazing and explore fraternity life.
Take a look at the following infograph about fraternities in the US. You notice that fraternities (and sororities) are more than just freshman rush and beer busts. The social skills that help students gain admittance into the fraternity are the same aptitudes that can later give them a leg-up in corporate climbing. Plus, once they've graduated, they can tap into the network of past fraternity brothers or sisters who litter all tiers of corporate America.
Should a Christian join a fraternity / sorority? Let me ask you first, Why would you want to join a fraternity / sorority? Depending on the motivating reasons, different issues come to the forefront. If one wants to join a fraternity / sorority because they have the best parties, the Bible says that such a life should belong in one's unsaved past, not in the present life of a believer (1 Peter 4:3). If you want to join a fraternity / sorority because of it being a status symbol, it may be an issue of pride. A Christian’s closest relationships should be with fellow Christians and not based on externals tie such as belonging to the same fraternity / sorority, having gone to the same school, coming from same race or social class, etc. Most colleges have branches of Christian organizations such as InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, and Navigators as well as good local churches who have college ministries to help young people come to know Christ and grow as His disciples. These groups and fellow Christians should be sought after as the core group of friends while one is away at college. In the end, the question of whether to join a fraternity or sorority is a matter for prayer and following God’s leading in our hearts.
