# Fraternal Organizations?



## Nse007 (Apr 24, 2007)

I am an honorary member of a Band Fraternity at University. The ritual rites have some weird (pentagrams) symbolism and the like. Is it right to belong to these fraternal organizations? I know this is similar to the debate on oaths. Interested on your thoughts!


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## Contra_Mundum (Apr 24, 2007)

That's an issue of your conscience, brother. There is plenty of weird stuff in the world; if you can "keep yourself unspotted" while remaining a member, so be it. Sounds like you are only "honorary" anyway. Perhaps you should refrain from deeper involvement unless you can do so without violations of your conscience. Sound's to me as though just by raising the issue you are questioning at least the wisdom of it, if not the rightness of it. Better to hold off, than to go against conscience.

Arcane rites and "mystery" are basically tools of controlling others. That's the basic *function* of such things in pagan religions. They also act as boundary-markers, but again in paganism and gnostic (secret) society, there are "levels" of initiation. All which goes toward establishment of control. Control over extra-human "power" granted through ritual is (as C.S. Lewis pointed out) really farther attempt to get power over men.

Christianity, in contrast, knows no such thing. Yes, the sacraments are boundary lines, but there is no secrecy or "levels" of initiation. Control is fixed at the limits of the declarative Word of God.

Hope this is helpful.
By the way, please find your "control panel" and incorporate the required information in your "signature".
Thanks,
the p-b administration


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## Chris (Apr 24, 2007)

Nse007 said:


> The ritual rites have some weird (petagrams) symbolism and the like.



I think most people will find that if they lay out all the pros and cons, they'll find that they can easily answer their own question. 

I haven't ever heard of a college-type fraternal organization that didn't in some way (some more than others...some of the more academic-oriented ones aren't really very bad) include something that *should* violate one's conscience. 

In short, some of them (even the ones that claim to uphold the tents of Christianity in some way) are nothing but Godless paganism, and the others, less so, to varying degrees. I was a member of one major-specific Greek Letter organization in college - and would never have joined had I been a Christian at the time. The entrance ritual was simply unChristian. 

It absolutely shocks me at the number of such organizations that we (SBCers) have allowed to come onto the campuses of the universitites we support.


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## Pilgrim (Apr 24, 2007)

Chris said:


> I think most people will find that if they lay out all the pros and cons, they'll find that they can easily answer their own question.
> 
> I haven't ever heard of a college-type fraternal organization that didn't in some way (some more than others...some of the more academic-oriented ones aren't really very bad) include something that *should* violate one's conscience.
> 
> ...



No desire here to cheap shot SBCers, but considering that not a few SBC ministers through the years have been 33rd degree freemasons, what you report about the campus organizations is hardly surprising.


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## Puddleglum (Apr 25, 2007)

Totally off topic . . . is the church you go to the Emmanuel Baptist in the SeaTac area?


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## ServantOfKing (Jun 13, 2007)

I was in a music sorority for 2 semesters in college. I got out of it pretty much as soon as I realized what all was involved. Everything was done in the name of and for the honor of the fraternity. The rituals were Greek with pagan origins and there were several homosexual women in the organization. Every ounce of time, energy, and money invested was to further the breadth of the fraternity and make its name great. There were secrets we were told never to tell or else we were disloyal. It reminded me of what we were supposed to be doing to further Christ's kingdom, except Christ's kingdom is light and exposes darkness. From my personal experience I would stay far away, but of course I know many Christians involved in these types of organizations. Like others said it really is a matter of conscience and my conscience led me to get out of it.


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