GLOs compromise values?

[astroAPhi]

These little vents have probably been done tons of times, but it's even worse when a Greek letter organization puts other ones down.

I found the following on a local sorority's website, and it angered me. I am not providing the source, because I don't want people going and flaming them and sending nasty emails, even if I do think they deserve it.

Why start your own sorority?
In 1991, our founders decided to start their own organization, they saw a need for an organization with an uncompromising Christian focus. Honestly, they came across many organizations with good ideals and many called themselves Christian, but none quite lived up to their claims of Jesus Christ being the central focus. They also wanted to provide an alternative to women who did not want to compromise their values when joining a Greek-lettered organization. They also wanted to have an organization that stood for true friendship and sisterly love.

Since when has the greek system been about "compromising values"? Fine, they can be a Christian sorority. I'm Christian, and I don't compromise my values by being an Alpha Phi.

Collegiates who are so quick to judge the Greek system usually forget that Greek organizations on college campuses are made up of college students. If someone is a tramp/jerk/alcoholic it's not because their Greek organization made them that way, it's because they were like that before they joined, and would have acted like that anyway. I can name several non-Greeks at my school who act like that, and they aren't Greek.

Any one else got any points that I haven't made?

[33girl]

People who say stuff like that sorority are the kind of "Christians" who give Christians a bad name.

It's called "JUDGE NOT"....look into it.

[TKESweetheart]

I certainly don't think that joining a sorority means you will automatically compromise your values, however, on many campuses, there is a lot of pressure to party or date that some girls might be uncomfortable with if they are very concervative. Just speaking of my experience, you were considered pretty wierd if you didn't drink and we had a BIG eating disorder problem because of the pressure to be "pretty" and "datable" and have the frats want to have socials with us. I don't think thats right, but it was how it was. I mean....admit it, when you went through rush, you were probably aware of who the "fat" sorority was or the "ugly" one of the "party" one or "smart" one was. Of course when you actually get in the organization you see who people really are, but everyone has a rep. Maybe they just didn't like what was going on on their campus. Of course I don't know what school it is...I'm just guessing.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

Maybe the confusion is over the start of things.

God is frequently mentioned in my sorority's creed (www.phimu.org), and I have no doubt that every founding member (and probably most of the members for awhile after that) were Christian women, considering the social situation of women at that time attending college.

However, many of our sisters today are NOT Christian. They're Jewish, Hindu, Agnostic, everything.

We still have God in our creed, though, (which honestly, was one of the reasons I chose Phi Mu.)

Perhaps that's the point the girl was trying to make (quite poorly, I agree.) That many organizations started out as support networks for Christian women, and are now networks for ALL women, and hers is dedicated to Christian women specificially.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

OH GOOD LORD.

(Appropriate don't you think?)

When I joined my sorority, I didn't smoke, drink, swear, or have sex.

My sorority sisters thought I was the sweetest thing, and trounced fraternity brothers at parties who were silly enough to ask, "Hey, Jacquelyn, wanna beer?"

SORORITIES DO NOT MAKE YOU COMPROMISE YOUR CHARACTER.

[chideltjen]

I was just gonna ask: don't most GLOs have some sort of religious 'background' to them? And there are those that don't have a religious affiliation at all. (at least my group doesn't...)

But I question the source... perhaps this is a local group on a private campus or strictly religious college. Maybe that's why they have this ideal that "regular" GLOs will compromise beliefs. But I agree with HotDamn... any change of character on my part has been my decision, not my sorority's influence.

[CarolinaCutie]

There are at least a good handful of Christian girls in my chapter. On Monday nights we have a chapter bible study called God Talk that's open to any sisters who want to attend. And like HotDamn, one of the things that attracted me to Phi Mu during rush was their use of Bible verses in their Pref ceremony.

Being in a sorority does not compromise your values unless you are ready and willing for your values to be compromised

[Kevin]

The hardest thing to change with a person is their VALUES. If their values dictate that GLO's = bad you're not going to change their mind. Funny how they essentially start a new GLO to not join a GLO.

[erica812]

We don't know what the state of Greek Life is/was at the campus in question.

I made a brief but enthusiastic attempt to bring a national Christian sorority to my campus (personal factors forced me to choose to end the process ). The chapters at my campus were strong national groups, and I had friends that were sisters in these groups. My hope to bring the Christian sorority to campus had nothing to do with any bad feelings against sororities, but I felt there was a need for a Christian group for women. The Student Christian Association was a strong co-ed organization on campus, but I knew that there was a special bond to be shared among Christian women.

Also, I was young and unsure of myself in many ways. While I knew that I would never be forced to party or to drink (and I don't think that these activities are BAD or EVIL), I didn't want to feel segregated from my sisters because I had made a choice not to participate in the partying and drinking that was a big part of the social life on my campus (Greek or not). Even if a sister never treated me differently, I would FEEL different because I didn't attend the events where alcohol was present. I've just never felt comfortable around drinking (not an issue of Christianity at all). I felt confident that I could find sisterhood within a Christian group because we would immediately share the bond of our faith.

I can completely see where this local is coming from. I think the women were very clear that they were looking for a group with a Christian focus. Some people join a professional GLO looking for an Engineering focus or they join a literary society for a literary focus. Same thing. Maybe the wording of the statement wasn't perfect, but it may have been just what a young Christian woman on their campus was waiting to hear.

Aren't we all just looking for the best fit for our own needs?

[DGWannabe]

I think you said that beautifully.