Please read the article on Syncretism first
The purpose of this paper is to bring about discernment among Christians concerning the practices and symbols as found within Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO's) and whether or not they should have a place in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ when viewed from a "Biblical" world view. Though the focus is on BGLO'S, what is under discussion is applicable to any and all Greek letter organizations.
There are at least five important questions that need to be answered. They are:
1. Are BGLO compatible
with Christianity when looked at from a Biblical world view?
2.
Would incorporating teachings and imagery of a pagan gods along
with the God of the Bible be considered an act of idolatry?
3.
Are the so called deities (gods) of the pagan faiths practiced by
4.
For a believer, seeking to obey God, would a commitment and devotion to an organization in connection with a
false god, be an abomination to God?
5.
Have the teachings of the false god's of pagan societies lifted
that society up or brought it under bondage and or ultimately doom?
"Within"
the church there are those who have made a decision to join either a Sorority
for women or a Fraternity for males. Then there are others who are in a period
of exploration and consideration as to whether or not they should join. I
would encourage one to do a spiritual assessment before joining any GLO or any
organization for that matter.
Young folks are the primary target of GLO's.
Some join out of the tradition of the institution, others due to a family member
or friends who where or is currently part of a fraternity or sorority. Some
claim that membership in a fraternity or sorority is a good first step toward
enjoying all the benefits that college life has to offer. BGLO's consist of what's typically
called the "The Divine Nine", which
consists of the following
organizations:
"The
Divine Nine."
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Indiana University
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Founded 1963, Morgan State
University
God's Expectation For His People For those who
are professing Christians it is imperative that one's life has a focus on living
by God's word alone (Deut 8:3, Matt 4:3-4). One must not be deceived into taking
lightly the joining of any organization or group including a church. One should
pursue the will of God for one's life to "ensure" the best for one's life. The
benefits of such a pursuit will have rewards even in eternity. For eternity is
God's focus and should be ours. Our bodies and minds must be completely
devoted to God according to the word of God so that we may prove what the will
of God is. Notice what Paul says in the following passage in Romans 1
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which
is good and acceptable and perfect.
Practicing Spiritual
Discernment As Christian's we
are commanded to (1) prove all things and (2)abstain from all evil 1Thess
5:21-22, and (3) to test the spirits (teachers) (1 John 4:1). Testing and
proving is not just limited to things pertaining to the church but to where ever
we find ourselves in the culture. A failure to do so would be in direct
disobedience to the word of God and reflect a lack of spiritual discernment and
maturity (Heb 5:13-14) or worse yet, it would cast doubts on whether or not one
truly has a relationship with Christ. In commenting on 1Thess 5:21-22 Edmond
Hiebert
says the following: Spiritual
maturity and discernment is vital as we engage in spiritual warfare (Eph
6:10-12). It is imperative that one understand that Satan doesn't limited
himself to just the affairs of church in the life of the believer but will
attack the believer in any area he can gain a strong hold, to render them
ineffective for the cause of Christ. Therefore its important that one is
actively cautious, watchful and vigilant in
light of the prowling of Satan as he seeks opportunities to attack.(1Pet
5:8) It is important that one be not ignorant of
his schemes, Satan does and can disguise himself as an angel of light and
his servants as servants of righteousness (2Cor 11:14-15). This is why it's paramount that one understands that good works alone is not the
ultimate validation of truth. Therefore one must be fully prepared to engage in
spiritual warfare by clothing themselves with the full armor our God. (Eph
6:11,13). This will enable you to recognize and resist in the evil day that all those who are born again
will encounter, count on it.
Despite its pagan associations some churches openly endorse
the activities and organizations of BGLOs by giving them a forum to
speak and promote their agendas. I have personality witness this in a
historic Black church in Birmingham Alabama. This activity is keeping in
line with the prophetic word where the Holy Spirit has said. in 1 Tim
4:1-2 :
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from
the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, and again in 2Pet 2:1-3 1 But
false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift
destruction upon themselves. 2 Many
will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth
will be maligned; 3 and
in
their
greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long
ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Yet despite the strong
biblical warning against paganism and association with Occultic activity (2
Cor 6:14-17). Leadership and laity alike are showing incredible lack
of spiritual responsibility, utter lack of regard for God's commands and no
spiritual discernment what so ever. This has provided an open door for
the "Doctrine of Demons" to flourish and mature unabated. The attitude
reflects the state of apostasy that the church is currently in and shows
that we are indeed in the consummation of the church age.
Pagan / Occultic
Connection via the Integration of Pagan Deities and Symbolism
Founded 1906, Cornell University
Founded 1908, Howard University
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Howard
University[5]
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Founded 1913, Howard
University
[6]
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Founded 1914, Howard
University
[7]
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Founded 1920, Howard
University [8]
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Founded 1922, Butler
University
[9]
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron.
12“Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.
13 “But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim
14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—
15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice
16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods
The use of Pagan Deities and Symbolism needs an objective Biblical world view answer not an opinionated subjective answer based on human reasoning.
Pagan societies held to a belief in a number of deities, both male and female. These so called deities gave to their followers a variety of traits and qualities. Many of these deities had their own distinctive cults that followed specific rituals, honor and even sacrifice to their particular gods or goddesses. These deities where identified by what they bestowed on humans. Therefore you have Minerva the goddess of handicrafts, the professions, the arts, with her owl as a symbol of the Greek goddess Athena denoting wisdom, Venus the goddess of love, Apollo the god of music (principally the lyre, and he directed the choir of the Muses) and also of prophecy, colonization, medicine, archery (but not for war or hunting), poetry, dance, intellectual inquiry and the carer of herds and flocks.
Because of the spiritual importance, there are eternal significance and consequence at stake. Following is a partial list of Pagan Deities used either in secret ritual proceedings and or attire symbolism. The point being, paganism has its tentacles into BGLOs as the below table clearly demonstrates. Not meant to be exhaustive only to reflect a pattern
| F=Fraternity S=Sorority | Name | Pagan Deity or Symbol | Historical Traditional Meaning | ||
| F | Kappa Alpha Psi | Apollo |
T
 he
son of
Zeus and
Leto, and the twin brother of
Artemis. Apollo was the god of music
(principally the lyre, and he directed the
choir of the
Muses) and also of prophecy,
colonization, medicine, archery (but not for
war or hunting), poetry, dance, intellectual
inquiry and the carer of herds and flocks.
He was also a god of light, known as
"Phoebus" (radiant or beaming, and he was
sometimes identified with
Helios the sun god). He was also the god
of plague and was worshiped as
Smintheus (from sminthos, rat)
and as Parnopius (from parnops,
grasshopper) and was known as the destroyer
of rats and locust, and according to Homer's
Iliad, Apollo shot arrows of plague
into the Greek camp. Apollo being the god of
religious healing would give those guilty of
murder and other immoral deeds a ritual
purification. Sacred to Apollo are the swan
(one legend says that Apollo flew on the
back of a swan to the land of the
Hyperboreans, he would spend the winter
months among them), the wolf and the
dolphin. His attributes are the bow and
arrows, on his head a laurel crown, and the
cithara (or lyre) and plectrum. But his most
famous attribute is the tripod, the symbol
of his prophetic powers.
Apollo was worshiped throughout the Greek world, at Delphi every four years they held the Pythian Games in his honor. He had many epithets, including "Pythian Apollo" (his name at Delphi), "Apollo Apotropaeus" (Apollo who averts evil), and "Apollo Nymphegetes" (Apollo who looks after the Nymphs). As the god of shepherds he also had the cult titles "Lukeios" (from lykos; wolf), protecting the flocks from wolfs, and "Nomius" (of pastures, belonging to shepherds). Being the god of colonists, Apollo influenced his priests at Delphi to give divine guidance, as to where the expedition should proceed. This was during the height of the colonizing era circa 750-550 BCE. Apollo's title was "Archigetes" (leader of colonists). According to one legend, it was Apollo who helped either Cretan or Arcadian colonists found the city of Troy. In art Apollo is at most times depicted as a handsome young man, clean shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows. There are many sculptures of Apollo and one of the most famous is the central figure from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, at Olympia, showing Apollo declaring victory in favor of the Lapiths in their struggle against the Centaurs. [3] http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/apollo.html |
||
|
DELPHIC |
 Site
of the ancient temple and
oracle of
Apollo in Greece. Located on the slopes of Mount
Parnassus, it was the centre of the world in ancient Greek religion.
According to legend, the oracle was originally sacred to
Gaea, and Apollo acquired it by slaying her child, the serpent
Python. From 582 BC Delphi was the
site of the
Pythian Games. The oracle was consulted not only on private matters
but also on affairs of state, such as the founding of new colonieshttp://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Delphic |
||||
| Alpha Phi Alpha | Sphinx |
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia | Date: 2007
In Egypt, the Sphinx had been a male monster, combining the body of a lion with the head of a ram or man. But in Greece the Sphinx became a she-monster, with the head and breasts of a woman, the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the tail of a snake. http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Article/678363 Mythological creature with a lion's body and a human's head. It figures prominently in Egyptian and Greek art and legend. The winged sphinx of Thebes was said to have terrorized people by demanding the answer to a riddle taught to her by the Muses—What is it that has one voice and yet becomes successively four-footed, then two-footed, then three-footed?—and devoured every person who answered incorrectly. When Oedipus correctly answered “man”—who crawls on all fours in infancy, walks on two feet when grown, and leans on a staff in old age—the sphinx killed herself. The earliest and most famous example in art is the Great Sphinx at Giza in Egypt, built 2500 . The sphinx appeared in the Greek world 1600 and in Mesopotamia 1500 . http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-379298.html |
|||
| Delta Sigma Theta |
Roman Goddess Minerva Greek |
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia | Date: 2007
|
|||
|
|
Phi Beta Sigma |
Pallas Athena |
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | Date: 2008Athena , or Pallas Athena , in Greek religion and mythology, one of the most important Olympian deities. According to myth, after Zeus seduced Metis he learned that any son she bore would overthrow him, so he swallowed her alive. Later Hephaestus split Zeus' skull with an ax, and out sprang Athena, fully armed. Athena was a deity of diverse functions and attributes. Her most conspicuous role was perhaps that of a goddess of war, the female counterpart of Ares. However, she was also a goddess of peace, noted for her compassion and generosity. Like Minerva, with whom the Romans identified her, she was a patron of the arts and crafts, especially spinning and weaving. In later times she was important as a goddess of wisdom. Athena was also a guardian of cities, notably Athens, where the Parthenon was erected as her temple. |
||
| S | Alpha Kappa Alpha | Atlas |
 Atlas
, in Greek mythology, a Titan ; son of Iapetus and Clymene and the
brother of Prometheus. When the Titans were defeated, Atlas was
condemned to hold the sky on his shoulders for all eternity—a mythical
explanation of why the sky does not fall. Hercules shouldered the burden
in exchange for Atlas fetching him the apples of the Hesperides.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Atlas.aspx
|
||
| F | Iota Phi Theta | Centaur |
In Greek mythology, a race of creatures, part horse and part man, dwelling in the
mountains of Thessaly and Arcadia. Traditionally they were the offspring of
Ixion,king of the neighbouring Lapiths, and were best known for their fight(centauromachy)
with the Lapiths, which resulted from their attempt to carry off the
bride of Pirithous, son and successor of Ixion. They lost the battle and
were driven from Mount Pelion. In later Greek times they were often
represented drawing the chariot of the wine god Dionysus or bound and
ridden by Eros, the god of love, in allusion to their drunken and
amorous habits. Their general character was that of wild, lawless, and
inhospitable beings, the slaves of their animal passions. (The Centaur
Chiron was not typical in this
respect.) in
Greek
mythology, one of the Centaurs, the son of the Titan
Cronus and
Philyra, an Oceanid or sea nymph.
Chiron lived at the foot
of Mount Pelion in Thessaly. Unlike other Centaurs, who were violent and
savage, he was famous for his wisdom and knowledge of medicine. Many
Greek heroes, including Heracles, Achilles, Jason, and Asclepius, were
instructed by him. Chiron frequently appears in the legends of his
grandson, Peleus, and his great-grandson, Achilles. Accidentally pierced
by a poisoned arrow shot by Heracles, he renounced his immortality in
favor of Prometheus and was placed among the stars as the constellation
Sagittarius
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/102035/Centaur#tab=active |
||
| S | Sigma Gamma Rho |
Symbol of Death |
 |
In
|
The following is
excerpt from the book "African American Fraternities
Fraternities and
Sororities" [13] |
|
|
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The Issue of Idolatry and Pagan Practices Within The Rituals of BGLO's
An in-depth analysis of Black Greek Letter Organizations Jordan L. Rice J.D.
The Biblical Position on Associations with organizations
That Have Pagan
Connections
Top
God's position and instruction to believers joining forces with those who worship and follow other gods is quite clear in scripture.
First lets look at passages Exodus 20:3 The first of the ten commandments
Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
|
"before Me" may mean “in opposition to
Me” as well as “in My presence”, [9] either way it strongly
implies that God's people are to have "no" association with any
type of foreign god, materialistically, spiritually or other
wise. According to Is 2:6 association with other gods brings with it the danger of godless influence from those who don't now the true and living God. Is 2:6 6 For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east , And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners. |
The Bible Exhorts Biblical Separation
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
| Paul is not giving
an injunction against all associations with
unbelievers. (1Cor 5:9-11; 10:27) Paul encourage the
Christian believer who is married to a non Christian
to remain in the marriage as long as possible. (1Cor 7:12-16) This is forbidding the forming of “close” attachment to the unbeliever, thus Paul uses the Greek word for bound, (translated "unequal yoking in the KJV) .”heterozugeo” which means to come under an unequal or different yoke; a mismatched. It is often necessary to indicate somewhat more precisely the manner in which one may be wrongly matched with others. Accordingly, one can translate 2 Cor 6.14 as ‘do not attempt to work together with those who are unbelievers’ or ‘do not become partners with those who do not believe.’ [10] The figure of speech of "unequal yoking "(KJV) is based on the command found in To be "unequally yoked" or "bound" with those involved in idolatry and heathenism would have resulted in compromise of beliefs, standards, goals and a "single minded devotion to God." Paul further drives his point home when he says, "...what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness" The Greek word for "partnership is metoche which is a relationship involving shared purposes and activity.[10] This partnership is seen in the relationship context of those who are unequally yoked, which is described as "righteousness, Greek dikaiosynē" (those who do right according to God's word and "lawlessness, Greek anomia" (those who are against the law; wrong doing, committers of sinful acts) being bound together. The same unholy union is explicitly implied in Paul's metaphoric question ,..." what fellowship has light with darkness" |
Syncretism in its basic meaning is the reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, it reshapes Christian beliefs and practices, as a result Christianity looses it's unique nature and speaks with a tone that reflects the world's culture. In its essence syncretism, is a form of idolatry.
In example of this can be seen in the following passages of Ezekiel along with God's displeasure Ezk 8:3-18
| Ezk 8:3-18 3 He stretched out the form of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was located. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain. 5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, raise your eyes now toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this idol of jealousy at the entrance. 6 And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations.” 7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Son of man, now dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. 9 And He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. 11 Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ” 13 And He said to me, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing.” 14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these.” 16 Then He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun. 17 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have filled the land with violence and provoked Me repeatedly? For behold, they are putting the twig to their nose. 18 “Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.” |
These passages in Ezekiel reveal at lease 4 things:
|
1. In this great vision Ezekiel
finds himself transported to the temple in 2. There was the practice of the combination of different systems of philosophical and religious belief and practice. (OT Judaism and Egyptian Paganism). This is known as Syncretism. Just like those in Ezekiel day who intermingle different systems of philosophical and religious belief and practice, those within BGLO are guilty of the same idolatry as the Israelites of old through their practice of syncretism. 3. God considers such practices as offensive and provocative ( 4. One who participates in practices that involves pagan gods and their world view belief system are under the wrath of God ( |
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Doesn't the Philanthropic
Works Reflect The Godly Character of BGLO's? I ran across the following while online which
stated, “Some believe that those pastors who belong to “secret
orders,” also believe they have proven themselves in the Christian
arena by means of their good works." Imagine an organize crime boss who gives
gifts to friends and provide jobs for the jobless in the areas that
he controls, with the intent to gain credibility among the populace
for the purpose of masking his real motives, which is to carry out
criminal activity in the background. Just as this scenario is a real
possibility in the physical realm it is also true in the spirit
realm. Yet their deeds are lawless because
on one hand they perform good works while on the other they misled
spiritually. Yet some claim what they are doing is compatible with
Christianity and for the good of others. This is dangerous ground, a
person who allows this duplicity in their life is at certain risk of
being one of those that the Lord talk about in
Both Satan and those whom he uses disguise (Greek metaschematizo /met·askh·ay·mat·id·zo - means to change appearance, transform, masquerade, disguise [16] ). themselves to hide their true nature.
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We
are discussing Greek Letter Organizations and Freemasonry in the
body of Christ and how the 2 cannot be mixed. We are discussing
this with former member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Prince
Hall Masons,
We
are discussing Greek Letter Organizations and
Secret Societies in this installment and how it
affects the life of a Christian.
