Pledging Vs. Hazing: 

                       Earning the Right

 

 

 

 

It is here that we will answer some of those questions regarding a time-honored and traditional phrase and aspect of fraternities and sororities.

 

Please be advised... this will be done so as

not to divulge private, or privileged, information regarding

any organization in particular, but will hopefully serve as a

foundation for understanding why we as fraternities and

sororities participate in various rituals or traditions. 

It is only when we understand the past that we can truly

over stand the present!

 

Why do we, as "Greeks", travel across the "Burning

Sands"?  That has been a question that has puzzled not only

non-members of Greek-Lettered organizations, but members as

well.  Very few members of these organizations have a clear

understanding of the "journey across the arid sands of the

desert", known to many of us as the journey of the weary

traveler.   In order to help place this whole process into

perspective,  let us first examine a well-known story in the

bible about the trials of a man by the name of Je'sus in the

desert, or "wilderness" (Isaiah 35:1) as the bible states.

 

As stated in Matthew 4:1, Je'sus was led out into the

"wilderness" to be tempted by the devil.  This "wilderness"

is not just a wilderness in the literal since of the word,

but it can be translated as a place among the unbelievers,

or a place where the Lord dwells not- a place of sin.  How

do we know this?  Well, if one were to just browse through

the Old Testament, he would find that the references to

tabernacles being constructed are done so in the wilderness. 

For those of us who may not know, tabernacles were built to

house the spirit of Yahweh(YHWH). If the spirit of the LORD

was present, what would be the purpose of the tabernacle? 

There would be none.  Thus, tabernacles were erected so that

the spirit of YAHWEH(YHWH) would be among the unbelievers. 

Where there is no spirit of Yahweh(YHWH), there is sin.

 

This brings us back to the desert, or wilderness.  For those

of us who are members of these Greek-lettered organizations,

what does this have to do with us?  Well, for one thing, when

a person lives a life of sin, he is constantly faced with

temptations of the flesh.  The "burning sands" represents

those trials and tribulations that we are constantly faced

with in our daily lives.  The practice of "crossing the sands"

represents our triumph over the temptations of the flesh, when

 we must rely on the assistance of another to successfully make

it across the burning sands.  Just as Je'sus was tempted in the

wilderness, or the desert, we too are tested in our daily lives,

and we need to rely on a strength greater than what we possess

(2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient

for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness..." ).

 

There is also the journey when some are taught that they are

the Greek traveler,  coming from the deserts of what is known

as "Africa" crossing the sands with one mission in mind. 

"Bringing knowledge to those who are without."  When he crossed

the sands he found a people who were in need of knowledge.  Kind

of like Paul in the book of Acts when he found a group of Greeks

who knew of GOD, yet they did not know "who" GOD was. They erected

an alter to the unknown GOD, whom they worshiped, but did not know. 

It was then that Paul taught them about the plan of ELO'HIM whom

Jes'us preached about.  With this knowledge they could then give

worship to the LORD, YAHWEH

 

Born on college campuses, the fraternities were designed

to attract the more formally educated Black man into the

plan of "salvation."  Each of the four Black Greek-lettered

organizations were founded by at least one man who was a

member of the order of Freemasons.  Because they were blessed

with the ability to organize, they laid out the designs that

would attract potential members into their organizations and

give them just enough "light" to be beneficial to the

fraternity, but little enough to generate a craving for more

until they were ready to make that next step.  If one were to

examine the mottos and crests of each organization, they would

 notice striking similarities between each of them, rather it

be elements of the shields or similarities in mottos.  Anyone

who has "traveled" some would have more insight into to these

 similarities.