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Anthony Bradley, professor of religious studies at The King’s College, NYC, and Acton research fellow, sits down with Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of program outreach, to discuss the importance of fatherhood as well as Dr. Bradley’s new research on the good that fraternities do in the way of moral formation of young men.
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Published in: General
The idea that any net social good is created from the Greek system is preposterous.
Agreed.
References:
Hatchett, Fred. 2002. Coming Apart at the Seams: Biblically Unravelling the Evils of Greek Fraternities and Sororities.
http://www.totalfratmove.com. NSFW! But TRUTH, nevertheless.
Spike Lee’s movie “School Daze.”
davenr321’s pesonal experiences
As a member of a college fraternity, including holding several elected offices (I was Rush Chair, even), I speak for all members of fraternities, past, present, and future.
I repent of my joining as a freshman. With that out of the way, some things of note: Dr. Bradley’s a member of a prestigious, traditionally African-American fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. I appreciated that disclosure and thus understand that he speaks for/spoke for all members of fraternities, past, present, and future, just like me. This is important because… if you weren’t a member, then you only know what’s on the outside. And that does matter.
Delta Kappa Epsilon is the frat in the lead when it comes to US Presidents…
On the outside, I differ with Dr. Bradley: it IS just like Animal House, every bit and then some. It’s the same way on the inside, too. That is to say, they’re tight cliques of men with common interests, ranging from this to that. What’s not like Animal House? BAD: No one dies during the action in Animal House. There’s no inter-fraternal rivalries/hatreds generated by stealing girlfriends or worse. GOOD: Where were the dedicated students? The Omegas had a good look, but other than the captain of the swim team, or editor of the Daily Faberian, how good a student, really, was Greg Marmalard? The real frats, even the losers, always have their share of excellent – or close to it – student(s), that is, people who study hard and play hard and survived it all. I think the Omegas were just as guilty of stealing exams as the Deltas…
Frats provide leadership opportunities, comradery that lasts years, mentors who might actually be worth something if you get a good one, a chance to see other’s ambitions and gauge them against one’s own, and a chance to grow. Frats also provide an opportunity to buy your friends – which is a better deal than having to rely on the charity of others.
Parties. As long as the treasurer isn’t a thief, the beer money gets pooled, there’s always somewhere to have a party, and… opportunities to meet girls – on a regular basis.
They’re also visibly pagan cults, hotbeds of snobbery, bigotry, plenty of stupidity, recklessness, amplified poor judgement, ignorance, injury and pain, and the occasional death. And plenty of worse.
I am lucky to be alive.
I was on the inside.
This is an excellent articulation.
I think his website backs up my carefully worded opinion.