Fraternities and the Brotherhood of Jesus Christ

Another young man died from fraternity hazing 2 weeks ago.  A 19 year old student of the University of Makati whose father happens to be a casual acquaintance of mine died from fraternity hazing and was simply dumped in a ravine in Laguna.  It is so sad that this family is forced to go through unbearable pain.

Joining a fraternity is not necessarily wrong.  Fraternity men are our usual classmates, seatmates, schoolmates and friends who make school life fun, entertaining, meaningful and memorable.  You fall in line during enrollment with them.  You play against and alongside them during sports events. You go through the same class highs and lows with them.  When you are alone with a frat man you hardly notice that he's a frat member and you are not.  Like the most of us they come from different backgrounds and they have different talents, gifts, personalities and values that they use to achieve their  various dreams and aspirations.  

I didn't join a fraternity in college mainly because of two reasons:  

1. The contrast between joining a fraternity and entering into Jesus Christ’s "Fraternity”
2. Lack of need for a fraternity because of my identity in Christ and Christ's Sovereign power at work in every Christian

This post only addresses the first.

In joining any organization or group one must always look at the motivations, qualities and qualifications of its leaders – both founding and current leaders.  Since I was in college I was amazed at the stark contrast in the leadership and manner of entry into a fraternity and Christianity.

Please note that when I talk about Christianity what is in my mind is a group of individuals sharing a common bond upon entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that is, they have submitted their whole lives to the salvation and Lordship of Jesus Christ by God's grace, through faith.

FRATERNITY	BROTHERHOOD OF CHRIST
Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group. (Wikipedia) -- the neophyte undergoes hazing from the leaders -- leaders apply physical or emotional pain to a person who has been invited to join the brotherhood	..... -- the leader (Jesus Christ) is hazed by the neophytes --  the leader (Jesus Christ) is put under physical pain by the person/s who will be entering His brotherhood
-- the leaders can humiliate the neophyte as a ritual for initiation into the fraternity	--   neophytes humiliate the leader (Jesus Christ)

These are stark contrasts.  Jesus, the leader, suffers for his neophytes to the point of death.  Show us a fraternity where the leaders allow themselves to be scourged, spat at, crowned with thorns, starved, nailed and killed through a criminal's death by their neophytes.   That is the leader I will follow.  That is the brotherhood I will belong to.

Isaiah 53

 ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities 
       and carried our sorrows, 
       yet we considered him stricken by God, 
       smitten by him, and afflicted.
 ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, 
       he was crushed for our iniquities; 
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, 
       and by his wounds we are healed.
 ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, 
       yet he did not open his mouth; 
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, 
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, 
       so he did not open his mouth.
 ⁸ By oppression ^[a] and judgment he was taken away. 
       And who can speak of his descendants? 
       For he was cut off from the land of the living; 
       for the transgression of my people he was stricken. ^[b]

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