Dear Ian:

Thank you for your kind remarks.

If you are a long-time reader you will probably know that I am not a fan of fraternities--especially Greek fraternities. Not all fraternities are bad, of course. When I was in college I never joined a fraternity, but I did hang around a music fraternity (not in the Greek system) and had several friends in that fraternity. I remember very fondly those times.

As to your question, it is hard to answer without a lot more information. For example:

1) iAre there any civil laws against hazing in your state and city?

2) Are there any rules against hazing at your college?

3) Are there any rules against hazing in your fraternity (national headquarters legislated) (or is the rule only against hazing pledges)?

4) What is the nature of the hazing, the specifics of what is done?

All this must be taken into consideration in truly assessing the sinfulness or lack thereof of the behavior of hazing.

So let us take each of these points in turn.

1) If there are any state laws or city ordinances against hazing, then hazing is at least a venial sin on the principle of the Bible that we are to obey our civil authorities (Col 3:22; Titus 3:1; Heb 13:17).

2) If there is a rule against hazing at the college, then hazing is at least a venial sin on the principle that you agreed to the rules of the college when you enrolled and this have an obligation to abide by those rules under most circumstances (Col 3:22; Titus 3:1; Heb 13:17).

3) While your local fraternity chapter policy is to haze the officers, if there is a rule against hazing anyone legislated by the national offices of your fraternity, then hazing even just the officers would be at least a venial sin for the same principle as #2. 

As an adjunct to this, if hazing is permitted by 1, 2, and 3 above, are there any laws or rules that proscribe certain "types" of hazing while permitting other types of hazing? If so, then those laws or rules must be followed. If an illegal form of hazing is done, or a form of hazing not allowed by the campus or fraternity rules is done, then sin is committed for the same reasons and principles described in the numbered paragraphs above.

4) Even if there are no rules or laws against hazing, or even if one stays within the limits of rules or laws that permit certain types of hazing, you are not off the hook.

One of the primary principles of Scripture is that just because something is allowable, does not mean that it is expedient, prudent, or beneficial to do (1 Cor 6:12).

This is where we must examine the nature of hazing itself (regardless of any rules against it or regulating it).

For education sake, let us first define and describe hazing in its various forms (some worse than others).

One dictionary defines hazing as "an often ritualistic test, which may constitute harassment, abuse or humiliation with requirements to perform meaningless tasks, sometimes as a way of initiation into a social group. The definition can refer to either physical (sometimes violent) or mental (possibly degrading) practices."

The website Stop Hazing has some very detailed information about the definition of hazing and provides examples. The site talks about the myths and facts about hazing. And very importantly, the site has a chart of anti-hazing laws in each state. Apparently the only states "without" hazing laws are: Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. If you live in any other state, you better check the laws.

There is also a website called, Inside Hazing, which is the site of a psychologist who talks about the extensive research that has been done on the effects of hazing.

Anyway, below I post some of the definitions and examples from the Stop Hazing Site

“Hazing” refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. 

Hazing activities are generally considered to be:  physically abusive, hazardous, and/or sexually violating.  The specific behaviors or activities within these categories vary widely among participants, groups and settings.  While alcohol use is common in many types of hazing, other examples of typical hazing practices include: personal servitude; sleep deprivation and restrictions on personal hygiene; yelling, swearing and insulting new members/rookies; being forced to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire in public; consumption of vile substances or smearing of such on one's skin; brandings; physical beatings; binge drinking and drinking games; sexual simulation and sexual assault.

Some common definitions and examples of hazing are below:

In the Alfred/NCAA survey of college athletes, hazing was defined as:

"any activity expected of someone joining a group that
humiliates, degrades, abuses or endangers, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. This does not include activities such as rookies carrying the balls, team parties with community games, or going out with your teammates, unless an atmosphere of humiliation, degradation, abuse or danger arises."

“Hazing is an activity that a high-status member orders other members to engage in or suggests that they engage in that in some way humbles a newcomer who lacks the power to resist, because he or she want to gain admission to a group. Hazing can be noncriminal, but it is nearly always against the rules of an institution, team, or Greek group. It can be criminal, which means that a state statute has been violated. This usually occurs when a pledging-related activity results in gross physical injury or death” (from Hank Nuwer's book Wrongs of Passage , 1999, p. xxv).

Hazing is defined by the FIPG (Fraternal Information Programming Group) as:

"Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution."

A. SUBTLE HAZING: Behaviors that emphasize a power imbalance between new members/rookies and other members of the group or team. Termed “subtle hazing” because these types of hazing are often taken-for-granted or accepted as “harmless” or meaningless. Subtle hazing typically involves activities or attitudes that breach reasonable standards of mutual respect and place new members/rookies on the receiving end of ridicule, embarrassment, and/or humiliation tactics. New members/rookies often feel the need to endure subtle hazing to feel like part of the group or team. (Some types of subtle hazing may also be considered harassment hazing).

Some Examples: Deception Assigning demerits Silence periods with implied threats for violation Deprivation of privileges granted to other members Requiring new members/rookies to perform duties not assigned to other members Socially isolating new members/rookies Line-ups and Drills/Tests on meaningless information Name calling Requiring new members/rookies to refer to other members with titles (e.g. “Mr.,” “Miss”) while they are identified with demeaning terms Expecting certain items to always be in one's possession

B. HARASSMENT HAZING: Behaviors that cause emotional anguish or physical discomfort in order to feel like part of the group. Harassment hazing confuses, frustrates, and causes undue stress for new members/rookies. (Some types of harassment hazing can also be considered violent hazing).

Some Examples: Verbal abuse Threats or implied threats Asking new members to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire Stunt or skit nights with degrading, crude, or humiliating acts Expecting new members/rookies to perform personal service to other members such as carrying books, errands, cooking, cleaning etc Sleep deprivation Sexual simulations Expecting new members/rookies to be deprived of maintaining a normal schedule of bodily cleanliness. Be expected to harass others

C. VIOLENT HAZING : Behaviors that have the potential to cause physical and/or emotional, or psychological harm.

Some Examples: Forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption Beating, paddling, or other forms of assault Branding Forced or coerced ingestion of vile substances or concoctions Burning Water intoxication Expecting abuse or mistreatment of animals Public nudity Expecting illegal activity Bondage Abductions/kidnaps Exposure to cold weather or extreme heat without appropriate protection

This is quite a list of possible behaviors and definitions none of which are consistent with Christianity.

Any ritual, practice, policy, or behavior that seeks to humiliate, disrespect, and deny the fundamental dignity that is due to a human being by virtue of their humanity as creatures made in the image of God is, by definition in my view, an evil and wrong for a Christian to participate.

In this we are not talking about disparaging a person's ideas or beliefs that may be wrong, or exposing subterfuge, hidden agendas, or improper motives of "wolves in sheep's clothing" who may hurt the Faithful (and most of the hazing practices would not be proper even applied to those "wolves"). In hazing we are talking about imposing humiliating rituals or practices for the shear purpose of initiation and alleged "bonding" or the like.

Can this ever be proper for a Christian? I do not think so.

Thus, to answer your question, I think that hazing (even if allowed by civil law and college or fraternity rules) is inconsistent with the Christian ethic and our obligation toward charity. Therefore, my opinion, is that hazing is at least venially sinful.

Can hazing rise to the level of grave sin? Yes, depending on what it imposes upon the victim. To commit unlawful or immoral acts upon the victim would be grave. To make the victim commit unlawful or immoral acts or any sin would be very grave (drunkenness, by the way is a grave sin). To place the victim in danger of serious mental or physical harm would be grave.  To seriously degrade and humiliate in disgusting ways that violate the most fundamenal levels of human dignity would be grave. Lessor humiliations may be venial. It all depends on what is done and would have to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

Anyway, this is my take on this.

Look to your conscience and act accordingly.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary