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Justin Smetters 04-05-04 ISSI402 Prof. Sienkewicz
Modern Equivalent of a Mystery Religion
The modern equivalent of a mystery religion is a fraternal order (by a fraternal order can include fraternities and sororities). Mystery religions like fraternal orders have close guarded secrets (none that I will reveal). Most of these secrets are normal day things but have significant meanings attached to theses things. Fraternal orders have Greek roots, not just “Greek letters”. It is believed that even though they are secret they are democratic in nature. It is believed that the first Greek letter fraternity Phi Beta Kappa laid the foundations of modern fraternities. ”It is believed that Phi Beta Kappa grew out of an older organization, founded in 1750, named the Flat Hat Society. Phi Beta Kappa was, of necessity, a secret society. To protect its members, it had all of the attributes of the most modern fraternities - - an oath of secrecy, a badge or key, mottos in Greek, an initiation and a handshake.” http://www.greekpages.com/LocalsOnline/history.htm Frats like the Ancient Mystery Religion are not so easy to explain since their members like fraternal orders do not explain certain things. The rituals are considered “esoteric” and not talked about in public or to non-members. So very little is known about the Ancient Mystery Religions. It is believed that the Ancient Mystery Religions like the “Cult of Demeter” have mottos, initiation ceremonies, and other rites of passage. What people believe the worshipers of Demeter did had to involve Bread. Since Demeter is the goddess of grain it stands to reason that bread is somehow involved. I am not sure about other fraternities but my experiences have never dealt with a ceremonial food or feast. But we had symbols of our own. The bread means something outside that it is bread… even though I can not give specifics I can tell that we do have symbols of our own. The problem with this paper is that by my oath I can not reveal any of the rituals that are preformed in my fraternity and the same is the problem with Mystery Religions. Even when members converted to Christianity they did not ever discuss the things that happen at the ritual. So this is all speculation, what other fraternities do is speculation as well. I have no idea what the Sigma Phi Epsilons do with new members or what Kappa Kappa Gamma does. It is my place to know, just like it isn’t anyone else’s place to understand what “we” do.
http://www.greekpages.com/LocalsOnline/history.htm Ancient Mystery Cults The Ancient Mysteries
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