In God We May Not Trust

Many Harvard students debate the existence of a supreme being. But one international fraternity which includes 43 Harvard students as active members wants to skip the debate and ensure that its ranks are free of nonbelievers. The Sigma Chi Fraternity requires prospective members to sign a form affirming their belief in the existence of “an ever-living God, the Creator, and Preserver of All Things.” The form warns that pledges will be forced to restate this belief a second time during their probation period. If they refuse either time, they cannot join the fraternity.

Because the Harvard chapter has considerable religious diversity, the “God clause” has been a controversial issue for the brothers here. “We pride ourselves on having members of different talents, temperaments and convictions,” says president Jared M. Slade ’03. Slade says his pledge class included Catholics, Buddhists, Mormons, atheists and members of various Protestant denominations.

Slade recognizes the fraternity’s Christian past. When Sigma Chi was founded in 1855, the cross was immediately adopted as its symbol, with the accompanying motto, In Hoc Signo Vinces—in this sign you will conquer. Both the symbol and the phrase were taken from a legend about Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome, who supposedly saw a cross in the sky before going to battle.

Regardless of its religious past, Slade feels the fraternity’s modern justification for the clause is misguided. According to Slade, the fraternity now claims it is not trying to force all members to be Christian. Instead, it insists that by believing in a higher power, members will develop a strong set of values. Slade disagrees. “People can share values while having a wide range of religious beliefs and interests,” he says. Slade says he is skeptical of the fraternity’s claim that it was only attempting to foster integrity in its members. “The warning is much too explicit for that,” he says.

Despite the frustration of some members, Slade says the clause has not severely affected the Harvard chapter’s membership. He says that two students last year refused to sign the pledge form, but that they have been the only casualties in the chapter’s 10-year history.

Slade says he is optimistic about the chances for reform within the fraternity. One Harvard member who graduated last year appealed directly to the international organization about the clause’s explicit wording, and the Grand Council now plans to address the issue at its next meeting. “There has been a steady pressure on the international fraternity to evolve,” Slade says. While the 147-year-old organization is not likely to change its traditions overnight, Slade says he feels the fraternity members actually benefit from the controversy. “It requires us to engage in discussions and evaluate the issues,” he says. “And that’s a good thing.”