fbpx

Freemason Information

Masonic Education and Analysis

You are here: Home / 2009 / Archives for May 2009

Archives for May 2009

The Catholic Church and Freemasonry

by

catholicchurchby John J. McManus.
Prepared for Gate City 2, Atlanta, GA, as the fifth installment of their Religion & Culture series.
Copyright 2009, originally published May 26, 2009 Rev Mr. John J. McManus, JD, JCL
Used with permission.

HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND FREEMASONS…WHY ROMAN CATHOLICS ARE PROHIBITED BY THE CHURCH FROM BECOMING FREEMASONS

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gate City II for inviting me to speak with you tonight about a rather difficult topic, the historical relationship between the Catholic Church and Freemasons, and why Roman Catholics have been and continue to be prohibited by the Church from becoming Freemasons. My name is John McManus and in my civilian life I am an attorney who has been practicing law for just over 27 years. I am Roman Catholic Christian from birth, and since my ordination in 2002, I have been a member of the Roman Catholic Clergy as a Deacon, the lowest of the three levels of clerical hierarchy in the Catholic Church. Since 2007, I am also a Canon Lawyer, which means that I have a pontifical licentiate that allows me to practice as a lawyer in the Tribunals, or courts, of the Roman Catholic Church, and also to advise the Archbishop or others regarding canonical issues, or those issues related to the law of the Roman Catholic Church.

papallogo_colorI have provided you with that personal background to let you know that my studies have been related to the Roman Catholic Church and its laws. I am not a Freemason, nor have I studied in any detail, other than for the preparation of this presentation, the laws, rules, creeds, or other constitutive documents of Freemasons. Nothing presented herein is intended to criticize, condemn or otherwise cast aspersions on either Freemasonry or Freemasons, as a group or to any individual Freemason, whether Roman Catholic or not. Instead, this presentation is intended to provide historical and current information on the subject matter that may be used in civil discussions and personal reflections about the issues presented in order that each person may be informed and form their own consciences about the issues presented.

This presentation is being given from the Roman Catholic Church’s point of view, particularly since that is the only point of view I can articulate, and the material presented about Freemasons has been gathered from various sources, primarily within the Roman Catholic literature. While I have examined quite a bit of literature preparing this presentation, I have relied to a great extent on a very fine paper entitled “The Evolution Of The Church’s Prohibition Against Catholic Membership In Freemasonry” by Msgr. Ronny E. Jenkins.  For those of you interested in the complete text of that paper, it was published in 1996 in The Jurist, Volume 56, pages 735-755. I was particularly interested in that paper because Msgr. Jenkins was one of my instructors at The Catholic University of America where I received my Juris Canonical Licentiate. During my preparation for this presentation, I had an opportunity to communicate with Msgr. Jenkins about recent developments in this area since the publication of that paper, and those developments have been incorporated into this presentation. I wish to thank Msgr. Jenkins for his kind assistance in this matter.

As the title of that article and this presentation suggest, the Roman Catholic Church has for centuries, and continues to this day, to prohibit its members from membership in Freemasonry. That prohibition remains applicable today in the Archdiocese of Atlanta for all members of the Roman Catholic Church. There has certainly been a great deal of confusion regarding whether this prohibition continues today, engendered in large part by the language of the 1983 Code of Canon Law that omitted the specific prohibition against Freemasonry stated in the 1917 Codex Juris Canonici. In response to this confusion, in November of 1983, the Congregation for the Doctrine of The Faith issued a declaration stating that the prohibition was still in force and that Catholic Masons were barred from receiving Holy Communion. However, that declaration did not quell the debate about that prohibition, and the debate continues. It is my purpose here tonight to address the foundational reasons for this centuries old prohibition, clarify the confusion created by the new Code of Canon law, and explain why the Roman Catholic Church through the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith continues that prohibition today.

As advertised, I will begin this presentation with a look at the origins and historical issues related to this prohibition, then address in passing some of the official canonical documents related directly to that prohibition, then review in some detail the efforts in modern times to reconcile the differences between the parties, and finally address the canonical issues developed by both the 1917 Codex Juris Canonici and the 1983 Code of Canon Law. It is my sincere hope that at the end of this presentation the fundamental inconsistencies between the basic tenants of the Roman Catholic Church and those of Freemasonry will allow at least a better understanding of the prohibition that the Roman Catholic Church asserts in this matter.

In order to understand why the Roman Catholic Church has the authority to prohibit one of its members from belonging to Freemasonry, or to prohibit or allow its members to do or not do other things, it is important to understand a little about the Roman Catholic Church itself. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ himself. To be Catholic, one must believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he established the Church with divine authority. The Gospels state that “As the Father gave authority to Christ,” [Jn 5:22] Christ passed that authority on to his apostles [Lk 10:16], and they passed it on to the successors they appointed as bishops.

For nearly two thousand years, through unbroken apostolic succession, bishops have taught the Catholic faith that was received from Christ in the Gospels, Sacred Tradition, and through the Magisterium, the teaching office of the Church. The Church is not a democracy. The authority of the Church rests in the Bishop of Rome, The Roman Pontiff, the successor to St. Peter, who Jesus himself selected to guide the Church. It is important to note that this “authority” held by the Holy Father is not power, but a right…it is humble in both its origin, as received from Christ, and in its end, which is to serve as Christ served. In fact, all of the laws and all of the traditions of the Church have one goal, one end, and that end is the salvation of souls.

vatican

The Roman Catholic Church believes that it has an innate right and obligation to speak the truth about all human matters, and that truth is directed at the one primary end, the salvation of souls. And, therefore, throughout the ages, the Church has issued decrees, which are decisions regarding a particular case, and encyclicals, which are writings approved by the Holy Father, and she has held Councils and synods, discussing various issues related to the faith. The most recent Council was the Second Vatican Council held in the 1960’s which has had a significant effect on the law of the Church, and the Church itself. The rules and laws that are articulated by the Holy Father become laws that Catholics must respect and follow because of the aforementioned authority from which they are derived. Willful failure to follow the teachings of the Church has consequences for Catholics, including excommunication in the most serious cases.

The laws of the Church, codified as canon laws, set forth both the requirement and the penalty for not following the teachings of the Church, and there is a judicial process involved in determining whether the law has been broken and what sanction, if any, is appropriate in the individual case.

The best way for me to explain the relationship between the law of the Church and the essential end of human behavior is in a statement by Mother Teresa. She said, “God did not put me on earth to be successful, he put me here to be faithful.” Catholics have an obligation to be faithful to the teachings of the Church, all of the teachings of the Church, and they are not allowed to pick and choose which teachings they like and which they don’t like as if they were ordering from a menu at McDonalds. Therefore, it is incumbent upon Catholics to understand the teachings of their faith, the reasons why the Church teaches as it does, and then live a life accordingly, constantly striving to be faithful to Christ and his teachings.

It was difficult to determine the precise historical origin of the Freemasons, primarily because there is little historical evidence of the Masons before the eighteenth century. It does appear, however, that on June 24, 1717, four independent guilds of stone cutters met in a London inn to form the first grand lodge. It appears that this new order of masons spread to France by 1732, Hamburg, Germany by 1737, and then throughout much of the rest of Europe, including Italy.

On April 28, 1738, the Roman Catholic Church published the first of many condemnations of this new society when Clement XII issued the constitution In eminenti. In that constitution, Clement XII declared the basic tenants of Freemasonry to be a threat not only to the basic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, but also to the stability of governments and society. Clement XII imposed the penalty of excommunication reserved to the Holy See on persons who either belonged to or externally supported the society. This document was significant because subsequent popes repeated the condemnations for the next two hundred years. For example, on May 18, 1751 in his decree Providas, Benedict XIV repeated the gravissima damna [the “most serious condemnations”] and appended Clement XII’s constitution to his own decree.

The nineteenth century brought renewed and continued confirmation of the charges and penalties against Masons, particularly Catholic Masons. Here are a few examples:

  1. On September 13, 1821, Pius VII issued his decree Ecclesiam Christi in response to the growing influence of a particular form of Masonry called Carbonarism on the movement to form liberal governments in much of Europe.
  2. On March 13, 1826, Leo XII issued his decree Quo graviora in which he not only reaffirmed past condemnation, he added more condemnations, and he offered a particularly critical view of the influence of Masons on universities.
  3. On August 15, 1832, Gregory XVI in his decree Mirari Vos reaffirmed all previous papal decrees condemning Freemasons, and he added more justifications for the Church’s condemnation of Freemasons.
  4. On October 12, 1869, Pius IX in his decree Apostolicae Sedis that reformed certain automatic [latae sententiae] penalties, retained membership in the Masons among those excommunications reserved to the Holy See. Apostolicae Sedis can be found in Acta Santa Sedis [ASS] 5 (1869) beginning at page 311.
  5. On April 12, 1884, Leo XIII issued his encyclical Humanum genus which was a document dedicated entirely to the condemnation of the Masons and reaffirmed the latae sententiae penalty imposed by Pius IX in Apostolicae Sedis. Humanum genus can be found in Acta Santa Sedis [ASS] 16 (1883-1884), pages 417-433.

The twentieth century canonized the penalties and condemnations of the previous two hundred years. It should be noted here that the law of the Roman Catholic Church, which was developed through Tradition, Sacred Writings, synods, Councils, Decrees and Encyclicals, was not codified in one in a single code of canon law until the Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1917. Three canons in the 1917 code spoke directly against Freemasons:

Canon 1240: Canon 1240, Section 1, paragraph 1, denied Freemasons a Catholic burial.

Canon 2335: This canon, with only a few changes, reaffirmed the reserved ipso facto excommunication of catholic masons promulgated by Pius IX on Apostolicae Sedis. The English translation of that canon reads:

“Those giving their name to Masonic sects or other associations of this sort that machinate against the Church or legitimate civil powers contract by that fact excommunication simply reserved to the Apostolic See.”

Canon 2336: This canon levied additional penalties against clerics or religious who belonged to the masons. These penalties included suspension for clerics and loss of active and passive voice for religious.

Other canons indirectly affected Catholic Masons and included:

  1. Canon 1065, Section 1: Denied them the right to a Catholic marriage.
  2. Canon 542, Section 1: Denied them the ability to enter a valid novitiate.
  3. Canon 693, Section 1: Denied them the right to inscribe validly in a pious association of the faithful.
  4. Canon 1453, Section 1: Denied them receiving the right of patronage [support].

Two requirements had to be met for Roman Catholics to incur the ipso facto excommunication set forth in Canon 2335:

  1. They had to have actually enrolled in the membership books of the organization; and
  2. The organization had to be wholly devoted to heretical or subversive ends.

It was easy to establish whether the first requirement was met-all one had to do was examine the membership books of the organization. But it was not as easy to determine when the second requirement had been met. Jenkins poses these questions:

  1. What if the charitable or fraternal organizations were only indirectly associated with Freemasons? Were these included in the ban?
  2. Masonic lodges themselves varied greatly in their teachings and practices. American lodges were far less subversive than most European ones. Did Catholics who joined an American lodge deserve to suffer the same penalty as one who joined a lodge more patently opposed to the Church?

These and other similar questions gave rise to discussions within the Church hierarchy about a new legal attitude toward Freemasons. Those inquiries lead to the hope that the issue would be addressed by the Second Vatican Council. The Second Vatican Council, however, did not specifically address the issue with Freemasons. Instead, it sought to open dialogue with various groups that had been counted among the Church’s “antagonists.”

As a consequence of this new attitude, several groups of bishops began to view the ban on Masonic membership in the light of the particular character of the respective local lodges. This was first done in 1966 by the Scandinavian bishops who determined that each bishop could judge whether or not a particular lodge was acting or teaching in ways contrary to the interests of the Church. If the bishop decided that the lodge was not manifesting such behavior, the bishop was free to determine whether a particular Catholic could join that particular lodge. Similar actions were taken by the bishops of England and Wales, and the French bishops were even allowed by the Vatican to have limited discussions between the Italian grand master and a priest who was an expert in Masonic affairs.

These events lead to perhaps the most significant advance in Catholic-Masonic relations. In March 1969, a commission of three Catholics and nine masons gathered in Innsbruck to discuss their mutual concerns. The commission met under the auspices of the Secretariat for Non-Believers and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith. The committee’s dialogue resulted in the July 5, 1970 publication of a document entitled “Lichtenau Declaration,” which declared that, contrary to the Church’s consistent position, the Masons were not a threat to the Catholic Church. The document recommended that all canonical penalties and condemnations be abrogated and relations opened between Catholics and Masons, stating in pertinent part:

“We are of the opinion that the papal bulls concerning the Freemasons are now only historically significant and no longer relevant in our time. We are of the same opinion regarding the condemnations of ecclesiastical law since, in light of what has been said, they cannot be justified by a Church that follows God’s commandment in teaching fraternal love.”

The next significant event in Catholic-Masonic relations occurred in talks that occurred over a six-year period between 1974 and 1980 when representatives from the German Episcopal Conference held talks with a group representing the Grand Lodges of Germany. The conclusion of the German Bishops’ Conference was:

“the Freemasons have essentially not changed. Membership [in the masons] places the foundations of Christian existence in question. Detailed investigations of the Masonic rituals and fundamental ideas, and of their current, unchanged self-understanding make clear: Simultaneous membership in the Catholic Church and freemasons is incompatible.”

Jenkins points out that “the bishops reached their unequivocal conclusion after having first considered the positive elements of Freemasonry, including its humanitarian interests, charitable works, anti-materialist ideology, as well as the excellent personal qualities required of its members.” He states that the bishop’s listed twelve areas of Masonic teaching that were at variance with the Church’s own belief, and with which the Church could never reconcile itself:

  1. The Masonic World-view: The Masons promote a freedom from dogmatic adherence to any one set of revealed truths. Such a subjective relativism is in direct conflict with the revealed truths of Christianity.
  2. The Masonic Notion of Truth: The masons deny the possibility of an objective truth, placing every truth instead in a relative context.
  3. The Masonic Notion of Religion: The Masonic teaching holds a relative notion of religions as all concurrently seeking the truth of the absolute.
  4. The Masonic Notion of God: The Masons hold a deistic notion of God which excludes any personal knowledge of the deity.
  5. The Masonic Notion of God and Revelation: The deistic notion of God precludes the possibility of God’s self-revelation to humankind.
  6. Masonic Toleration: The masons promote a principle of toleration regarding ideas. That is, relativism teaches them to be tolerant of ideas divergent or contrary to their own. Such a principle not only threatens the Catholic position of objective truth, but it also threatens the respect due the Church’s teaching office.
  7. The Masonic Rituals: The rituals of the first three Masonic grades have a clear sacramental character about them, indicating that an actual transformation of some sort is undergone by those who participate in them.
  8. The Perfection of Mankind: The Masonic rituals have as an end the perfection of humankind. But Masonry provides all that is necessary to achieve this perfection. Thus, the justification of a person through the work of Christ is not an essential or even necessary aspect of the struggle for perfection.
  9. The Spirituality of Masons: The Masonic Order makes a total claim on the life of the member. True adherence to the Christian faith is thereby jeopardized by the primary loyalty due the Masonic Order.
  10. The Diverse Divisions within the Masons: The Masons are comprised of lodges with varying degrees of adherence to Christian teaching. Atheistic lodges are clearly incompatible with Catholicism. But even those lodges comprised of Christian members seek merely to adapt Christianity to the overall Masonic world-view. This is unacceptable.
  11. The Masons and the Catholic Church: Even those Catholic-friendly lodges that would welcome the Church’s members as its own are not compatible with Catholic teaching, and so closed to Catholic members.
  12. The Masons and the Protestant Church: While a 1973 meeting of Protestant Churches determined that individual Protestants could decide whether to be members of both the Christian Church and the Freemasons, it included in its decision the caveat that those Christians must always take care not to lessen the necessity of grace in the justification of a person before God.

The German bishops’ statement had a significant influence on the subsequent attitude of Rome toward Catholic-Mason relations, renewing the age-old attitude of distrust and antagonism. The canonical questions about these issues, however, were still to be resolved.

During the period of time between the 1970 Lichtenau Declaration, which indicated a more positive relationship between Catholic’s and Masons, and the German Bishops’ statements in 1980, the code of canon law was being revised. As a direct result of the Lichtenau Declaration, canons 2335 and 2336 of the 1917 Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law were abandoned early in the code revision process and were not included in the penal law schema of 1973. This has lead to some confusion among the bishops about the Church’s stance toward Masons. In 1974, Cardinal Franjo Seper of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a letter to select bishops stating that “the law toward masons had not changed, but that its application might be more strictly interpreted in favor of lay Catholics.” In essence what the Cardinal was saying was that the canon’s penalty applied to Catholics who joined a Masonic group “or similar associations that conspired against the Church.”

Therefore, if the particular lodge the Catholic joined did not conspire against the Church, then only one of the two requirements for incurring the penalty of excommunication had been met. Therefore, membership in a neutral lodge would not necessarily bring with it an ipso facto excommunication for the Catholic.

The 1977 coetus for the revision of penal law formulated its draft of what would become canon 1374 of the 1983 code, and it is stated in English as follows:

“A person who joins an association which plots against the Church is to be punished with a just penalty; however, a person who promotes or directs an association of this kind is to be punished with an interdict.”

Therefore, the revised canon removed the ipso facto excommunication of canon 2335, and it was broad enough in scope to allow for particular legislators to determine when the penalty was warranted and if, or whether, harsher penalties were called for in certain circumstances.

The broad language provided room for what Catholic’s call “pastoral sensitivity” in a particular case. Based upon this canon, it appeared that the decision about whether Catholics were allowed to join a particular lodge was left up to the local legislator, the bishop.

However, the new code promulgated in 1983 did not settle the issue. There are two canons in the 1983 code that most clearly apply to Catholic Masons, although, as indicated, Freemasonry is not mentioned specifically:

  1. Canon 1374 against subversive societies; and
  2. Canon 1364 against heretics and apostates.

As indicated earlier in the presentation, on November 23, 1983, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith attempted to resolve the doubt created by the 1983 code revisions and issued Declaratio de associationibus massonicis, the “Declaration on Masonic Associations.” Declaratio de associationibus massonicis can be found in Acta Santa Sedis [ASS] 76 (1984) beginning at page 300. The Congregation stated the following:

  1. The Church’s position regarding the Freemasons had not changed.
  2. Catholic membership in Masonic lodges was still prohibited because Masonic principles were still contrary to the teachings of the Church.
  3. Catholics who did, in fact, belong to Masonic associations were committing grave sin and were, consequently, barred from receiving Holy Communion.
  4. The reason the Masons were no longer explicitly referred to in the new code was due simply to the principles that guided the revision of the law.
  5. Local ordinaries did not enjoy the prerogative of determining which Masonic lodges operated against the interests of the Church and which were neutral towards or even supportive of the Church’s interests.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States did not officially respond to the Congregations 1983 declaration. However, it did ask the Pastoral Research and Practices Committee to write a report on the compatibility of Masonic principles with the Catholic faith. Their report, which is quite brief, was published in the June 27, 1985 edition of Origins [Origins 15/6] at pages 83-84. The committee restated the fundamental conclusions of the German bishops, stating:

“Even though Masonic organizations may not in particular cases plot against the faith, it would be still wrong to join them because their basic principles are irreconcilable with those of the Catholic faith.”

While the Congregations declaration reflects the current law in the Church and Catholics are prohibited from joining the Masons, the debate among Church scholars and canonists about this issue and the related issue of enforcement, application, and the canonical implications of each issue remain.

How Freemasonry Is Missing The Boat

by

Once again in Masonic circles of discussion we hear the debate searching for the answers as to why the decline in Masonic membership continues.  All sorts of hypotheses have been advanced.  The ones I hear most often are the greater number of choices available in today’s world, the limits of time in a what has become a very high strung, stressed out overworked society and the rise of women to equal status in American society thus restructuring the male/female role which often results in couples doing everything together rather than each going their separate way.

These explanations are all well and good and certainly have some merit in the scheme of things. Often times when no explanation reaches out and knocks you in the head it is because there are multiple causes for the resulting effect.  But I believe that most are overlooking certainly the largest explanation for the continuing decline of American Freemasonry.

It is precisely Freemasonry’s interaction with civil society, its sympathetic response to what is troubling the nation that brings it into the focus of the uninitiated individual. When Freemasonry leads society into nobleness and righteousness, when it is society’s conscience it becomes a highly regarded institution upon which many will look with favor if not join.

That is not, however, to promote what American Grand Lodge’s of today have done to Freemasonry by turning the Craft into a giant Service Club where Freemasonry tries to use society for its own advantage and gain, where it tries to buy and bribe friends and recognition. There is a big difference between interacting with a nation and serving a nation.

It is often said that no one knows who we are as Freemasons. That’s because we are not interacting with society with the best interests of society at heart but rather merely concerned with ourselves and what’s in it for us.

American Freemasonry was never meant to be or destined to be a secretive monastic society, totally withdrawn from civil society and all its goings on. When Freemasonry actually rolled up its sleeves and became immersed in the “big play”, the overwhelming issue of the day, it was noticed, it garnered membership and it had influence.

When Freemasonry was concerned with civil society’s concerns it was able to LEAD society.  As a leader involved with the well being of society, it was an accepted institution. When Freemasonry hid in its own shadow and pushed toleration to the extreme of being “politically correct”, then “Masonically correct” Freemasonry started to whither and die.

Everybody today talks about Freemasonry staying out of religion and politics. Most, however, are neglecting to clarify that it is partisan politics and sectarian religion that Freemasonry prohibits. There is a big difference between broad moral and social issues that define the structure of civil society and specific policies advocated as a remedy.

Freemasonry was always at its height when it chose to lead society.  As a product of the Enlightenment it championed religious freedom, democratic government, public school education and separation of church and state. American colonial Freemasonry provided a system of networking in a society with no communication systems. It played a vital role in the formation of this nation. While one can point to the midnight ride of Paul Revere let’s not forget his and his Lodge’s possible involvement in the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor. Nor should we overlook the fact that at least 42% of the Generals commissioned by the Continental Congress were Masons. It was the values of Freemasonry that were drafted into the Constitution of the United States. Freemasons set up the government of this nation, authored the “noble experiment.”

As a new nation American Freemasonry was instrumental in the formation of public schools and universities.  Men of letters came to Freemasonry not for the arts and sciences taught in Lodge but because Freemasonry was a learning promoter.

“Brothers officially sponsored educational endeavors that reached beyond the fraternity. This encouragement of broader education seemed to link the fraternity to the post-Revolutionary vision of an enlightened society built around equality and openness, values that brothers came to see expressed even in their order’s structure.  By supporting learning and by teaching and embodying republican relationships, Masonry seemed to be upholding and advancing the Revolutionary experiment itself.”(1)

During the civil War Freemasonry was the only organization, society or institution that did not split in two.  Even churches became promoters of either the Union or the Confederacy. Freemasonry, as in the Revolutionary War, contained many military Lodges that had a great influence on holding the armies together.  But its greatest Civil War influence was ameliorating the harshness of the fighting and acting as a healer of society.

Post Civil War saw American Freemasonry usher in an age of great Masonic authorship and great Masonic building. Its ability to grow right along with the industrialization of the United States was a great asset to its continued influence.

Somewhere into the 20th century Freemasonry lost its leadership role. Oh it wasn’t evident right away. The nation was consumed with fighting two world wars and the post war push of returning soldiers who wished to continue the exhilarating uplift of camaraderie kept the numbers high and the coffers full. But by 1960 American Freemasonry was living on past laurels and fresh blood was nowhere to be seen. The plain fact is that American Freemasonry became SOCIALLY IRRELEVANT.

If Freemasonry had remained socially relevant it could have lead the nation into breaking the color barrier and busting Black discrimination in society. William Upton was the Jackie Robinson of Freemasonry.  As Grand Master of Washington State in 1898 he recognized Prince Hall and black/white fraternization.  If we had built on this start, even if ever so slowly, Freemasonry could have led the nation into integration thereby avoiding the confrontation of Rosa Parks and the marches of Martin Luther King.

As one of the only institutions worldwide to actually live peaceful, cooperative brotherhood among people of different races, religions, cultures and economic circumstances, American Freemasonry was in a unique position to encourage and promote world peace. People today looking back 50 years ago could have pointed out that the “peace movement” was Freemasonry.  The fact that Freemasonry refused to do so out of fear of offending and being politically incorrect caused it to lose esteem in the eyes of the general public.

If Freemasonry had led the nation in the 50s, if it had been the conscience and the moral compass of the nation in the area of Civil Rights and the peace movement then it would not have lost a whole generation to Masonic membership. Freemasonry would have been respected and revered and consequently flourished.  But instead we turned a blind eye to black lynching and the evil of the KKK and watched in silence from the sidelines while the Vietnam War tore this nation apart.  And then we have the audacity to ask why the generation of the day refused to join Freemasonry. Who was fighting for the soul of the American nation?  It sure wasn’t Freemasonry and we paid the price.

Today we are faced with a worldwide HOLY WAR.  Who better to promote ecumenical and religious tolerance in the world than Freemasonry? Who better to pave the way for a better understanding among different religious traditions than the institution that has actually accomplished that for centuries? This is not partisan politics or sectarian religion.  This is being the moral leader in a time of crisis.  This is spreading the values of Freemasonry just as our Masonic forefathers did in the formation of this nation.

But alas, American Freemasonry would rather withdraw within itself than risk the path of greatness. The result will be continued Masonic stagnation and a general misunderstanding of Freemasonry’s role and purpose by the general public.

(1) “Revolutionary Brotherhood” by Stephen C. Bullock, pg. 145

Masonic Treasure Hunting Game to Accompany Meltzer Novel

by

This rolled out as a press release today, and thought you might find it interesting.

Freemasons and Author Brad Meltzer Launch First GPS Treasure Hunting Game to Accompany a Novel

The 11 geocaches are based on Meltzer’s bestseller, The The Book of Lies, and was developed together with the Masonic Geocaching Society

Hollywood, FL (PRWEB) May 29, 2009 — With this week’s paperback release of his latest novel, The Book of Lies (Grand Central Publishing; May 26, 2009; $7.99), New York Times bestselling author BRAD MELTZER (The Tenth Justice, The Book of Fate) has teamed up with the Masonic Geocaching Society to launch the first GPS treasure hunting game to accompany a novel.

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share experiences online.

The Book of Lies geocache is a series of 11 caches in the Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia area that are based on The Book of Lies, Meltzer’s latest novel. It’s a collaboration of the Masonic Geocaching Society and Meltzer, with johnnycache and Sue-Cat coordinating placement, cache pages and puzzle creation.

Many of the caches in the series will be puzzles that require finders to seek them in order (individual caches will state pre-requisites if applicable). The final cache in the series will be a puzzle that will require clues from caches in the series to solve. To play this geocache, visit http://www.BradMeltzer.com for details.

The Book of Lies is a modern day thriller centered around two historical mysteries: One deals with the missing murder weapon that Cain used to kill Abel, the other with the unsolved murder that led to the creation of Superman.

Based on intensive research into both the Bible story and the lives of Mitchell and Jerry Siegel (Meltzer interviewed Jerry Siegel’s wife and daughter), The Book of Lies rings with the truth of what happened and of what could have happened. It is a thought-provoking and crackling story that sheds new light on the Siegel family, the creation of Superman and our assumptions about myths, legends, heroes and villains.

The Masonic Geocaching Society was launched at an event held at the Scottish Rite, House of the Temple in Washington, DC on November 1, 2009. More than 300 people were present for this event. The Masonic Geocaching Society is dedicated to the tenets of the Craft by providing an activity for Masons, their families, and the world at large that is fun and family friendly. Arguably, Freemasons were the first geocachers. For an article on the Masonic Geocaching Society, please visit http://www.scottishrite.org/srmasons/geocaching.html.

Along with the first GPS treasure hunting game to accompany a novel, The Book of Lies also has a companion soundtrack, released by Victor Records (Sony BMG), and a movie trailer starring Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Joss Whedon. The soundtrack, which features a mix of classical and contemporary hits as well as a newly recorded song titled “The Book of Lies,” is available for sale on iTunes and Amazon.com. The Book of Lies movie trailer can be viewed on Meltzer’s official website http://www.BradMeltzer.com.

About Brad Meltzer:
Brad Meltzer is the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Fate, as well as the bestsellers The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, The First Counsel, The Millionaires and The Zero Game. He is also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby — and is he #1 selling author and Eisner Award winner of the critically acclaimed comic book Identity Crisis and Justice League of America. His newest thriller, The Book of Lies, is on sale now in hardcover and paperback.

Media Contact Info:
Maria Burnham Nelson
561-628-1106

32 Secret Paths of Solomon, Sunday on Masonic Central.

by

qabbalah_insideFreemasonry and the Qabbalah have a tacit relationship.  In many deep philosophical discussions, the two often come up as being interrelated but just as often leave the conversation without a clear connection defined.  As a Mason, we can start to study where the Jewish Mysticism has been woven in, but without a deep degree of study and practice, the two still seem as distant as night and day.

On this episode of Masonic Central, our guest Timothy Hogan joins us to talk about this mysticism and help us join some of the loose threads the three degrees with the various paths and points on the Tree of Life.

Hogan is the author of the new book “The 32 Secret Paths of Solomon: A New Examination of the Qabbalah in Freemasonry” which is a new examination of Qabbalah and its interconnectivity with Freemasonry.  In it, he demonstrates how there are different interpretations of Freemasonry that can be found in the Sephirot and Paths, exploring Gematria and Masonic ritual.

It stands to be an interesting exploration and one sure to enlighten as much as it leaves us wanting to know more.

 

The program was recorded Sunday May 31, 2009.

Missed the Live Program?  Listen NOW!

 

You can find the book The 32 Secret Paths of Solomon: A New Examination of the Qabbalah in Freemasonry on Amazon!

Download the program

The Age of Masonry – Society vs. Sociological perceptions.

by

evolutionFrom the last installment, the point I wanted to build on was the item covered by Br. Dafoe’s article in the Masonic Journal and the missing membership.  To touch on briefly what his article said, the most significant loss measured was in NPD’s and SNPD’s which made up the lion share of members who join our ranks, and then for a variety of reasons stop attending or paying dues.  That in these numbers could be found the reason for the decline.

But, there are certain problems with that measure.  When a member joins the organization the process can take several months, but when a member leaves, there is really very little process or paperwork, and consequently, no way to quantify why the member is leaving.  This is different from returning an item or requesting a refund from a store where there is a short form or question involved to explain “why” the item is being brought back.  In Masonry, that’s not the case, as there is no exit interview, no closure, to find the point of dissatisfaction.  Rather it is a phantom hole, members who were there and now who are not.

So, because of that vacuum, there is no way of knowing what happened.  Does the new member come in, stay a while, and then lose interest?  Do they make the decision to drop out because of other membership obligations (church, work, bowling leagues, etc), or is that there was a lack of an affinity with Masonry itself?  Did they just not find it relevant?  Once they’ve left, do they pursue other interest groups (civic, spiritual, or academic)?  What they do after Masonry is beyond the scope of our ability to know.  All we can quantify it as is that they are no longer on the roles.  Is it a society issue where there is a lack of resonance with the society, or is it sociological issue in that the ideas from the non masonic society is shaping their perception of what Masonry is supposed to be doing?

So this leads me to another question, are there other avenues to do what the lodge offers without having to meet to pay bills, or plan events?  Is the competition today different than what it was before (say 50-100 years ago)?

In the next post, let’s look at some of the competition.  What do you do when you’re not doing Masonry?

Veiled Square & Hidden Compasses

by

By Brother Isaiah Coffey

Namaste

Hopefully this response will find each of you Immortal Light Beings within the best of health, spirits and the 4 immeasurable states of mind: joy, love, compassion and equanimity. As we all are enrolled by the Universe in Earth school, our studies, in respect to truth, will vary as each of us spiral upward in degrees towards Infinity of becoming One again; hence the notion that there will come a point when all truths blend and become Truth. With that said, allow me to bring to the attention one of the lesser known truths regarding the Square & Compass.

Square and Compass

 

Freemasonry stresses the concept that one needs to not only subscribe to a livelihood of high ethics, but that one needs to also lead a life of high moral standards. On the Volume of Sacred Law, within every lodge, Freemasonry presents an incomplete Star Tetrahedron. As many are unaware, just as many have discovered that the Star Tetrahedron possesses the symbol (Pentalpha) that King Solomon used to construct the Temple. Recently I wrote a post regarding Sulayman being a Magician, and I’m sure that some will find it to be quite disturbing only to discover the type of energy Solomon used to raise the Temple was far from ordinary hands — which gives a new revelation to the phrase “…a house not made with hands” — and as to why the Craft most likely terms our new Initiates as “Cornerstones,” and thus they are placed within the Northeastern corner, but this is not the purpose of this post.

As Solomon used the symbol to raise the Temple, so shall we raise our personal Temple by the symbol of the Square & Compass. Once one has raised his personal Temple figuratively, then consciously he is able to raise his Temple literally. While one can gather that the Square & Compass represents the sexual union of a male and female, during the most natural of all positions (Missionary Position), the legs actually form a Square and Compass. The Square would be the feminine principle and the Compass would be the male principle. In the center of this Square and Compass, or sexual union, is the act and/or center of Creation itself… just like our letter “G.” It takes no stretch of the imagination; just look at you emblem. One can also gather the incomplete Star of David, the natural, but non-sexual, fusion of the Sacred Feminine and Sacred Man as well as many other allusions. However, the following would be the most obscure: Merkabah or Merkaba (Light Vehicle).

Merkabah

 

Take notice of the placement of the male and female energy symbols.

Mer – (Light) Ka – (Spirit) Ba – (Body)

The Merkaba is an inter-dimensional vehicle with counter-rotating fields of energy or light (wheel within a wheel) and is housed at the base of the spine along with the serpentine power known as Kundalini or K-energy. Kundalini is an energy that is coiled around the base of the spine (like a snake) and travels along the spinal cord, in a winding fashion, through each of the chakras as one becomes more “awake.” [See Side Note 1 Below]

This vehicle has been used by the Ascended Masters such as Yeshua, Ezekiel, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses, Ankhnaten, Leonardo and many other illumined sages to access various dimensions or higher realms. This vehicle, or the Merkaba, raises the Astral Temple from the 3rd dimensional plane into the remaining 4 dimensions; or the remaining 141 dimensions depending upon one’s school of thought. 141… where have we seen that before? {…chuckling…}

Merkabah Leonardo

 

Do you remember when you were Raised that you changed angles by 90 degrees? Within the study of quantum physics, each dimension is separated by a 90-degree rotation. When you change wavelengths and rotate 90 degrees, you will disappear from this world and reappear in whatever dimension you are tuned-in to. The images that you see on this physical plane or 3rd dimensional realm would change according to the wavelength of the realm that you have entered. Our planet has many different worlds; they are all right here, but most of us are only viewing the maya or illusory realm because the human conscience has been preconditioned to tune in to one particular wavelength.

Dimensional Shift

 

Though one may travel, via their Merkaba, to other dimensional levels, if your consciousness is not fully developed, you will not be strong enough to handle the higher vibrational levels and therefore will not be able to stay for an extended period. Certain beings, however, have managed to move through all the dimensional levels and remain conscious. They are known as Melchizedek’s. The level of a Melchizedek is realized when the consciousness has been fully developed or completely circumscribed and squared.

I can understand that this information can be hard to accept or one may even laugh at it; that is expected. But allow me to ask you a question: When was the last time you dreamed vividly standing up? Other realms (dreamworld) are involuntarily accessed when one changes angles (sleeps); however, these realms can be accessed without changing angles when one has come to master the mind. Many state that dreams are not real; nothing could be further from the Truth. The reason one does not “die” has been explained by one of the first rules of thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed; only transferred or transformed. We are all made of pure light and energy. No matter which realm one is experiencing, he or she will and cannot “die.” [See Side Note 2 Below]

The physical body is not energy; it is the electricity (light) and soul, or spirit, that is the energy that propels the body. The only things that are not real are those things that are temporary; such as our current realm on the 3rd dimensional plane. This world is a school for the consciousness — just as the lodge represents the world and is a school for the conscience of a speculative Mason.

Lightwoker

 

The symbols, of the superimposed Square & Compasses, are missing 2 parallel lines that will create a two-dimensional image of the Merkaba. The two parallel lines that are missing are the two pillars that you by-passed and often one will find the emblem within the middle of these two parallel lines, or pillars, in various artworks and depictions. It is up to you to take these keys and place them within their respective lock(s). These two parallel lines also represent a particular work within Alchemy that states “As Above, So Below,” as one pillar correlates to the celestial (Above) and the adjacent pillar represents the terrestrial (Below). It is also up to the work of an alchemist (Freemason) as to whether or not he will realize The Great Work or bring into fruition “As Above, So Below.”

Star Tetrahedron Man

 

A true alchemist will tell you that the “hidden stone” can only be found by journeying inside the hidden earth and then rectifying it. I am inter-mingling different sciences because I am trying to show that it is true that “all roads lead to Rome;” better yet even, all roads lead to Home. On every Masons ring, that bears a Square & Compass, the addition of 2 parallel lines (pillars) will create the symbol, used by Solomon, to raise the Temple. [See Side Note 3 Below]

Not only will these 2 lines create the symbol that Solomon used to construct his temple, and will enable each person to raise their own Temple, but it is also an every day reminder that if one will finish The Great Work and realize “As Above, So Below,” he will then have Raised his own Kundalini, truly become Crown Conscious, and will possess the power to activate the Merkaba at the base of the spine … thereby giving him passage to truly “Travel Light” … (chuckling) … and some thought the phrase was just a figure of speech.

Merkabah Energy

 

[Side note 1: It is interesting to note that before one can “travel” within Speculative Freemasonry, he must first take passage via the flight of winding stairs. Within the realm of metaphysics, it has been overstood that before one can “travel” using their Merkaba, they must first raise their Kundalini — or wind the serpent up the stairs (chakras) of the spine.]

Kundalini

 

[Side Note 2: I know of only Life; death does not exist… death is but a phantom of one’s ignorance and fear. A change, however awful, demonstrates movement and movement is Life; those who have attempted to check the disrobing of the Spirit have tried to create a real death. We are all dying and being renewed everyday, because everyday our bodies have changed to some extent. Each of us are immortals. As a matter of fact, Jeremiah (1:5) stated that the Lord said: “Before you were in the womb, I knew you.” That’s because you and I have always existed. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; only transformed if not transferred.


Think about it… it is impossible to go from mortal to immortality. One has a definite beginning — the other does not; meditate on that for a day or two.

Heaven and Hell are created by the mind… simple concepts to explain a complex truth.

Reincarnation… this simply means to be born anew in another body after death; it does not necessarily mean a “physical form;” however, if this was the case and argument, did not Jesus mention that John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnate? Does not a particular Volume of Sacred Law, that houses the book of Revelation, speak of the 2 saints returning in the flesh to preach to the masses? Does not the plethora of Volumes of Sacred Laws teach that you will be given “a new body” if you have “personally confessed or acknowledged your sins and/or karma” and from that point have led a life of “righteousness?”

Now maybe not here (within this place of existence), but sounds to me that somewhere your prana, energy, life-force, consciousness, or vibrational signature will “reincarnate” or take on a “new body” as the energy is transferred and you transform from one manifestation to another.

Each of the Volumes of Sacred Law(s) address particular truths that other respective volumes may fail to mention. When one consolidates these truths… then he’ll find the Absolute. Hence the reasoning our Craft accepts all creeds, or truths, so that one will meet and dwell within the Absolute. Which many are unaware, but at some point in time, one will come to overstand that there is no need to dwell within the Absolute because one will come to self-realization that the Absolute dwells within him and that he is All and the All is One.  The macrocosm exists within the microcosm. Again, the Macrocosm exists within the Microcosm.]

Neuron - Galaxy

 

[Side Note 3: The Square & Compass is also a reminder of man realizing his divinity by perfecting his heart. When one closes the physical eyes, beauty ceases to exist; actions cease to exist because they cannot be witnessed. What remains is/are the intention(s) of the heart and consciousness. It is true that one can become perfect while enrolled in Earth school; all of the illumined sages, that have come before us and presently, have been and are lively demonstrated examples of perfection attained here on Earth school. Each illumined sage attained perfection in the form of flesh. The reason many never realize perfection is because many still judge the action(s) of others — when they should be weighing the intention(s) of themselves — therefore leaving and rendering the judgment flawed; as opposed to an unbiased and perfected judgement of the Self. This concept can be found within one of the Volumes of Sacred Laws I Samuel 16:7 and within the ancient system of Ma’at. Our actions are influenced by our thoughts; when one can can originate intention(s), thought(s) and action(s) from Love and selfless desire… the results will be “perfect.” ]

In closing, I will reaffirm my mental mantra regarding the Craft:

An Entered Apprentice is one who has awakened to self-realization, a true Fellow of the Craft is one who has begun the Path to Enlightenment… while a true Master is one who has mastered the mind.

“Mind the mind; the wise tame themselves and if you tame yourself you’re wise.” ~ Buddha

Keep the mind attuned to a positive frequency!

Techqua Ikachi

In’lakech

Ekam Sat

Brother Isaiah

11 Tones :: Ahau

W.C. Thomas 112

MWPHGL of Georgia

…former owner of the blog: Kingdom of Conscience ~ Osiris

mind-of-eden

Pride of Mt. Pisgah #135

by

mtpisgahTwo weeks ago Pride of Mt. Pisgah #135 Prince Hall Texas had its election and installation of new officers.  For those who think that all Lodges operate  always holding to a line of succession, I have news for you.  Pride of Mt. Pisgah does not always.  The last chnage in line two years ago saw the Junior Warden elected to Master and the Senior Warden staying as Senior Warden.  This year the Senior Warden was elected Master and the Tresurer was elected Senior Warden.  The Junior Warden stepped down and the Tyler was elected the new Junior Warden. Whatever works best for the Lodge is what we do.  Every election is different and there are no automatics for Pride of Mt. Pisgah.

We are a young Lodge.  We have some old timers but they generally don’t come anymore.  So the Lodge room is filled with mostly 20 and 30 year olds.  There are a few of us, like me, that could be any of these cats father.  And we are growing keeping the same age bracket.  We raise from 3 to 9 candidates per year and about half of those remain very active.

2009 is our come out year.  We will be buying ourselves a Masonic building after renting for some time. Our community focus will be on the improvemnt, education and mentoring of individual people outside of Masonry. We will gather for casual Masonry strengthening the bonds of the mystic tie. Teaching, education and mentoring will continue to make our Lodge one of the most knowledgable Lodges in the state of Texas.

Awhile back a fork confronted me in the middle of the road.  Left or right, the choice was mine.  My choice led me here, to family and I am proud to be a member of Pride of Mt. Pisgah and fortunate that this time I made the best choice that could have been made.

The Grand Lodge of Arkansas

by

The Grand Lodge of the State of Arkansas
The Grand Lodge of the State of Arkansas

The Grand Lodge of Arkansas is the next stop on the tour of American Grand Lodges.

Arkansas Masonic membership:
17,082 – 2006
16,524 – 2007
gain/loss  –  -558

data from MSANA

State population: 2,834,797 as of 2007 (estimated),

About the Grand Lodge:

The Grand Lodge of Arkansas does not have a listing on Wikipedia.

“Organized Masonry came to Arkansas soon after the formation of the Arkansas Territory in 1819. The first lodge was established at Arkansas Post, the seat of the new Territorial Government, under a dispensation by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. By 1819, Arkansas Post was a village of about one hundred persons. Since Masonry had been active for a long time in the older states east of the Mississippi, it was quite natural that some of those coming to Arkansas Post would be members of the Masonic Fraternity. Many of them were prominent in the affairs of the Territorial Capitol, and as a result of their efforts, a Masonic Lodge was established there. No records remain of that Lodge except the scattered entries in the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky from whom the dispensations, and later a charter, were obtained”.

From the Grand Lodge website on Freemasonry in Arkansas

Some of what I found on my visit:

URL:  The Grand Lodge of Arkansas has a very straight forward URL at http://www.argrandlodge.org which easily appears on a quick search at Google.  The URL is clever in that it implements the short AR U.S. Post Office abbreviation for the state which is a very utilitarian approach to a field that it otherwise saturated with non state specific names.

arkansas_grand_lodgeVisually, as you arrive at the site, as with the name, it immediately appears as a very straight forward construction that is both purposeful and well formed.  A big attention grabber is the Grand Lodge logo and deep red banner at the top and the stately gray background, with the photo of the Grand Master in the middle.  It definitely gives the feeling of authority and leadership, which carries through in the structure.  Generally speaking, the site at first glance seems to have much to offer by way of content.

Built in one of the most scalable formats with navigation across the top and on the left side, the site can go a long way in adding future content.  On the top navigation, there are a number of drop down tabs that a visitor can follow to their destination pages which emulates the side navigation (except when encountering password controlled lodge operations pages).

The site overall all has a good look and feel.  Once the visitor gets into the navigation pages, they are treated to a variety of content anchored with images and icons.  Unfortunately there was a lack of uniformity to the artwork and the various icon art the quality and tone detracting from the authoritative red/grey/and black color scheme.

On the front of the site, there is a great depth of navigation but not much to connect it visually statesillouetteto the state.  Unlike the Grand Lodge of Arizona, with their immediate extensive use of imagery, here we find the opposite, in that there is no real visual connection to the state other than a small silhouette logo on the bottom right corner.

Informational Content:

I did find that the site has a lot of information in it.  My favorite bits included the biography of Albert Pike and the well developed history of the Grand Lodge.  Both of these elements added a great deal of depth, and give an impression of its connectivity to the fraternity.

Additionally, there is a great wealth of information for new Masons under the education link including break downs of the various Masonic symbols.  This is a great asset that any visitor could make use of, particularly brothers from that state. The educational snippets, Awards programs, and the charitable endowment plans are good ways to let the membership know what is going on and how they can interact.

However, as the site has a lot of good Masonic information, it is very light of any conversion mechanism, meaning that for as much as any Masonic visitor would find the information interesting there isn’t much to showcase to a young first time visitor who may have an interest what Arkansas Masonry is about.  On one hand, this seems to support the word of mouth development, but in an age increasingly shopping on line first, the site disengages the new or first time visitor with a lot of information.

Let me qualify this by saying that there is a “How to become a Mason” page, that is very thorough.  It approaches the situation in a Q & A style FAQ by going through the myriad questions that a petitioner may have.  This is not, by itself a bad system, but in an age when a visitor to a website spends about 90 seconds on content, the particulars of “How To” get lost in the volume of content.  At the very bottom of that page is a link to “Contact the Membership Team” which leads to a form page for the aspirant to fill in, which is a great way to capture the information.  The only thing I would suggest is to move that contact form to the top and with its own abbreviated “How To” and then insert it into the top level navigation so it stands out.  As it stands now, it is three clicks deep (with the submission) from the main page, and buried in the site.

At the bottom of the left side navigation is the sites links page, with images to the appendant bodies and various organizations important to the state.  It was good to see that the Grand Lodge recognized many of the various groups and listed them so a user could quickly click in and check them out.  Some of the interesting links I found were the Ruffian Chapter of the Order of the Widow’s Sons (a Masonic motor cycle club), and the Scimitar Shrine of Little Rock.  The links pages use of images in the navigation, I think, is a dynamic way to entice the viewer to look deeper into the content.

One thing I did not see was a page dedicated to contacting the Grand Lodge.  The site does include its contact information at the bottom of each page with the address and phone number, but it limits users who want to send an electronic correspondence, unless it is to the webmaster.  The quickest remedy to this is to add a page that could include addresses, maps, contact names, numbers, and email, and so on.  Ideally this would also be in the mix of the top level navigation.

Calendar/Events/Call to Action:

The troubling thing I noticed right off was that the front page news tab was devoid of any news.  This seems a natural place to include upcoming calendar items and events.    As I ventured through the site, I did not easily find the calendar of activities around the state, or any informational mentioning anything that was going.  Once at the calendar (located in the General Grand Lodge Links) I found a wide variety of information, from degrees, conferences, educational programs, banquets and so on.  From a visitor stand point, because of its location, it leaves one wondering what to do when visiting or traveling to the state and it is not until after significant searching (clicking) that its activities became obvious.  From an organizational stand point, the calendar would be an excellent inclusion for the front page news or to be grouped with the news so that it is easier to find.

Overall:

Generally, the sites informational content is good, and goes a long way to communicate to the membership about the Grand Lodge and its operations.  But it does not address clearly the how and why to become a Mason efficiently, in that where it does go into detail it is to much information.  It definitely gives a rich textual experience of what the state offers but misses tying it into some visual aspects of the state.

From the first time visitor stand point the site does not immediately engage with any conversion mechanism (look, click, sign-up).  That may be overstating the purpose of the site, but it does not seem to take into consideration the non Mason who may visit with a keen interest to find out about Arkansas Masonry.  As a quick comparison, the link mentioned above to the Scimitar Shrine is a very advanced and developed site with video and some interactivity which may be a glimpse into the level of importance (value) that the bodies place in their activities.

As a visiting Mason, the site is enjoyable and does entice additional time spent to look at its  wealth of resources and goings on to get a feel for what Masonic life is like there.  As a visiting non Mason, it definitely leaves me wondering why becoming a Arkansas Mason is valuable.

Coming up next – The Grand Lodge of California

Wine, Kings, and Women

by

Which is the greatest? The strength of wine, the power of Kings, or the influence of women?

emblem, red cross,order of the red cross of constantine
Illustrious Order of the Red Cross of Constantine

Those of you that have been received in the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross will doubtless recognize this question. In the degree, Darius offers this question for discussion in his forum and a discussion ensues on the correct answer. This question brings some critical concepts to light for all Masons.

The foundation for this story is found in the Apocrypha.

The Apocrypha is a collection of works that were considered for addition in the Bible, but were generally not included in canonical texts. Because these books are not in most Bibles, many Masons are unfamiliar with the content of these works. The story relating to the aforementioned discussion is found the the book of 1 Esdras.

“And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon after awaked. Then three young men, that were of the guard that kept the king’s body, spake one to another; Let every one of us speak a sentence: he that shall overcome, and whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts, and great things in token of victory…The first wrote, Wine is the strongest. The second wrote, The king is strongest. The third wrote, Women are strongest: but above all things Truth beareth away the victory.” (1 Esdras 3:3-12)

Throughout the rest of the third and fourth chapters, the discussion relating to these questions take place. Not surprisingly, the man which states that “Truth beareth away the victory” is considered the victor.

For the Mason, these four influences may be applied to the four cardinal virtues: temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice. The strength of wine leads to disregarding the concept of temperance. This virtue instructs the Mason to “avoid excess, or contracting any licentious or vicious habit.” However, the strength of wine encourages indulging in excess and creates vicious several vicious habits. The man who claims that wine is the strongest defends his thesis by saying:

“It maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one… It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt: And it maketh every heart rich, so that a man remembereth neither king nor governor; and it maketh to speak all things by talents:And when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and brethren, and a little after draw out swords…(1 Esdras 3:19-22)

The power of kings requires that the virtue of fortitude be considered. The virtue of fortitude is described in Masonic ritual as “that noble and steady purpose of the mind whereby we are enabled to undergo any pain, peril or danger, when prudentially deemed expedient.” The man who claims that the king is the strongest states of the king:

And yet he is but one man: if he command to kill, they kill; if he command to spare, they spare; If he command to smite, they smite; if he command to make desolate, they make desolate; if he command to build, they build; If he command to cut down, they cut down; if he command to plant, they plant. (1 Esdras 4:7-9)

These sentences can describe only one thing: absolute tyranny. Fortitude is that virtue which admonishes the Mason to resist the efforts of tyranny to influence him to forsake his own morals. The strength of kings does not refer only the power of monarchs, but the power of any person who may use their influence for unscrupulous purposes.

The influence of women mandates that the virtue of prudence be observed. Masonic tradition states that this virtue “teaches us to regulate our lives and actions agreeably to the dictates of reason, and is that habit by which we wisely judge, and prudentially determine, on all things relative to our present as well as to our future happiness.” Does not the lust for women cause the Mason to momentarily consider forgetting the dictates of reason or sacrifice a happy future for a moment of pleasure? The man who makes this assertion says: “Yea, many there be that have run out of their wits for women, and become servants for their sakes.Many also have perished, have erred, and sinned, for women (1 Esdras 4:26-27).” Certainly, the lure of peculiar form and beauty will influence a man to disregard the virtue of prudence.

However, the third man who asserts that the influence of women defeats the strength of wine or kings also states that truth is the victor over all of these influences. This is consistent with the Masonic view of justice, which the ritual states “is the very cement and support of civil society.” For justice to be served, the truth must be ascertained. The man who introduces this argument to the conversation says that:

As for the truth, it endureth, and is always strong; it liveth and conquereth for evermore. With her there is no accepting of persons or rewards; but she doeth the things that are just, and refraineth from all unjust and wicked things; and all men do well like of her works. Neither in her judgment is any unrighteousness; and she is the strength, kingdom, power, and majesty, of all ages. Blessed be the God of truth. (1 Esdras 4:38-40)

Truth leads to justice and to overcoming the vices presented by the strength of wine, the power of kings, and the influence of women. Only through truth can the problems created by the influences be identified and corrected. It provides the support of civil society and is even symbolically represented by the feet, the foundation of the body. Therefore, truth is certainly the victor.

Blessed be the God of Truth.

Mussar and Freemasonry

by

This article comes from Jeremy Gross, who you may know better as the 47th Problem Euclid and author of the Masonic blog Corn, Wine, and Oil. His blog is very insightful and it is recommended that you visit his site for more thought provoking articles on Freemasonry.

compasssquare2I have been writing a lot about Jewish Mysticism, but for this article, I’d like to share another Jewish tradition that is somewhat more mundane, and yet possibly more profound. There is an ethical tradition in Judaism called Mussar . While the Modern Mussar movement is less than two centuries old, it taps into a tradition that goes back for nearly a millennium. It is part of Mitnagdim (the opponents of the Hasids) Yeshiva study, especially in the Litvisher (or Lithuanian Jewish) tradition. That’s ironic, because I am much more influenced by Hasidic Mysticism, and I’m a Galitzianer (Gallician Jew), and the Litvishers and Galitzianers traditionally butt heads with each other (kind of like a Jewish version of the Hatfields and the MacCoys). But a good set of techniques is precious, so I will take wisdom where I find it.

Modern Mussar practice was initiated by Rav Yisroel Salanter , who studied with Reb Zundel Salant , of Salantai, Lithuania. There is a story that Rav Yisroel was a dilligent student, but a failure in business. After losing his umpteenth job, he went to Reb Zundel in despair. Reb Zundel suggested that he become a rabbi. Rav Yisroel thought about it long and hard, and went back to his teacher. “I don’t know that I can be a rabbi. People will come to me for advice, and life and death may hang on my decisions. People will take on a career and avoid others based on what I tell them. People will marry based on my suggestions. What if I am wrong? I couldn’t bear to have people led astray because of my error. The very idea of it terrifies me.” Reb Zundel replied, “And you’d rather that a rabbi be a man who didn’t worry about his mistakes and their consequences?”

There are many stories about Rav Yisroel’s moral righteousness. During a cholera epidemic, he turned his students away from the Beth Midrash (house of learning) to attend to the sick, even though the disease was deadly and highly contagious. On that Yom Kippur, everyone is supposed to fast, but he encouraged the sick to eat, because he felt that the preservation of life was more important. When the pious sick refused, he publicly ate a piece of cake at the bimah, after Shacharit services, and begged those who felt weak to join him. For this, he was nearly fired as the head of his school, but his mastery of Torah during his exit interview was enough for him to keep his job.

He believed in Mussar, and believed that Mussar was for everyone, men, women, the Orthodox, even those who were lax in their observance. He worried that someone could study Torah and Talmud, the great works of Mysticism, secular knowledge and business, and still not study himself and his own behavior. He felt that without ethical self-examination, other achievements were hollow.

A disclaimer: I have read two books on Mussar, and studied some of two Mussar classics, and I’m about to start a personal Mussar practice. I haven’t started yet. I have all the spiritual authority of someone who has read a few books on Freemasonry, but has never taken any degrees, writing about Freemasonry. I’m hoping that the mistaken things I say next will come out being more truthful than silence, but I’m not guaranteeing anything.

What is Mussar? Mussar is not designed for the tzaddik, the holy man who is incapable of sin. Neither is it designed for the damned soul who is entirely governed by sin. It is designed for those who strive to do good, who sometimes end up doing evil, but are contrite when their evil deeds are pointed out to them. This is similar to Freemasonry, which cannot make evil men good, but can make good men better.

We are endowed with free will, and yet we fall into patterns that are hard to break. When we analyze where we have free will, we find our choices limited to certain things, while other things in our lives we are currently powerless to change. Anyone who has tried to break an addictive trait knows what I am talking about.

Mussar suggests that we have certain pivot points, called points of bechirah, where we could follow the inclination towards the good (called the yetzer hatov), or the inclination towards the evil (called the yetzer hara). A bechirah-point is a circumstance in our lives where each inclination has about a 50% chance of controlling the outcome. We have many of these points in our lives, with different issues. In Mussar practice, one observes one’s own behavior and actions, and keeps track of where the bechirah-points are on any given day, and if any new bechirah-points have emerged. The work is to use directed consciousness to tip the balance in favor of the yetzer hatov. What makes it hard is that the yetzer hara is really vocal, really loud and really persuasive. The yetzer hatov is pretty quiet. So one trains to listen to the voice of the yetzer hara and then deny it a victory. The metaphor given is one of a battlefield for your soul, with individual actions as soldiers, where some land is occupied by the yetzer hatov, and other land is occupied by the yetzer hara. The places where they share control is no-man’s land, and where they each control about 50% is the front line. One approaches the field of his soul like a general, planning battles, opening salients, and pushing the forces of the yetzer hara back. The yetzer hara is where excuses not to go to lodge this month come from, what urges you to eat a second piece of cake, what impels you to put a cigarette to your lips and persuades you to light it. The yetzer hara is always talking, which is why meditation is a practice designed to silence the inner monologue. The yetzer hatov is very hard to hear, most of the time. It takes silence for it to find a voice.

Mussar says that each of us has a spiritual curriculum, individually tailored to us personally. The two comparison examples given in the literature are, on the one hand, the master thief, raised by thieves, surrounded by thieves, who makes a living off of thievery. While stealing is against the Ten Commandments, the master thief does not struggle with the ethics of stealing on a day-to-day basis. But if the master thief were to be caught, he might have to kill the person who caught him. Or run away. The master thief is not a murderer. Yet. Killing someone now would be submitting to the yetzer hara. Running away without harming the other person would be listening to the yetzer hatov. The second example is that of the pious rabbi who obeys all of the commandments in the Torah. When it comes time for him to give the charity commanded of him by his religion, does he give away his money joyfully, or does he have a pang of regret? The pang of regret before a generous act is the voice of the yetzer hara. The thrill of joy before a generous act is the feeling of the yetzer hatov.

The Mussar practitioner makes a list of thirteen traits of the soul, called middot, that he would like to cultivate, and devotes a week to working on each one. The classical thirteen middot are equanimity, patience, order, decisiveness, cleanliness, humility, righteousness, frugality, diligence, silence, calmness, truth, and separation (isolating oneself when one is unable to behave appropriately). Other middot include fear of God, modesty, trust in God, and generosity. One is free to choose any thirteen virtues that he feels is relevant to himself. At the end of 13 weeks, it begins again. After four cycles, he makes a new list. He keeps a daily journal of what bechirah-points were challenged, and what the outcome was each time.

Also, the great classics of Mussar are consulted, often with a study-partner or chevrutah. The two chaverim take turns reading a paragraph each, and then debate their meaning. This dialectical process has many benefits. It encourages each partner to keep up with his partner, it gives each student a perspective other than his own, and each partner watches over the other to ensure that neither is overwhelmed or loses interest.These classics include Orchot Tzaddikim (The Ways of the Righteous), Mesilat Yesharim (The Path of the Just), by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, Tomer Devorah (The Palm Tree of Devorah), by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, Chovot ha-Levavot (The Duties of the Heart), by Rabbi Bahya ibn Pakuda , and Cheshbon ha-Nefesh (An Account of the Soul), by Rabbi Menahem Mendel Leffin (inspired by Grand Master MW Benjamin Franklin’s idea of the Thirteen Virtues). Because Freemasonry has influenced this practice, there is no reason why this practice cannot in turn influence Freemasonry.

Indeed, this whole practice of Mussar seems strongly congruent with Freemasonry. We are instructed to subdue our passions and improve ourselves in Freemasonry. We are given working tools for this purpose, and given some instruction as to their use. But how many masons do you know say to themselves, “I feel like I’m stuck. There is the rubbish of the Temple from past labors in the quarries I no longer need to harbor, gumming up the works. I need to apply the Common Gavel to them, shaping my Ashlar from Rough to Perfect. I also feel like the hinge on my Compasses is a bit sticky– it might need Oil.”? It seems to me that a version of Mussar tailored to masonic usage might give us techniques for using our working tools more effectively.

I’ve studied some of Mesilat Yesharim and Tomer Devorah, and although they are beautiful texts, I don’t believe these are very accessible to someone outside of Jewish scholarship. I studied them with a rabbinical student who was able to translate the Hebrew (we used bilingual translations), locate each scriptural or Talmudic reference, and explain some of the subtleties. Both authors were passionate mystics, and wrote mostly about Jewish mysticism and esoterica, and their works reflect their mystical intents. I think the introduction to Mesilat Yesharim is brilliant. But none of the above books would be entirely appropriate for the average Freemason to study. While I think the partner study of Mussar classics is a necessary component of the technique of Mussar, I’m not well-versed enough in masonic scholarship to provide appropriate substitutes specifically tailored for a Freemason looking to do ethical contemplation. One might start with Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, but I’m sure that better examples exist. At the very least, finding a Brother, expressing the intent to do Mussar together, checking in with each other on a periodic basis to gauge progress, and possibly reading a suitable book of ethics together would be a good start.