Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts

The times they are a-changin'

by Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB Darin A. Lahners


Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'
-Bro. Bob Dylan


Freemasonry, which is supposed to be a refuge from Religion, Politics, and other sectarian subjects has in fact become a hotbed of Religion, Politics, and sectarian subjects. We are taught in the Fellowcraft degree to study the seven Liberal Arts and Sciences.  One of these, Logic, is an attempt to scientifically study and differentiate between valid and invalid arguments or statements. Yet, it seems that we have a large number of brethren who no longer have the capacity for logic or critical thought, and instead feel it necessary to share opinions that are nothing more than what they have been conditioned to believe by the social media they read or the news that they watch.  

Maybe because we have so many Parrot Masons, if you are not familiar with the term I'd urge you to read this article: (http://www.midnightfreemasons.org/2015/12/the-parrot-mason.html), in our fraternity, they try to find the other parrot Masons when they go to their lodge for an event. They huddle up and regurgitate everything that the media or social media has told them, much like a mother bird feeds her young. Unfortunately, the vomitous diatribe that comes from their echo chambers and exits their mouths sprays everyone around them, much like that infamous scene in The Exorcist, where a Pazuzu-possessed Regan sprays Father Karras with her vomit, and I must admit I am just as shocked by this when it occurs as he was.  Yet, I feel powerless to stop it.  When it happens outside the lodge room, at a pre-degree or meeting dinner, I can at the very least get up and leave the room when it gets to a point where I might not be able to subdue my passions.  However, I have begun to witness this in tyled lodge rooms.    

While I agree brethren should be able to practice whatever religion they want to practice and support whatever political party they want to support. I grow tired of hearing the same things I see in the news or on social media in our lodge buildings. It has become an issue when we can no longer subdue our passions regarding whatever our echo chamber tells us to be angry towards. It becomes something that we need to fight against when there are Grand Lodge policies that are formed because of individual political or religious beliefs, the majority membership's political or religious beliefs, or due to outside pressure regarding these beliefs from the profane world.

A recent Grand Master's ruling regarding gender identity stated: "It is important to understand that this decision does not constitute a judgment of this Grand Lodge, moral or otherwise, on the issues of gender identity, gender expression, or transgender issues. As in the case of spiritual and political matters, every Mason is free to form a private opinion on the subject. The Grand Lodge is forever committed to individual freedom of conscience and personal liberty in every lawful pursuit. However, not every such pursuit qualifies an individual to become or remain a Mason."  
First and foremost, how will this rule be enforced? In my mind, short of having some zealots who insist on making the candidate very uncomfortable by demanding to see proof of their manhood (use your imagination here), I don't see how it is. Not convinced? Taken to the extreme, the above isn't going to catch someone who has had gender reassignment surgery undergoing the "examination" as alluded to above.

For the sake of argument, let's imagine for a second that there is a rule issued by a Grand Lodge banning anyone who holds membership in the Klu Klux Klan from being a member in their jurisdiction. While I would hope most of our members would see such membership as being antithetical to membership in the Freemasons, short of having a member on record as stating their membership in the Klan, such a rule would seem to be equally unenforceable. If the member of this group was able to abide by the rules and regulations of his lodge and Grand Lodge, as well as act Masonically towards the men that he will have negative opinions about, and he doesn't disclose his membership, then it is possible his brothers may not know. While all of the above is a big "if", I use this example to illustrate the point that rules that restrict membership are difficult to enforce, especially when the only way to enforce them is to invade one's privacy.

Look, it's not my place to judge what a separate Grand Lodge Jurisdiction does since it's not my jurisdiction, but I should be allowed to question the motivation behind it.  We must understand that these rules are only useful as an essential statement of principles from a particular Grand Lodge and little else, even if that Grand Lodge claims it's not a statement of their "official" belief. While they make us feel better about ourselves, and maybe the institution of Freemasonry depending on your personal point of view on the subject, do they really serve a good purpose? At the end of the day, Grand Lodge constitutions already have systems in place for individual Lodges to determine who they wish to become members of our fraternity, and systems to handle matters of jurisprudence when an offense occurs that needs to be litigated. Do we need to further legislate who can join and who cannot? It seems like an overreach to me.  

Furthermore, the below justification for this particular ruling opens up a wide range of brethren to potentially lose their membership or be banned from becoming Freemasons based on a logical fallacy that is attempting to interpret personal beliefs from the past and apply them to the present. The justification which is given in this particular case states: 

“The persons admitted members of a Lodge must be good and true men, freeborn, and of a mature and discreet age; no bondmen, no woman, no immoral or scandalous men, but of good report.”
The Old Charges form an integral part of our more than one hundred-year-old Constitution. The “system of ancient laws and customs of the Craft” which they contain are timeless and universally adhered to in all Grand Lodges throughout the world with which this Grand Lodge is in fraternal relations. As such, The Old Charges must be understood in the context of the time in which they were written and at the time they were incorporated into our Constitution of 1920, not given new meaning based on current attitudes and practices among some concerning gender or other matters. Anyone who desires to become a Mason, and any Mason who wishes to remain in our fraternity, must be a man, as Dr. Anderson understood men to be in 1722 and as our forebearers understood them to be at the time of the adoption of our current Constitution."

By this rationale, then one could potentially argue for banning or suspending all sorts of individuals from membership other than transgender individuals. Dr. Anderson's idea of what a man was in 1722 or the forebearer's ideas of what a man was at the time of their constitutional adoption is much different than our ideas now. In fact, Anderson's language regarding a mature and discreet age could be used to argue that anyone under a certain age, which is most likely higher than what our minimum age currently is depending on the jurisdiction, should be banned. Don't get me started on the language regarding "freeborn" and "bondmen", as one can use their own imagination to see how that could be used. What about the idea of "no immoral or scandalous men"? That leaves a lot up to interpretation. Wouldn't someone who was divorced in Dr. Anderson's time potentially fall under the immoral or scandalous category? If we have to use this as our 24-inch gauge, then I fear that many members would not be up to snuff.

Anderson's attitudes about God and religion would be different than what today as well. Let's face it, Article I of the Ancient Charges is often interpreted as being a statement of belief in a Trinitary or Christian God. I guess all the non-Christian brethren are out of luck because of Dr. Anderson's understanding of God, he was after all a Presbyterian minister. From a strict understanding, Anderson's God would be one that was Presbyterian, and if you are Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, etc, sorry, you're also out of luck because we're basing our membership decisions on a strict interpretation of what Anderson's understanding was at that time.

Interestingly enough, there is no mention of what Article IV says and it clearly states: 
"unless he be a perfect Youth having no Maim or Defects in his Body that may render him uncapable of learning the Art of serving his Master's Lord, and of being made a Brother, and then a Fellow-Craft in due Time, even after he has served such a Term of Years as the Custom of the Country directs; and that he should be descended of honest Parents; that so, when otherwise qualifi'd he may arrive to the Honour of being the Warden, and then the Master of the Lodge, the Grand Warden, and at length the Grand Master of all the Lodges, according to his Merit."

Maybe they only think Dr. Anderson should render his opinion regarding what a man is, but ignore what he might consider a Maim or Defect. Again, does this not lend itself to interpretation? Going back to article III, If one were to argue that Dr. Anderson's attitudes toward men who were tattooed would qualify them as immoral or scandalous men, or as having a defect that might render him incapable of learning the Art of serving his Master's Lord, you'd have a whole lot of members that would need to be suspended by using the same rationale that the above ruling uses, yours truly would be included in this group. 

When we cherry-pick the Ancient Charges to back one's personal beliefs or attitudes toward a certain set of individuals, we open the door to widespread discrimination against a wide range of individuals depending on the belief system of the one making the rules. Hiding behind Ancient Charges to back a rule which seems to be influenced by one's personal belief system is troubling, to say the least. When Grand Lodges make policies regarding membership qualifications based on the justification of beliefs from a very narrow 18th or 19th Century viewpoint, it becomes a slippery slope.

While in this particular case, you might feel that this particular Grand Lodge is correct with this particular ruling, what happens when there is a rule created that impacts you negatively?  When Freemasonry crosses this taboo boundary and rules are implemented that are directly influenced by one's political or religious beliefs, and those beliefs are ones you share, it's easy to support such rules. But what happens when the rules go against your personal beliefs? What happens when rules are made based on an opposing political or religious viewpoint from your own? What happens when you're the one being discriminated against because of how you look or choose to identify either politically, religiously, or socially? That is not as easy of an answer, right?  

My greatest fear is that you will see this trend continue, and eventually, you will see division in our Fraternity along religious/political lines, where you have Grand Lodges start to withdraw recognition from other Grand Lodges, pull charters from their individual member lodges, and punish their members that speak or act out against such policies or rulings. We have already seen this occur in separate incidents where we have seen Grand Masters take action against individual lodge members and individual lodges in 2022 and 2023.  Again, not my jurisdiction, but it seems in both cases that some outside influences were or are influencing the decisions.   

I am forced to ask what happens when there is an evitable disagreement between two brethren and one of the brethren decides to accuse the other of being that which the rule is against? In the case of the ruling above regarding gender, making such an accusation would be relatively easy to do. In adjudicating the supposed offense, I would think that any member assigned to a committee would agree that it's not so easy to ask the other brother to prove his innocence. While it's easy for him to do so with a simple act, do we really want to get to a point where we have to ask the other brother to perform that act?

It leads me to 
a presentation that is called Start With Why, which is given by my good Friend and Brother, Greg Knott. In this presentation, he talks about the book by Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Using the book as his guide, he develops his "Why" for Freemasonry by defining it as Freemasonry is an organization for men who want to escape the Status Quo, the "How" as working upon improving themselves using the moral teachings of Freemasonry instilled by the degree system, and the "What" by asking Why aren't you a member? While I love this presentation and his ideas presented in it, in order for the Why to be realized, we all must escape the Status Quo, which is the profane world. 

How can we expect to do this as long as we allow Politics and Religion to infiltrate Freemasonry? The answer is that we can't. As long as we continue to bring in these forces, then we can not escape the status quo, and we can't have harmony which, as we are reminded of in the First Degree when the Senior Warden is explaining his duties, is the strength and support of all institutions, especially ours.

Instead of continuing to hold fast to the idea that Freemasonry must be beholden to the status quo of what the "Ancient Landmarks" laid out about regarding Freemasonry over Three Hundred Years ago by Dr. Anderson, we need to start redefining what we want Freemasonry to look like three hundred years in the future.  We need to, as Illus. Brother Knott states, "Escape the Status Quo". I used the title of Bro. Bob Dylan's song, "The times they are a-changin'" for this article to illustrate that we are at a time in history where well-established ideas or concepts are being challenged.  

Because these things are happening rapidly, many of our belief systems are being challenged before we have gathered all of the information needed to make decisions.  Couple this with Freemasonry being rigid and not unable to adapt quickly to societal changes, and it's no wonder that Grandmasters might feel a need to overregulate to protect Freemasonry from these things especially when it might be easier for them to do so because of their own biases.  However, we need to start by asking "Why?" I understand that many of these things are going to be difficult issues to discuss without personal bias.  However, I feel that we must be compelled to begin to think about them and discuss them.

Let's think about a few examples to ponder. We have witnessed the United States government admit that there are Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in our skies, we don't have any idea regarding what they are or where they come from, but they seem to be intelligently controlled. This should make us question humanity's place in the universe, and if we are being visited by advanced extraterrestrial entities, and if so, how long have they been visiting us?  Or are they also inhabitants of our planet?  Or are they demonic like some people believe? What happens if they make their presence known to us and tell us that we're just a genetic experiment created by them?  Would this make you question your belief in the Grand Architect of the Universe who we believe is our creator?  I've already explored an idea of their membership in another article, but it makes you wonder, if they have no gender, are they disqualified from Freemasonry?       

We are on the cusp of potentially having Artificially Intelligent forms of life being created, cars that drive themselves, and maybe even a form of immortality in the form of uploading consciousness to the cloud as we see the lines between technology and what it means to be a human blur.  What does this mean for our Fraternity?  How do we react when an artificially intelligent robot petitions a lodge?  Not only will the robot be genderless, but can we really be sure that it's joining of its own free will and accord if it's been programmed to be intelligent?  Not to mention its belief in a supreme being.  What do we do if we, (humanity), being their creator are worshipped as a deity, much like we worship God believing him to be our creator?   This opens a huge can of worms, doesn't it? 

Apply this same logic to someone who has a brain implant that allows their thoughts/experiences/perceptions to be read by a computer, essentially their consciousness, will be stored in the cloud.  We already carry devices that are listening to us at all times, and I don't see anyone clutching their pearls over the idea that our "secrets" are being recorded.  
Yet, mention the subject of gender and see the same brethren clutch those pearls and cry about the obligation they took.  If only we enforced the other things mentioned in that same ritual.  I have met in my time in Freemasonry a large number of old men in their dotage, madmen, and fools, who have all been initiated, passed, and raised.  Mention women and a large percentage of our membership loses their minds. Add to this that there ievidence that Anderson's Ancient Landmarks might not be historically accurate. There is an equally compelling argument that women were recruited into and welcomed into the speculative ranks in a more widespread manner than previously thought. (See Dame Masons: Women and Freemasonry for more information on this. Link: https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1041&context=labour1999 ).  

When we ask "Why", maybe we can discover that maybe Dr. Anderson either wasn't aware of this or maybe he chose to ignore this to fit his own beliefs or agenda. In either case, if the "truth" of our founding documents is being called into question, don't we owe it to ourselves and our "accepted" history to figure this out for ourselves especially when we value truth as one of our main tenets?  Instead of looking at the issues from the point of view of Dr. Anderson's time, do we not owe it to ourselves and our Fraternity to explore and look for truth in this matter?  

Our collective inability to separate our fraternity from the divisions plaguing the profane world is one of the major problems facing Freemasonry. The propaganda of our siloed echo chambers,  the 24-hour news cycle, and social media algorithms, only show us what we want to see and allow us to hear what we want to hear.  I am forced to ask "Why?".  It is my personal belief that it is because those in power in many cases intentionally attempt to divide us because when we're fighting amongst ourselves, we are not asking "Why?" instead.  We should
 unite and call into question the policies of our lodges or Grand Lodges when they could be biased because of one's personal sectarian belief systems.  We need to do this, not because we support them or oppose them due to our own biased personal beliefs, but because we can no longer afford to allow these things to enter into Freemasonry and divide us into tribes like we are in the profane world.

We must use the jewels of a Fellowcraft, why are: the attentive ear, the instructive tongue, and the faithful breast, to rise above the forces that seek to divide us and ruin our fraternity.  We need to learn to find our commonalities instead of focusing on our differences by using the attentive ear to listen to each other. When we use the attentive ear to understand each other, we can then start building dialogue by using the instructive tongue. We can then work towards a more difficult task of re-examining the definitions of what it means to be a Freemason based on all of the available facts at this time. Remember that our operative brethren, when faced with the potential of having their lodges close, did something radical.  Instead of being blindly beholden to their past, they invited non-Masons to join their ranks.  We must do something similar to discuss difficult issues like gender and racism today or perhaps the robots which may be in near future. Most importantly, we must use the faithful breast to subdue our passions and keep these difficult conversations civil and free from our personal political and/or religious bias.  I realize it won't be easy, but we must liberally use the cement of Brotherly Love to remember that we are all brothers, not enemies.  

~DAL

WB Darin A. Lahners
is our Managing Editor. He is a host and producer of the "Meet, Act and Part" podcast. He is currently serving the Grand Lodge of Illinois Ancient Free and Accepted Masons as the Area Education Officer for the Eastern Masonic Area. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. He’s also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, Salt Fork Shrine Club under the Ansar Shrine, and a grade one (Zelator) in the S.C.R.I.F. Prairieland College in Illinois. He is also a Fellow of the Illinois Lodge of Research. He was presented with the Torok Award from the Illinois Lodge of Research in 2021. You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com.

From Light to Darkness

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor
WB Darin A. Lahners


This week I ran across a rather sad and confusing incident which has happened in Massachusetts.  Instead of trying to relay what happened, I will copy it from the St. Johns Lodge Facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/St.JohnsLodgeNewburyport).  Here it is below:

Dated July 9, 2022, @ 6:35 P.M. - Author Unknown
Friday, July 1st was a dark day for St. John’s Lodge and Freemasonry as a whole. It is important that the membership and those who care for us are informed:
On Friday, July 1st, via email communication, The Grand Master M.W. Richard Maggio Expelled one of our Brothers and suspended three others. These four men together had contributed a combined 82 years in the craft, two were Past Masters, and all were loved and respected by our Lodge. Along with them, many other brothers both of St John’s and St Marks received reprimands, all for their involvement in reversing his decision to cancel the May 14th LGBTQ+ Youth Dance sponsored by NYS.
For those unaware of the circumstances, here is just one of many articles:
The fallout from the Grand Master’s action to cancel the Dance, purportedly at the request of a Barnstable County political activist and their Facebook group aimed at disrupting similar events, was swift and unrelenting. This action was taken, without the knowledge of the local Lodges and without any attempt to hear from anyone involved in the event or in our Community. Grand Lodge additionally made no public statement and this created a vacuum for speculation and worse.
Community members labeled our Lodge as bigots and homophobes, Building tenants asked to have their signs removed and questioned their continued business, family, friends and neighbors questioned our character, and Riverwalk Brewing pulled their partnership in our Charity Oktoberfest event. Many Members even questioned their own future involvement in Lodge.
The Brethren asked the Grand Lodge for help and a public statement, but none came, only a directive to not speak to anyone in the media and that none can speak on behalf of Freemasonry or even for our own Lodges. After repeated failed attempts to get the Grand Master to take accountability for his actions and address the public, a large group of Brothers worked hard to assess the situation, find a solution to repair our image and to do the right thing for the youth of Newburyport. They knew they were putting themselves at risk of disciplinary action, but acted accordingly to what was in their hearts and the tenets of our Craft.
On May 4th, The MTA voted to reinstate the Dance and a statement was released to the City to inform the public. To the Grand Master’s credit he did come to speak after the close of the May 5th Communication to attempt to explain his actions, we will keep the details private, but those in attendance know the outcome.
The event went off without incident and the appreciation of our Community and the youth who attended lifted the spirits of everyone involved. The brethren of both St Johns and St Marks who were involved, felt a sense of unity and solidarity that hadn’t been felt before.
Now nearly two months later, we have shockingly been dealt a serious wound as retribution for that effort. You can surely imagine the pain those Brothers, cast out of a Fraternity they love, are feeling and the uncertainty this severe reaction has caused. Currently the future of St. John’s Lodge is in jeopardy as the Men who hold the line are questioning how they can continue without a reversal of these unjust actions.
If you know these Brothers, please reach out to them and show them support.
If you would like to have your voice heard and please keep all communication respectful and productive, you can reach the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , M.W. Richard Maggio at: GrandMaster@MassFreemasonry.net.
Thank you for your continued support through this challenging time.

I will state for the record that I do not know any of the brothers at St. John's Lodge or St. Mark's Lodge, nor do I know WB Maggio. I will also state that the below opinions are mine and do not reflect any official position of the Grand Lodge of Illinois nor any Masonic Body that I am affiliated with. I will also state for the record that I believe that these brethren did the right thing, even though they knew in doing so they were putting themselves at risk for disciplinary action in doing so. While the actions of the Grandmaster are seen as unjust, they had to expect a reaction for disobeying his edict even if I and others disagree with his actions.

While I can only surmise that the author of the Facebook post knows more than I do, reading between the lines it seems that the reason for the cancellation was political pressure from those that opposed it due to it being an LGBTQ+ event. It is unfortunate that we live in an age where everything is politicized, and I'm sure that some will accuse me of taking a side here. But let's talk about the elephant in the room, and while once again I do not know the real reason why the dance was canceled, the idea of a Grandmaster basing decisions about what lodges can or can't do due to his political beliefs and/or political influence should be unfathomable to any Freemason.

As an allegorical tale let me ask you to ponder this:
Let's assume that there is an imaginary state of Z, and Z's Grand Lodge has a Grand Master. This Grandmaster learns that one of his lodges is having a gun raffle. He is pressured politically by outside forces and he issues an edict banning Gun Raffles from being used as a fundraiser in his Grand Lodge's jurisdiction. However, many of the lodges in the state of Z use Gun Raffles as their primary fundraising campaign. Members of Saints John of Jerusalem lodge #123 decide to hold a gun raffle anyway. The Grandmaster of The Grand Lodge of Z then suspends and/or expels members of the Lodge. The Lodge then ends up having to fold due to the membership that was suspended/expelled and those that demit in protest. So what essentially has happened in this tale? The Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Z has killed Freemasonry in a town in his Grand Lodge jurisdiction due to a decision influenced by his own politics and/or political pressure.

If you were okay with the Grandmaster of MA's decision, but not with the Grandmaster of Z's decision; then I can only tell you that you're not upset with the one and not both because of your own internal biases or beliefs. Neither example is okay. Freemasonry is local, and the Grandmaster interfering in the decision of a local lodges activity based purely on political pressure is not okay. It's not okay either way regardless of where you fall personally on the political spectrum. There is a danger when we allow politics and religion to infiltrate our lodge buildings and more so when they infiltrate into a Grand Lodge. It can lead to disharmony in the Craft and in this case the possible downfall of a historic lodge.

My fear is that we will begin to see similar actions become commonplace. We must push back against this. We must keep our political and religious ideology in the world of the profane because when it infiltrates into our Lodges and/or Grand Lodges, it does nothing positive. It ends up causing harm to the membership and potentially to the community in which the lodge resides. How can we serve as an example to our communities as an organization that promotes Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth when we allow Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth to be defined by one individual instead of by the Ancient Landmarks of our Fraternity? How can we convince younger men to join our organization when we do not live by the tenets we profess?

We are an organization that is needed now more than ever before because Freemasonry allows men of all political and religious ideologies to come together and improve themselves and each other. When we keep the profane world outside of our buildings we can learn that we have more in common than that which divides us. When it infiltrates then you can see the potential results, the light of Freemasonry which is burning bright in a Lodge with a deep history is quickly extinguished due to the actions of a Grandmaster. That's the real tragedy here, one which will have future repercussions for that lodge, its members, and its community.

~DAL

WB Darin A. Lahners is our Co-Managing Editor. He is a host and producer of the "Meet, Act and Part" podcast. He is currently serving the Grand Lodge of Illinois Ancient Free and Accepted Masons as the Area Education Officer for the Eastern Masonic Area. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. He’s also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, Salt Fork Shrine Club under the Ansar Shrine, and a grade one (Zelator) in the S.C.R.I.F. Prairieland College in Illinois. You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com. 

An Interfaith Homily

by Midnight Freemason Contributor
Ken JP Stuczynski


{I was on deck a couple of years ago to fill in as the speaker at a Masonic Interfaith breakfast, and although the speaker didn’t show, they called off the sermon and invocation altogether. This unused passage is compiled from the notes intended for use that day.}

I’d like to share with you a puzzle. This is not the kind you hope all the pieces came with the box and have to protect from the cats, but something much larger — something that encompasses all of human experience throughout the ages. This puzzle is the question of the Holy versus the Profane.

All cultures have some notion of sacredness, or that which is “holy”, meaning, in its most basic form, “set apart.” Ritual of all sorts are used to create sacred space. We use ceremony to sanctify a building, or a room, or a vessel, for a particular meaningful purpose, or use ritual to make special a place for a gathering to set it apart not only from the outside, in space, but from the rest of the day, in time.

The mezuzah on my home’s door frame contains the passage of Exodus 25:8. “[H]ave them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” I bring this up because even if there were not religion, we would still have the first sacred space of a human being, Home. It becomes a place separate from the rest of the world, and as such it becomes a special act of trust and generosity to invite someone into it.

But there’s another side to the coin. By making our space special, it must be shielded from the outside world, other people. We build walls between us physically and risk building them spiritually as well. This is the puzzle: How do we find holiness in our own lives and hearts without marking everything — and everyone else — profane?

There is another conflict at work here. Wisdom is the ability to make meaningful distinctions, to not become confused with similitude or resemblances. But Love is the choice to NOT make distinctions, to be unconditional, to not compare or contrast others as more or less deserving of life and dignity. Distinctions can detract from our ability to Love, and the most dangerous distinction of all is THEM versus US.

But tribalism is natural. It is how we create the “sacred” in human societies. It gives an identity to a people as opposed to others we may not trust. We find it wise to distinguish between those binding themselves to certain values, rules, and traditions, and those who don’t, at least by our own estimations and assumptions. Those others go by many names: Foreigners, Gentiles, Heathens, Outsiders, Profanes.

The part of the puzzle Freemasons work at is to have the benefits of Sacred Fraternity without its pitfalls, as “Every human being has a claim upon our kind offices.” From one angle, we are always drawing a line between what is good and true and what is not. But is it to pretend we are different or better than others? Do we puff out chests, claiming the higher moral ground, being more civilized than others?

Or is it made in principle? Perhaps the line we draw is only supposed to be the “due bounds” of basic ethics, showing us that which we ought not do. Will we give in to fear and hate and say we must stoop to be evil to fight evil? Will we say our noble ends can justify any means? Or do we draw that line?

I ask a further question, more to the point: Can we protect the sacred by keeping others out? Any Temple we make can be knocked down, and someone eventually always does. But we, as Masons, are taught to construct a Temple that can’t be touched or even made by human hands — something worthy of the Eternity of the Soul, a Sacred space that transcends the need for “Us” and “Them”. We seek a circle without limits.
“He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him In!”

(Edwin Markham)
Poetry is not unknown among Masons — Goethe, Kipling, Bobby Burns, Rob Morris, even George Washington has written a verse or two. But are flowery words forceful arguments? Or are they among other ridiculous sentiments, such as “Love your enemies” or “Pray for those who hate you.” In real life such notions are ridiculous — not because they are ridiculous in principle, but that they are ridiculously difficult to live by.

Consider a recent event — a school shooting where the killer was a child himself. We can’t help but see our own children when we look at the victims’ faces. But we refuse to even look at the face of the disturbed or tormented child who pulled the trigger as anything more than an animal. We cannot accept them as one of us; they may as well be an alien or demon.

On a larger scale, humanity has always used ethnic and ideological pretexts to wage so-called “Holy Wars”. Even atheistic Stalinism played upon this social psychology, and the death toll was mind-boggling. Perceived differences that break down trust and empathy become the very basis for identifying others as something less than human, consciously or subconsciously. After all, that is the only way to make calls to war seem palatable, and the atrocities that stem from them excusable.

Freemasonry was borne in part as a response to this continuing tragedy. The Reformation and Counter-reformation gave us hundreds of years of massacres, both politically executed and by unorganized mobs, based on denominational allegiances. In our Lodge rooms we forbade sectarian discussion and created a sacred space in which we could all sit, and pray together without fear. And we went a step further, borrowing the attitude of Rosicrucianism — a philosophy that prioritized those things of faith on which all men agree, rather than continue to denounce each other over theological details.

The puzzle is how to make the whole world sacred without losing the sacred. Perhaps the answer can be found within another question, another plight of human existence. Why are we missing so many pieces in our world, and in each of our own hearts?

Maybe we are supposed to have something missing, so we have to be dependent upon one another, not just physically, but spiritually and at every other level of our being. Maybe we need the answers to questions only others can ask, coming from places we cannot be, with knowledge we do not have, and understanding we cannot find alone. I believe God has entrusted each of us, however noble or broken a vessel we may be, with a unique spark necessary to light some part of the path for the rest of us.

And maybe it will take all the languages of the world to fill in our crossword. Maybe we must reunite the myriad tribes who split at the fall of the Tower of Babel, and finally hear each other again. And if will finally share those letters and syllables in our hearts, we might just form the Lost Word, recovering the true Law of Love and discovering it anew.

There’s only one time this can ever begin, for ourselves and the World.
The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It is among us.
We can choose our fate together by choosing it within ourselves.
Never cruel or cowardly, never give up, never give in.
Embrace and enfold others without limit or prejudice, and all will be Sacred.

Grand Architect of the Universe, we ask for the strength to do what is right, rather than what is easy. Subdue our passions against one another, and may we always strive to Love one another as you have Loved us. Amen.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Is Lodge My Church?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor
Robert H. Johnson



Recently our good friend and Brother, Alex Powers, posted something interesting on the Kansas Masonry Facebook Page. For some background, Alex posts a question for contemplation almost daily. Sometimes they're deep philosophical questions, and other times they're more straightforward. If I'm scrolling through Facebook and I see the question, I stop to read it. Sometime's I answer them, and sometimes I stop and think about it--maybe I reply, perhaps I don't. 


I almost always answer straightforward questions about my Lodge experience or procedures and customs that we might use in Lodge. The reason being, it's hoped others might also read the replies and see where their own experiences and traditions are similar or different from the others that they are reading about. This is a great way to see the universality of the Craft and create more informed and confident Master Masons. 


The philosophical questions are a bit different. In fact, earlier this week, Alex posted a question that began with a little admonition:

"Let's start off with this week's theme being one typically avoided in Masonic circles: Religion. Obviously, we will approach this in due bounds and remind all to do the same. And, of course, our team of moderators will keep an eye on as well. 

Today's topic: 

In your personal experience, do you utilize Freemasonry as a supplementary factor (to add to or enhance) to your religious practice? Or do you view and treat Freemasonry entirely separate?"

In case you skipped the quote, I bolded it. This is what I am going to address here in this short article. And let me go one step further. I want to say that this blog's description is: 

"A group of Master Masons talk about topics of Masonic interest--each from their own unique perspective. You'll find a wide range of subjects including history, trivia, travel, book reviews, great quotes, and hopefully a little humor as well on topics of interest for Freemasons and those interested in the subject of Freemasonry."

My own perspective is precisely what I want to lay out. I began to answer Alex's prompt, and while doing so, I thought I would keep it simple, but that I would also lay this out for the blog because this is a question that is always out there, looming like some kind of storm cloud. I wish it was easier to talk about things like this without having tons of disclaimers, but alas--it's a hotly debated topic; in fact, what's more hotly debated about, is that the question itself shouldn't even be asked! But it was-- and here is my answer. 


I grew up Roman Catholic. I attended Church in Naples, Italy, with my mom and dad weekly. My dad was in the service (Navy) and had been stationed there. It was a wonderful experience. Later, when we came home to the United States, we settled in Illinois after my dad had passed away. I was young, and I attended a Lutheran grammar school for a year. My mom wasn't a fan and pulled me out. I went to public school after that. My religious beliefs until my early twenties could best be represented by the poster that hung in Fox Mulder's basement office in The X-Files. And in reality, that poster is laminated and hangs on my own office wall right now.



"I Want To Believe" was my motto with religion and just about anything else. And let's be honest, there would be a certain comfort or contentment in knowing or believing for those out there who don't believe. To be sure, some atheists will say that they are already content and comfortable--I believe you. This speaks for the rest of us. I wasn't an atheist--I was agnostic in those formative years. I found it audacious in a sense to declare it one way or the other. Who am I to say whether something like God exists or doesn't?


After reading much literature on philosophy with varied authors and really focussing on my collegiate studies, which were themselves centered on philosophy in religion, I had arrived. I did not have faith that there was more. I KNEW there was more. I did believe--because the evidence was surrounding me. The readings and authors that did the most to sway my mind were Giordano Bruno, Cayetano Ripoll, Thomas Paine, Spinoza, and even Albert Einstein. They convinced me that intelligent design was written as we say in this Fraternity, "...in the book of Nature."


I cannot be classified wholly as a Deist, although it sometimes fits. To answer the question placed above, where does someone like myself stand? In an age where fewer people are going to church each year, finding an organized religion as fulfilling or are willing to have faith--we ask why? And I think the answer is because they want to KNOW. And while I had the confidence to say that I knew absolutely that there was something else--that there was intelligent design, I also understand that having this mindset could be considered a gift. To others, it may be too rigid. For me, it's right. Whatever your path is, whatever lens you see the world through, or your particular religion,  as long as it hurts no one--follow it. 


So, where do I stand on Alex's question? I suppose I see Freemasonry as the living practice of Deism, maybe even Stoicism. While we have the Abrahamic faiths as a foundation for the allegory, or rather, it's the mode of transmission we've chosen to use--the tenets of our institution are universal in application. Not one part of it is specifically applicable to only one religion. Hence Freemasonry's secular stance--at least in words. Often times many members belong to Lodges that do have a specific religious "flavor." I don't mean to be derogatory. I just don't have a better way to describe it. Other Lodges stay as objective and "vanilla" as possible--multiple VoSLs on the altar, specially written prayers that remove themes of one kind or another, and more.


It really does span the gamut. At this time, Regular Freemasonry requires a belief in a Supreme Being or God. It does so for some precise reasons, which I'm not going to get into here. Deism is a philosophy that has changed over the years very dramatically. So much so that in some jurisdictions, Deists aren't allowed to join Freemasonry. Would this have barred members like Benjamin Franklin? Perhaps. But that is not the question asked above. Deism has no church or divinely inspired text or VoSL. It would be nice to have something, I suppose, but what would it be? A VoSL for a Deist is probably considered--"The Book of Nature." This isn't an actual book, of course, it's analogous to saying--"Look around you. This is my book. This is my divinely inspired text." 


Deism also has no church. There again, the Deist might say, "The world is my church." I'm wondering, though-- if Deism DID have a church, perhaps a Craft Lodge is it. Again, I'm not so sure I'm a Deist, and I don't go to religious services often. My opinion here might mean nothing to you based on that alone. I've said it in a room full of people to whom I was lecturing, "Freemasonry is my religion." Yikes! I just said that. 


You might say to yourself, "Freemasonry isn't a religion. It has no God." You're right. There is no God in Freemasonry--its members believe that whatever their individual God is, we can call it, "The Great Architect of the Universe" or hey, for me, "God"-- works. So I know there's something out there, something bigger, grander, incomprehensible. While I might not have a specific dogma, at times, I guess Deism is a good banner that fits me. The Craft offers me a place to meet others who can agree on a shared belief in an intelligent creator and interact with others who share the same universal beliefs regardless of their personal backgrounds. Maybe Lodge, for me, it's its own religion--even though folks might vehemently disagree. 


Lodge definitely adds to my dogma--it might just be my church. 


To quote an interview with Ernest Borgnine for "The Scotsman" in 2009:

"His religion now, he says, is Freemasonry. "I am very happy to say that I'm a 33rd degree Grand Cross Master Mason in the Scottish Rite. We believe in one thing, God. We believe in another thing: to help your fellow man. Be as kind as you can be to everybody."

~RHJ

More on Ernest Borgnine

The Scotsman Interview

Pew Research on Decline of Church

Fewer Adults Belong to a Religious Congregation

RWB Johnson is a Co-Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry", “The Master’s Word: A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light, and the Self – Annotated Edition” and author of "How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide. More books are on the way.




Friend and Brother Eternal

by Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB Darin Lahners

The 26th degree in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite is called “Friend and Brother Eternal”.  For those of you who haven’t seen it, it tells the story of two officers namely General Lewis Addison Armistead and General Winfield Scott Hancock who while on opposite sides of the Civil War maintain their Masonic Principles. This “story” is immortalized by the “Friend to Friend” Masonic Memorial.  It is located in the National Cemetery Annex off Taneytown Road in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 

It has a plague that reads:

Union General Winfield Scott Hancock and Confederate General Lewis Addison Armistead were personal friends and members of the Masonic Fraternity.

Although they had served and fought side by side in the United States army prior to the Civil War, Armistead refused to raise his sword against his fellow Southerners and joined the Confederate Army in 1861.

Both Hancock and Armistead fought heroically in the previous twenty-seven months of the war. They were destined to meet at Gettysburg.

During Pickett’s Charge, Armistead led his men gallantly, penetrating Hancock’s line. Ironically, when Armistead was mortally wounded, Hancock was also wounded.

Depicted in this sculpture is Union Captain Henry Bingham, a Mason and staff assistant to General Hancock, himself wounded, rendering aid to the fallen Confederate General Armistead is shown handing his watch and personal effects to be taken to his friend, Union General Hancock.

Hancock survived the war and died in 1886. Armistead died at Gettysburg July 5, 1863. Captain Bingham attained the rank of General and later served 32 years in the United States House of Representatives. He was known as the “Father of the House.”

Shown on the wall surrounding this monument are the names of the States whose soldiers fought at the Battle of Gettysburg.”

It is a very powerful memorial, which is meant to show us as a Masonic Fraternity, that even in the darkest of times, we can rely on each other.  I think that all of us, as brethren, can agree that the beauty of Freemasonry is that Freemasonry allows for men of all creeds, nationalities, preferences, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to come together and meet on the level, act by the plumb and part upon the square. It’s agreed that our obligations as Freemasons make us promise never to allow racial prejudices, religious intolerance, or hatred for any of the human brotherhood. 

When the Senior Warden gives his duties while opening on the First degree of Freemasonry in Illinois, he says something quite profound.  Harmony, being the strength and support of all institutions, especially ours.”  It saddens me to see a new monument, “Brother against Brother”, immortalized on social media.  Disharmony will be the death of all institutions, especially ours.

Many of my brothers are the first to go back to quote or reference the “Landmarks” when controversial issues such as having women in Freemasonry is discussed.  I wanted to remind everyone of a little section present in Anderson’s Constitutions.  It’s called “OF BEHAVIOR”.  I’d suggest everyone go and read it or re-read it. I’ve highlighted something below that ends the section.  We all need to read it. Read it and start to practice it.

Finally, all these Charges you are to observe, and also those that shall be communicated to you in another way; cultivating Brotherly-Love, the foundation, and Capstone, the Cement and Glory of this ancient Fraternity, avoiding all Wrangling and Quarreling, all Slander and Backbiting, nor permitting others to slander any honest Brother, but defending his Character, and doing him all good offices, as far as is consistent with your Honor and Safety, and no farther.

Reading the above reminds me that it is okay for a brother to have a different opinion(s) or belief(s) when it comes to politics and religion.  It reminds me that I may need to employ the trowel to spread the cement of Brotherly Love and affection when it’s apparent that we are too far apart to have a civil dialogue in person or on social media when it comes to topics that can inflame one's passions.  Reaching the realization that is the case, it’s best to understand that you can love your brother without agreeing with him, and it is okay to remind them of that as well.    

If you see a brother, who is not promoting the tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth; who is saying things which are not representative of the tenets of the Craft, then you can and should whisper wise counsel.  Wise Counsel doesn’t mean getting into an argument on social media.  It means taking the brother aside if in person, or shooting them a private message if on Social Media and telling them why you disagree with what they are saying.  Sometimes brothers just need a little guidance to remember the obligations that I spoke of above.

If you read statements on social media or hear with your own ears words from a brother that are filled with hatred of another because of the color of their skin, the god they choose to worship, who they choose to love, or their gender, and you feel that you cannot whisper good counsel because of this, then let them know that there is no place in the craft for hatred.  This is why some Grand Lodges felt strongly enough to issue statements decrying groups that promote white supremacy. The outcry we’ve witnessed about these statements comes from a place of relative dissonance. A dissonance between one's perceived reality, and the truth.  The statements were not of a political nature.  They are stating that Freemasonry at its core is antithetical to groups that have as their core philosophy hatred of their fellow man. 

Given what I just said, maybe it’s hypocritical of me to use the example of Armistead and Bingham given that Armistead fought for the Confederacy. The reasons why the men fought each other is pretty well established.  The lesson lies in what we can learn from them. We can learn from the actions that Bingham took as Armistead lay dying, giving him aid and comfort.  We can learn from Armistead, who upon finding out that Bingham was an aide to General Hancock and a Masonic brother, entrusted his personal possessions, including a pocketbook, a watch, his spurs, and a chain with a masonic emblem on them to Capt. Bingham. These items he asked to be given to Capt. Bingham’s superior officer, Union General Winfield Hancock, so that they could, in turn, be returned to General Armistead’s family.  While recent scholarship in 2010 by Michael Halleran shows that while Armistead and Bingham were both Masons, Bingham's encounter with Armistead occurred while the mortally wounded Armistead was being carried from the field by several men and happened purely by chance and not because of any appeal of Masonic significance, I believe in the lessons of brotherly love and relief which are exemplified by this action regardless of the circumstances. I believe that they are powerful and still applicable today. 

I believe that we can and need to work together to build a better Craft. I believe that we have more things in common than things that divide us.  I believe that we are bound by our obligations but also by the lessons of our degrees. I believe that 99.9% of the Fraternity is made up of good men, who have good intentions, who want to make themselves better, and who want to make the world a better place.  Let’s remember that just because we might not agree along political or religious lines, we should be able to agree that we need to start treating each other with respect online, in the lodge, and outside of the lodge.  Do you think prospective members would want to join our organization when we cannot act with decorum towards one another?  Let’s show the rest of the world that we are the enlightened men that we claim to be.  Or we can continue to argue, bicker and act like the majority of the population on social media, and watch as the craft spirals into disarray. The choice is yours. Choose wisely.

~DAL

WB Darin A. Lahners is our co-managing Editor.  He is a Past Master of and Worshipful Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 and is the current Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign – Urbana (IL). You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com

Men of Faith

by Midnight Freemason Regular Contributor
WB Christopher Hathaway


Freemasons are men of faith. Men who believe in something greater than themselves. We do not quarrel about dogmatic differences as we believe it is up to the individual's own journey to make peace with the Creator as they see fit. We are not a religion. In fact, religion cannot even be discussed in a Masonic lodge as it may cause disharmony amongst the brethren. Why has there been opposition by many denominations throughout history? There are many reasons that can be stated but, in my opinion, the church sees Freemasonry as competition. The leaders think they are competing for time, energy, and money, of the same men that would belong to churches, men of faith. Freemasons ought to be so involved in their faith communities that the religious leaders see the craft as a benefit to their congregation. In my home church, four out of the five Deacons were Freemasons. There was no question in that church that Freemasonry was a friend, not a foe.  

In a Gallup study from 2018, church membership has dropped 20 percentage points since 1998, down to 50%. This is sourced from membership in the three major religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The decline in Freemasonic membership and church membership is correlated for sure. This is not to say that one group is causing the decline of the other, but we are sourcing the same type of people. How do you grow the number of people that believe in a higher power? You get involved with your church. Where do you find qualified men who would be good Freemasons? More than likely in the church. It has been discussed in other articles that we must get out of the lodge and into the community. I will take a more specific stance to say get out of your lodge and into your church. I am not saying go there and recruit Freemasons. I am saying to have conversations with men of your faith, grow your church, and be a shining example of Freemasonry. As stated in the 23rd Degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, NMJ, Christians should truly be Christians and Jews should truly be Jewish…realizing common ideals for the good of humanity. I paraphrased that a bit, but you get the idea. We need to be involved in our respective religious circles.

If organized religion is not your thing, find other outlets in your community that puts you in a space with like-minded gentlemen. The percentage of agnostics in America is on the rise and I do not see this trend slowing down. These men may find our principles of toleration and truth appealing. 

The sense of mystery surrounding Freemasons is both a blessing and a curse. We must use this to our advantage as we tap into the curiosity of prospective members, but we cannot be so obscure that we alienate our friends in the church. We must be knowledgeable to dispute falsehoods and rumors spread about the fraternity. We must build personal relationships and be trustworthy to gain the respect of those with questions. I know I have a lot of work to transition myself from a passive member in my church to one that is active and engaged.  Our motto of making good men better should be evident by the way we carry ourselves in all we do, including the church. 

“Bowling Alone” by Robert D. Putnam goes into detail about the decline in membership for both civic and religious organizations. Many factors are outside the control of a single church or lodge. But we can control the partnerships we form locally and the relationships we build with each other to ensure sustainability for generations to come. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that people are social creatures and need to interact with each other. Let us be the place that good men seek when we can come together again safely. A warm, strong handshake as we exit a building sure beats exiting out of a zoom meeting every day of the week.

~CJH

WB Christopher J. Hathaway was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is the current Worshipful Master of Bloomington Masonic Lodge #43. He belongs to the Valley of Danville, AASR where he is the Most Wise Master of the George E. Burow Chapter of Rose Croix and Membership Chairman. Other appendant bodies include the Gao Grotto, Mohammed Shriners, and the Illinois Lodge of Research. Outside of the lodge, he enjoys spending time with his wife Taylor and cheering on the Fighting Illini and Chicago Cubs.    

Can You Be A Christian And A Freemason?

by Midnight Freemasons Founder
Todd E. Creason, 33°

There’s a couple reasons I wanted to address this topic—primarily it’s due to the number of comments and questions I get on this subject. More often than not they aren’t questions, I get told “you can’t be a Christian and a Freemason.”

That’s not true. I’m a Christian and a Freemason. And I have things in my life aligned in the right order, too. God first, then family, then my job, and Freemasonry taking up the rear. I’ve been a Christian for over thirty years now. I’m a regular Bible reader, and I attend church. Nothing is more important to me than my relationship with God. I’ve worked hard in my life to apply those values I find in the Bible to my life, and like all Christians I fall short. However, I’ve never found anything in Freemasonry that conflicts in any way with what I’ve read in the Bible. And I’ve never been involved with a church that had a prohibition against Freemasonry—in fact one of the Deacons in a church I belonged to for more than a decade was a 33rd Degree (long before I knew exactly what that meant).

Some denominations and some individual churches however prohibit their members from joining the Fraternity, for a variety of reasons. I won’t go into all of those reasons, but the most common complaint I hear in my area is the fact that our Fraternity is open to all men who believe in the existence of God—so it’s open to all the major religions. Our opening and closing prayers are nonsectarian so they can be applied to any of the major monotheistic religions. Because  Freemasonry welcomes men from all religions, we don't close our prayers with "in Jesus' name we pray."  Some Christian denominations and churches have an issue with that. And that’s their right, and I can even respect their position.

This position on admitting members from all religious beliefs isn't new to Freemasonry.  In fact, Freemasonry has served a very important role in our nation's history on this very topic of religious toleration and religious freedom in America.  In America, we have the freedom of religion. It’s in our Constitution—it’s there BECAUSE of the Freemasons. That concept of freedom of religion came from the Masonic Lodges.  In fact, there were a few concepts in addition to religious freedom that were borrowed from Freemasonry by our Founding Fathers when they were drafting the United States Constitution. Because Freemasonry yesterday and today respects ALL religions, ALL Americans have the right to worship as they wish.  And because of those rights secured in part because of the traditions of Freemasonry, those churches today have every right to prohibit their members from joining our Lodges if they feel it conflicts with their religious beliefs.

How do you like that, huh?  This was our idea!

So I’m not going to argue whether or not denominations or churches have the right to make rules like that—they clearly can. And I’m not even going to argue whether those prohibitions are right or wrong. If those are their beliefs then we need to respect that.  And one thing we should never do as Freemasons is to discuss religious beliefs in our lodges, or pass judgements on these policies or these beliefs--I see this a lot on social media.  Questioning someone's religious views or their church's policies is the surest way to start a fight--it's something that's deeply personal.  One of the surest ways to divide your Lodge and alienate one Brother from another is to discuss religion among yourselves--the second way is discussing politics.  We all know we shouldn't discuss religion or politics in Lodge and the reasons why.  Another reason I wanted to touch on this topic is because of some of the ugly things I've read on social media lately aimed at churches and denominations that have a prohibition against joining a Masonic Lodge.  As a member of the Fraternity that helped found the concept of religious freedom in America, we should practice what we've been preaching for so long.

Not all churches feel negatively about Freemasonry--far from it! Many respect the organization, and many even join with the Freemasons in raising funds to support local causes. I recently joined a church I’d been attending for some time, and before I joined, one of the things I asked the Pastor of that church was how that church felt about Freemasonry. That church respected the good work that our Fraternity does, and there are a few Freemasons that attend my church—I noticed Masonic license plates in the parking lot the first morning I attended so I was pretty sure I knew how he was going to answer that question when I asked it.

I’m a believer. I’m also a Freemason. In my experience I don’t see the two conflict with one another. In fact, I think they complement each other. Many of the morals and tenets taught in the Bible are mirrored by the teachings of the Fraternity as well. Concepts we strive towards as Freemasons like truth, brotherly love, charity, toleration, etc., are the same concepts the Pastors of Christian churches are preaching on every Sunday. The Fraternity gives me opportunities to apply those principles. It gives me instruction on how to incorporate those concepts into my life each day. It encourages me, like my church does, to continue to work at improving myself and my moral character. I don’t see any conflict at all . . . for me.

But getting back to my original question. Can you be a Freemason and a Christian? I clearly can and am!  But whether you can be a Freemason and a Christian is between you, God, and your church. But any Freemason will tell you that you should never put the Lodge before your relationship with God. And if that means you don’t join a Masonic Lodge because of a prohibition against membership, then you should respect that.

I can only answer this question for myself, and you must do the same.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is an award winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series.  He is the author of the the From Labor To Refreshment blog.  He is a Past Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) where he currently serves as Secretary.  He is a a Past Sovereign Master of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees.  He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research (FMLR).  He is a charter member of the a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 and currently serves as EHP.  He is also a member of Tuscola Odd Fellows Lodge No. 316.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org