| Re: Is American Masonry blindly Patriotic?
I don't see what the difficulty is with the Pledge of Allegiance. If you are a citizen of the US, you should pledge your allegiance. This is done to the flag, to the country, to your fellow citizens, and to the government thereof; not to any particular political party, but to the system which allows for the free expression of differences.
As for prayer, it's a fact that many men are so unused to using universal terms (and perhaps taught that non-Christian is the same as anti-Christian) that certain denominational aspects slip in. I would say to you that, in most cases, this is a slip of the mind, and not of the heart; and I would encourage each of us to spread that broad mantle of Masonic Charity across our Brothers' shoulders at these occasions.
"Perfection, in this world, is a noble goal; yet, the wise as well as the good have often gone astray." |