What Is Freemasonry? - Is This Really Accurate? - Page 3

D. W. Brown · 02-10-2007, 11:15 AM

Great response.. Thanks for the info..

This does answer one question I had, which is, about using Anderson's constitution on the alter during lodge.

Do help me with one other question though. I thought politics was not to be discussed in lodge and from this I mean "internal" politics not external. I always thought is was perfectly fine to discuss politics when it is about politics "outside" the lodge.

cyberclown · 02-11-2007, 10:25 AM

This is a good question I would like to hear the answer to as well ...

Thus far, I have always "blindly" assumed that (as in traditional society) "external" politics and religion (who's right and wrong) are meant.

Discussing politics often ends up at arguing about party affiliation etc. instead of at finding common ground to ebtter society's circumstances as a whole. (And I would think the Great Orient's expection to the English rule was possibly made just in light of the Freemasonic tenent of civil service and alike (as I understand it).)
Discussing religion equally often ends up at "who's right and wrong" instead of learning about each others' religious views to better understand why one religion may have an opposite view on an issue etc. Such discussions should possibly be conducted among 4 or 6 ears and only among such that have mutual respect for each other and are willing to simply listen instead of proselytizing ...

Bro. Markus

D. W. Brown · 02-15-2007, 03:26 PM

Well, not a lot of time to go into a long discussion (at work now), but my feelings have always been we should discuss politics (external) in lodge. I always believed that, as it was in my fathers and grandfathers time, lodge members were the pillars of the community, and as such many important decisions on how to govern a community were made there. Of course many of these decisions were politically related.

cyberclown · 02-16-2007, 03:03 PM

I believe it is--as so many times--the tone that is used in such discussions that really matters.

As long as everyone is willing to "simply" sit together, discuss issues at hand, and is willing to find ways to solve them, then discussing political matters is no problem.

But as soon as we bring "politics" into it (party-related issues about who's right and wrong), then we won't get to that "community-centered" discussion but "fight" about Dems and Reps ... And that is what probably many Masons are afraid of will end up happening all alone ...

Bro. Markus

RJBal4 · 05-22-2007, 11:35 AM

Personally, I don't even know what religion best fits my belief as it has not been that important to me to find out. I do believe that there was "some" great power that caused us to come into existance. What that power is I have no idea, is it a supreme being, or a natural progression of evolution from the most basics of String Theory? I have no idea but that answer is my quest to figure out and mine alone. (Dale Brown)

I have to agree with Dale's comments. My search (or quest) to find answers to the questions that are being raised in these postins are what led me to Masonry.

Like many of the above respondents, I shied away from established Christian religions because they all seemed to be based on guilt. Man is an imperfect entity, we are going to screw up no matter how hard we try not to. Rather than feel guilty about my screw ups, I try to learn lessons from them so I can become a better person. That is the one thing that distinguishes us from the rest of the beings on this planet, our ability to change our behaviour.

Masonry provides a vehicle for that process.

Roy Balfour
Entered Apprentice Mason
Conejo Valley Lodge # 807
Thousand Oaks, CA

David Herman · 05-22-2007, 05:27 PM

Masonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for one; but for some men, participation in Masonry is as close to participation in an organized religion as they care for - and there's nothing wrong with that.

It's not the place of any man to tell another that the GAOTU only reveals himself in certain ways. Religious tolerance (and, indeed, anonymity) in lodge is a blessing, allowing us to gather based on what we have in common.

Masonictraveler · 07-19-2007, 02:49 AM

This may be a late comment, but I do believe Freemasonry s a religion, it is not a faith. What that means is that our practices are meant to communicate something from the past to carry it into the future. The question then becomes, what is Freemasonry trying to communicate?

David Herman · 07-19-2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masonictraveler

T...I do believe Freemasonry s a religion, it is not a faith. What that means is that our practices are meant to communicate something from the past to carry it into the future...

I don't understand that to be a common definition of a religion, Brother.