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Posted at: 10:21 am It was not until the ‘Morgan Misunderstanding’ that Masons in the United States established our sometimes written rules about discussing religion and politics. Before that, there was no reason to shy away from those topics. Why? Because before that, Masons tolerated different ideas and used maturity and respect to circumscribe their discussions. Back in the old days we used to be able to listen to the other side of a debate and actually practice our Masonic principles. America has always claimed to be the bastion of free speech, yet Masonry has rules about what we cannot say. This is silly. American Masons should be able to discuss ANYTHING they want to with their brothers. We have our compasses and our levels…why can’t we use them? Are we afraid of offending somebody? Do we actually think that our brothers can’t handle a differing opinion? If so, then we’ve got problems. Our Craft created this country so that a free exchanges of ideas would bring peace and harmony to our whole society. We are supposed to lay all of our cards on the table in a respectful and tolerant manner in order to better understand each other and ourselves. Masonry is about being an adult and accepting that, while other adults might disagree, we don’t have to be disagreeable. Masonic restrictions on political and religious discussion are a heavy-handed approach. Such restrictions simply amount to censorship. Men of character can and should engage in interesting discussions about what keeps them apart, and about those things that keep them together. That’s what Masonry should be. Instead…religion and politics are out. It’s a shame, really…since those are the two reasons America broke away from Mother England in the first place. |
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November 8, 2007
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We can talk about those topics after lodge meetings, before lodge meetings, at dinner, coffee, and many other occasions. We just can’t talk about them during lodge meetings. Why? Because those topics tend to divide us, and Masonry is all about bringing men together. That restriction is one of the reasons I became a Mason in the first place, and it’s one of the reasons Masonry is still a vital force.
Comment by Mike — November 8, 2007 @ 10:38 am