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December 16, 2007
aedifico42\| On Honor… Posted at: 11:05 am Last night I saw another one of those ‘expose’ specials on the Discovery Channel. They did the same thing they always do, but this time there were allusions and some interestingly edited outtakes from what they claim was the ceremony in the Third Degree. I sent a text message to Emeraldi and told him to turn on his television. He was out being a young man and could not be bothered with such trivialities…good for him. I hope he got lucky. Anyway, there were a bunch of guys on this program talking about nothing more than usual. It got me to thinking about this one Enlish guy I saw on TV a few months back. In that interview, he was being asked about the secrets of the fraternity. He plainly said that there were none. I was a bit concerned that he was going to go-off and spill it all…but he suprised me with a simple yet profound statement. He said something like…the secrets are everywhere, handshakes and passwords printed for centuries. But then he said, I know them, and there’s nothing really secret about them…but I have taken an oath to never reveal them. So I won’t. His delivery, of course, was much better than I make it sound here on-screen, but you get the picture. He acknowledged, fearlessly, that there are ’secrets’ and that they have been readily available for anyone who wants to see them. But his HONOR would not allow him to confirm or deny which ones were accurate, or even if they existed. We spend so much time not discussing what we do (for fear of revealing some already public knowledge) that we forget WHY we are not revealing it. I always laugh when I hear some Mason say “It’s a secret” when responding to some question about an innocuous and perfectly publect aspect of our Craft. What he should be saying is something like, “Well, that’s not really secret, but I promised not to talk about it, and my word as a Mason is very important to me.” Wouldn’t an active engagement and a public display of our values serve a better and broader purpose than simple secrecy? If people around the nation and around the world started hearing this sentiment, “I could tell you, but I’d be breaking my word…and we don’t do that”, wouldn’t we be killing two proverbial birds with one simple stone? Knight of old spent much time and energy on public and sometimes gruesome displays of ‘honor’. We hold similar values (but modern sensitivities prevent us from lopping-off the heads of those with whom we disagree). So let’s just take advantage of the moment, and take an example from that guy in England. I can’t tell you, but not because it’s a secret…I can’t tell you because doing so would violate my honor.
MasonicMinute.com

December 16, 2007

Posted at: 11:05 am

Last night I saw another one of those ‘expose’ specials on the Discovery Channel. They did the same thing they always do, but this time there were allusions and some interestingly edited outtakes from what they claim was the ceremony in the Third Degree.

I sent a text message to Emeraldi and told him to turn on his television. He was out being a young man and could not be bothered with such trivialities…good for him. I hope he got lucky.

Anyway, there were a bunch of guys on this program talking about nothing more than usual. It got me to thinking about this one Enlish guy I saw on TV a few months back. In that interview, he was being asked about the secrets of the fraternity. He plainly said that there were none.

I was a bit concerned that he was going to go-off and spill it all…but he suprised me with a simple yet profound statement. He said something like…the secrets are everywhere, handshakes and passwords printed for centuries. But then he said, I know them, and there’s nothing really secret about them…but I have taken an oath to never reveal them. So I won’t.

His delivery, of course, was much better than I make it sound here on-screen, but you get the picture. He acknowledged, fearlessly, that there are ’secrets’ and that they have been readily available for anyone who wants to see them. But his HONOR would not allow him to confirm or deny which ones were accurate, or even if they existed.

We spend so much time not discussing what we do (for fear of revealing some already public knowledge) that we forget WHY we are not revealing it. I always laugh when I hear some Mason say “It’s a secret” when responding to some question about an innocuous and perfectly publect aspect of our Craft. What he should be saying is something like, “Well, that’s not really secret, but I promised not to talk about it, and my word as a Mason is very important to me.”

Wouldn’t an active engagement and a public display of our values serve a better and broader purpose than simple secrecy? If people around the nation and around the world started hearing this sentiment, “I could tell you, but I’d be breaking my word…and we don’t do that”, wouldn’t we be killing two proverbial birds with one simple stone?

Knight of old spent much time and energy on public and sometimes gruesome displays of ‘honor’. We hold similar values (but modern sensitivities prevent us from lopping-off the heads of those with whom we disagree). So let’s just take advantage of the moment, and take an example from that guy in England.

I can’t tell you, but not because it’s a secret…I can’t tell you because doing so would violate my honor.

MasonicMinute.com

9 Comments »

I wrote a blog column about this:
http://masonicpath.blogspot.com/2007/11/discretion.html

I agree, the reason we don’t tell is because we promised not to tell.

Comment by royce myers — December 17, 2007 @ 9:36 am
Indeed you did write a good blog on the same topic. Thanks for pointing that out. I just write stuff as it comes to me, or as the experiences occur. I am glad that at least two of us are looking at the same thing and seeing that topic from our own perspectives.
Thanks for reading.

Comment by AEdifico — December 17, 2007 @ 11:13 am
My father used to say that the only thing you have that can never be taken away from you is your honor. You can only lose it by your own actions.

Comment by Mr. Ed — December 18, 2007 @ 12:55 am
Mr. Ed.
I would disagree with your Dad. Honor is easily taken from somebody with our culture of accusations and false statements. In the end, one certainly may be exhonerated, but I have seen too many people falsely accused…and the accusers believed…to allow my honor to rest only in my hands. It is certainly a sad commentary.
I believe that the only thing that is truly yours forever is your Education…both formal and life-experience. These lessons we learn are the treasure we accumulate. Even in the depths of the worst prison or financial ruin, men can maintain their thoughts and memories. THIS, I believe, is the only thing we truly own.
But while I disagree with your Dad, let me say that his Son is a man he should be proud of!!
-Aedifico

Comment by AEdifico — December 18, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
I’m sorry, my friend. I don’t believe you really understand honor.

Comment by Mr. Ed — December 18, 2007 @ 5:59 pm
I have to agree with Mr. Ed on this one. It must be the Japanese blood in me, but honor is stronger than slander or character assasination. Unless you relinquish it yourself your honor goes with you to the grave, even if that grave was dug by the hands of your enemy.

Comment by emeraldi42 — December 19, 2007 @ 12:46 am
Honor, as I see it, has two real facets…one is the completely selfish, internal one. The second, is the capacity to be recognized within your ‘monkey sphere’ as a person of honor. Both, in balance, are essential.
One without the other is inadequate. I take this perception from the Emerald Tablet theory of the world…as above, so below…as within, so without…
They both matter. I happily disagree, that is to say, I am happy to hold a different opinion of that held by Mr. Ed and Emeraldi…because they are both fine men and good friends who appreciate the capacity that we Masons have to disagree without being disagreeable.
-AEdifico

Comment by aedifico42 — December 23, 2007 @ 8:39 am
My Dear Worshipful Brother and Friend,

I believe you are confusing ‘honor’ with reputation, distinctly different. Reputation is what others see; honor is what we know about ourselves. Through the actions of others, we may lose our reputation but still retain our honor, knowing that we have done nothing to besmirch our honor. We can have a reputation of being honorable yet know that we are anything but honorable, having given it up through actions to which we alone are aware.

As taught to me by my Father.

Comment by Mr. Ed — December 25, 2007 @ 2:04 pm
Mr. Ed,
While I agree that there are internal facets to Honor, it is not without merit that I argue the duality of Honor…the esoteric and the exoteric aspects.
I encourage you to visit Wikipedia (not always a source of wisdom, but the information on this one is good) and look-up “Honor”. I think Dr. Samuel Johnson in his 1755 Dictionary spells-out my idea better than I can.
I look forward to seeing you soon brother.
-AEdifico

Comment by aedifico42 — December 29, 2007 @ 10:41 am

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