SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT FREEMASONRY
Some Misconceptions About Freemasonry "Oh that my words were now written! Oh
that they were printed in a book! . . For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and
that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." ( JOB 19: 23, 25 )
In these sentences Job is replying to his critics, who were asserting that
his afflictions were the result of his unrighteousness. In the first verse Job
expresses the wish that his honor be proclaimed for all generations to know; but
in the second, he rejects the dream of a human acquittal in the centuries to
come and confidently asserts his belief in an Ultimate Vindication.
Job never knew Freemasonry, but his words might well serve to encourage
Freemasons who are troubled by the misconceptions and the falsehoods which are
disseminated about the Ancient Craft.
In the charge of the Entered Apprentice Degree, Freemasons are told: "neither
are you to suffer your zeal for the institution to lead you into argument with
those who, through ignorance, may ridicule it." This Bulletin, setting forth
seven of the accusations which are levelled at Freemasonry, is not a polemic to
confute those who do not understand our Order. It is written as a reassurance to
the members of the Fraternity that "truth and justice are on our side" and that
these are the living Redeemer (ie., a Vindicator) in whom we put our trust.
"FREEMASONRY IS A SECRET SOCIETY"
The statement is not true. Freemasonry is a society which keeps certain
matters secret, but the organization, its membership, its officers, its purposes
are not secret.
Freemasonry meets in Temples. Many of these are beautiful, prominent
buildings in the cities and towns in which they are erected. Men enter and leave
these Temples openly, not secretly. A number of Grand Lodges publish the names
of the members of the Order in their Proceedings. Many lodges issue directories
of their membership. Men wear the square and compasses on their lapels. Who's
Who lists Masonic membership in many of its biographies. Masons appear as such
in public at cornerstone layings and at funerals. These are not the
characteristics of a "secret" society.
The vast majority of Masons are proud of being such. They boast of it,
knowing that the general public conceives of Freemasonry as an honor; that not
every one can be a Mason; that it is a character building organization of good
men.
But let us suppose for a moment that "Free- masonry IS a secret society." Is
belonging to a "secret society" criminal? Only if such a society has inhuman or
unlawful purposes. There are "secret societies" which engage in conspiracies, or
terrorism, or other illegal practices; membership in them is "secret" because
their members do not admit publicly that they belong to such organizations.
On the other hand, a number of individuals form a "secret" Christmas Club.
They each make a contribution to buy gifts for poor children at Christmas. They
keep the organization and their names secret because they know that otherwise
they will be overwhelmed with publicity and with too many requests. They take
pride in doing good without advertising. Is it harmful because it is secret?
In this country the Masonic Fraternity whose only objectives are charity and
the building of character, counts approximately four mil- lion men in its
membership. It is difficult to conceive how such a number, proudly asserting
their affiliation, can constitute a "secret" society.
"FREEMASONRY, BEING A RELIGION, DETRACTS FROM ALL ORGANIZED RELIGION"
The statement is also untrue. Freemasonry is not a religion. The dictionary (
Funk & Wagnalls Standard) defines religion as "Any system of faith, doctrine and
worship, as, the Christian religion." Freemasonry has no "system of faith", and
its acknowledgment of a Grand Architect of the Universe is, in its own words (
Old Charges, first printed in Anderson's Constitutions of 1723) "that natural
religion in which all men agree"--that is, the reverence for a supreme, single,
creative Power.
No Grand Lodge phrases a doctrine, and a religion without a doctrine is no
religion. No Masonic Lodge uses any service of divine worship in its ritual or
meetings.
True it is that lodges have an Altar, use a Sacred Book upon it, open and
close meetings with prayer, possess an officer called a Chaplain, and are
dedicated to God and the Sts. John.
In almost every hotel room in America is to be found a Bible. Does that make
the hotel either a religion or a church? The Army and Navy have Chaplains for
every regiment, every ship. Does that make the Army and Navy religions, or the
ships churches? The American Legion and a hundred other organizations have
Chaplains, but no one thinks of them as religions.
Our symbols are not religious symbols. Our purposes, while virtuous, are not
religious. We seek no converts; we profess no dogma; we gladly accept men of any
and of every faith; indeed, we accept men of no particular faith who yet believe
in one Supreme Being. Freemasonry does, indeed, inculcate morality, believes in
human dignity, encourages charity, practices relief. The family, schools,
institutions of higher learning, organizations of a hundred characters, all are
moral, charitable, humanly helpful. But that does not make them religions.
One of the central teachings of Freemasonry is immortality. The answer to
Job's question, "If a man die, shall he live again?" and the central teaching of
all religions is also immortality. Therefore, say our critics, Freemasonry must
be a religion.
But that is false reasoning. The central teaching of the land in which we
live is patriotism--love of America and the American way of life. Exactly the
same thing is true of an Englishman, of a German, a Frenchman. Each is taught
patriotism, but that does not mean each loves OUR country best. Each loves best
his own. Freemasonry insists on a belief in immortality, but it teaches no
particular doctrine concerning survival after death.
Freemasonry is reverent, charitable, and ethical in precept and practice. So
are millions of people who are neither Masons nor church members. The only
religious affirmation required of a Freemason is that he believe in one God.
Freemasonry accepts as members the Christian, the Jew, the Mohammedan, the
Parsee, the Buddhist; a man may be a Unitarian or a Baptist, a Spiritualist, a
Quaker or a Catholic. Freemasonry accepts him as a man, not as a member of a
church. Quakers and Catholics cannot become Masons without offending their own
religion, which fact Masonic authorities will always explain to men of those
faiths who apply, but Masonry accepts them if they are good men and wish to
join. Ministers of all faiths are Masons, just as Masons are members of all
churches. A minister of one faith cannot profess a doctrine other than his own;
yet he can be a Mason. The Fraternity obviously is not a religion, but only a
philosophy of life.
"FREEMASONRY IS ANTI-CHRISTIAN"
Freemasonry is not anti any faith. It is non-Christian, yes--it is also
non-Jewish, non- Mohammedan, non-Buddhist, non-Republican, non-Democrat.
Freemasonry makes no test of religion or of politics. Discussion of both is
strictly forbidden in Masonic lodges. Freemasons, being good Americans, and
teaching patriotism and love of the American way of life, are individually
anti-communist. Some Grand Lodges have passed anti-communistic resolutions, but
most of them have not dignified that cruel system with any notice, preferring
the positive teachings of patriotism to any "anti" expressions whatsoever.
The American public school is non-sectarian. It teaches all children of
parents of all faiths. It is non--not anti--religious. Any bank will receive and
care for the money of any well-recommended citizen without regard to his color,
his race, his creed. The bank is not anti-Negro, anti-African, anti-Christian;
it is merely non-Negro, non-African, non-Christian. Its concern is with money
and credit. Freemasonry's concern is with character and morality. School, bank,
Masonry are all non; none of them is anti. "FREEMASONRY DENIES JESUS--IT NEVER
MENTIONS HIM"
Freemasonry does nothing of the sort. It does not mention Isaiah. Does that
connote denial? It does not mention Woodrow Wilson or Abraham Lincoln. Does that
mean that Freemasonry denies that they lived and worked and were great
Americans? Freemasonry does not talk of Mohammed or Confucious, but that does
not mean that the Order denies their greatness, or their importance to those to
whom they are great and important.
The Chaplain of a Masonic lodge who prays as the voice of the lodge does not
pray in the name of the Carpenter of Nazareth or the name of Jehovah or the name
of Allah. He prays to the Grand Artificer or the Great Architect of the
Universe. Under that title men of all faiths may find each his own deity.
Failure to mention any deity by name is not denial, but merely the practice of a
gracious courtesy, so that each man for whom prayer is offered can hear the name
of his own deity in the all inclusive title of Great Architect.
"MASONIC CHARITY IS ONLY FOR MASONS"
The statement that Masonic charity is only for Masons is simply not true.
While the charity provided by the local lodge may be largely for Masons, their
widows, and orphans, the individual Mason participates in a number of other
benevolent enterprises under Masonic auspices which are not limited to Masonic
beneficiaries. He can also point out examples of benevolence which his lodge has
extended to non-Masons or community projects.
But let us suppose for a moment that a Masonic lodge charity IS only for its
own members. Is that a matter for censure? A father provides a home for his own
children, not his neighbor's. He clothes and feeds his own family, not
another's. A church builds its edifice for its own members first. A member of a
workingmen's group gets into difficulties; his fellows contribute to his
necessities. To help, aid, and assist those with whom we are closely associated
is common practice. It is admirable, not reprehensible.
Many of the co-ordinate bodies of Freemasonry have established outstanding
charitable foundations or enterprises, whose efforts to help the needy or to
alleviate suffering are not restricted to those who are Masons or who have
Masonic relatives. A few examples will suffice to illustrate the point. The
Supreme Councils of the 33ø, Scottish Rite, in both the Southern and Northern
jurisdictions, have made tremendous contributions to education, public health,
and relief. The Southern Jurisdiction founded the George Washington University's
School of Government with a grant of one million dollars, and has supplemented
it with additional gifts and scholarships. Recently it has given a $20,000 grant
to American University in Washington, D. C., and $10,000 to Baylor University in
Texas. The Northern Jurisdiction provides scholarships for young men and women
at the Boston University School of Journalism and Arts of Communication. Proven
ability and financial need are the only tests applied to applicants for these
scholarships.
Both Supreme Councils maintain a Foundation or Benevolent Fund to help, aid,
and assist. In the Northern Jurisdiction the Fund is used to promote public
health by promoting research in the field of mental illness, particularly in the
area of dementia praecox. In the Southern Jurisdiction local bodies support
particular charities, two of the most famous being Hospitals for Crippled
Children at Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas, Texas.
Each of the local bodies of the Rite has an Almoner, who is provided with
substantial funds to administer to the needy, without regard to Masonic
membership. This longtime contribution of the Rite to public welfare is never
publicized; its extent and importance are rarely known. Thousands of people are
helped each year by Scottish Rite Almoners.
For more than thirty years the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the
United States has maintained a large trust fund as an Educational Foundation, to
enable young men and women to defray the costs of a college education, by
borrowing on exceedingly liberal terms a part of their college expenses. More
than a thousand young people are helped annually; they are using approximately a
half million dollars each year. The Grand Encampment has also set up a
foundation which supports research and treatment of diseases and injury to the
human eye, in an effort to prevent blindness. The treatment is provided for
individuals who are in need, regardless of race, creed, sex, age, or national
origin.
Most widely known, perhaps, is the extensive work of alleviating distress
which is carried on in the Shriners' Hospitals for Crippled Children. All Nobles
of the Mystic Shrine must first be Master Masons; but the seventeen hospitals
which Shriners have built and maintain at tremendous cost are for children of
all colors, faiths, and either sex. They must be crippled and unable to get
other hospitalization; the Shrine requires no other tests for admission.
Most of the Masons in the United States, through their Grand Lodges,
contribute to the support of The Masonic Service Association. The far-reaching
comfort and personal helpfulness of this agency's Hospital Visitation Program is
provided for all who need it in the ranks of our disabled veterans, regardless
of race, creed, or fraternal affiliation.
Freemasonry is proud of its contributions to human welfare!
"FREEMASONS FORM A POLITICAL PRESSURE GROUP"
It is difficult to say of one false charge against the Ancient Craft that it
is more ridiculous than another, but no accusation of wrong-doing by Masons is
more unjust than this one. Freemasonry has existed in the United States since
1730. Enough years have passed since our earliest American brethren met in
Pennsylvania to demonstrate the "political activities" of the Fraternity, if
such existed.
Politics--meaning partisan politics--are strictly forbidden to be discussed
in lodges, and have been, since the publication of Anderson's Constitutions in
1723. If Masons were a "political pressure group", obviously they would need a
cause, an idea, a program for which to exert their pressure. No one has as yet
been able to name such an aim.
Freemasons, as a general rule, elect a new leadership every year; a few Grand
Lodges re-elect a Grand Master for a second term, one usually for a third term.
Each year every one of the Grand Lodges of the forty-nine in the United States
publishes its Proceedings, which contain the annual addresses of the Grand
Masters. In none of these, for any year, at any time in the history of
Freemasonry in the United States, is there to be found any political objective,
any aim to be obtained by pressure, any indication of the Fraternity's taking
any part in partisan politics.
If Freemasonry is a "pressure group", it must have something to "press" for.
It must have a political leader; he must apply that pressure. Since not the
slightest scintilla of evidence for such activity exists, it is obvious that
this charge is the nonsense of ignorance.
"FREEMASONRY WORKS IN SECRET FOR SECRET AIMS"
It would seem essential, to establish the truth of such an accusation, that
somewhere, at some time, someone must have known of these "secret aims".. A
secret which no one knows and no one does anything about seems harmless!
What are these "secret aims"? No one has ever stated! Presumably, they are
something too terrible to phrase. The destruction of government? The murder of
opponents? The elimination of all religions?
Thirteen Presidents of the United States have been Freemasons. At the present
time five members of the Supreme Court are Masons. A majority of Congress is now
and always has been composed of Masons, whose political beliefs have been as
various as the nation itself! Thousands of ministers and hundreds of Rabbis are
and have been Freemasons. What "secret aim" can be imagined which would appeal
to such men as these?
Thousands of books have been written about Freemasonry, for Freemasons and
for the general public. Many books have been published by the enemies of
Freemasonry. The most virulent of these have never been able to specify any
"secret aim" to the completion or attainment of which the Fraternity is
dedicated. They cannot find it, because it does not exist. A "secret aim", of
which there is no evidence and which no one has described factually, can exist
only as a fancy in a credulous mind.
Freemasonry will continue to have its critics and detractors. Just criticism
should always be welcomed; but ignorance and wilful mis- representations should
be ignored. "By acting upon the square . . . and avoiding the intemperance" of a
reply, the true Freemason will maintain "a zealous attachment to those duties
which will insure private and public esteem."
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