I Oppose :
1. The EA work, I believe, is what separates the curious from the serious & dedicated.
Not only the EA but go further & add the FC? Come on! I learned it in a day.
2. I see the point to have an aid to memory for some, but I see this as not only being
used for that specific reason as a 'quick reference'. Besides, I'll say it again: I see
the same thing in the York Rite, make it into cipher work. Then later nobody will read
the cipher work, and then it will be in plain English. No one bothers to learn the work
in the YR any more (yes I know there are some of you that do, & therefore you are
not included in this category) and it is a terrible thing that is ruining it. I do not ever
want to see this happen in the bedrock of Masonry. *I would like to hear from those
in other Jurisdictions where they are permitted & give a word on my concerns on this.*
15. This is not the best way to go about this.
20. So Mote It Be is non-sectarian. That is why we use it.
I Support :
11. This needs to be added & is long overdo, Thank you Bill! There is no reason why this will be a
problem if you truly live by & believe in the lesson we teach. In my opinion,
opposition to this resolution is self evident that you still have yet to be brought
to light &/or have no place in our fraternity. I'll share an example set by
George Washington that I read one time:
During the American Revolution, America was celebrating Guy Fawkes Day
(yes they did, even though it is an English holiday). Gen. Washington walked
by a couple of soldiers who were desecrating a picture of the Pope & stopped
them. He said, "We do not do that in here in America, and you WILL NOT
do that in my Army!" ---I think the message is clear.
Here is another example & is more important to think about:
There is a friend of mine named Walter Kase. He is a Holocaust survivor
& travels around speaking to school children about the dangers of racism
& hate. Every time before he speaks he gives this message, and I will
remember it forever:
"None of us get a choice in who we are. None of us get to choose our nationality
or our skin color. And no one deserves to be hated or discriminated against
because of their religion. That is between you & God alone. To be hateful & to be
disrespectful to those who God has chosen to be different than we are is therefore
sinful, it is ungodly, & it leads to horrible tragedies which I have experienced myself."
17. If we are truly accepting of all faiths, then I feel this should no longer be used.
Someone of a different faith might have some difficulty accepting something
other than their own book of faith as 'Divine authenticity'. For myself, I do not
consider all of the Holy Bible to be divinely authentic. I do not believe in the
Book of Revelations either. It is not my place to convince others of that & I
never will. A man's religion is his own business. However, if it is not adopted,
I will not lose any sleep over it.