**From all of my studies in Masonry you can find an ebb and flow of various things through time. However, I have not found anywhere that men approached Masonry as a religion until in recent times. However, there appears to have been the ebb and flow relative to excitement about esotericism, once again the issue becomes what is real and what is not, and there is a big difference in believing Freemasonry, in part, especially the degrees beyond the 3rd Degree are a continuance of an esoteric tradition/study versus a direct unbroken lineage from Adam.
I'm in masonry less than a year, but in what I've seen I can't contradict that. Esotericism is a different discussion than A Religion. I believe I know men who see it as an extension of a limited and exclusive religion who simply haven't said so.
I have seen enough to believe there has always been esotercism, just not publicly discussed. There is a saying about shallow brooks babbling the loudest.
On a more general note on religion, it is important to point out (my perspective) that traditional/indigenous religions incorporate every point of life. If you use a tool, it is indicative of an aspect of God or your self. If you have an aversion or an attraction to a food or color, it is part of this universe and you. That is very common before the main religions and before the main religions are westernized. New Age ain't.
So. If masonry is old. It is all religious.
Regarding an apostolic succession from Adam, of sorts - I'm only partially educated on the idea. But as a great educator in our Orient says, "It's a symbol, so you're right."
In the terms of political discourse, I explain to folks you can't say something is NOT offensive. Someone was offended, so it was offensive. Something is sacred, so mote it be.
**There is no doubt that there are esoteric aspects to the fraternity, however as stated above it is the synthesizing of what is real and what isn’t, plus an understanding of what it meant to Freemasons when it was added versus what some would claim today. That battle you know existed 100 years ago based on the articles I posted elsewhere from The Builder Magazine circa 1915. There are many esoteric practices that clearly have nothing to do with Masonry, that doesn’t make them bad in and of itself – but we need to be careful not to confuse the two.
"It's a symbol, so you're right."
My thoughts are, once Pike got involved all bets are off. I have to say, I'm a fan. But in much the same way I limited myself to teaching Bible study as a youth, I wouldn't necessarily express the wide range of my religious views in all scenarios - much less push them.
**You are right again, however I might add that a lot of it doesn’t come off as “preachy†(from some people) as in an elder telling someone something, at times it comes off as “whiny†as in a younger person who wants their own sandbox because no one wants to play their game.
I wrote a paper in college called "Children of history." This gist was at the time Spielberg and Spike Lee were in their height on their own ethnic media - and both were being slammed at the same time. They had both produced works of a painful era of their history, thoroughly collaborated and researched from those who were there, and had prominent young writers slam them for what was done wrong.
I was certainly young at the time, but recognized my generation like all others were not only immortal like those before them, but also sought to be messiahs, prophets, revolutionaries or traitors like those before.
Turn down your rock and roll.
As soon as they were able to build a lodge in a box so they could take it with them when they left the tavern they got rid of the chalk. As soon as they started to build their own temples and get things that could be permanent they got rid of the lodge in a box. As soon as electricity became readily available they got electric lights and got rid of the candles. Once everything became more clean (e.g. paved roads less dust etc.) they got rid of the gloves, etc. etc. etc.
And as soon as they got rid of the prior generation.... ahh, that's what you said.
I think there is a natural curiosity with our past and some people want to pretend (I mean that in a nice way) to better understand what the times and experience were like. I will liken it to those that participate in civil war reenactments, Shakespeare festivals, and renaissance fairs. In a way Freemasonry as it is most often practiced in the United States already provides us with some of that, however if it is taken to the next level that is another story.
Neopagans and African religions and many other Diaspora or re-constructionist groups go through this. (MAsonry, to some, operates like a lost religion trying to be revived in the way they perceived it to be). On the point of Freemasonry offering this to us, I agree. I'd also point out what is often missed is that some of our "innovations" aren't necessarily innovations, but are rather snapshots of the past for a generation before us. There are prayers,song and priesthoods preserved in Brazil and other places that were murdered or decimated in Africa. The same goes for Anglo habits, accents, language and I dare say masonry in the US.
I chaffed a bit when sitting in a TO lodge and one brother specifically said, "Traditional not Traditional Observance." It's not uncommon to find that in various groups with old histories, especially if part of it is lost. But it's a bit silly to insist on one format when we have a record of many.
I really thought this blog entry on Steampunk Masonry was insightful. The only difference is I'd say all masonry is Steampunk, not just TO.
http://masonictraveler.blogspot.com/2008/11/steampunk-freemasonry.html
There are many people that go and participate in civil war reenactments, Shakespeare festivals, and renaissance fairs, however only a few of those wind up being long-term participants after they have gotten their initial fill of the activity and they can then easily walk-away without having to change any.
A person that I know that kept talking about what young Masons wanted (even though I kept stating that not all or even most wanted what he wanted) recently came back and said now that he was just a couple of years older he realized that that wasn’t right, but instead that all Masons wanted a better experience. The example shows that just because someone loudly whines and gets a few to follow it doesn’t mean they were right. I think the better option is what you suggest, “there is room for both.†Our lodges can become whatever our individual lodge wants to become, within the guidelines of our jurisdiction.
Some of the specialty lodges in the past have impressed me. My understanding is El Sol de Cuba #38, not only focused on Cuban and Puerto Rican liberties, but also read and studied Afro-antillian history. One of the men, Arturo Schomburg, became one of the giants in the study and preservation of Black history.
I wonder what other focused lodges could turn out.
I have always said that the success of a lodge is not based on any of these other trappings. Either the members of a lodge are truly brothers or they are not. If you can’t stand the guy sitting next to you (which doesn’t change based on his clothes) the lodge is not going to be successful.
You mean actually focus on brotherhood? I've come to the realization I may need to stop socializing in order to appreciate masonry more.. I'm sure something is wrong with that.
So, yes, there is room for a lot of things in Masonry but let’s not fool ourselves into believing a change in clothes and additional education in itself will cure the ills of a dysfunctional lodge. Fifteen or twenty-five guys that like to wear formal wear, drink expensive scotch, smoke good cigars and just so happen to have other interests that are very very similar with each other can go start a new lodge and it be successful as long as they aren’t fooling themselves right out the shoot about their own friendships.
Sounds like another specialty or focus lodge. I imagine if we formed a lodge of video gamers, fishermen, hunters or another niche they would feel so bonded and enveloped by their masonic experience that they would think this was how you should run lodges. As it is, people take their personal experience and often use it to make prejudgements about others or the world.
Maybe other dispensation/specialty lodges are the answer and not just one format. In our Valley, we have an "Arm in Arm" program that highlights social groups or "orders" within the Scottish Rite. There are groups focused on motorcycles, bbq, photography, opera and penmanship.
I wonder what would happen if we started there - on the basic masonic sense of brotherhood, instead of a very specific formula extending the original one.