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There's no place for "Racism" in Freemasonry

Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
It's sad that in 2015 we still have brothers that continue primitive thinking and ways of conducting business.
 

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Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
Well If we applied what we learned through our degrees, maybe... Just maybe.. it could rid this negative attention to our order.
 

Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
Well there's one thing to know, and doing is another. Well leading by example is a start. I have stood up to many brothers and proclaimed that no matter the skin color, if they have been entered, passed, and raised in a regular lodge, they are a brother of mine.
 

Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
It bothers me when I have non freemasons come up to me and ask why would I want to be apart of an organization that is so segregated. You ever tried explaining to someone that not all brothers are not like that and that is not what freemasonry teaches. It can be difficult, especially when you can drive down the road to the nearest lodge and see an all white lodge or an all black lodge and you go talk with them and they say "well we have our own , and they have their own". If we truly have a world wide brotherhood, Does it include all regular freemasons or just those of particular GLS ? Or do we chose who is worthy to be called a brother ? I thought joining the freemasons would mean no matter where I go in this life, there is a brother near by. But to see how so many brothers think, I really don't know.
 
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Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
Although I would like to visit other Grand Lodges, I understand and abide by bylaws and rules. My point is that regardless of what any man says "your a man before anything." Speaking in regards, if the mason is regular, no man will tell me who I can and can't call my brother.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Racism is a part of humanity. Well to rephrase that naughty word ... we are programmed to compartmentalize.

Our brains subconsciously sort people into groups. It is an evolutionary trait to find cohesion for forming groups, finding food and and living space. You defend your immediate neighbors from outsiders and may be suspicious of outsiders.

Take that factor a step farther. You hold yourself in high regards compared to others around you. That is self esteem. You also hold a higher regard to those close to you and that "regard" drops down as you move outward from your center. Discrimination begins when you actually believe what you are thinking when it comes to people that are not only outside of your group, but of a different color or creed. This is where a point within a circle has a second meaning for me. The center represents the individual Brother and the circle represents those bounds. The saints represent the edge of a Lodge in what we consider a Lodge ritually.


Education from a young age is the key to ending racism. Overcoming the natural instinct to group people based on race or appearance is the responsibility of our parents. I am of the belief that once a racist, always a racist unless an extreme life event makes you realize the error of your ways. Someone saving your life for example.

My Father was a racist (strong words but there is no such thing as "semi-racist) and he used slang in front of me often when I was a child. Thankfully I had the support structure around me to negate that. It is the one thing that pissed me off about him as a man. My father-in-law is the same way.

Freemasonry is perfect. The bias of man perverts it. The problem is the moral compass we all use does not point true north and none of our compasses will every align with each other.
 
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Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I agree that ALL men are brothers. My state of Kentucky recognizes PH Masonry and they recognize us but we still do not have visitation rights with each other.
 

Erickson Ybarra

Registered User
Most racial things I hear are in jest. Because you really can't change a person who doesn't want to be changed, I either ignore the comment or change the subject and it becomes awkward. The point is taken.
 

MarkR

Premium Member
I agree that ALL men are brothers. My state of Kentucky recognizes PH Masonry and they recognize us but we still do not have visitation rights with each other.
I still don't understand the point of recognition without visitation. What are they recognizing? That each other exists? The right of visitation is an ancient landmark. If I can't visit your lodge and you can't visit mine, do we really recognize each other?
 

Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
I guess just recognizing they are freemasons. To me it's just being politically correct, that's it. If you recognize someone why should you not be able to visit with them?
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I still don't understand the point of recognition without visitation. What are they recognizing? That each other exists? The right of visitation is an ancient landmark. If I can't visit your lodge and you can't visit mine, do we really recognize each other?
Recognition grants the ability for foreign jurisdictions to recognize both lodges operating in the same territory. It also allows masons of both GL's to speak masonically without fear of being expelled (confirmation needed)

PHA masonry in states such as GA must be recognized by its GA counterpart before the UGLE will recognize GA PHA. I believe this is the case for any foreign jurisdiction.
 

MRichard

Mark A. Ri'chard
Premium Member
Recognition grants the ability for foreign jurisdictions to recognize both lodges operating in the same territory. It also allows masons of both GL's to speak masonically without fear of being expelled (confirmation needed)

PHA masonry in states such as GA must be recognized by its GA counterpart before the UGLE will recognize GA PHA. I believe this is the case for any foreign jurisdiction.

You can't engage in masonic conversation if it is recognition without visitation. You can't sit in lodge together.

This is generally the first step in the process and it is a way of getting UGLE recognition for the PHA lodges.
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
Ok so im gonna say it....ITS NOT RACISM! Its the lineage that some GLs have a problem with.in some places yes its racisism as to why they wont recognize pha...however there are white mebers in PHA and black in mainstream. One of my references for my petition was a WHITE princehall mason. From the ft drum military lodge. The Tiler of my lodge here in NM is black. Here in NM officers from both GLs visit the others constituent lodges regulary. My WM is in the process of setting up a visit of our lodge to visit a PHA lodge in Albuquerque and then for their lodge to vist ours.

If it was purely racism then they wouldnt allow blacks to join and vice versa. Also they would recognize the white pha members...im jus sayin
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I still don't understand the point of recognition without visitation. What are they recognizing? That each other exists? The right of visitation is an ancient landmark. If I can't visit your lodge and you can't visit mine, do we really recognize each other?
Visutation is specifically not a right in Utah.
 
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