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Recommending Comasonry

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goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
Karen Kidd has a few books on the topic: https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Ground-...TF8&qid=1499760773&sr=8-1&keywords=karen+kidd

Also the Masonic Round Table has a few episodes on Co-Masonry.

Here's the bottom line for me. I, nor my grand lodge, owns Freemasonry and neither do you or yours. I can say what my "branch" of Freemasonry sets as the standard. But I have zero place saying what any other organization sets for its standard.

Just within my male only "branch" there is a vastness of what we recognize that so many don't realize. The one right off the bat is the Swedish Rite (that here we know about thanks to our Swedish Rite brothers and our own reading). But the ritual that most of us American Masons know and love is insanely different in other American lodges that practice the "same ritual". Not only that but there are other rituals that are vastly different from our already vastly different American ritual. There have been women Masons in our male only lodges for a long time.

I'm not advocating us merging or sharing fraternal relations. But to not acknowledge each others existence is being intellectually dishonest and brothers to be honest I've only ever heard that come from us.

What is Freemasonry? I do not know. But I hope to die with God knowing I tried to find out without knowingly violating my heart.

To our Co-Masonic poster I've visited your site before you posted about it. It's a great site. While our grand lodges do not share fraternal relations I can still consider you a Masonic brother. Will either of us violate our obligations nope. But to ignore a branch of our craft is just silly. From what I've heard Co-Masonry generally kicks our ass when it comes to education.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Just James said:
I have often wondered whether:

- Masonry is so important that it is restricted to men
- Masonry is so unimportant that it does not matter that it is restricted to men

Thoughts?
Often?
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
What is Freemasonry?
Freemasonry is a total-immersion virtual-reality live-action role-playing theatrical-society focused upon moral purposes and based upon the borrowed lexicon (vocabulary and symbols) and lore of stonecraft masons.

No one aspect of it is privately owned by one group; although many groups claim that they do. Don't spin your wheels on it though. They're just in character playing out their organization's scripts.
 

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
Freemasonry is a total-immersion virtual-reality live-action role-playing theatrical-society focused upon moral purposes and based upon the borrowed lexicon (vocabulary and symbols) and lore of stonecraft masons.

No one aspect of it is privately owned by one group; although many groups claim that they do. Don't spin your wheels on it though. They're just in character playing out their organization's scripts.
The longer I practice Masonry the more I find that to be so true.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 

LK600

Premium Member
The longer I practice Masonry the more I find that to be so true.

I am finding that Masonry, in this instance (meaning) blue lodge, is more like my home base which I always return to, but allows me to explore numerous areas of interest/study. If I so choose, I could simply be there and allow my experience to be what Coachn states. I guess what I'm saying is it's 100% choice.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
There are quite a few. The one that comes to mind quite readily is that the males seem to appear to have a passion to play "White Knight" to the feminist cause. Another is a an almost obsessive fixation upon balancing male-female energy in the lodge experience.
A member expelled from my mother GL for actually screaming in the building, bullying, and other acts. He was taken in by a co-masonic group.

On occasion I've had the responsibility to speak to he media for my mother GL I described the requirements to be a Mason in my jurisdiction. I did not include women. A male co-Mason was much upset that I did not include co-masonry within my definition. Rather than just noting the requirements of his obedience, he began a public diatribe against me. Now, I must say that his WM later sent me correspondence apologizing.
Got it. Thanks for the replies gentlemen.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I'm pretty straightforward in my opinion about it: it's not Freemasonry and suggesting anyone join a clandestine lodge goes against my obligations...
I agree I did not perceive it to be masonry either. If a woman wanting to have a part of in Freemasonry I would recommend the Eastern Star.
Same here.
sometimes I find myself wondering if my views on Freemasonry are too conservative.
Not in MHO.
Only when they disagree with mine :)
Lol!
 

CLewey44

Registered User
This may be way off base here, but I'd have no problem with UGLE maybe recognizing some of the more 'fringe masonic' groups and allowing them into the Masonic family. A lot of those groups actually rent out or use Masonic lodges and share many similarities. However, that doesn't mean I would say women should be able to join blue lodges.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
This may be way off base here, but I'd have no problem with UGLE maybe recognizing some of the more 'fringe masonic' groups and allowing them into the Masonic family. A lot of those groups actually rent out or use Masonic lodges and share many similarities. However, that doesn't mean I would say women should be able to join blue lodges.
Well, to be clear, UGLE doesn't "recognise " feminine Freemasonry in the sense we use the word; to be in amity. And certainly not with co-ed groups
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Nothing in my Ob prevents me from guiding a woman to co- or female Masonry, so I have no problem doing it.
Let's look at it another way: I can't play on the sports team I volunteer for but I can play the sport, and the athletes will help me find a team.
 

LK600

Premium Member
Nothing in my Ob prevents me from guiding a woman to co- or female Masonry, so I have no problem doing it.
Let's look at it another way: I can't play on the sports team I volunteer for but I can play the sport, and the athletes will help me find a team.
So... in your mind, our Freemasonry is no different than any other "Masonry lodge"? I do not understand this way of thinking. At best (to me), all the other "Freemasonry organizations" are emulating us, or in a not so generous term... playing pretend. At worst, they are actively deceiving people into thinking their organizations are the same as ours.

I've read over what I just wrote, and it sounds harsh. Maybe it's because I'm so new. If I offended anyone I apologize.
 

Roy_

Registered User
You're correct LK600, but this way of reasoning is a bit too simple. Say a new organisation is founded, this happens every now and then. It gets new members, founds new lodges, becomes a Grand Lodge and all goes well. In the beginning they're "playing pretend". After a while other Grand Lodges start to recognise the new organisation and suddenly they're no longer "playing pretend"? They used not to be Freemasons and suddenly they are? This is the history of Prince Hall and other organisations. This is also the reason that UGLE has said of one of the UK women's Grand Lodges that they will not be recognised, but they are "otherwise regular in their practice". Thus, 'real Freemasonry', but 'of another kind'.

Does no recognition by your own Grand Lodge say anything about "playing pretend"? Are members of the Grand Lodge of Georgia suddenly "pretenders" because some other Grand Lodges punish their organisation over their homosexuality standpoint (while others didn't pull recognition)?

I think we should judge organisations not on the opaque (and political) system of recognition, but see if organisation is "otherwise regular in their practice" and if they are, should not shy to recommend them to people who are interested, but can't join the organisation you're a member of yourself.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Absolutely! When someone asks why we do not admit women my reply is simply "Because we are a FRATERNITY!" Nuff said as far as I am concerned.
The answer I give: Our founders chose to be male only and the membership have continually upheld that choice.
 
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