My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Some Judaic Aspects of Freemasonry

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Not quite on topic but the Scottish rite local to me requires a Christian faith- I personally find it quite hard to understand the requirement.
See the note above yours. A number of appendant/side orders have the requirement. I’ve not seen the degrees of that jurisdiction, and so unless the reason is a Christian construct the degrees, I couldn’t provide the “why” for your AAR.
 

Winter

Premium Member
I know I have been part of this particular argument before (and it never ends well) but, any Masonic group, degree, body, or affiliated part thereof, that restricts its membership based on a person's religion is directly contrary to the basic premise of our Order.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I know I have been part of this particular argument before (and it never ends well) but, any Masonic group, degree, body, or affiliated part thereof, that restricts its membership based on a person's religion is directly contrary to the basic premise of our Order.
I agree it is contrary to the popularly believed premise of the Order. There are so many GLs with exceptions, qualifications to that premise, that I not believe it to be correct.
 

Winter

Premium Member
I agree it is contrary to the popularly believed premise of the Order. There are so many GLs with exceptions, qualifications to that premise, that I not believe it to be correct.

We can make it the actuality instead if enough of us are willing to. ;)
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
We can make it the actuality instead if enough of us are willing to. ;)
Well, assuming all the GLs could be convinced by their membership to change their requirements, how do you go about amending the requirements, and in some cases the ritual, of all the side organizations even in just the US, let alone the world?
 

David612

Registered User
Not sure about your jurisdiction However we had a recent seminar from the appendant orders and the prevailing theme was that the appendant bodies are struggling and the Christian orders are having the hardest time.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Not sure about your jurisdiction However we had a recent seminar from the appendant orders and the prevailing theme was that the appendant bodies are struggling and the Christian orders are having the hardest time.
In my experience, many of the larger side orders are struggling. OTOH, some of the newer, such as Operatives, and smaller, such as AMD and CBCS, are doing well. AASR in the US (which is not Christian) has seen a drop off, consistent with the decrease in Masonry in general. I don’t see it as being impacted by the Christian requisite.
 

David612

Registered User
In my experience, many of the larger side orders are struggling. OTOH, some of the newer, such as Operatives, and smaller, such as AMD and CBCS, are doing well. AASR in the US (which is not Christian) has seen a drop off, consistent with the decrease in Masonry in general. I don’t see it as being impacted by the Christian requisite.
We are seeing a decline as it’s another barrier to entry, keeping in mind my country as a whole is quite young and organised religion just isn’t as prevalent here.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
We are seeing a decline as it’s another barrier to entry, keeping in mind my country as a whole is quite young and organised religion just isn’t as prevalent here.
Organized religion has seen a decrease generally in the Western World.

As organized religion isn’t a prerequisite, I’m not persuaded that is the issue.

May I ask, in which side orders are you involved?
 

Elexir

Registered User
Here in sweden nearly all fraternitys have problems with membership so I dont think a christian requirment has anything to do with it. Its just how society is.
 

David612

Registered User
Organized religion has seen a decrease generally in the Western World.

As organized religion isn’t a prerequisite, I’m not persuaded that is the issue.

May I ask, in which side orders are you involved?
Currently none-
All orders here require 2 years as a MM prior to being considered.
As I said previously, we had a conference with the appendant bodies who where all keen to find members however as we a fishing a shrinking pool as it is having the religious requirement reduces the candidate pool further and my area just doesn’t have the population density to sustain it long term, in my estimation.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Yes, RCC, CBCS, AAR in England, ROS all require a profession of either the Christian faith or that one be a Trinitarian Christian. KYCH does so by the KT prerequisite.

So, “Do you confess the Jewish belief?” would be the question? Hmm. I’ll defer to our Jewish brethren on that one.

I wonder how the requirements were for the erstwhile Order of Judas Maccabeus were phrased.

I am not a suitable person to answer that question myself but perhaps "Do you follow the teachings of the Torah?" Or "Were you born of a Jewish parent or parents?" I would think having a Torah, and only a Torah, open during the ritual of this hypothetical appendant body would make sense as well. Judaism seems to be the hardest of the Abrahamic religions to define I suppose.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
I would posit that the reason is that any group with a restricted membership for Jews is too easy to become a target for anti-Semitic attacks. Even among my fellow enlightened Freemasons.



Good question since even among Jews we cannot come to a consensus as to what qualifies. :)
Very true especially with recent events.
 

Winter

Premium Member
I am not a suitable person to answer that question myself but perhaps "Do you follow the teachings of the Torah?" Or "Were you born of a Jewish parent or parents?" I would think having a Torah, and only a Torah, open during the ritual of this hypothetical appendant body would make sense as well. Judaism seems to be the hardest of the Abrahamic religions to define I suppose.

The problem is, as my Rabbi says, "If you put two Jews in the same room, you have three opinions." Orthodox Judaism only recognizes matrilineal decent while other branches recognize patrilineal. As for following the teachings of Torah you could have both Christians and Jews claiming to do so as those faiths are based on it. And it only gets more confusing from there. I can pretty much guarantee that most of my fellow Jewish Freemasons have no interest in creating a Jewish only appendant body or side order. Many of us, myself included, love our Craft because of the openness and inclusiveness, regardless of faith. We have an opportunity to be an example of how to come together. But when we divide ourselves based on faith it doesn't help our cause.
 
Top