Search results

Freemasonry does not "accept" or "reject" any religions, Brother. It makes no such distinctions in that regard. None. It would be entirely inappropriate for you, me, an investigation committee, etc. to do so. A candidate, on the other hand, must do so in order to answer the question regarding...

This is sad, on many levels. Yes, you should definitely call him, better yet (if possible), meet in person and make it plain that this Brother's absence is felt. Offer to do what you can to help him deal with his problem so that both Brother and Lodge are the better for it. Still, keep in mind...

You're probably leaning on an interpretation of "Landmark 19" that references "one true and everlasting God", or similar verbiage. Such a tortured interpretation is, I submit, out of place in our order. Indeed, every version of "The Ancient Landmarks" that Google seems to index just says "God"...

Re: Hey everyone i just wanted to voice my opinion Not to worry. I've yet to see anything in your post that would qualify as such. OK, then...

<sigh...> Well, yes... and no. Allah is the "proper noun" referring to the Islamic deity. That deity is the "God of Abraham", and he has been known by many names, but even a cursory review of the holy scriptures of all three of the Abrahamic religions clearly shows that they are all talking...

Re: Traditional observance lodges are they good fo So let me get this straight... We should, in the setting of a dress code, lower the bar. <sigh> We are badly missing the point. If you have to artificially "make everyone the same" by forcing them to one standard of dress, you have work to do...

Yes. So far, so good. Nope. The US Constitution embodies the very Masonic notion that there is a "moral code" that transcends any particular collection of "God's law". Woven through it's words is the fundamental idea that people can and should be able to agree on such things without having to...

Re: Traditional observance lodges are they good fo Such a policy is, of course, completely within the purview of any WM. Agreed, but a Mason's comportment is one of those internal qualities. One's choice of dress is a matter of comportment. I suspect that we disagree on how a Mason should...

Fair enough. Let me restate; "God's law" has no place as the authority for, nor statutes of, a secular system of law and government. No. That we consider the right to govern ourselves a "God-given" right is not the same thing as invoking "God's law".

Re: Traditional observance lodges are they good fo There is nothing, not one single word, in the EA lecture that should be considered an inducement to slovenliness. There is a world of difference between choosing to dress down and having nothing to dress up with.

Re: Traditional observance lodges are they good fo Agreed. Masonic ritual, as is, is elegant enough for any setting. Not agreed. Freemasonry is something special. I believe that it's observance should respect that. No, I am not saying that any man should be excluded because he does not own a...

Who said such a thing? It was not me. I have said that no collection of "God's law" is suitable to be applied to a society's system of law and government. If you want to follow your chosen version of such a law, you are free to do so. That's one of the nicest things about our Constitution; it...

Arguably, that is true. That, however, is not what you asserted when you said... To suggest that all religions demand of their believers... “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.“You shall have no other gods before me." or... “Remember the Sabbath...

The document notes that we were given rights, not laws. Among those rights is the right to make our own laws. And yes, I'd say it's fair to assume that they figured we'd rely on our individual "rule and guide" to aid us in drafting those laws. That is most certainly not the same thing as...

Your mistake is assuming that only your "God's law" is the source of such ethical guidelines. My atheist friends, whom I count as among the most ethical people I know, would strenuously disagree. That "golden rule" citation above should make it pretty clear that "the right thing" transcends any...

No. They don't. On the other hand, virtually every one that offers any "rules" at all, offers something that is eerily similar to what you probably call "The Golden Rule". Just a few... http://www.unification.net/ws/theme015.htm No. It won't. Saying to those of your fellow citizens "We're...

First of all, let's be clear; there is no "religion in Freemasonry". To be sure, our order is made up entirely of "religious" men, at least insofar as every last one has professed a belief in some deity, but to proceed on the assumption that all of them follow a religion that promulgates this or...

With respect, "God's law" has no place in secular society. None. Your "God's law" is not mine, and neither of ours is the same as our neighbors'. As Masons, we are charged to keep within the bounds provided by our own chosen VoSL. What's more, we are charged to seek and to celebrate where our...

If I am in (my) church, I stand, make eye contact with the speaker, turn and leave, for good. Anyone who is so ignorant and fearful as to denounce something they clearly do not understand is not qualified to be my "spiritual leader".

You are leaving out the part where the Mursi camp unilaterally rewrote the constitution, giving unprecedented powers to their newly elected president. Most Egyptians were, to say the least, alarmed at this turn of events and would have tossed these extremists out on their asses had they been...