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It is not. It is a sad fact that not every one of our Brethren understands enough about the Craft to understand even this. I mean, setting aside the obvious point that not every Brother is a Christian or will have a religion that involves "church", the way any given Brother practices his...

Those days (when I'm not sure of anything) seem to come more often with age... :mellow: Ya, know... Cigars and Cognac (or Scotch, in a pinch) can be enjoyed around these parts too. Maybe we should plan something?

One shouldn't have to point the many differences between the U.S. Navy and a private fraternity, but they are not insignificant. Enough so that the argument that "We like things the way they are..." may be rationally put forth in one case and not the other.

Meh... I agree that the idea of an exclusionary qualification such as "Christians only" is hardly Masonic, but I don't lose any sleep over it. My Brothers who are members of the Commandery are no more "Masons" than I am, so I don't begrudge them having whatever rules they want re. membership...

Perhaps the "exclusionary" nature of Commandery is a factor, but I have never heard any Christian Brother even hit at such. On the other hand, I have heard many of them make the same comments that Brother Hosler has. As a path to actually advance one's understanding and involvement in...

And people wonder why...

No. Not now. Not ever. And especially not because "Today's candidates have busy lives and can't be expected to commit the time required for the traditional IPR path", which is the typical argument advanced for this travesty. We aren't making Masons with such a process, we are making members...

Any healthy relationship demands, among other things, trust. If there is not enough trust to cover the trivial "secrets" a Mason must keep, there are far bigger problems hanging over that relationship. Please note that I am referring to the "secrets" as trivial, and not the keeping of them. As...

A better question might be, what has the Commandery to offer Christian Masons, particularly those of the target demographic? In other words, the same question that Freemasonry in general should be asking of itself, albeit without the sectarian qualification. As Brother Beathard observes, there...

I should think that by now this would be more than obvious (that they are no longer "secret"), so your point about it being more a matter of discipline is well made. I am obliged to not divulge certain things. Other things, many of us chose to not talk about with non-Masons, but with other...

There's a great deal more to our "work" than those few portions of our ritual which we are obliged to keep secret, wouldn't you agree? "Masonic Communication" refers to sitting in Lodge, not the discussion of Freemasonry, it's principles, etc. As long as I don't divulge certain means of...

I'm solidly in the "I don't care what they do" camp. I know that I don' want to be compelled to sit in a mixed gender Lodge, but there is one and only one reason for that; it would change the dynamics that make a Masonic Lodge what it is. I like those dynamics (generally speaking) just they way...

Black and white, please. The artists who were forced to shoot on B&W stock understood it's limitations adjusted their technique accordingly. The most notable difference is in lighting. B&W shots are almost always lit far differently than those shot in color. The colorization process can't adjust...

It does not need to be any harder. It already is difficult. We just need to return our focus to actually learning the lessons and putting them into practice. Honestly, this subject has been beaten into the ground in forums like this, over and over. And still, far too many Masons continue to...

Excellent! Now that is fascinating. Do share some details when you have time. Please.

Nice. :bored:

Actually, that would make for several editions (not "one and only one") of the Xtian Bible, each with a slightly different version of "the complete and unerring word of God". Yes, we're splitting hairs here, but that's exactly the point. All the "other stuff", over which mankind has quibled...

With regard to your Masonic Brethren, this is patently untrue, Brother. While we customarily have a KJV Bible on the altar in most Lodge's in the U.S., it is the individual Brother's chosen Volume of Sacred Law that is referred to in the portion of the EA obligation you mentioned. The Lodge is...

Which "bible" would that be, exactly?

I am keenly interested in any references you have to support this. I don't doubt it, but I'd really like to be able to back it up. If we can agree that "issues of membership" fall well below things like guarding the West Gate, providing real Masonic instruction to our members, etc., then yes...