Recently I was participating in a discussion about the question of how the past affects us and do we have Freewill. I posted the following:
"I would say that human nature has created the past, is creating the present, and will create the future. It is human nature that is responsible for human actions, not the past. The only way to gain control of the future is to determine the future you want and shape human nature in order to create that future."
This led me to think about Freemasonry and what it means to become a better man. I do not see the purpose of Freemasonry as getting men to do good deeds. I see it as creating a better "human nature" in ourselves and, by extension, in the world. There have been plenty of times when civilization went "off the rails", and when human nature ran amok . Nazi Germany, slavery, and before that witch trials, in America, and religious Inquisition in Europe are all examples of times when the worst characteristics of humanity came to the forefront and ran the show.
What do you think? Does Freemasonry have a part to play in holding human nature to a higher standard? Do you think your participation in the Craft makes a difference in the world around you, or does it matter only to you? Can you affect change in the world or only in yourself?
"I would say that human nature has created the past, is creating the present, and will create the future. It is human nature that is responsible for human actions, not the past. The only way to gain control of the future is to determine the future you want and shape human nature in order to create that future."
This led me to think about Freemasonry and what it means to become a better man. I do not see the purpose of Freemasonry as getting men to do good deeds. I see it as creating a better "human nature" in ourselves and, by extension, in the world. There have been plenty of times when civilization went "off the rails", and when human nature ran amok . Nazi Germany, slavery, and before that witch trials, in America, and religious Inquisition in Europe are all examples of times when the worst characteristics of humanity came to the forefront and ran the show.
What do you think? Does Freemasonry have a part to play in holding human nature to a higher standard? Do you think your participation in the Craft makes a difference in the world around you, or does it matter only to you? Can you affect change in the world or only in yourself?