Lofty Ideals Lead to Foolish Accusations
Brother Tom Accuosti pointed out recently in one of his blog articles that some of the concern of religious figures (most often conservative religious folk) is that some Masons write about Freemasonry in lofty terms. Such lofty terms that they themselves would only reserve for their religious faith.
A big part of the reason for the lofty language is that Freemasonry, when truly practiced, has lofty aims. Freemasonry stands for freedom (this is why it is often persecuted in totalitarian nations), it stands for religious tolerance, church and state separation, and many of the great and lofty ideas that helped found the democracy in the USA.
Does Freemasonry live up to its ideals? No, not always. The Craft is made up of human beings who are imperfect. But, the ideals are what we strive for.
Does religious faith always live up to its ideals? No, sadly not. Some persons use their religious faith as if it is some God given right to attack and criticize others. Also, there are those who use and abuse the faith of others for financial gain or power. Some of the most ludicrous attacks on Freemasonry have come from a few preachers who have made a boat load of money selling anti-masonic books. It doesn't matter that the material is transparently false. People buy the books and then quote them as if they are holy writ.
Of course, some of these same people are involved movements to try to force their religious views on the rest of Americans trying destroy the religious freedom that has allowed them to prosper in the first place.
Religious Anti-masons don't like us talking about the high ideals of the Craft because they want to believe that they have the only high ideals worth living for. In their closed system, there is no room for differing opinions, other world views, or men of good will to disagree. There is only right (them) and wrong (everyone else)
So, these persons accuse us of making Freemasonry a religion when their sin is that they have made their own interpretation of truth a religion unto itself, the religion of "I".
Technorati Tags: anti-masonry, Religious Fundamentalism, Masonic Idealism
A big part of the reason for the lofty language is that Freemasonry, when truly practiced, has lofty aims. Freemasonry stands for freedom (this is why it is often persecuted in totalitarian nations), it stands for religious tolerance, church and state separation, and many of the great and lofty ideas that helped found the democracy in the USA.
Does Freemasonry live up to its ideals? No, not always. The Craft is made up of human beings who are imperfect. But, the ideals are what we strive for.
Does religious faith always live up to its ideals? No, sadly not. Some persons use their religious faith as if it is some God given right to attack and criticize others. Also, there are those who use and abuse the faith of others for financial gain or power. Some of the most ludicrous attacks on Freemasonry have come from a few preachers who have made a boat load of money selling anti-masonic books. It doesn't matter that the material is transparently false. People buy the books and then quote them as if they are holy writ.
Of course, some of these same people are involved movements to try to force their religious views on the rest of Americans trying destroy the religious freedom that has allowed them to prosper in the first place.
Religious Anti-masons don't like us talking about the high ideals of the Craft because they want to believe that they have the only high ideals worth living for. In their closed system, there is no room for differing opinions, other world views, or men of good will to disagree. There is only right (them) and wrong (everyone else)
So, these persons accuse us of making Freemasonry a religion when their sin is that they have made their own interpretation of truth a religion unto itself, the religion of "I".
Technorati Tags: anti-masonry, Religious Fundamentalism, Masonic Idealism
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Timothy Bonney
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Reader Comments (1)
"Submission is all that is required from their “voluntary or enforced” followers, who may be collectively termed the “Faithful” or even “militants”.
This dogmatic way of thinking comes from a denial of reality as ever-changing, and thus can be considered to be pathological. But every poison has its antidote and other voices rise up in answer, to remind us the promise as well as the dangers of reality."
"This tradition of tolerance and open-mindedness can be traced back even further. It is epitomized by true mystics, that is to say by men who remain open to self doubt and self-criticism. In the Christian world they are exemplified by the Rhineland mystics, in the Muslim world by the Sufi’s and in the Jewish world by the cabbalsits. All of these mystics were disliked by the establishment and by clergy- be it Christian, Islamic or Jewish- which claimed to represent them. For institutions require devoted followers not mystical seers, because what they seek is power, not truth. This is why the creation of an institution marks the death of Truth. In the same tradition are the Biblical prophets who spoke out against their kings and high priests, shattering the certainties of the ordinary people who were sunk into a rut of accepted belief.
It is within this tradition that Freemasonry takes its place and within whose literature the essential Masonic texts exist, from the Old Charges to Anderson Constituions."
Daniel Beresniak
Symbols of Freemasonry
GOdF