A Brother Asks: Why only Murder & Treason?

“Treason and murder ever kept together,
As two yoke-devils sworn to either’s purpose”
(King Henry V, act 2, sc. 2)

A Brother Asks: Why are murder and treason exceptions to keeping our Brother’s secrets?

Coach: Because they clearly put forth the standard one should measure one’s liabilities in keeping one’s word to another.

Brother: But why just murder and treason?

Coach: As opposed to what?

Brother: What if it involves other illegal, immoral or unethical activities?

Coach: What about these?

Brother: Shouldn’t we not keep such activities to ourselves.

Coach: We shouldn’t.

Brother: But they’re not murder and treason!

Coach: Aren’t they?

Brother: Wait? Are you saying they are one in the same?

Coach: I’m saying you might want to look up the words before you come to erroneous conclusions.

Brother: But I have.

Coach: And what did you find?

Brother: Murder is “the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another”.

Coach: And treason?

Brother: It is “the crime of betraying one's country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government”.

Coach: Thanks.  Do you want to delve into these?

Brother: You’re welcome and yes!

Coach: Good! Let’s start on the first one.

Brother: Okay.

Murder

Coach: The first one speaks to premeditation.

Brother: That’s where it is not a spontaneous act. It’s actually planned.

Coach: Are you seeing the connection to the ruffians?

Brother: Yes!  I am indeed. They plotted to extract the master’s word and were willing to do so even if it meant death to their victim.

Coach: Good!  Murder is a premeditated act where harm is involved.

Brother: Why do you say it that way?

Coach: Because this is a symbolic lodge.

Brother: And rather than take what was communicated literally, you’re trying to pull out the symbolic information to see how it applies to our lives?

Coach: Yes.  That’s how this Works. You take the general communications, boil down its essence and distill the lesson.

Brother: So the lesson here is to keep his secret unless it involves doing harm.

Coach: Yes. And if it does involve doing harm, then you are no longer obligated to keep his secret.

Brother: Wow!  I would have never gathered that by taking it literally.

Coach: Most Brothers don’t.  But does it have to be premeditated harm?

Brother: No. I see now that it doesn't.

Coach: How so?

Brother: Harm is harm whether it is planned for or after the fact.

Coach: Agreed!

Treason

Brother: What about Treason?

Coach: What about it?

Brother: Can you boil it down for me?

Coach: Yes, I could, but I think I’d rather walk you through it and let you do the Work.

Brother: Awesome! What’s first?

Coach: Look up the other definitions.

Brother: Okay. I get the following information. “the action of betraying someone or something”

Coach: What do you gather from that?

Brother: Well, it differs from the first definition in that the betrayal is now generalized to just betrayal…

Coach: As opposed to?

Brother: …one’s country.

Coach: Break it down.

Brother: It’s pretty straightforward.

Coach: How so?

Brother: It’s telling me that I’m not obligated to keep any secrets that betray anyone or anything.

One More Level

Coach: I get the same thing. Do you have any other definitions?

Brother: Yes… treason is “the crime of murdering someone to whom the murderer owed allegiance, such as a master or husband”

Coach: Wow!  Back to murder?

Brother: Yes. It appears that treason is linked to murder.

Coach: And in this instance you gather what?

Brother: Symbolically?

Coach: But of course!

Brother: Okay… symbolically treason is not just betrayal, which it is, but in this instance it is also harmful betrayal.

Coach: Does that sound familiar?

Brother: It sure does!

Coach: Of what does it remind you?

Brother: The ruffians once again!

Coach: It reminds me of them as well. Why?

Brother: Because they betrayed the Grand Master to whom they owed allegiance.

Coach: Exactly.  Do the definitions drive home some points as to what you need to be aware of when deciding whether or not you should keep another’s secrets?

Brother: They sure do.

Takeaways

Coach: On what points are you now clearer when it comes to the exception for murder or treason?

Brother: If there is any harm planned for or committed, I have an obligation to assure I inform the proper persons to guarantee that this harm will not occur, prevent it myself if within my power or assure that amends are made for harm that is done.

Coach: So, murder is symbolic for any harm planned or after the fact?

Brother: Yes! 

Coach: And you are obligated to prevent it if you can or assure proper amends?

Brother: Yes.

Coach: And what about treason?

Brother: Betrayal in any form, but more especially, betrayals that do harm.

Coach: And you’re equally obligated to prevent it if you can?

Brother: Yes.

One Step Further

Coach: What about how all this applies to one’s morals?

Brother: Interesting. Please continue.

Coach: Can you murder your own morals?

Brother: You mean, plot to cause them harm?

Coach: Yes.

Brother: I imagine trying to figure a way around something that is clearly illegal, unethical or immoral would be undermining one’s morals, thus causing them harm.

Coach: How about betrayal of your morals?

Brother: Yes. I can see where this could occur when one’s standards get biased toward anything or anyone that would require those standards to be “relaxed”.

Coach: I agree. What is worse, murder of one’s morals or betrayal of them?

Brother: I’d have to say that the Murder of one's Morals is only overshadowed by one's Betrayal of Them.

Coach: Why?

Brother: Because, in the extreme, murder kills them dead while the betrayal leaves them as festering reminders of the harm one consciously undertakes or undertook in the face of dishonor.

Coach: So, if you take Exception to Murder and Treason literally when keeping within your chest the unworthy Secrets of others, you have yet to practice Masonry.

Brother: Yes!  That brings it back to the Craft.

Coach: Thank you. I agree.

Brother: Would you consider the Work that it takes to come to these interpretations to be the practice of Masonry?

Coach: As in?

Brother:  If one takes a literal view of that issue, he has yet to practice Masonry.

Coach: Agreed!

Brother: Wouldn't the process of getting from taking things literally to figuratively be considered the practice of Masonry?

Coach: Yes! Absolutely! Masonry is a process for sure, and moving from the literal to the figurative is part of that.

Brother: Are you saying that one is not working masonically when one does keeps secrets for secrets' sake?

Coach: If I understand your question correctly, let me respond as follows: When you keep secrets that should not be kept, because you think it is more moral to keep them, even when what is shared should not be kept a secret especially because of the immorality that would unfold because of keeping it a secret, you are not practicing Masonry.

Brother:  This makes good sense.

Coach:  Thanks!

General Guideline

Brother: Do you have a general guideline on all this?

Coach: I do.

Brother: Would you share it with me… …I promise to keep it secret.

Coach: LOL!  Thanks!  No need to. Share it to your heart’s content.

Brother: And it is?

Coach: I keep confidential information sequestered that would harm if shared. Should that information cause harm if kept sequestered, then I have a moral obligation to share it.

Brother: Is it that cut and dried?

Coach: No. It takes a lot of soul searching and prayer at times so I make sure anyone who wishes to share secrets knows that I do not want anything shared with me that would cause me or others a moral bind.

Brother: What’s a moral bind?

Coach: Anything shared that creates a moral dilemma where conflicting standards exist to choose between and someone or something suffers no matter what.

Brother: Such as?

Coach: You’re enjoying this too much.

Brother: Yes… and?

Coach: Let’s make it personal.

Brother: Okay.

Coach: Situations where I’m told something that will cause harm if I share it, but will equally cause harm if I don’t. 

Brother: What do you do in such situations?

Coach: When it’s after the fact, and I am now holding on to the secret, I pray for the right insights into the situations, while I act in love, hope for the best and have faith in all involved.

Brother: I guess that’s all one can do in these situations.

Coach: I agree.

Brother: Wait a minute!

Coach: Ah!  An insight to share?

Brother: Yes! Is this why the twelve fellow craft recanted, albeit a bit too late?

Coach: What do you think?

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