A Brother Asks: Esoteric Freemasonry and Religion

 

A Brother Asks: Can you provide a safe way to explain Esoteric Freemasonry!

Coach: The best response that I have ever heard is this topis is this:
 

So, you want to know about Esoteric Freemasonry?

Good! 

Do you remember that old trope, "Hidden in plain sight?"  

Yep!  That's what Esoteric Freemasonry is all about... 

It's revealing what is hidden in plain sight... and that requires seeing things through new eyes that is only brought about by being informed through specialized training that Freemasonry points toward but, and this is the key, only Masonry will provide to those who pursue it. 

Brother: But discussion of Esoteric Freemasonry is not allowed as we are not supposed to discuss religion. Yet, there’s no way to explain in detail the three main characters or first three grand masters without discussing religion. A conundrum!

Coach: I disagree!  I fail to see the connection between explaining Esoteric Freemasonry and discussing religion.

 

Brother: Please explain!

Coach: The three main characters are allegorical. They're based upon religious text characters, but they're not the characters of the religious text. 

 

Being allegorical, they personify "Wisdom", "Strength", & "Beauty" solely and do so to drive home the point as to how these specific personifications of each would act in a specific situation that is fabricated for educational purposes. 

 

When you're not trained to see this, then this point is hidden in plain sight.  Only those who have gone through specific training can see the lesson as plain as day.

 

No Conundrum at all. No Religion discussed!

 

 

(Hat tip to Bro. Brad Parkinson for the inspiration of this post!)

 

 

A Brother Asks: How does multi-faith inclusion encourage spirituality?

 

 A Brother Asks: How does the inclusion of members from a wide range of religious backgrounds within Freemasonry, and the emphasis on the universality of a "Supreme Being," challenge traditional notions of religious exclusivity and encourage a more inclusive and tolerant approach to spirituality and belief?

Coach: You're question could be considered rhetorical if looked at superficially. However there are specific points that it raises, and by those raised points, the answer you seek becomes clear. 

Let's review them.

Point 1: To include members of many faiths necessitates the exclusion of talk related to their individual faiths. The purpose of this exclusion is to have members relate as human beings, not as men representing, and therefore possibly defending, their faiths.

Result 1: Proscription of Religious discussion removes impetuses that distract members from Masonry's primary goal - To erect spiritual buildings; not religious buildings.

Point 2: As just stated, the primary goal of Masonic Work is to build a spiritual building. This is clearly pointed out within the first degree. All Masonic actions flow toward and support this goal.

Result 2:  Because members are not distracted by discussion of their faith, they are free to focus upon this primary goal.

Point 3: By pursuing the primary Masonic goal, members come to understand that spiritual development is independent of all religious views, experiences, and norms.

Result 3: Members, freed from any "traditional" notion that spiritual development is dependent solely upon their faith, can then

1) focus their energies upon engaging in their spiritual development, unencumbered by and unrestricted by their religious backgrounds and views 

2) or refocus their faith efforts by better understanding that spiritual development is different from religious development.

Point 4: God is universal and God is "The" Supreme Being, not "A" Supreme Being. God is also The Highest Power, not "a" higher power. These are subtle differences, but ones that should be considered when talking about God with pre-masons. The use of words other than "God*" can mislead those exploring membership. There are at least 12 reason why "God" must be believed in to assure ritual is not bastardized. 

Result 4: Men who do not believe in God, and by there inability to clearly identify what it is that they actually do believe, are filtered out.

With these points being stated, let's revisit your question, focusing upon your central question:

How does the inclusion of members from a wide range of religious backgrounds ... ...encourage ... spirituality...?

Well-informed members realize Masonry's primary goal is to foster spirituality so that a spiritual building can be erected by each member.  

They also recognize that their religious ties need to be put aside or refocused to allow for that pure spiritual focus and effort.

By members purposefully disconnecting meeting from religion, spiritual Work can be engaged in spiritually guided by God. 

Inclusion of members of many faiths promotes sensitivity to elements of religion, thus further helping members create the spiritual environment required for spiritual development, rather than one focused upon faith.

Open lodge with many faiths present, especially during degrees, allows for a better spiritual focus to be realized.  

--------

* or words for "God" in the native tongue of the believer, such as "Allah", etc. and not euphamisms.

 

A Brother Asks: Proscribing Religion & Politics

Brother: Why are religion and politics not permitted in Lodges?
Coach: Why do you think they’re proscribed?

Brother: It causes a giant chasm between Brothers.
Coach: So, division?

Brother: Yes, they’re divisive topics.
Coach: I'll have to respectfully disagree then.

Brother: Why's that?
Coach: My experience has been that mature, respectful and civil souls have no problem at all discussing such things.

Brother: Then what type of member does have a problem?
Coach: Immature, disrespectful and uncivil ones. They absolutely have a problem discussing these topics.

Brother: Why is this?
Coach: They have not done the Work that enables them to easily subdue their passions and to keep their desires within due bounds. They’ve not brought Order to the Chaos of their hearts or minds. These members are divided within themselves, literally severed in two or more directions. These inner divisions show up as discordant conversations with others when they begin talking. It’s quite disturbing to be involved with such souls, especially when they’re passions are flowing all over the place and impacting others.

Brother: Okay, I agree with all this. However, that implies the reason we don't talk religion or politics in Lodge is that we know there will be uncivil people there.
Coach: And your point is?

Brother: The purpose for not talking religion or politics is to maintain civility.
Coach: Can I offer another reason?

Brother: Please do.
Coach: The purpose for not talking religion or politics is that it reveals the symptoms of immaturity, disrespect and incivility in those who have not done the Work. The proscription is meant to mitigate Lodge situations where these characteristics are present in those who have yet to do the Work. And by virtue of having new members who have yet to do this very important and crucial Work, you will have these characteristics present.

Brother: In other words, the lodge is full of immature, disrespectful, and uncivil men?
Coach: No. The lodge, by virtue of bringing new members in, contains them; more in some than others. The proscription is there to assure that even when the Lodge has these elements, they are less likely to interfere with the work to be done.

Brother: Again, I agree.
Coach: Thanks! Why are you pursuing this line of thinking?

Brother: I'm noticing a ton of division in online discussions right now, even to the point of Brothers being called "unmasonic" for expressing their religious or political ideas.
Coach: And you'll notice the cause of all this behavior is not politics or religion begin discussed. The disharmony is caused by immaturity, disrespect and incivility. In other words, it is the “Ruffians” in the mix that cause the descent, not the Master Masons who have cultivated maturity, respect and civility for themselves and others.

Brother: Agreed. Ruffians love their opinions and love to attack those who don’t share them.
Coach: Ruffians by their very nature are undisciplined. They have not done the necessary Work to build their inner temples. As a result of this lack of cultivation, their performance suffers, especially when their passions and desires are involved. They have natural deficits in dealing with others. They are immature. They are disrespectful. They are uncivil.

Brother: This makes so much sense.
Coach: Thanks! So, you understand now why Lodges proscribe such conversations?

Brother: Yes. It allows Brothers to interact on topics that are less likely to have their uncircumscribed desires and unsubdued passions interfere.
Coach: Exactly! The rule helps them work upon conversations that have less complicated issues and focus with the hope they will take the skills they need to develop and hone in Lodge out into the world.

Brother: And when they don’t take the time to do this import and crucial Work?
Coach: You end up blocking them within your on line activities.

Brother: Why?
Coach: Because they’re so immature, disrespectful and uncivil that they'll mess up, redirect and ultimately hijack for their purposes any worthwhile thread that you make effort to create.  That's how damaging their internal baggage actually is to others when they have yet to subdue and circumscribe it.

Brother: Ah!  Back to doing the internal Work.
Coach: Mastery starts there my Brother.  Without it, nothing you say can be taken seriously.

Brother: And if your word cannot be trusted, it might as well be taken out and disposed of.
Coach: Yep.  Without the proper circumscription and subduing, your word are going to cause more harm than good, especially when your desires and passions are fully engaged.  

Brother: Hence the proscription.
Coach: Indeed!

 

 

 

A Brother Asks: Associating Faith to Ritual

A Brother Asks: Why do so many Freemasons inherently associate the Craft with any one specific religion?

My Response: Their Ignorance, Arrogance, and Wishful thinking are the causes.

He Continues: Would you please expand upon this?

My Response: Sure!  Freemasonic Ritual is symbolic and allegorical; not literal and factual. The organization’s Rituals are "morality plays". They're supposed to be understood and experienced as such and they are to be applied within the context of your own faith and philosophy, even when the veil that is used to convey any one specific story or obligation is that of another’s faith or philosophy. 

Brother: In other words, the veil that is put forth through these plays to convey intended values, meanings and concepts is not the veil you should see or internalize; that would be counterproductive and contrary to Freemasonic intents and ends?

Coach: Exactly!  You must learn to see through veils, no matter how you might be distracted by them, to gain what is truly being offered beneath each.  This same understanding applies to the demands placed upon some candidates within specific appendant bodies that appear to be literal and specific to one faith or another. 

Brother: Can you provide an example?

Coach: Sure.  In some appendant bodies the candidate is asked to defend a specific religion.

Brother: Yes!  I have heard of this occurring and how it excludes some members of different faiths.

Coach: But it truly doesn't do any such thing!

Brother: But how can that be?  Aren't they promising to do just that and over their own faith?

Coach: Only if they are foolish enough to take a symbolic event literally; the very thing they should have trained themselves not to do if they had done what the Blue Lodge Degrees direct them to do.

Brother: I don't understand. Would you expand upon this?

Coach: Sure.  If you are symbolically taking part within a play where the character you are playing is of a specific faith and you are asked to play that part authentically, while participating within that play, you would play that part authentically, within that play!

Brother: Okay.

Coach: Most members going through miss this!

Brother: Miss what?

Coach: These plays, and the manner to which they convey things, are symbolic and allegorical and should apply symbolically and metaphorically to the candidate’s life; not literally. Once they have taken off the mask of that character they portrayed, they are to apply the intent, reason and purpose of that specific portrayal authentically within their own lives and within the context of their own faith! 

Brother: WOW!  That's deep!

Coach: Yes!  When properly prepared, candidates listen to what Freemasonic instruction intends. They'll take what is shared “figuratively” and apply each insight gleaned and each experience conveyed toward their own life, as it fits within their own faith and philosophy; not the faith or philosophy used to convey these lessons and insights.

Brother: So, the plays we call "ritual" are vehicles that convey! 

Coach: Yes!

Brother: If I am promising to defend a specific faith within these plays, these ritual performances, am I supposed to take that concept and employ it toward my faith in the real world?

Coach: Absolutely!  And what's more, take it one step further.

Brother: How's that?

Coach: You defend those who chose to believe as you do and those who don't believe as you do.

Brother: Ah!  Defend the right to believe!

Coach: Yes!

Brother: So, I'm supposed to take the lesson presented and apply the lesson within the context of my life; and not be confined to the way the lesson was conveyed!

Coach: Exactly!  However, when you take any ritual as concrete, historical and factual, you miss the intent of what was shared.  You believe what was shared in a literal way.  You miss the entire reason for the experiences and the lessons are learned superficially.

Brother: And I would miss the intents, the lessons and the purposes!

Coach: Indeed! 

Brother: But how do so many miss this?

Coach: They are not properly prepared.

Brother: I must agree!

Coach: In reality, Ritual will be always be understood to be whatever the individual experiencing it wants it to be and within the limitations of that person’s capacity to understand it. 

Brother: And lack of proper preparation contributes to these limitations.

Coach: Yes.  And because of this limiting factor, men who have the capacity to see past the veils of dogma, both religious and philosophic, will be attacked and eventually driven off by those individuals who, through lack of preparation, insist upon experiencing and interpreting these plays literally.

Brother: Ah!  These improperly prepared members are the ones who shame and guilt those who don't live up to a literal interpretation?

Coach: Yes.  They actually believe that members must defend the faith that was acted out within ritual rather than seeking the intended message, lessons and purposes of the ritual and eventually leading them to defending all those who choose to believe.

Brother: I've see this done countless times!

Coach: As have I!  This is one of the reasons that both the Apprentice and Fellow Work are so crucial to Masonic development.  It prepares both the heart and mind to comprehend things, even when veiled several times over.  The Work is also what prepares a spirit to soar.

Brother: So, back to the original question...

Coach: They do not want to know better, they believe they do know better and they want it to be the way they want it to be, even when they know it will coerce unknowing others into doing things that are disrespectful.

Brother: Hence your original response: Their Ignorance, Arrogance, and Wishful thinking are the causes.

Coach: Yep.

F&S,

Brother John S Nagy

A Brother Asks... Why the Church Controversy?

 
 
A Brother Asks1:  Why is Freemasonry so often a controversial thing in Church these days.
 
Coach: How so?

Brother: I see too many of them focusing their attention on insisting their members quit the organization, not join Freemasonry and spread lies about it.

Coach: Thanks. Yes. It appears that the Churches in question have found that it's much easier to focus its members against an external cause that is not controllable.

Brother: Rather than?

Coach: Rather than have them do work upon themselves that is controllable. 

Brother: But why?

Coach: This is one of many ways to rally and solidify groups that are otherwise wandering aimlessly and without any true unifying purpose. 

Brother: IS there a term for this?

Coach: Yes, it is called, "The addiction to a cause", and it is used within organizations to focus a group's attention on things that will control, divert and focus attention.

Brother: Like?

Coach: Like off things that really do need to be done and on to things that really do not need to be done because those in control know that by doing so, they gain tremendous power AND it masks the shortcomings and addictions of the leadership.  Having them focus on Freemasonry is a useless endeavor and a waste of time for all involved, save for one important result.

Brother: What's that?

Coach: It unifies groups who engages in it and keeps them under control.

 

Brother:  Yes, I see that occurring.

Coach: As you might be gathering from my response, Freemasons are not immune from this in any way.

Brother: We are not?

Coach: Members within our organization suffer with this all consuming characteristic all too often and unfortunately cause others within our organization to suffer as well and as a result.

Brother: The manner to which explain this leads me to understand that churches are not the only ones engaging in this.

Coach: Good!  Churches are not the only ones who do this.  There are other religious organizations that engage in the exact same behavior.


Labels

 

Brother: I see that too!  By the way, why is the term "Gnostic" used by some Christians to describe Freemasonry?

 
Coach: It is one of many labels used by these groups.

Brother: But why the label?

Coach: Labeling is a well-known way of categorizing, stereotyping and dehumanizing others.

Brother: But why do they feel the need to do this?
 
Coach:  They do this so that those who are labeling them and those who accept the labels feel justified with attacking those who are labeled in ways that would be unconceivable if the others were not so labeled. 

Brother: But why?

Coach: It is done out of ignorance AND in many cases it is done purposefully to influence others so that those who do the labeling shall gain additional influence over and from those who are ignorant.

Brother: It sounds like they use labeling to reshape receptive minds and reframe situations in ways that allow others to be treated differently because they cab then be viewed in contemptible ways.

 

Coach: Yep.  Once you can get people to believe others are less than human, different or worthy of distain, all sorts of inconceivable inhuman or uncivil actions become possible. '

Brother: Indeed! 

Coach: Once again, Freemasons are not immune from this in any way. 

Brother: Are you saying that members within our organization purposefully create labels to influence members who do not know any better and who would rather have things "simplified" so that they can react to situations that they would rather not think about in depth.

 

Coach: Yes. 

 

Discouragement
 

Brother: Why is Freemasonry so widely frowned upon and discouraged these days by Christians?

 

Coach:  First off, it's not all Christians, or believers in other faiths, that frown upon and discourage others from joining Freemasonry.  Secondly, the reason is as previously stated - the why is power and control over those who can be influenced. 
 
Brother: Influenced? 
 
Coach: Yes. It is used by those who know they have a gullible and ignorant target audience that they can control; Especially by spouting lies and half-truths and when the audience actually listens to and is moved by their non-sense.  
 
Brother: So, it's a power thing and it works extremely well upon the ignorant and lazy masses? Coach: Yes.  And...once again, Freemasons are not immune to this. You have a lot of non-sense being spouted by trusted individuals within our organizations who are empowered by gullible and ignorant pre-members and existing members who never dig deeper into issues affecting them and others.    


Believers

 

Brother: Do these Church members actually believe that Freemasons are involved in ungodly activities? 

Coach: Yes.  It is not uncommon either. 

Brother: It's not?

Coach: It's not!  The members of these organizations are mislead by both their

1. unwillingness to do the work necessary to know and be better; and
2. desire to focus their energies upon supporting things that they know are truly not good for them.​

Brother: So, they embrace ignorance at levels that are dangerous to both themselves and those they target as a result of their insanity.

Coach: Yes.  Once again, Freemasons are not immune to any of this. 

Brother: Wow!  Is this why Freemasonry and Freemasons currently struggle unnecessarily with so much non-sense and suffering as an organization, as an institution and as individuals within it?

Coach: You tell me?

 

 

1 These questions are paraphrased to suit blog purposes.

Anderson's Error Remains

Compass Point GA – In a recent development, the Restoration Union for Freemasonic Yesteryear Accuracy (RUfFYA) reported it had finally found the source of the flaw that has caused more trouble for the Fraternity than any other.  The flaw was spotted by a lone Society archivist, Brother Ibe A. Stickler, who discovered it while combing through some old proof copy manuscript editing notes thought long lost.

“It was right there all along!” Stickler exclaimed, "Hidden under reams of unpassed legislation."  When asked what caused the error, he said, “No one took the time to properly proof read it and the error got fixed into our Charges for near 300 years!”

‘It’s truly embarrassing when you think about it”, Grand Line Officer Right Worshipful Grant N. Syte said with a sigh. “It would have prevented so many problems with empowered members taking liberties with heavily biased ruling,  inane decisions, and poorly supported edicts.” He added, “This one small overlooked copy editing error has cause far too much unnecessary stress and friction for the Craft.”  Taking a deep breath, he added, “And to think, all of it could have been avoided had we simply educated our people from the beginning and owned our mistake.”

What was the error?  What could have caused the Society so many problems over the years?  Brother Stickler had this to say, “From what little information we have to go on, it happened when a Fraternity copy clerk, unschooled in the 7 liberal arts and sciences, didn’t follow directions.”  He went on to say, “It was he who ignored Anderson’s editing note and published the Constitutions with error intact.  Had the clerk not ignored that one note, the Craft would not have to tolerate stupid people taking liberties that degrade our beloved Society.”

What was in Anderson’s ignored editing note?  Well, according to the bold red letters on the original manuscript in the Charge section on page 50 entitled, “I. Concerning GOD and RELIGION”, it’s clearly written, “NO! NO! NO!  This first sentence should read, ‘…if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Theist nor a religious Libertine.’ This section is not about men we want to keep out!  It's about men already within the Craft!   Please fix this!” 

Brother Syte was overheard to say, “It’s most unfortunate that Anderson didn’t catch the editing error till his Constitutions had already gone to press and were delivered to the general assembly. I’m certain he would have had it corrected had he realized the problems it would eventually cause the Craft.”

F&S,

Brother John S. Nagy