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The Critics Of Freemasonry...Continued |
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"Offensive Titles" |
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Some don't understand the
historic source of the terms used in Freemasonry. They complain of
"offensive" titles such as Worshipful Master for the leader of a Lodge.
This is simply a matter of misunderstanding. The leader of the
Lodge is called the Master of the Lodge for the same reason the leader
of an orchestra is called the Concert Master, or a highly skilled
electrician is called a Master Electrician, or the leader of a Scout
troop is called a Scoutmaster. |
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Masonic use of the term Master
originated in the guild of the Middle Ages when the person most skillful
was called the Master. Much Masonic vocabulary dates from this
period. For instance, "Worshipful" is a term still used in England
and Canada today to refer to such officials as mayors of cities.
Worshipful John Doe means the same as Honorable John Doe. |
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Also, in the John Wycliffe
translation of the Bible, "Honor thy father and thy Mother" is
translated "Worchyp thy fadir and thy modir." Some persons seem
not to distinguish between "worshipful" and "worshipable". There
is certainly nothing irreligious in the title as used in Masonry. |
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"Archaic, Offensive
Rituals" |
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Some object to the use of
"archaic, offensive rituals" and what they term "bloody oaths".
there is nothing offensive in Masonic rituals, at least not to anyone
who understands them. They are ancient; many of them so old their
origins are long lost in history. But there is nothing bad in
that. Many creeds and statements of faith are far older than
Masonic rituals. The Lord's Prayer is 2,000 years old, but no one
suggests it be updated because it was set down long ago. The
Declaration of Independence is about the same age as the Master Mason
degree, but few complain that it is "archaic". |
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As to the alleged "bloody
oaths", the historic penalties associated with the Masonic obligations
have their origins in the legal system of medieval Europe and were
actual punishments inflicted by the state on persons guilty of fighting
for civil liberty and religious freedom. Included in the accused
were many of the martyrs who died to secure the principle of religious
toleration. |
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In Masonry, these penalties
are entirely symbolic. They refer to the shame a good man should
feel at the thought of breaking a promise, and they remind us of the
price so many have paid for the liberties and freedoms Masons are
pledged to protect. |
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"Paganism" |
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Some critics of Freemasonry
claim the recommended readings for some of the degrees of Masonry are
"pagan". Pagan, as they are using the term, simply means
pre-Christian. The study of man's moral and intellectual history
allows the achievement of Masonry's major purpose - the enhancement of
an individual's moral and intellectual development. Such a study
has to start with the concepts of man and God as held by early cultures
and evidenced in their mythologies. The Greeks and Romans, as well
as earlier peoples, had much of importance to say on many topics,
including religion. The idea that a physician must act in the best
interest of his patient comes from the pagan Hippocrates, and the
concept that the government cannot break into your house and take what
it wants on a whim comes from the pagan Aristotle. None of us
would want to live in a world without these ideas.
In almost every field - law, government,
music, philosophy, mathematics - it is necessary to review the work of
early writers and thinkers. Masonry is no exception. but to
study the work of ancient cultures is not the same thing as to do what
they did or believe what they believed. And no Mason is ever told
what he should believe in matters of faith. That is not the task
of a fraternity, nor a public library, nor the government. that is
the duty of a person's revealed religion and is appropriately expressed
through his or her church. |
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The Bible As "Furniture" |
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Ironically, some people
complain about the Bible in the lodge being referred to in Masonic
ritual as the "furniture of the lodge" Again, it's a matter of not
understanding how Masons use the word. Freemasons use "furniture"
in its original meaning of "essential equipment". All lodges must
have a Volume of the Sacred Law open during every meeting. In
North America, this is almost always the Bible, which is an essential
part of Freemasonry and its ritual. |
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