From: michael@adriaan.bu.edu (Michael Chaplin)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Response from a Freemason (was: Re: Masons/Knights Templar)
Date: 14 Sep 92 21:10:57 GMT
Organization: Boston University
In-reply-to: radzy@hpcc01.corp.hp.com's message of 3 Sep 92 22:24:39 GMT

In article <3220027@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> radzy@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Lynne Radzykewycz) writes:
   JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jay Brandt, MM 32!) writes:

  => Masons are deists, although many today would not realize that it is the
  => correct term for them. The only reason I have heard given for excluding
  => Atheists is that they must be able to swear by a higher authority that they
  => will abide by their oaths. 

  =This is interesting indeed.  I had always assumed that because the
  =Order of the Rainbow for Girls (the masonic organization for young women) 
  =was Christian, Freemasonry must be Christian too.

Yes and no. As I have understood it, the religion of a member is that
member's business, so long as he (only men can become Masons; there
are auxilliary groups for women, as you'll have mentioned)
demonstrates a belief in a Supreme Being. The focus on Christianity
is provided by the fact that Britain was to a large extent a Christian
country (please, no flames!) when Masonry came to the fore.
Thusly, most of the people who spread Masonry were Christians
(and I am unfortunately including Deists, here). It must be said,
though that there are Jewish Lodges and Muslim lodges. There may even
be a Wiccan one, if there are enough Wiccans who'd be Masons.

A note about initiation, though. As most lodges are orientated towards
Christianity (though it *shouldn't affect one's treatment w/i the
lodge, as religion and politics are subjects taboo w/i a Lodge),
a Bible will be kept as the Volume of Sacred Law used in initiation.
If I understand it correctly though, one should be able to substitute
ne's own VSL in the ceremony. I certainly wouldn't expect a lodge
to use a bible with a Jewish initiate. The other trick is, of course,
WHERE you join. I'd be careful in the bible belt, regardless of 
lodge.


  =I'll grant that there are a few non-Christian (pagan?) symbols in Rainbow,
  =but there is such an overwhelming amount of Christian symbolism and 
  =references to capital-G god that I can't see it being other than
  =Christian.  Even the name of the Order is derived from a Christian
  =historical event.  I believe (thinking waaayyyy back) that the Initiation
  =Candidate must vow that she believes in God, not just in a Supreme Being.  
  =Someone please correct me on this if I wrong.

  =Knowing the history of the Order of the Rainbow, I'm guess I shouldn't be 
  =surprised to see this.  After all, Rainbow was established in the 
  =United States in 1922 by a Master Mason who was also an ordained minister 
  =of the Christian (Disciples) Church.

  =I don't regret my Rainbow experiences because it showed me how much I
  =love rituals, but even while I was still a member I grew to dislike its
  =overwhelming Christian focus.  How are Eastern Star and DeMoley about these 
  =things?
 
I wouldn't know about the DeMolay, the Rainbow/Triangle Girls or the
Eastern Star, myself. A good person to ask for info is
ptrei@bistromath.mitre.org (Peter Trei), who runs a moderated e-digest
on things masonic.

 = --Lynne 

Chaplin.
--
===========================================================================
Michael Chaplin                    Language is a virus from outer space.
michael@albert.bu.edu                     - William S. Burroughs

The Einstein Papers Project        The opinions contained herein reflect
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