The Mankato free press., 1891-02-13
SECRET ORDERS
Editor Free Press:

kdttr fTce fTetC
Has Mr. Ouern m;ssed the marEf Does
he sabsols1tely know nothing about secret
orderss Does he "e,1tirely misjudge aeem's
and has he "uterty and iragloriousty' failed
TO prooe any thing but this. that he knous
nothing Of their aims and Ctjects'! Let us
see
You seem to think, Mr.. Editor,
that when you deny thing, even
if you contradict yourself in doing
so, then that is sufficient TO an
null sound arguments TO which you are
opposed: but that is rather poor way
of meeting an honest opponent. eS-
pecially in matters of grave and sub
lime nature. / had not expected such
actions from one who boasts OF this
motto: Friendship, Love and Truth. I"
You now pretend that secret orders
are not religious societies, and state
that you were "far from saying any of
them or all combined constituted q re-
| ligiOn. Were you ? Did you not,
after giving Webster's definition of
true Christianity, say: 'This is pre-
cisely what Odd Fellowship teaches?
And is not true Christianity a religion?
Do you not also in your last remarks,
almost in the same breath in which
you deny that they constitute a re-
igion, state that "the basic principles
of these orders are the ten command
ments, and the precepts and examples
of the book recognized as the Word of
God "?-thuS openly cOntradicLing
yourself.
You say, ''they require no formula
tion of religious doctrine, not being
organized as systems of worship"
ip fhnu a a rniva1 my
concern and hardly deserve to be called
systematic or systems Of religion and
worship: but that is what they want
to be, and so / let them have the
honor. All that / care to show is.
that they constitute and advocate
false systems of religion and worship,
and this cannot truthfully be denied.
Your words, Mr.. Editor, cannot be
regarded as authority in this matter:
for Odd Fellowship as well as other in
stitutions must be judged by its own
acknowledged writings; these you do
not seem to be very well acquainted
with, for they testify against you.
l.. In the Odd Fellows improved
Pocket Manual by A. b. Grosh, we
read on page 458, that Odd Fellowship
"was founded on great religious prin-
ClDlco CDululOu W uuulduIUJ
In the Odd Fellows Pocket Text
Book by 2. Donaldson we are told,
page So, that this order, sin its organi-
zation and development, is founded
upon eternal principles. Hence it
has religious foundation.
2. That it has religious aim and
purpose is proved by the Pocket Man
ual, page 1861, where we read: every
member Of the order is impressiyely
"and early taught, that if he has en-
"tered our ranks from any personal or
"selfish motiye-merely to gain any
pecuniary benefit or crafty curiosity
che has greatly mistaken the char
"acter and objects of the institution.
Even if he has entered it because of
g it's benevolent acts towards those in
suffering or want, he has not looked
high enough, nor taken sufficient
sly expansive view of it's purposes and
Gains. For it is not mere beneficial
"society, having for it's single Tor even
greatest and most eXalted) purpose
"the relief of its members and their
" families in the struggles incident to
human life. These, it is true, are
among it's objects; but they are
"rather means than ends. they con-
tstitute but tithe of the intrinsic
"merits of our Order. It's great aims
"are to improve and elevate the char
"acter of man-tO imbue him with
broader and higher conceptions of
"hiS capabilities for gOod-tO enlight-
sen his mind" &c.
In the Text Book, page IA, we read:
"The whole scope and object of our as
" sOciation is to make it's members
"wiser " and better men,-by the equal
"ity and condition which it suppOses,
I" to break down and soften the AFRO
"gance and selfishness of the human
heart-to subdue the asperities of
"sects and parties-to inculcate char
" "ity and brOtherly love-to strength
sen and invigorate all the relations
" in which mancan be contemplated,
" toward himself, his family, his neigh
" Dor, his country, his God. And to
these ends our institution appeals
directly to his social, the strongest
"of all mans Instincts. We are sim
''ply a society for mutual improve
"ment in virtue, religion, and sound
"morals." This shows it's religious aim
and purpose.
3. Accordingly certain religious
stipulation or confession is required of
those who shall become members.
They must not be atheists or infidels
but confess their faith in supreme
being and be willing to have a relig-
ious initiation; for in the Text Book,
page AL, we are told that Odd Fellow
ship ''repudiates infidelity," Ii. e. of
certain Kind and only to certain ex-
tent as the context showsl, and in the
Pocket Manual, page 1867, we read:
"What regeneration by the word of
truth is in religion, initiation is in
Odd Fellowship. In this as in many
other particulars, our institution has
instructively, as it were, copied after
nearly all secret associations Of a re-
ligious and moral character"
4. They also have religious instruc-
tion at their meetings, religious
prayers, religious singing, religious
ceremonies, &C., and their officers have
religious names.
"Gradually there were infused into
it's lectures and charges much moral
and Ia sectarian) religious instruc-
tion," we are told in Pocket Manual,
page Al, and pages 4789, we read
"True, we have religious test-we
use forms of worship-no Lodge or
can be legally opened
without the presence of Bible, and
we frequently read valuable lessons