What
IS Freemasonry?From the
Short Talk Bulletin of the Masonic Service Association of the United States
Vol.
82, July 2004, No. 7
True Masonic ritual, as
it always was intended to do, teaches the great lessons of life: the importance
of honor and integrity, of being a person on whom others can rely, of being
both trusting and trustworthy, of realizing that you have a spiritual nature
as well as a physical nature, of the importance of self control, of knowing
how to love and be loved, of knowing how to keep confidential what others
tell you so that they can "open up" without fear.
In short, Masonic ritual
teaches us to reach for a higher standard in conducting our lives.
Freemasonry has sometimes been referred to as a "secret society." This is an inaccurate statement. Freemasons certainly don't make a secret of the fact that they are members of their Lodges. We wear rings, lapel pins, and tie clasps with Masonic emblems like the Square and Compasses, the best-known of Masonic signs that, logically, recall our early symbolic roots in stonemasonry. Some Masons even belong to public organizations such as the Widow's Sons Motorcycle Association or the Shriners. Masonic buildings are clearly marked and usually listed in the phone book. The only thing that could be referred to as "secret" -- although we prefer the word "private" -- are the methods of recognition such as grips, words, signs, and our ritual by which we induct new members.
Over the centuries, Freemasonry
has developed into a worldwide social and community service organization,
emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via
individual involvement and philanthropy. During the late 1700's, it was
one of the organizations most responsible for spreading the ideals of the
Enlightenment: the dignity of man and the liberty of the individual,
the right of all persons
to worship as they choose, the formation of democratic governments, and
the importance of public education.
Masons supported the first
public schools in both Europe and America.
The 3.5 million Masons
worldwide continue to help men and women face the problems of the 21st
century by building
bridges of brotherhood
and instilling in our communities ideals for a better tomorrow.
The above information was
mostly borrowed from another website (http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/)
which has some excellent essays about Freemasonry.
