At 79 years old and after sitting in most of the chairs in the blue Lodge, I have finally realized what a failure Masonry has been. Yes, I am still a Mason, a lodge officer and am very proud of it.
Let me explain. Every anti-Masonic "preacher" that you hear in the pulpit, every anti-Masonic brochure or book you see, every anti-Masonic web site you read on the internet, or every anti-Masonic program you see on the television loudly tells us how Freemasonry's main purpose to take over and rule the world.
Freemasons has been out in the open and not hidden from anyone for 289 years and they are no closer to ruling the world now then they were when the first Grand Lodge was organized in London in 1717. If world domination has ever been Masonry's goal, they haven't even made a tiny dent in the program. If I was the most rabid anti-Mason preacher in the country, I don't think I would worry about the Masons ruling the world.
I would worry a whole lot more about my followers discovering that the Freemasons have proven to be a benign organization trying to do good for mankind and I would lose a major source of income from selling hate filled brochures, hate filled pamphlets, hate filled Videos, hate filled CDs and even hate filled comic strips.
Speaking of people or groups who want to destroy the U.S. and take over the world, how many have there been? The current contenders are Usama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Ayatollah Khomeini, the Taliban, Al-Zarqawi and al-Qaeda, the P.L.O., Hizbullah, Hamas and Iran and Muammar Qaddafi
In the generation before there was Nikita Khrushchev and the Communist Soviet Union, The war against North Korea and China and of course, the war against Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam.
Then in the WWII era there was Adolph Hitler and Germany, Benito Mussolini and Italy, Emperor Hirohito and Japan and Fransisco Franco and Spain and shortly after the war Joseph Stalin and the Communist Soviet Union. And then, even back through Kaiser Wilhelm II and Germany of WWI.
All of the men, governments and terrorist organizations listed above worked for the same goal, destroy America and rule the world.
The funny thing about that is that not one of these hundreds of thousands of people trying to rule the world were Freemasons and every single one of those dictators and leaders outlawed Freemasonry, arrested, imprisoned and executed Masons just for being a Freemason. Kind of like so many of them did with the Christians. But millions of Freemasons fought and were wounded and died fighting against anyone who wanted to rule the world.
It is interesting that these, so called Christian leaders, have joined forces with the likes of Usama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Ayatollah Khomeini, Al-Zarqawi, Muammar Qaddafi, Nikita Khrushchev, Ho Chi Minh, Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Emperor Hirohito, Fransisco Franco, Joseph Stalin and Kaiser Wilhelm II in trying to wipe out Freemasonry, so they alone can control the thoughts of their people and their leadership can never be questioned.
With a group of despots, like those listed above, against Freemasonry, their must be something good about it. Maybe being a failure at something isn't so bad after all.
I almost forgot to mention, many of the rabid anti-Masonry Christian leaders link Freemasonry with the Jews in trying to rule the world. Now take a look at the Jewish nation. After thousands of years, the Jews once again rule their ancient homeland, the country of Israel with a total area of 20,770 sq km, a country that is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Now, that is really a failure at ruling the world.
| Here are some of the "funnies" our grandparents enjoyed. |
A Lodge Is Born
By Carl Claudy
From the Old Tiler's Talk - by Carl H. Claudy, The Temple Publishers
"What did you think of it?" inquired the Old Tyler of the New Brother as they came out of the lodge room in which a lodge had just been consecrated, dedicated and constituted. "It isn't often that we have a chance to see that ceremony."
"I don't care if I never see it again." returned the New Brother. It's hot in there, and it struck me as a lot of blah, just words which mean nothing. Why do they have to go to all that bother? Why the corn and wine and oil? Why not just say, 'you are a lodge- go ahead and work,' and have it over with?"
"Would you have the Master say, 'this lodge is open' and 'this lodge is closed' for an opening and closing ceremony?" asked the Old Tyler.
"I wouldn't go as far as that," answered the New Brother. "But this ceremony leaves me cold. I can't see any sense in having this new lodge anyhow!"
"Oh! So that's it!" The Old Tyler smiled wisely. "You are objecting to the beautiful ceremony we have just witnessed because you are not in sympathy with the creation of a new lodge at this time and place!
"I wouldn't say that." The New Mason flushed.
"Did you, by any chance, happen to want election to an office in the new lodge, and they chose someone else?" The New Brother made no answer. "There will be other new lodges!" comforted the Old Tyler. "And you are a little too young in Masonry to aspire to office in a new lodge. But I can't let you keep this wrong attitude about one of the really beautiful ceremonies of our beloved order. Have you ever attended the graduation exercises of any grammar school, high school, or college?"
"My little girl graduated from the eighth grade into high school last week," answered the New Brother. "Why?
"It's at least an even bet that you saw half of that ceremony through wet eyes," answered the Old Tyler. "As you watched all those fresh faces, boys and girls leaving childhood for youth, taking the big step that is between the grade schools and high school, facing the unknown future so blithely, was not your heart touched with a knowledge of all the disappointments and heartaches these happy and carefree children must undergo?
"Of course."
"You wouldn't be a human father otherwise! To me a consecration, dedication and constitution of a lodge is something like that. The new little lodge starts out so bravely. It is composed of Masons who have had no Masonic responsibilities."
"Sometimes one can find an old Past Master who will go into the line, but generally they are new and untried officers. They satisfy the authorities that they are competent to confer the degrees, but who knows their abilities to form a new lodge into a coherent whole, their tact in keeping harmony, their knowledge of the necessity for practicing brotherhood in the lodge?"
"They come here, these brave bright brethren, and the Grand Lodge performs this beautiful ceremony. The corn, the wine, the oil, are poured for them. They are consecrated to God, dedicated to the Holy Saints John, and constituted a member of the family of lodges under this Grand Lodge."
"Masters of other lodges are present to wish them well. Some come bearing gifts - the jewels the officers wear, the working tools, perhaps a modest check from the lodge which sponsored them to help the new thin treasury get a start. They have no traditions to steady them. They have no matters of common knowledge to bind them together. They have no past of which to talk. All they possess is their mutual Masonry and their mutual responsibility - their hopes, their fears, their plans and their determination. An unwritten page is theirs on which to record their Masonic future. The Mystic Tie is all they know of lodge life."
"The Grand Master pronounces them a lodge, the charter or warrant is presented and they are born. To me it is a simple, beautiful, pathetic, and interesting site, and one I never tire of seeing."
"I am a fool." The New Mason spoke with conviction. "Old Tyler, why did the Senior Deacon gather up the corn that was used and put it carefully away?"
"He couldn't gather the wine and oil, since they were spilled for good," answered the Old Tyler. "But that little horn of corn will be kept until this new lodge itself sponsors another new lodge, then to be offered to them, that they may be consecrated with the same corn poured for the Mother Lodge."
"Oh, I am a fool, indeed," cried the New Mason. "Please take me with you to the next such ceremony, will you?" The Old Tyler grunted. But it sounded like a promise.
| It's funny how these stories (lessons) that taught our Masonic grandfathers, are just as significant today as they were 80 years ago. The book with with 70 of the "Old Tiler Talks" stories and 2 other Carl Claudy Masonic books may still be purchased from Temple Books |
See You Next Month
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