Brothers All: As relates to this topic, the first book I ever read about the Masons was the rather farcical "The Brotherhood" by Stephen Knight. It is easily seen how anyone - Priest or Potentate, Prince or regular Person - could initially be misled by such a work. I tried my hand at Pike's " M & D" next and could find a number of items in that weighty tome which could be easily quoted out of context and contorted to fit a "anti" purpose.

A little deeper reading and reflection easily shows up the bare spots in the late Mr. Knight's slipshod "research" as we have all heard before.

It was also one of the few the public Library in my town in Northern New Jersey had! Luckily, the other one was WB Bernard E. Jones' (PAGDC, UGLoE, PM (?) Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, UGLoE, MM, the Pen and Brush #2909, UGLoE) "A Freemason's Guide and Compendium", which I read with Robinson's "Born in Blood" & F.L. Pick's/G. Knight's "A Pocket History of Freemasonry." Then I read Dr. R. Thorn's "the Boy Who Cried Wolf". and Robinson's "A Pilgrim's Path".

These were all found in an about an entire COUNTY'S Library system; I had to go to about 12 separate facilities to get this info. But such is my way.

By that time, I believed quite strongly that the Masonic Order was one I most certainly wanted to belong to. Luckily, there was a great deal of accurate information on our Fraternity available to me.

I would hazard a guess that if you really want to know what is REAL about the Masonic Order and certainly, any denomination of any religion, you learn about what they stand for by asking the right questions. You find out what the belief system's superstructure relies on. HOW? By reading and asking as many varied and reliable resources on the subject. VARIETY is the key. Earlier this week, I wrote to Billy Graham Ministries and asked a simple set of questions, to which I rec'd a gracious answer about the Rev.'s stand on Masonry and his supposed membership of the 33rdē. IT WORKS.

I'd say that the so-called Masonic Information at non-Masonic sites is less than desultory at best. It is downright insulting to the intelligence of any self-respecting Mason or person, period, for the most part.

Respecting my fellow New Jersey Brother and PM Neal McCarthy's post of this morning, we aren't supposed to discuss Religion in the Lodge. While I understand that this is not a Lodge Room, I think that it may be time to move on from this subject. Some of us face problems from our membership in the Masons from our Churches, Workplaces, etc.

I hope that no one receives much real grief, though, due to this. We are living in the last part of the 20th Century with much wisdom about the horrors of past and present intolerance. Let's remember that. Let it not pervade this list.

However, many of us know enough - as Brother Scott from Alberquerque pointed out this morning - that you may get cornered by members of whatever congregation you may belong to - but it is usually the members with bees in the bonnet - not the ministers or rabbis or priests or what have you - usually it is not the leaders.

I want to leave you this afternoon with a special idea from a dinner my Lodge held for an outstanding member of our Community last evening:

As our SW said: "We here, as Masons, as Knights of Columbus, as members of the Order of the Alhambra, as members of the Elks..the list goes on. The important thing is that we're here, and we are together, and we're uniting to honor this wonderful person who makes life Brighter."

Let the Light of wisdom shine forth.

POTS

Pat Bouchard
Chaplain, Librarian
Clifton Lodge #203 F & A M
Clifton NJ USA