Freemason Information
Freemasonry is a post-collegiate mostly-all male fraternity dedicated to the social development of the member to form a broader sense of the self and their community.
Artist and Craftsman Emile Norman, the creator of the California Grand Lodge Mosaic window and exterior frieze passes at 91, the Los Angeles Times reported today.
Though not readily discernible if Norman was a Mason, his mosaic window is both a testament to the diversity of California and the diversity of California Masonry.
His light may now be eclipsed, but his work will live on in his art.
I left Tuesday’s Lodge Meeting on a high not induced by alcohol nor anything swallowed internally but by the actions of my Lodge and what transpired within. We have three candidates going through the degrees and they are now Fellowcrafts. Now I have outlined before what transpires in my Lodge in bringing men through the degrees but a short repeat is in order as new visitors to this wonderful website are a frequent occurrence.
In my Lodge the average time for candidates to complete the three degrees is between 6 months and one year. Now in many other PHA Lodges and in Mainstream Masonry it is usually three months. I would say that is because most Lodges hand out a small book which requires candidates to know the answers to the questions therein and to recite their Obligation from memory.
But my Lodge is different. You see that little book that is given candidates is only concerned with the first section of each degree what many call the Obligation part. But in my Lodge the candidates are required to also answer questions on the second section of the first two degrees and the second and third sections of the third degree. That means that they must know the lectures, what they say and what they mean and how they might be applied to daily life. But that’s not all. They must also know what the Biblical references are to all parts of each degree. As an example every candidate who goes through the degrees in my Lodge knows the genealogical history of Boaz who we meet in the Book of Ruth. But that’s not all. In addition candidates must know how politics, religion and community blend in the light of Masonic morality and responsibility.
There is no way that this type of learning can be accomplished in one month for each degree. In fact all candidates in my Lodge must after receiving a degree return to the Lodge for an hour or more of questioning, not once, not twice but three, four or even five times – FOR EACH DEGREE. And candidates only proceed to the next degree when a vote of the Lodge deems them worthy to proceed.
Bearing all that in mind the Communication last Tuesday was a Business Meeting and Questioning of three Fellowcraft Brothers who had endured two previous Fellowcraft questioning sessions. Here is what I heard.
The Worshipful Master asked them if they had learned Invictus. Now stop right here and ask yourself if you have ever heard a Worshipful Master ask that question of any candidates you have witnessed in your Masonic life. Then tell me if you know what Invictus is.
Invictus
by William Ernest Henley; 1849-1903
Out of the night that covers me,Black as the Pit from pole to pole,I thank whatever gods may beFor my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstanceI have not winced nor cried aloud.Under the bludgeons of chanceMy head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tearsLooms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the yearsFinds, and shall find me, unafraid.It matters not how strait the gate,How charged with punishments the scroll,I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
They recited the poem in unison, word for word without hesitation. Then the Worshipful Master asked each of the three what the poem meant. There followed a discussion of what each thought and what the Worshipful Master and the rest of the Lodge could add as a lesson to be learned.
Next the worhipful Master asked the three if they they knew “If.” While some of you may have by this time followed the way this post is going to pick up on what “If” is, I don’t blame many who are still in the dark because I did not instantly recognize it myself………………until the first verse was read. The key clue here is Rudyard Kipling.
IF
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;If you can dream –
and not make dreams your master;
If you can think –
and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!
The three Fellowcrafts stumbled and stopped, and resumned a few times but they got it all in. Then the Worshipful Master asked each of the three what the poem meant. There followed a discussion of what each thought and what the Worshipful Master and the rest of the Lodge could add as a lesson to be learned.
Then the Worshipful Master asked the three if they had learned “The Bridge Builder.” And they all said they had not. They were then informed by the Worshipful Master that the Lodge would hear their recitition of that poem at the next meeting. There followed a discussion of where the three were in their journey and they were asked if they had any questions. When all was said and done the three Fellowcrafts gave their salutations and proceeded to retire from the Lodge.
THE BRIDGE BUILDER
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim-
That sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when he reached the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting strength in building here.
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way.
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?”The builder lifted his old gray head.
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.
The three Fellowcraft were on their way out of the Lodge when Past Master Walker played the best imitation of Columbo I have seen live. “Just one more thing,” he chortled before they could reach the door. “Who was Mary’s Father,” he asked. Of course y’all know the answer to that question, don’t you?
The reason to approach the review in 2 parts is that in the aftermath of National Treasure
, Freemasons were well versed to talk about the founding fathers and the Knights Templar. With the lost symbol, lodges and individual Masons need to be just as prepared to talk about Hermetica, Gnosticism, and symbolism, especially as the book speaks to the wide tolerance of the fraternity to all faiths.
Key points brought up in the book start at the very prologue in the Quote from Manly P. Hall’s The Secret Teachings of All Ages
when he quoted “To live in the world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books.” Brown circumvented the patriotic picture of Washington (the man) and went directly to the post war enlightenment that tapped into the ideas of Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis and Hermetica
’s deism (all faiths beginning at one source).
In The Lost Symbol, Pike gets a quick mention, but the Scottish Rite’s deep resonance with the ancient mystery schools was very clear and it is my supposition that those who are attracted to the fraternity following this book will come with those things in mind, and in coming, they will want to talk about and find resonance with the fraternity.
Read Part 1: The Lost Symbol – A Review
So, to the question, is the symbolism right, did Brown get the symbolic connections remotely correct, or did he tap into the wide field of myths and supposition that exists at the foot of the “Masonic pyramid?” Often, that answer is an individual one, that many tend to think totally out of line with what the modern fraternity represents. It is more social than esoteric, the symbols are just that symbolic, and no further reading need be made into them. Or even harsher, that the symbols were important in the past, but today they are meaningless. I think the answer lies in the school of Masonic thought that you find yourself in.
Some of the Key texts that Brown refers to are the Kybalion, written by br. Paul Foster Case under the pseudonym the Three Mystics, The New Atlantis, mentioned above, by Francis Bacon , a mere 6 years following the founding of the “new world” and the landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. He also references Albrecht Durer, the prolific artist of the Renaissance who created many images, including Melencolia I, often seen as the height of the Christian Mysticism in art, as it depicts the confounded and pondering mystic and the materials of his practice. Each of these are bits and pieces outside the sphere of the three degrees, but still factor large (or should) in the study of Freemasonry.
One element that Brown focuses on is the alchemical symbol of gold, something in Masonic circles is referenced to as the point within the circle, what Brown calls the circumpunct, that all Masons recognize as being flanked by the Holy Saint John’s and crowned with the Volume of the Sacred Law.
The individual symbols are not so much the concern from the book, but the level of readiness over the ease of disregarding them and the discussion of their meaning. Is the lodge room ready to talk symbolism and its speculative nature? Are you, reading this now, ready to dialog with an interested party on the symbolism even on a surface level?
I think all will agree that the book is a work of fiction, but even a work of fiction unless wholly constructed with imaginary creatures and alien landscapes will still speak to and communicate a message, and Freemasonry needs to be ready to speak to that message even if it includes flights of fancy and imagination.
Central in Brown’s fiction is Freemasonry’s connection to the ancient mystery schools, and like it or not, that will be the message that those who have read the book will come to the lodge seeking. Few will likely come away with the greater subtext of the fraternity and the its more visceral purpose, the unification of like minded men, the sincerity of the belief that Masonry teaches something deeper than an inexpensive spaghetti dinner and some handshakes between strangers.
The Lost Symbol will ultimately be a good opportunity for Freemasonry to shine and inspire those new to its doors to seek out more. But it will definitely require us to be on point and be able to answer the questions put forth by those newcomers. Brown mentioned it at the end of his book, the words on the back of the tylers chair at the House of the Temple, “Know Thy Self”, but I would add, in knowing our self, we will know the divine.
This review in two parts, one from a lay reader perspective, and one from a Masonic perspective.
The Masonic perspective can be found here.
Dan Brown’s new book, The Lost Symbol, reminded me of a parable. A parable is a story embellished with perhaps some grains of reality to convey a broader idea of truth. Dan Brown in his new book, The Lost Symbol,
has artfully woven an update of an ancient parable into a modern suspense novel that features prominently the one group that should be most apt to see the connection, the Freemasons. Freemasonry, a fraternity “veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols”, is central to the plot under pinning’s, but by its end, merely the back drop by which the modern parable is played out.
Brown, at his finest, is a genius at writing parables. The The Da Vinci Code
is a prime example, the telling of the story of the Christ, but not as a divine emanation of God, but rather a mortal man who walked the earth like the rest of us. Brown’s novel was a work of fiction then, just as it is now with his release of the The Lost Symbol. But artfully, he weaves in elements of reality and fact, so as to set his stage onto which the story unfolds, perhaps to give it a greater link into reality, or to simply paint enough real figures into the work so the less (or not real) elements blend in to diffuse with the rest. The more believable the story, the more real it feels for the reader.
Read Part 2: The Lost Symbol – The Symbol of the Symbolism
In his latest book, The Lost Symbol, Brown brings the story immediately to your feet, sweeping the reader into the air with anti-hero Robert Langdon. These first steps, however are only after a mysterious initiation with libations from a skull. Better to start the mysterious early. With this rapid start, and dubious ceremony, Brown wastes no time in introducing the cast of players and introducing suspicions of who is and who isn’t to be trusted. It works for Brown’s novels; they are after all suspense thrillers. With our cast in place, the story then begins to unfold at whip shot pace.
I do wonder if the book was conceived on a walking tour of Washington
, as in the unfolding pages, the actions and activities seem to be bullet points on a map of D.C. rather than more well thought out (or conceived) stages. It seems most of Langdon’s ah-ha moments happen in the less important rooms of these Washington landmarks. Sub sub basements, kitchens, and church offices hardly seem as sexy as the Vatican library, but their mundane setting is really the same places all of us have time to reflect and think in our day to day life. This secondary settings may be a clever illusion to the importance of the idea of discover of the inner sanctum to which we each must travel for our own discoveries, but again, this is Dan brown, and he is writing about the allegorical and symbolic Masons, so you must treat the text with just as much symbolic verve. And brown’s use of these locations give clues to the broader idea of the story too, the chamber of reflection in the U.S. Capitol (inner journey), the Library of Congress (learning, knowledge), and the National Cathedral (where church and state meet).
Science plays an interesting role in this book too, and with another Masonic twist. The nascent field of Noetic Sciences
features large here, but not in a first person the reason de etre way, but in a “this is similar to this” allegorical way. Religious mysticism (of all religions) is really at the core of this new science, but besides being an early plot point and step stone to link Freemasonry, mysticism, and Noetic Sciences, the new science field really doesn’t come into play, in the same way it did in Angels and Demons. It was, almost, another symbolic back drop to the whole story, interesting, and connective, but not vital, not the story itself.
As I mentioned, this review will be split in two, and the goal of the 2nd is to look more at the Masonic connections and connotations. But as the book itself was about Freemasonry, it is important to note that Brown’s treatment of Masonry was very tender, almost to much so. Early on, Brown goes to GREAT lengths to debunk and say what Freemasonry isn’t, covering the “is masonry a religion” issue, and even guffawing at the notion of secret geometric grids in the streets of Washington. Even the infamous MASON on the great seal on the back of the 1 dollar bill gets a quick walk on, only to of been used as a dodge for something else. Brown really did write this book with the fate of Freemasonry in mind, in parts almost writing as if he were creating one of our own brochures (perhaps off which he copied his passage) saying very strongly in his main character’s voice “In this age when different cultures are killing each other over whose definition of God is better, one could say the Masonic tradition of tolerance and open-mindedness is commendable.” Brown does go out of his way to weave in all manner of Hermetic, Gnostic, Rosicrucian, and Cabalistic ideas into the offering, but not in a way to dominate the reader into submission of belief, but to paint the picture that the ideas of Freemasonry, in their age and wisdom, are not wholly a Judeo-Christian construct, more on that in a bit in part 2.
Like past Brown novels, the story soon out paces the stage settings and takes over as a thriller and this book is no different. Its pace reaching a fever pitch of intrigue, manipulation, and murder, while embroiled in the ancient mystery of a “Masonic pyramid”. There are a few gasp moments for the reader, and plot spins that I didn’t see coming until hit square in the face by them. And the story winds out with a tragic dilemma, which brings me back to the idea that the story itself was a modern retelling of an ancient parable.
:: spoiler alert::
Caravaggio (1573-1610) The Sacrifice of Isaac
The parable I mention is from the bible. In that sacred text, very early in Genesis (chapter 22 to be exact) Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac as a show of his allegiance to his faith in God. In that past parable, the test of faith is tremendous as the eldest born of Abraham is the greatest sacrifice that he can give, and give he does, willing at the command of God. In the very last seconds, Abraham is spared, his faith proven, and a ram is substituted for his son. In the climax of The Lost Symbol, that same test of faith is presented, but for a different outcome. As Abraham was to be the one giving sacrifice, the protagonist of the story, Peter Solomon is in that Abrahamic position, and knowing what the consequences were for the sacrifice he was forced to make, he still chose to not make that sacrifice, choosing to follow his heart. Symbolically, in a book about allegory and symbol, it stuck me that the story was alluding to a transition from one of Abraham’s blind faith (as an external salvation, doctrinal, dogmatic, and absolute), to man believing in the faith within us, that by our acts and intentions we were communing with the divine, which is a Gnostic outlook that sacrifice, in totality, is not necessary and in the end destructive.
The reason for this conclusion seems to me to be based in the preceding pages as repeatedly the ideas of the Hermetic law were repeated and stressed (As Above, So Below) and the bomb of the protagonist was not one of physical destruction, but of ideological chaos. To sacrifice the son would still bring chaos, absolute destruction, personally and publically.
The story wraps up and all the loose ends become tied in the neat bows that Brown manages to make following so many leads and loose ends. But the way in which the book reached its crescendo, not in a fiery explosion or an earth shattering revelation of biblical purport, was lack luster. The inclusion of the CIA, the cavalcade of 33rd degree masons and publicity of the who’s-who of Washington seemed to me an interesting plot point, but hardly reason to blow up historical property, and murder several innocent bystanders, but then, this is a suspense novel, and this YouTubian plot device was just as much a stage setting as the Masons themselves (twitter even got a mention to put the story in a contemporary but soon to be outdated setting).
Really, would the world be so traumatized to see people, who are already pretty open about being Masons, being Masons?
In the end, it was a good book, fun, flighty, suspenseful, with a few a-ha and gasp moments. Was it worth the 5 year wait, I’ll let you be the judge, but it was a nice testament to Freemasonry, and very tasteful in its portrayal of the ancient and honorable fraternity, to which I say thank you to Dan Brown. I give the book 7.5 out of 10 stars, and can say that I enjoyed reading it, and I think that you will too.
For those who read the book, but are wondering what Freemasonry is about, I recommend this Free E-book “What is Freemasonry?.”
All things considered took a trip to the House of the Temple and had a good conversation with Br. Brent Morris.
An excerpt:
Best-selling author Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol, draws heavily on the lore and mystique of the Freemasons. A visit to one of the locations in the novel, a prominent Masonic building in Washington, D.C., serves as an introduction to the history of the once feared and even reviled secret society.
The House of the Temple, the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, is an impressive and dignified edifice on Washington’s 16th Street. The design was inspired by the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, in Turkey. A couple of sphinxes on huge pedestals flank the steps.
Secret Of The Masons: It’s Not So Secret
Nicely done Br. Morris.
Download What is Freemasonry?
right click the link and save as.
To download, right click on your mouse and select “save as.”
The goal of this e-book is to make available some of the lesser discussed details of the contemporary fraternity.
Many books have been written about Freemasonry’s “occult” symbolism, the assertion of its quasi religious practice, the connections between Freemasonry and the founding fathers, and the bizarre layout of Washington D.C. Each of these texts offer a glimpse into the present tense fraternity, as they ask the same questions that many masons themselves ask. But those books fall short of answering questions put forth by those without any prior knowledge of the craft. That is why this book is a must read for anyone asking the question “What is Freemasonry?”
As the fraternity enters into the 21st century digital age, there needed to be an answer to that question. There needed to be an easier way to communicate the particulars of what Freemasonry is today, right now, which is at the heart of this free e-book.
What have others have said about this ebook?
I encourage you to download the e-book, read it, and share it with others. As you go through it, I hope that it will help you to explore the questions put forth in it that describe what the modern fraternity is today and how it exists in the present.
Greg Stewart – Masonic Traveler
email me at: masonictraveler@gmail.com
Freemason Information Digital Masonic Magazine
On Twitter twitter.com/masonictraveler
The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas explains what this day is all about:
“As the Christian has a revival, the Moslem has a pilgrimage to Mecca, so do Prince Hall Masons have revivals, and they are called Prince Hall Americanism Day, celebrated on or as close to September 12th each year. It is a time for the Prince Hall Mason to take stock of his life, renew his faith in God, Country and Fraternity, which will include his neighbor. It is a time to renew his faith in God, his patriotism to his country and his duty to mankind. It is in the truest sense a Masonic Revival.”
September 12th is chosen because it is alleged that Prince Hall was born on September 12, 1735
Many Prince Hall Jurisdictions , like Texas, celebrate over two or three days, most often a weekend. This year , as in most, Texas scheduled a dance Friday night 9/11, a picnic 0n Saturday 9/12 and a church service on Sunday 9/13. The picnic got rained out this year as we had two solid days of rain and flooding here and there. I didn’t make the dance but I did participate in the church service.
Prince Hall Masons worship often together and they bring the whole Prince Hall Family. Individual Lodges will schedule a church service at least once per year whereby all members of the Lodge, their families, and Sisters in the Prince Hall Family attend. Not only will Blue Lodges do this but also York and Scottish Rite Bodies will do the same. Districts will also call for a church service at least once per year. And OES and the Heroines will also do likewise and invite the Brothers. Unlike Mainstream Masonry, Prince Hall Masons will openly celebrate their Christianity together. Some outside PHA then form the mistaken impression that Prince Hall only accepts Christians. That is not true. It accepts men of every Faith. In my Lodge we raised two Muslims last year. But when 99% are one religion it is not unnatural for there to be fellowship along religious lines within the fraternity.
This year Prince Hall in my area combined the celebration by uniting Districts 10, 11 and 20 within the Dallas-Fort Worth area. And that was also Districts 10, 11 and 20 from the Heroines of Jericho and OES. There were as many Sisters present as Brothers.
Grand Lodge representatives led us in most phases of the worship held at Central Pointe’ Church of Christ in Dallas, all phases except for the sermon. This message was delivered by Pastor James M. Hutchins of the New Life Community Church of Frisco, Texas and a rousing message it was. Pastor Hutchins used the Scripture of Exodus 3: 1-14, the story of Moses and the burning bush, to bring us the theme of Being Prepared and Being Ready. He told us that Moses was once a powerful man in Egypt, the #2 man behind the Pharoah. But then he killed a man when he was 40 and fled. Now at 80 he just wished to live out his life in quiet obscurity. When called on by God his attitude was who me? I’m 80 years old what can I do? Give me something to make my mission believable to those whom you want me to lead, Moses ended up requesting. Who shall I say is sending me? Pastor Hutchins then , poised for the dramatic moment, proclaimed, – Tell them “I Am That I Am” sent you. And then the Pastor reminded us the difference between I Am That I Am and I AM What I Am.
I loved it when Pastor Hutchins said God could have sent a 45 foot tall Angel with a booming voice and scared the Egyptians half to death or gone Himself. Instead he chose 80 year old Moses. Which goes to show you that one needs to be prepared and be ready.
The Pastor’s message concluded with his reminding us that God sees us, hears us and knows all about us and still loves us unconditionally. “You mean God knows that I lie awake worry about how I am going to pay my bills,” exhorts Pastor Hutchins. His message brought to us the reality that God is always with us and always loving even when we are not.
Many times Brothers and Sisters stood up and applauded during the sermon. It was a great message for the Prince Hall Family for a great man of history who in the sands of time has made an important and lasting impact on the African American community.
Afterward we gathered in the dining room for some soul food and some great fellowship. I had some good conversations with Brothers and Sisters I do not get a regular opportunity to mingle with.
As I left the church and drove out of the parking lot I thought about what I had just experienced – the warmth of “comrades in arms,” the ringing words of Pastor Hutchins and the great stature and example of Prince Hall who was supposed to have his monument on the Cambridge, Massachusetts Common dedicated today but as its fund raising and construction is running behind there was a service of dedication instead. But all these components running through my mind had me thinking – Well done good and faithful servants.
This show dedicated to talking about the fraternity of Freemasonry, what it is and what it represents. It is an open line program for your questions, comments, ideas, and theories. The goal is to talk about the various aspects of the fraternity and what it means to be a member.
Missed the Program? Listen Now!
or Download
At its heart, Freemasonry is a fraternity of brothers who share common values, who gather to better serve society and improve themselves through their fellowship. I encourage you to listen to the full program.
Also you can listen to the program live from our home at Masonic Central on Blog Talk Radio and join in with our live program chat, or from our player widget on our website at Freemason Information.
An excerpt from the “The Lost Symbol” in Parade Magazine…
House of the Temple
8:33 P.M.
Since the beginning of time, the secret had always been how to die.
The thirty-four-year-old initiate gazed down at the human skull cradled in his palms. The skull was hollow, like a bowl, filled with bloodred wine.
Drink it, he told himself. You have nothing to fear.
As was tradition, he had begun this journey adorned in the ritualistic garb of a medieval heretic being led to the gallows, his loose-fitting shirt gaping open to reveal his pale chest, his left pant leg rolled up to the knee, and his right sleeve rolled up to the elbow. Around his neck hung a heavy rope noose—a “cable-tow” as the brethren called it. Tonight, however, like the brethren bearing witness, he was dressed as a master.
The assembly of brothers encircling him all were adorned in their full regalia of lambskin aprons, sashes, and white gloves. Around their necks hung ceremonial jewels that glistened like ghostly eyes in the muted light. Many of these men held powerful stations in life, and yet the initiate knew their worldly ranks meant nothing within these walls. Here all men were equals, sworn brothers sharing a mystical bond.
Read more of the pro-log and chapter 1 here.
On Tuesday, September 15th, Dan Brown’s new book entitled The Lost Symbol will hit shelves at bookstores throughout the U.S. and probably most of the world. Because his previous book The DaVinci Code is one of the most widely read books in history, many people believe that The Lost Symbol has the potential to be a cultural phenomenon as well.
Freemasons have been among the most devout followers of the development of The Lost Symbol because Brown made it clear that the book would deal with the institution of Freemasonry. Now that the release of the book is imminent, the excitement and angst among Freemasons about the book has reached a fever pitch and after reading several blog and website entries over the past few weeks, it appears that many Freemasons fear that they will have to defend the organization against any attack that Dan Brown may make on the world’s oldest fraternity.
However, I remain indifferent about this event. So The Lost Symbol deals with Freemasonry, so what?
For those worried about what dispersions the book may cast on Freemasonry, I must ask a simple question: Doesn’t Dan Brown write fiction? It is true that I have personally spoken to more than one person that read The DaVinci Code and remained firmly convinced that Jesus had a child and the Catholic church knows it. However, these cases are rare and aren’t really worth worrying about.
Dan Brown’s book will more than likely spike Google searches on “Who are the Freemasons?” or “What is Freemasonry?” Some of those people will wind up on Freemasonry Watch and some of those will wind up on Freemason Information. Some of those people will believe that Masonry is part of some conspiracy and some may just petition our lodges. I believe that we waste way too much time worrying about the former and not enough time worrying about the latter. Those that petition our lodges because they have read The Lost Symbol and performed subsequent research will require us to take a closer look at the fraternity and answer some questions. So let’s examine some of the inquiries to which we may have to give a response.
Petitioner’s Question: “So is any of the stuff about Freemasonry in The Lost Symbol true?”
This question is simple to answer because anything hinting at a conspiracy in the book is obviously false, unless you one of those Freemasons that is still trying to prove to yourself that you are not part of some heinous, New World Order planning organization.
Freemason’s Answer: “You must realize that Dan Brown’s book is a work of fiction, it’s solely meant for entertainment. Have you conducted any other research about the fraternity? If you haven’t, I’ll give you some real information and you can look through it and decide for yourself if Freemasonry is something that you want to pursue further.”
Petitioner’s Question: “So what do Freemasons really do?”
Now this is an interesting question. Will you be honest or will you paint a pretty picture of your lodge meetings. Many lodges would have to answer this question by saying, “Well, we pay the bills, sometimes we have cold baloney sandwiches afterward, and once in a while we’ll raise a little money for charity.” So if we want to answer this question honestly and give an attractive view of our fraternity to those that may want to join we are going to have to start changing the way we operate our lodges so that we can give the following answer.
Freemason’s Answer: “Freemasonry is a fraternity that believes in actively improving its members through a virtuous education, fellowship, and charity. In order to become a Freemason, you will have to take three degrees which provide a wonderful course of allegorical instruction designed to help you become a better man. After becoming a Mason you will help to confer these degrees and learn more about their symbolism through philosophical instruction and discussion. Freemasons also enjoy fellowship with each other through several activities which include fine dinners and other various lodge functions. Freemasonry is also a charitable organization that provides relief to its members and contributes to external charities such as the Child Identification Program.”
Petitioner’s Question: “So who can join Freemasonry?”
You should know this answer by now.
Freemason’s Answer: “If you are a man of legal age, of good moral character, who believes in a Supreme Being, and already has the Masonic principles firmly imprinted in his heart and mind, then you can become a Freemason.”
Ultimately, Dan Brown’s book can only be good for Freemasonry, because it will spike interest. Any publicity is good publicity after all. But if we want to make the most out of this opportunity, we will have to take the following actions: guard the West Gate and make sure that we give these new men what they expect from the order. We will have to use their skills, their ideas, and their fresh point of view to strengthen and enhance our beloved institution.
Or we can just keep doing what we’ve always done and see yet another crop of perfectly good Masons disappear because they were disappointed in what they found once they entered the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Like what you are reading at the Euphrates? Email the author at euphratesblog@gmail.com to join the Banks of the Euphrates mailing list.