Back to the drawing board on the virtues and vices of Moral Turpitude, this time woven again with the Grand Lodge of Kentucky Masonry where it is being tangled in with the moral law.
“…these charges are retribution for speaking out about the discrimination that I experienced…”
Reported in late 2010, Kentucky Masons slapped down the open disdain for gay masons in a vote made in the Grand Lodge session. The vote would have, if passed, made Kentucky Masonry a pro-family state that recognized only marriages between a woman and a man. The proposal, you might remember read like this:
“Freemasonry is pro-family and recognizes marriage as between one man and one woman. Any other relationship is a violation of the moral law and therefore unmasonic conduct. Homosexual relationships, openly professed and practiced, are a violation of the moral law and therefore unmasonic conduct. No openly homosexual Freemason shall be allowed to retain membership in this grand jurisdiction.”
The change to the Grand Lodge constitution failed, and a more open and diverse Freemasonry prevailed.
Until now…
On the heels of the failed change, charges have been brought against the brother who was then Master of Right Angle Lodge in Winchester, Kentucky.
John Wright, the brother who was for a time at the heart of the storm, has a Masonic trial set for April 8th on Masonic charges that were filed against him in the weeks following the statewide Masonic same-sex marriage referendum.
The change sought in the constitution came in 2010 when Wright and his wife filed for divorce when he realized that he was gay. As Wright started to open up about what happened, he says, in an October 20th 2010 article on Kentucky.com article that “news of my sexual orientation spread … like wildfire,” which has lead to some Kentucky Masons to declare Homosexual relationships, openly professed and practiced,[as a] a violation of the moral law and therefore un-Masonic conduct. Saying further that no openly homosexual Freemason shall be allowed to retain membership in this grand jurisdiction. The measure failed, and things settled down.
Reported today, March 24th 2011, in Kentucky.com is that membership of openly gay Masons is again being challenged as charges have been brought against Wright on the claim that he “violated the sanctity of his marriage” and “deserted [his wife] due to his homosexuality.” with another charge which alleged that Wright “revealed privileged Masonic Communications” because he talked openly about it.
The one charge said to of had no probable cause was that Wright had violated the Grand Lodge constitution because “he had openly forsaken his belief in God … by refusing to obey the Moral Laws in declaring his homosexuality which the Moral law declares as an abomination to the law of God.”
What’s most interesting is that the charges were brought by fellow Masons of neighboring lodges, not Wrights home lodge of Right Angle.
When inquery was made at the Grand Lodge by the articles author, Grand Secretary Joseph R. Conway declined comment.
Back to the quote from the beginning, Wright says in the article:
“Personally, I feel these charges are retribution for speaking out about the discrimination that I experienced,”
“In my heart, I feel that if I had left my ex-wife for another woman, nothing would’ve been said to me about it, nor would I have been brought up on charges, I know of many Masons in Kentucky who have been divorced and re-married, some several times, and charges were never brought against them for abandoning their spouse by causing a divorce action to be filed,”
Wright’s penalty, if found guilty, could include admonishment, a reprimanded, suspension, or expulsion.
Named in the piece are the 5 Brothers who found his distant actions to be so reprehensible, one of whom is a detective of Jessamine County Sheriff’s Department.
Interestingly, Jessamine County lists the treating of all people with tolerance and dignity as one of their aspects of Law Enforcement professionalism. Apparently, that’s no so the case outside the agency when concerned with a Moral Law.
You can find a complete list of those individuals who brought the charges in the Kentucky.com article should you want to send them a note to reconsider their actions.
Or, better yet, send a note to the Grand Lodge of Kentucky to let them know how you feel about the validity of the charges. This could be a great learning opportunity shaped by the Fearless Campaign to shape LGBT rights going on right now in Congress. Maybe this is a small step that Masonic leadership can take to empower themselves with the moral courage to do the right thing.
In the mean time, how do you feel? Do you think the charges are in retribution to Wright’s coming out of the closet and his subsequent divorce, or do you agree that he violated some un-coded and multifaceted Moral Law that weaves itself invisibly through our being like smoke but surrounds our decisions like iron?
Whose has the case for the moral turpitude?
I think there are some rough ashlars in total darkness out there. And KY is a massive blackout of masonic light.
Why not stone the gay Brother while they are at it? They seem quite certain that their Dogma is the best and the most virtuous, moreover, it should be imposed to the freemasonry statewide.
Last time I checked, it is a masonic obligation to not merely tolerate the views of brethren, but to fully accept the inalienable rights of others to their Truth . We are supposed to respect and understand the Natural Law, sexuality is a part of it, so what happened to this principle and what do we have here? It seems that even a contemptuous tolerance is unreachable. What we have appears to me as a group of religious fanatics blinded by their peculiar version of Christianity (somehow I don’t think they are Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish or anything else).
OK, forget these guys, what’s sad are the comments posted supposedly by masons in the previous KY masons vs gay thread. It’s not just KY.
Next thing is what? skin color and may be christian-only admission and of a local persuasion? ‘Cause this Buddhist guy praying next to me in lodge sure does not know the true Great Architect, and who knows what kind of sexual practices these people are doing, right? and so on… Have you seen those masons?
Just curious how old are those who brought up charges? Is this the “old guard” or that’s how they enlighten the younger masonic folks there too?
I’m in New York, but I think these cases (add West Virginia, southern jurisdictions Prince Hall “issues”, etc), when actions differ drastically from proclaimed principles, give a bad rap to freemasonry everywhere in the US. This is not helping…
YITF
I agree with the Kentucky Grand Lodge. Homosexuality is an aberration. If the Brother had come out, and sought psychiatric help, that would have been one thing, but to abandon his family and indicate he was proud of his perversion is unacceptable.
Unfortunately, in today’s “politically correct” society, anything goes. The very idea of
Lesbian, Transgender, Gay “rights” is ridiculous. Why not, “Paranoid, sociopath, schizophrenic rights?” All a mental illnesses, but some we treat, and others are “alternate lifestyles.”
Let me add, this is NOT a fundamentalist Christian perspective. The Talmud, Koran and the Bible all condemn homosexuality. So if these are, depending on the Lodge, the Masonic book of Law, then Masonic law condemns homosexuality. I am sorry, but Buddhism is, by its own teachings, atheistic. Therefore a Buddhist could not, lawfully, be a mason. (From a major Buddhist site:”There is no almighty God in Buddhism. There is no one to hand out rewards or punishments on a supposedly Judgment Day. Buddhism is strictly not a religion in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being.”)
John, how precisely did he abandon his family? He filed for divorce…I don’t know about where you’re from, but we don’t file Masonic charges against the ~50% of our members who have divorced so why would this divorce be any different?
Should I also file charges against the guys who have had or engaged in pre-marital sex? I’m thinking we’ll hit the +95% mark on that one.
Also, if you’re going to set things as a mental illness please provide your scientific evidence. “In recognition of scientific evidence, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the DSM in 1973, stating that “homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgment, stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities.” After thoroughly reviewing the scientific data, the American Psychological Association adopted the same position in 1975, and urged all mental health professionals “to take the lead in removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated with homosexual orientations.”
At the moment, you have provided no evidence to believe that homosexuality or heterosexuality is a mental illness.
Well, there is little point in getting into a argument. The change in views of the APA were, as is so often the case, the result of political (read “Politically correct”) pressure, and not of any science. It is an unfortunate symptom. The decline and fall of the great Ancient Greek Democracy, as well as that of the Roman Empire had the same symptoms, that is, the acceptance, and even strong defense, of perversions that in the prior decades were looked upon as abnormal and unacceptable.
Homosexuals vote. Therefore our society’s leaders (politicians) curry their favor. An unfortunate fact of life in the decline of another great civilization.
John there’s science to back up their claims that there is no object evidence to homosexuality being any different from heterosexuality. If there is, please provide a link/source.
Scientifically based groups will change their stance on issues as new science provides sufficient evidence to disprove the previously held theory.
Your belief that homosexuality is a mental disease is based on nothing.
And last I checked those societies fell because they were made up of 90% heterosexuals. Which continues to be the case…if politicians were so very, very concerned about the less than 10% vote of the populace then why hasn’t the majority fixed the APA?
John:
The following Christian churches unequivocally support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people as Christians:
•Affirming Pentecostal Church
•Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
•Ecumenical Catholic Church
•International Christian Community Churches
•Restoration Church of Jesus Christ USA (a Latter Day Saint denomination)
•Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
•Episcopal Church (United States)
•Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals
•Metropolitan Community Church
•Old Catholic Church
•Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) — a Latter Day Saint denomination
•United Church of Christ
•United Church of Canada
•Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Unitarian-Universalists also unequivocally welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people.
Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism and Jewish Renewal recognize gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered parishioners.
Unless Freemasonry is willing to claim that the above are not legitimate religions, Masons have no business denying the rights and privileges of Freemasonry to their gay and bisexual brothers. Seriously. If we exclude Episcopalians, we exclude Worshipful George Washington and Illustrious Sovereign Grand Commander Albert Pike. Do you really want to go there? What right or privilege gives you the power to dictate how other lodges conduct their business? None. Even the Grand Lodge of Kentucky dropped those charges as spurious.
P.S. Your contempt for science is unworthy of a man who has taken the Obligation of a Fellow Craft. Remember Matthew 7: 3-5:
I wonder how many of these Masonic homophobes will later be revealed to have a “wide stance?”
More than likely, these guys have deep sexual conflicts they have to worry about, that is why they lash out at others. Classic. No matter what ring they where nor what club they are a member of they will never be Craftsmen.
So now the ritual wording has to be changed? “You will not have carnal intercourse with a Masons’ father, son, or brother…knowing them to be as such?”
C’mon, gays need to stop looking for acceptance from those who will never accept them. It’s wrong and they know it, That’s why they are pushing so hard.
I’m 100% against homosexual activity, especially for Masons!
Be Gay? Be Quiet. or Be Gone.
It is a shame to hear these words. This is what happens when people with small minds have large numbers. It would appear that in these times all over the face of Masonry(hell, just look at what’s going on over in Nebraska’s Grand Lodge!!http://masonicleaks.com/2011/03/grand-masters-of-nebraska-the-former-refuses-to-vacate-for-the-newly-elected/), Masonry is suffering badly from a variety of cancers.
The real question is, What kind of legacy will there be to leave if this kind of ridiculous dissension continues? We can hope that people realize that Masonry states that it is the “INTERNAL AND NOT THE EXTERNAL” qualities of man that are taken into account. This should be understood on multiple levels, but in this case specifically to mean that if you have a problem with homophobia or racism within the lodge then by definition you fall into the category of the Close-Minded. FREEmasonry is for those of us who wish to balance ourselves morally and spiritually, not to be distracted by petty judgmental issues. It has been stated before and I will have to agree and reiterate the fact that most of these “brothers” are just sad to see the torch pass from their hands, and their insecurity upon issues of homosexuality is obviously quite revealing.
Officially: WE ARE WAITING FOR THE GENERATION OF SMALL-MINDS BEFORE US TO DIE. Very soon there will only be the true seekers of light left and the torch will either be passed or be lifted from the corpse’s grip. No longer will Masonry remain a social club that meets for dinner and a business meeting, and no longer will we tolerate discrimination against sexual orientation or race. We are here to stay, and we have inherited a lifeless corpse of an institution that will be restructured soon enough. FIAT LUX
I and many others in Kentucky don’t care what any member does in PRIVATE. This poor fellow that most of you want to sympathize with has been using this situation for his own political gain the entire time. Wright is running for political office in Richmond, KY and has linked his “persecution” to his political pursuits.
Just to give you an update to this sympathetic character’s plight. Currently Wright has stopped making payments on a debt that was court ordered. His ex-wife is now receiving collections calls. This fact is in a statement that Wright’s ex-wife provided for the trial. I wonder if this statement will make it to Wright’s blog. Rumor has it that Wright called his ex-wife and called her a “vindictive bitch” after receiving the statement. Does pointing out the fact that Wright is not paying for something that was entered into a court agreement make her the bad person?
Something else that no one has brought up. Shortly after all the hub bub started Wright demitted from all the other Masonic Bodies that he loved so much.
To believe that Wright was/is the only homosexual in Ky Freemasonry is folly. What I have not been able to figure out is why haven’t any of the other gay Masons in Kentucky run to his aid? Now is the part where someone says “there terrified.” Not true! Discussions of religion and politics are forbidden in our lodges. Decorum and good taste would leave discussions of sex outside as well. We have Masons in Ky that are homosexual.
If Wright weren’t gay and was using the Fraternity to promote his political career someone would put him in line too. Kentucky has Masonic trials all the time for all kinds of violations. The only reason this one made the news is because of a misguided weekend reporter and a self promoting politician.
“Officially: WE ARE WAITING FOR THE GENERATION OF SMALL-MINDS BEFORE US TO DIE. Very soon there will only be the true seekers of light left and the torch will either be passed or be lifted from the corpse’s grip.”
AWESOME! (though..i remain suspicious of these older masons in the coming year..i know my generation is different however. there is still hope.)
I always thought the Freemason was some form of [satanic] cult, so WHY would gays want to be a part of it? Furthermore, for those who continue in MODERN TIMES to claim that Homosexuality is an aberration, NEED to see a Shrink. Yes the majority of the established churches and Religion are opposed to homosexuality, BUT careful study of the bible will show that homosexuality was never condemned – It was many centuries after with the Catholic church structural changes that homosexuality was considered a sin.
Illuminati/Freemason, if such Secret Societies are really of the dark side, the last time I checked ‘fallen’ angels met their doom for coming down to have sex with the women, NOT with the men. However, I am aware that it was customary in pagan worship to engage in same-sex activity during an orgy as a ritual, so probably gays are not allowed because they would be taking pleasure from the activity when in fact, it’s intention is as a ritual to the occult deity.
I will ask again, why would gays want to be a part of the Freemason?