Christianity and Freemasonry

I am a Christian. It's none of your business, mind you, but it probably is pertinent to any slant I might put on what I'm about to say. And apparently, the jury is still out on my belief system anyway. Why? Well, I've been personally told, "You're not really a Christian because you're a __________ (insert any Christian denomination which is not your own)." And we've all heard this one: "You can't be a Christian because you're a Freemason."

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank anyone who has ever told me those things for clarifying to me what I think and believe. There was a time in my life when I thought that was between God and me, but I'm so grateful you have set me straight. Sarcasm aside, some Christians, it seems, want me to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ but get really upset when I keep it personal.

Having said all that, let me drop the bombshell: Freemasonry is not a Christian organization. When the cries of "heathen" die down in response to that I'll continue to say there are many reading this who would think, "Well, that's so obvious I don't even know why he would say it." The rest of you are probably the ones shouting "heathen."

What a fine paradox. Some think we can't be Christians if we are Freemasons and some think Freemasonry should promote Christianity.

Without dropping some dry statistics, let me just acknowledge I live in an area which is predominately Christian. Many even include it in the so-called "Bible Belt." So being a part of an organization that requires a belief in God and living where I do, it's not much of a surprise to see many of my Brothers emphasize the Christian influences in our fraternity; not just in our ritual, but also in our activities. How many times have you been to a Lodge dinner when someone wraps up a prayer "in the name of Christ?" This happens so often in my area that a couple of years ago two former Grand Masters (one a minister in a Christian denomination, one Jewish) along with an eminent RWB asked me to reprint a Masonic Service Association "Short Talk" article about its inappropriateness. The gist of the article was, "Stop praying Christian prayers in our Lodges... it embarrasses and perhaps even humiliates our Brethren of other faiths."

Another piece from the Masonic Service Association of North America puts it concisely: "Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It requires of its members a belief in God as part of the obligation of every responsible adult, but advocates no sectarian faith or practice. Masonic ceremonies include prayers, both traditional and extempore, to reaffirm each individual's dependence on God and to seek divine guidance. Freemasonry is open to men of any faith, but religion may not be discussed at Masonic meetings."

The same, I might add, is true for the publications I edit: No discussion or promotion of religion. And if you're sitting there thinking, "He just said we shouldn't talk about religion but wrote a whole column about it," respectfully, you missed the point... that point being Freemasonry certainly includes Christianity, but it is an ecumenical group. Those among us who have a hard time with that should heed this observation from one of our most famous Brothers, especially when sitting in Lodge:

"So much blood has been shed by the Church because of an omission from the Gospel: 'Ye shall be indifferent as to what your neighbor's religion is.' Not merely tolerant of it, but indifferent to it. Divinity is claimed for many religions; but no religion is great enough or divine enough to add that new law to its code." ~Samuel Clemens

Steve Harrison is a Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason Magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Junior Warden.

Published in the Midnight Mason 04/30/12

I Don't Believe In Ghosts, But...

Stories of haunted Masonic Lodges are as common as green beans at a Masonic dinner.  The magnificent St. Louis Masonic Temple is not immune from its share of ghostly legends.  Temple historian John Vollmann says he is a non-believer in such events, but on a recent tour, shared the following: "I was working alone in the building. It was about 1AM and I suddenly heard a screeching sound.  It stopped and I went back to work, but then I heard it again.  I searched for the origin, but couldn't find it.  When I went back to work the sound came back.  So I turned up a radio, but couldn't drown out the sound.  I don't believe in that kind of thing, but that's when I decided it would be a good time to leave the building."

The Trowel

The Trowel is an instrument made use of by operative masons to spread the cement which unites a building into one common mass; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection; that cement which unites us into one sacred band or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who can best work and best agree.

Home Sweet Home

Sir Henry Rowley Bishop, Lodge unknown, was an English composer most famous for writing the song Home Sweet Home (Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home).  Queen Victoria knighted Brother Bishop in 1842, when he became the first musician ever to receive that honor.

A Fine Paradox

I am a Christian.    It's none of your business, mind you, but it probably is pertinent to any slant I might put on what I'm about to say.  And apparently, the jury is still out on my belief system anyway.  Why?  Well, I've been personally told, "You're not really a Christian because you're a __________ (insert any Christian denomination which is not your own)."  And we've all heard this one: "You can't be a Christian because you're a Freemason." 

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank anyone who has ever told me those things for clarifying to me what I think and believe.  There was a time in my life when I thought that was between God and me, but I'm so grateful you have set me straight.  Sarcasm aside, some Christians, it seems, want me to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ but get really upset when I keep it personal.

Having said all that, let me drop the bombshell: Freemasonry is not a Christian organization.  When the cries of "heathen" die down in response to that I'll continue to say there are many reading this who would think, "Well, that's so obvious I don't even know why he would say it." The rest of you are probably the ones shouting "heathen."

What a fine paradox. Some think we can't be Christians if we are Freemasons and some think Freemasonry should promote Christianity.

Without dropping some dry statistics, let me just acknowledge I live in an area which is predominately Christian.  Many even include it in the so-called "Bible Belt."  So being a part of an organization that requires a belief in God and living where I do, it's not much of a surprise to see many of my Brothers emphasize the Christian influences in our fraternity; not just in our ritual, but also in our activities.  How many times have you been to a Lodge dinner when someone wraps up a prayer "in the name of Christ?"  This happens so often in my area that a couple of years ago two former Grand Masters (one a minister in a Christian denomination, one Jewish) along with an eminent RWB asked me to reprint a Masonic Service Association "Short Talk" article about its inappropriateness. The gist of the article was, "Stop praying Christian prayers in our Lodges... it embarrasses and perhaps even humiliates our Brethren of other faiths."

Another  piece from the Masonic Service Association of North America puts it concisely: "Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It requires of its members a belief in God as part of the obligation of every responsible adult, but advocates no sectarian faith or practice. Masonic ceremonies include prayers, both traditional and extempore, to reaffirm each individual's dependence on God and to seek divine guidance. Freemasonry is open to men of any faith, but religion may not be discussed at Masonic meetings."

The same, I might add, is true for the publications I edit: No discussion or promotion of religion.  And if you're sitting there thinking, "He just said we shouldn't talk about religion but wrote a whole column about it," respectfully, you missed the point... that point being Freemasonry certainly includes Christianity, but it is an ecumenical group.  Those among us who have a hard time with that should heed this observation from one of our most famous Brothers, especially when sitting in Lodge:

"So much blood has been shed by the Church because of an omission from the Gospel: 'Ye shall be indifferent as to what your neighbor's religion is.'  Not merely tolerant of it, but indifferent to it. Divinity is claimed for many religions; but no religion is great enough or divine enough to add that new law to its code." ~Samuel Clemens

The Square And Compasses Brand

The first livestock brand registered in the state of Montana was the Square and Compasses brand, issued February 10, 1873 to Poindexter and Orr.  Today, Koch Industries still uses the brand, and has donated one of the original irons to the Grand Lodge of Montana.

Lux in Tenebris

Lux in Tenebris 3856 is a London Lodge for blind Freemasons.  Appropriately, the name of the Lodge means "Light in Darkness."

Ecumenical Group

On May 31, 1801, Brother John Mitchell along with Fredrick Dalcho and nine others established the first Supreme Council of the Scottish Rites in America. Of those eleven men, four were Jewish, two were Roman Catholic and five were Protestants of various denominations.

On The Highest Hills And In The Lowest Vales

Traditionally ancient Masons met "on the highest hills and in the lowest vales" to ensure privacy.  In an attempt to continue that tradition, Masonic Lodges have sought out unique places to hold special communications.  Two such meetings in particular seem to be the record holders in this regard.

On April 10, 1936, the Brothers of Winnedumah Lodge 287 of Bishop, California, held a meeting near the lowest point in the United States in Death Valley National Park.  Members of 50 Lodges from 10 surrounding states joined the gathering at 270 feet below sea level.

On the other side of the spectrum, in 1910, Cascade Lodge 5 of Banff, Alberta, Canada met west of Calgary near the summit of Mt. Aylmer.  Held at an elevation of 3161 meters or 10,371 feet, 18 Lodge members and 13 visitors attended.

Bad Timing

Thomas A. Smyth, Washington Lodge 1, Wilmington, Delaware, was a Union Brigadier General in the Civil War.  Raised March 6, 1865, Brother Smyth was struck by a sniper's bullet on April 7.  He died two days later, a short 34 days after becoming a Freemason.  He was the last General to die in the conflict, and as he lay dying on April 9, 1865, Ulysses S. Grant sat in a farmhouse 20 miles away, accepting Lee's surrender.

A Strong Calling

Lost and searching for a purpose in life, young Peter Marshall, Old Monkland St. James Lodge 177, Coatbridge, Scotland, walked into a fog-shrouded woods to pray for guidance. As he moved deeper into the forest, the trees blocked the light and the fog thickened, rendering him nearly blind. All the while praying for God to give him direction in his life, he continued to walk visionless. Suddenly, he stumbled on a tree root and fell. Unhurt, he found himself lying on the ground staring into an abyss. He was at the edge of a sheer cliff and realized had he kept walking he would have dropped to a certain death. At that moment he knew God had saved him with what he later called "a strong calling." Then and there he dedicated himself to the Lord's service. Brother Peter Marshall went on to move to the the US, create a great ministry and eventually become chaplain of the US Senate. Called home to the Lord at the young age of 46, Brother Marshall's wife Catherine immortalized his ministry in her bestseller, "A Man Called Peter."

Clerks of Relaxed Observance

In 1767, Johann August von Starck established a Masonic Order for Knights Templar, which he called Clerks of Relaxed Observance.  As its name implies, it was formed as an antithetical body to Strict Observance Lodges, but later merged with them.  The order consisted of seven degrees which embodied the idea that Templarism was a hierarchy within which every Mason was a Templar and every Templar was a Knight and a Priest.  In order to join the Clerks of Relaxed Observance, a Brother first had to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

Audie Murphy

Audie Murphy, North Hollywood Lodge 542, California, was World War II's most decorated soldier.  As a Medal of Honor recipient, he could have had his Arlington Cemetery gravestone gilded, but instead chose to have a plain stone, no different from those of his fellow soldiers.  Still, aside from John Kennedy, Brother Murphy's grave is the most visited site at Arlington.  So many people come to see his grave the cemetery had to build a special walkway leading to it.

Courtesty Todd Creason, The Midnight Freemason

From The Shortest In His Class To The World's Tallest Man

John Aasen, Highland Park Lodge 382, Los Angeles, was a 536 pound actor, occasionally billed as the world's tallest man. Estimates of his height range from about 7'3" to 8'11" but his actual height remains in doubt. Fifteen hundred Brothers attended his raising, which required the assistance of twelve craftsmen. A picture with Aasen and Brother Harold Lloyd standing together confirms Brother Aasen may have been in the range of eight feet tall, since Brother Lloyd was nearly six feet tall. Despite his extraordinary height, Brother Aasen was the shortest child in his Lutheran confirmation class!

Masonic Baptism

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Lodges in the United States and Europe conducted Masonic baptisms. During the ceremony, written by Albert Pike, the presiding officer gave the child Masonic emblems, promising him or her the protection of the fraternity.  While the ritual for the ceremony survives, it is rarely performed today.  Drawing by Lovina Scott Ebbe, courtesy Missouri Lodge of Research.

Handle With Care

In 1921, President Warren G. Harding, Marion Lodge 70, Marion, Ohio, honored Marie Curie for her achievements in the world of science. Madame Curie, the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes (in chemistry and physics), was a pioneer researcher on radioactivity.  To commemorate her work in the field, Brother Harding presented her with a gram of highly radioactive radium!

A Disarming Quip

After reigning over seven years as world heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Dempsey stepped into the ring against contender Gene Tunney in September of 1926.  Brother Dempsey, Kenwood Lodge 800, Chicago, was the heavy favorite in the fight, but the younger, quicker Tunney won in a decision, after a brutal contest.  Back in his dressing room, Dempsey's wife, actress Estelle Taylor, was worried about her battered husband's condition, but the bruised boxer eased her concerns with a quick quip that made the papers the next day.

Years later, President Ronald Reagan, an honorary member of the Scottish Rite and Shrine, became the only president in office to be wounded and survive an assassination attempt.  Having been rushed to the hospital, Reagan's wife, former actress Nancy Davis, was similarly worried about her husband's condition.  Reagan eased her concerns by quoting Brother Dempsey, with the same disarming quip he had used over a half century earlier:

"Honey, I forgot to duck."