By Rudy Olano
4Nov06
In 1888, Albert Pike defined Freemasonry as “system of morality veiled in allegories and illustrated by symbols.” Many lessons of our Craft are not to be taken literally as words or languages are confined to certain regions while symbols are universal and therefore far ranging. Reynolds E. Blight in his foreword to Manly P. Hall (1901-1990), The Lost Keys of Freemasonry (1923) wrote, “Creeds, rituals, poems are parables and symbols. The ignorant take them literally and build for themselves prison houses of words and with bitter speech and bitterer taunt denounce those who will not join them in the dungeon.”
It is something to hear the encouragement to our young brothers to read law books, monitor and other “simple Masonic textbook.” But to imply that Internet and “authored books” as some sort of misleading references that causes the “start of confusion,” is beyond comprehension. In Albert Pike’s Moral and Dogma (1871), he wrote, “Moral Evil is Falsehood in actions; as Falsehood is Crime in words. Injustice is the essence of Falsehood; and every false word is an injustice. Injustice is the death of the Moral being, as Falsehood is the poison of the Intelligence.” In a runabout ways, Bro Pike warned us of those who are sowing poisonous information--- men like Leo Taxil or Joseph Balsamo, Marquis of Pelligrini or commonly known as Count Cagliostro as described by Albert Mackey (Lexicon of Freemasonry, 1908).
Pike in his Morals and Dogma wrote, “Masonry was the first apostle of Equality” and continued on to say that “In the Monastery there is fraternity and equality, but no liberty. “ He finished the paragraph to say that Masonry “claimed for man the three-fold heritage,
As one of the “brethren at this forum who keep on inquiring about the GLP’s position on the issues …” I take offense of seemingly authoritarian declaration that I am not entitled to a very important issue facing the Order in the
The arrogance reflected the same mentality we are receiving from GLP. Mushroom growing--- keep them in the dark and feed them with manure. People who care about important issues need to be informed, I am not asking a blow by blow report but an overview of what is going on. In the absence of neither official statements --- not hearsay nor a leak from those-in the-know, assumptions that might be incorrect could make matters worse.
If one truly think that a Grand Master has an absolute power and accepted the “arrogance from the GLP” because “it is the reality that we have to face,” then “just keep on whining in a forum like this” is a better alternative than kissing dictator posterior for brownie points.
In regards to challenge to “go to the Ancom and participate in the process,” it is known that only designated representatives of a Lodge will be allowed to vote. Last time I checked, the governance of the Lodge is a democratic, representative process where a member can voice his opinion in a tyled Lodge. The matter will voted upon and the Lodge representatives will bring it up to the Ancom. A well informed member would know about this process and would not suggest to gate-crash such an important event. It is very interesting revelation from Ancom authority that in addition to the 3 principal officers of the Lodge, all PM’s as voting reps from each Lodge, anybody can register to attend, sit through the meeting and yap-yap around, not to listen to the GM because “actually we (they) don’t care” just “happy to be with our friends.” No wonder “poor initiatives pass without us knowing it.” One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out a cause of GLP’s abysmal situation!
Freemasonry is not dictatorial institution therefore, NO ONE has an absolute power and that includes the Grand Master. The day when a mere mortal start thinking of himself as a monarch of the Fraternity and the time when members accept that illusion--- the organization they are in is no longer the Craft we knew. Only those with interior motives will allow that to happen and hoodwinked fools to continue to stay.
Facts have to be on the table for everyone to see and weight. The notion of something is a "need to know" or some brothers are deemed worthy of some information while the others are not is not in keeping with openness and out of character of Masonic Tenet we known as "Truth." It is not acceptable if Brotherly Love has to prevail and keep harmony among us.
Bro Manly P. Hall in his book The Lost Key of Freemasonry wrote, “The true Master Mason recognizes the value of seeking for truth wherever he can find it. It makes no difference if it be the enemy's camp; if it be truth, he will go there to secure it." Our
Bro Hall wrote in the same book, "The Mason who feels holier than his fellow man has raised a barrier around himself through which no light can pass, for the one who in truth is the greatest is the servant of all. Many brethren make a great mistake in building a wall around their secrets, for they succeed only in shutting out their own light." Watching the unfolding drama before our eyes, it is incomprehensible that those who wear purple of our Fraternity would succumb to the age old power trap. Freemasonry is not just a social organization, it is an ideal where success is not measured in offices or degrees held--- it is a lifelong study that this lowly student of the Craft kept on learning is that how knew little knowledge he knew about.
In an example of holier than thou, the same person who believe that Masonry is a dictatorship wrote, “ A few older masons who do not have the motivation to excel in the blue lodge would rather read Albert Pike's book than read our monitor, masonic lawbook and rituals.” During the course of human experience we call life, keen students of human behavior noted that each being while generally alike are also, as an individual very different. Human mental, physical and emotional capacity including tolerances is as diverse as the human population being studied. Having said that, it is preposterous to judge that someone “do not have the motivation to excel in the blue lodge” for some silly notion that reading Pike’s works as less illuminating than “monitor, Masonic lawbook and rituals.” Pretenders seem to think that the Morals and Dogma is the only book Albert Pike wrote in his lifetime. If one is not quick to shoot from the hip, maybe he would know that Pike challenged Albert Mackey’s Twenty five Landmarks. And if we believed that he is or was an A&ASR as claimed and awake during the conferral, probably he could agree that Morals and Dogma is synonymous to monitor and ritual.
In a classic case of foot-into-the-mouth here are some further thoughts:
Some pretend to know the content of “monitor, lawbook, lodge instruction,
and regular rituals” without understanding what he had parroted about ,
While some student still struggles to understand what the heck was Pike was talking about!
Some thought, just shoot from the hips, like old brother John Wayne could,
then talk real fast to razzle-dazzle the young ones, just like veteran car dealers would.
Be quick to spill diatribe against those could see beyond the mask
while at the same time adapt the other issue as if it was his as a matter of fact .
Truly confused individual who don’t know what the hell he is all about,
sad to say its true but he is one of those who unfortunately got through.
Finally, let me quote Bro Hall, the same author of The Secret Teachings of All Ages, regarding true Master Mason search for the truth that, ”He must search for the high things in lowly places and find the lowly things in the high places."
So Mote It Be.
/RmO
I
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