Welcome to my blog. Here you'll find posts about Freemasonry with a focus on Centralia Lodge.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Politics


It's often claimed that Masons don't discuss politics as Masons or within the Masonic Lodge.  Reading no further than the first few pages of the famous Masonic work 'Morals and Dogma' proves the lie of this claim.

What Masons don't discuss and shouldn't discuss as such is partisan politics for doing so can have no result but disharmony within the lodge.  Masons should, and in my experience do, shy away from discussion of political figures and specific political issues.  This is as it should be.

Masons may however, and many do, discuss broad political principals upon which all reasonable and truthful men can agree.  Examples of this abound, from the writings of Brother Pike, to the credit Freemasonry is due for our nation's public school systems, to the fact that our nation was founded in large part by Freemasons and based upon Masonic principals.

As individuals it is always easy to get carried away thinking about political candidates and the political issues of the day.  This is especially easy perhaps for me, given the fact that my vocation is openly political and openly partisan.  It is however always helpful to step back and forget about the candidates and the current issues for a time and instead focus upon those broad Masonic political ideas that have been with us since time immemorial.

The ideas of individual liberty, opposition to tyranny, the political belief in the importance of education, the right and duty of man to stand in opposition to that which is harmful to the good, and so many more.

When we take some time to consider the principals of our fraternity we gain great perspective on the events of the day and the people who shape those events.  This brings us wisdom, which must be a goal of every Freemason.

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