The Particular Nature of Freemasonry

The Particular Nature of Freemasonry

By Michael R. Poll

A Cornerstone Book

Introduction

Legend tells us that Christianity was brought into Armenia in the first century AD by the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew.¹ We can only guess at what these apostles taught the Armenians as the Armenians developed a unique version of Christianity that differed from the teachings of Orthodox or Byzantine Christianity. Over time, the Armenian Church firmly claimed to be Christian, but the differences between their version of Christianity and the already established Church became significant. To highlight some of these differences, the Armenians rejected the Fourth Ecumenical Council in 451 AD, which was recognized by the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Pope in Rome.² The Armenians had their form of Christianity and desired to keep it as they liked. Today, this is not so uncommon as the many Protestant faiths differ slightly to widely from the Catholic Church in more than a few areas. But it is interesting that such differences in religion could exist in these early times. Logic would dictate that the differences came from either a lack of proper education when the religion was first introduced or a desire to edit what was taught after the apostles left.

Freemasonry is today facing something of a similar situation as the Armenian Church. Proper Masonic education was absent for too many years in too many lodges. Masons began defining Masonic teachings, principles, and laws by however they understood them. Today we are seeing examples of Masonry on all levels that differ slightly to profoundly. We are seeing differing Masonic philosophies with each boldly, and with considerable authority, claiming to be the correct Masonic philosophy. Not everyone can be correct. So, what exactly is Freemasonry?

It is not my goal or desire to attempt to portray the definitive version of Freemasonry in this book. It is only my intention to offer the results of my study of classic Masonic educational writings along with observations of the world around us. The hope is to generate some thought and dialogue between Masons on the nature of Freemasonry. I have tried to look at Masonry today and how we have taught in the past. I have tried to reconcile the two into a plan of action for Masons and lodges.

This book is offered with a desire to be of service to Freemasonry. We are in a time of great change. The hope is that this may generate a bit of light into dark corners.

Michael R. Poll

Spring, 2020

Our Changing Freemasonry

Over the last few years, I've received a good many e-mails from Masons in different U.S. jurisdictions. Regardless of where the mails come from, many seem to have a common theme. They basically say, I am not happy and then when they give the reason as to why they are not happy, it has something to do with some aspect of change. But the Masons are not all in agreement as to the deeper problems that are creating the changes. It is here that divisions begin.

One group of the disgruntled is mostly composed of, but not all, younger Masons. They point at the older Masons and say that they are the source of the problems. It’s those old guys! They refuse to change! All they want out of Freemasonry is to read minutes and argue over bills. They want nothing else and known nothing else!

The other unhappy group is the older Masons. Again, not all, but mostly. They point at the young Masons and say that they are the problem. "Those young kids are creating trouble! They are trying to shove new things on us that we don't understand or want. They want us to change from how we have always done things. They are the problem!"

Two sides with firm opinions on problems along with who and what is wrong. So, which side is the right side?

To begin to understand this situation and problem, we need to first look at the concept of change itself. The truth of the matter is that it does not matter what anyone likes, dislikes, wants, or does not want. Change is going to happen. It happens every day. Our grass keeps needing cutting, our house needs to be repainted, and we get older and hurt where we never hurt before. Change is natural. It happens to everyone and everything.

And Freemasonry is constantly changing. I once heard someone say with all the authority in the world, Freemasonry does not change. In fact, innovations are not permitted in Masonry. Well, that's just nonsense. Freemasonry is constantly changing. Every year resolutions are passed at Grand Lodge that change Masonry in that jurisdiction. By-laws are changed, members join and die. That's changes. Elections are held every year in lodges, Grand Lodges and other bodies which are also changes.

What is actually meant by the belief that change is not allowed is that unauthorized, or improper, changes are not allowed. For example, let's say that a Worshipful Master comes to a meeting and unexpectedly makes an announcement. Let's say that he tells the lodge that he has been thinking and decided that the lodge building is not suitable. So, on his own, he sold the building and bought another building in the lodge's name across town. He even changed the meeting date for good measure. Well, needless to say, that's an unauthorized and improper change. The Worshipful Master of a lodge does not have the authority on his own to sell or buy property for the lodge without the lodge's permission. It does not mean that it can't be done, but there is an established procedure for how the lodge can do things.

We are an organization of rules and laws. We are all bound to those rules and must follow them. Change happens all the time, but it is unauthorized changes in our rules and laws that are not allowed.

Freemasonry is also tied to society. What affects the community, affects us. In fact, I believe that changes in society in the first half of the 1900s play a role in what's happening in Freemasonry today. Let's look at just a few of those changes.

World War I certainly changed the world. While the United States was not the location of the battles, many from our military were killed and the U.S. as a country, along with the people, did suffer from this war. Once the war was over, it was not long before another period of hardship came. The economy took a strong downward turn, banks failed, the stock market crashed, and we went into a period of time known as the Great Depression.

My parents grew up during the Great Depression. They told me that during this time they were outright poor. But what they also told me was that while they were poor, they didn't really know it because everyone around them was poor. Everyone was just like them and in the same situation. The Great Depression affected most everyone and most lost pretty much everything they had in the bank failures and the general financial hardships of the time.

As the Great Depression was ending, another change took place. But this was certainly not a positive change either. Following the Great Depression came World War II.

With the exception of Pearl Harbor, the mainland of the United States was again not a battleground for the new war. But the times were still very difficult in the United States. My parents were teenagers and young adults during this time. My dad was drafted to fight in the war. Both said that even though money was generally not as tight as during the Great Depression, everything was rationed. Even if you wanted to buy things like coffee, sugar, meat, or even white dress shirts, you needed a coupon. If your allotment for anything was used up for that month, then you did without.

Sometime back, I watched a documentary about London and Berlin during World War II. Both cities were heavily bombed during the war with scars remaining from the bombings even today. London was bombed by the Germans and Berlin by the Allies. What surprised me was the number of bombs dropped. Literally thousands of bombs were dropped on just these two cities. One eyewitness account said that when the bombing started, and the bombers flew overhead, there were so many of them that they blocked out the sun. But then the war ended, and that was good. But how it ended changed the world forever.

At the close of the war, one bomber flew over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. That one bomber carried just one bomb. That one bomb destroyed the entire city. A few days later, another bomber flew over Nagasaki and again dropped just one bomb. Again, that one bomb destroyed that whole city. Never before had the world seen that much destruction power from any one weapon. Japan surrendered and the world was never the same again.

I wasn't born until after the war was over. I never lived in a nonnuclear world. But the dropping of those bombs must have changed something deep within the people living during that time. How could it not?

I won't attempt to go into the minds of anyone else, but at the close of the war there seems to have been a tremendous change in the United States. If you stop and think about it, we had a half a century of horribly difficult times. War, poverty, hunger, loss of everything. It seems that at the close of WWII, everyone just wanted to stop and take a break from trouble. They wanted a rest, some niceness, a bit of a vacation from hardship and pain. People now had a few dollars in their pockets, and they wanted to use it in ways that created enjoyment.

My grandfather was Worshipful Master of Friends of Harmony Lodge Number 58 in New Orleans in 1945. This would become my Mother Lodge 30 years later. I used to hear stories about how Masons went to lodge during this time from my family and older Masons. Friends of Harmony along with a number of other lodges, met the old Masonic Temple Building on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. Lodge meeting nights were very much a family event. Entire families would gather at the temple building in the evening and go to the second floor. There was a large dining hall there with a sizeable kitchen attached to it. The families would have a nice dinner. Everyone would visit, talk of current events, and enjoy themselves. Lodge night was always a good time.

After they were finished dinner, the men would go upstairs to their lodge meeting and the wives and children would go downstairs to the basement. In the basement, there was an Olympic size swimming pool where the kids could go swimming. It was a great time for everyone. The kids would have a great time in the pool and the ladies would visit with each other. After the meeting was over, the men would go down to the swimming pool area and everyone visit for a little longer. After a time, maybe they'd go upstairs to the second floor to get a bit of dessert and a last cup of coffee. Everyone would then go home. It was always a very enjoyable evening for everyone. This was generally what was needed — a little niceness, peace, and enjoyment.

I can’t tell you that this experience was a carbon copy for everyone in every lodge across the United States, but I can tell you that a very strange and unexplained change happened during this time