The Old Past Master
by Carl Claudy- 1924"Masonry
is contradictory!" sighed the Young Master Mason at
refreshment. "I am sure I will never get the right of it in my stupid
head!"
"It
is something to recognize that it is contradictory!" smiled
the Old Past Master. "But just what particular contradictions are
worrying you
now?"
"Oh,
a whole lot of them. For instance, we do not recognize negro
Masons, yet I am told there is a lodge composed of negroes in this
country, which is a part of, and works under, one of the regular,
recognized State Grand Lodges. I read that there are women Freemasons
abroad and yet we are taught that no woman can be a Freemason. I have
just read the wonderful story of Roosevelt Lodge in Providence, R.I.,
and thus found out that there are lodges which refuse to admit
foreigners and Jews; yet we teach and claim that Masonry is universal
and without sect or creed. Kipling, in his Mother Lodge poem, has a
Roman Catholic a member of it, yet everywhere I hear that Masons are
opposed to Catholics. I am told in Lodge that there is no religion
honored in Masonry, yet there is a Grand Lodge, I am informed, which
bases itself and its teachings on Christianity!"
"Well,
you are rather up against it!" smiled the Old Past Master.
Yet is really very simple. Let me ask you a few questions."
"Shoot!
If questions will help me, I'm here to answer!"
"What
do you regard as the most civilized nation on the face of the
earth?"
"America,
France, England, I don't know which."
"What is the
abiding principle of Christianity?"
"Love."
"What is the
fundamental of all foundations of this government of
ours?"
"Freedom,
liberty, I suppose."
"Is
war civilized?"
"Certainly
not! It is barbarous."
"Is
murder a matter of love?"
"Gracious
no!. Matter of hate, I should say! What are you getting at, anyway?"
asked the Young Master Mason.
"Can
you think of any examples in our national life in which liberty
is abridged, either within or without the law?"
"Plenty
of them!"
"Well,
then," explained the Old Past Master, "we have
civilization which is contradictory, government which is contradictory
and the greatest and most far reaching religion which the world has
ever known, contradictory!"
"Oh,
no!" cried the Young Master Mason. "Because we made war
doesn't mean civilization is a failure; we failed civilization. Because
murders are committed by Christians doesn't mean Christianity failed;
the murderers failed. Because some people violate the laws of liberty
doesn't mean our government fails; they fail."
"You
are a bright scholar!" admitted the Old Past Master.
"And because there are contradictions in Masonry it doesn't follow that
Masonry is contradictory, but that Masons contradict each other! It is
true that we do not recognize negro Masons, as a general rule. It is
true there is a recognized Negro lodge under a Grand Lodge of one of
our States. It is the exception which proves the rule. History tells
you how it happened.
"According
to our ideas, no woman can be a Freemason. It is
unthinkable as to suppose a woman could be a father. But some foreign
Masons have made what they call woman Freemasons. Their apostasy
doesn't affect any one but themselves. It is too true that some lodges
in this country won't have Jews or foreigners in their membership. That
is their privilege. But that doesn't make Masonry contradictory; it
makes those Masons contradict what they were taught. There is no
Masonic reason why a Roman Catholic cannot be a Freemason; the reason
they cannot is because their Church forbids them to join oath-bound
societies outside of their own. Some Catholics in foreign countries
have done so; honor the lodge broad-minded enough to receive them! We
do not receive them; we contend that a man owes his allegiance to where
his faith is given; if a Catholic applies to us, knowing that his
Church forbids it, it is evidence that he is ready to disobey where he
has promised obedience. Therefore, we don't want him.
"Masonry
opposes the Catholic hierarchy. We defend American
institutions from Papal encroachment. It is their organization, their
political ambitions we oppose; not that they choose to worship God in
ways which are strange to us.
"Masonry
is not Christian. It is not Mohammedan. It is not Buddistic.
It is not of any faith or creed. Because some one lodge or Grand Lodge
declaims that it is, does not make it so. Masonry does not contradict
itself; Masons contradict themselves!
"Men
are not perfect. If they were, there would be no need of Masonry.
Masonry could not function in a perfect world of perfect men.
There
would be no use of a system of morality when all men were moral; no
need of teaching anything by symbols or any other means if all men were
wise. But men are not perfect; they quarrel and disagree and take
exceptions to each other's ideas and beliefs. But it is the men, not
the Masonry, which contradict!
"Life
is all a compromise, my brother. Practical Masonry is a
compromise. Never can we all be perfect. And one of the greatest
teachings of Masonry is toleration; toleration of the other fellow's
idea, his viewpoint, his belief. When you are intolerant of these
contradictions, you are yourself a contradiction of Masonic teachings.
If I taught you that Masonry contradicted herself, I would be a
contradiction!"
"I
will not contradict you!" smiled the Young Mason, "unless
you say I am not grateful."
