 |
| |
| |
|
About Holland Lodge | About Freemasonry
About Freemasonry
What is Freemasonry?
There are many myths concerning Freemasonry, some perpetuated by well-meaning Masons themselves and others created and spread by Freemasonry's detractors. Fundamentally, it is a fraternal organization dedicated to charitable works and self-improvement. Using the stonemason's art as a metaphor, Freemasonry teaches moral and ethical lessons by assigning symbolic meanings to various tools and methods of building. Typical of these lessons are a respect for the equality of mankind, rectitude of conduct, charity and brotherly love. It is not a religion, but encourages each member to dedicate himself spiritually to the practice of his own faith, while still respecting the rights of others to practice theirs, whatever they may be. A belief in Deity, nevertheless, is a requirement for membership, thus no atheist can become a Mason. Freemasonry is often attacked, most recently by Christian fundamentalists and historically by the Catholic Church, as being inconsistent with Christian and/or Catholic doctrine. This is simply not true; for an excellent rebuttal to those who would wrongly cast Freemasonry as a separate religion, anti-Christian or worse, I suggest reading John Robinson's A Pilgrim's Path. No man should feel that becoming a Mason in any way will conflict with his faith; rather, Freemasonry teaches you to be an even stronger supporter and practitioner of your religion, among other lessons that are aimed at improving your dedication to God, your neighbor and yourself, in that order.
History of the Craft
Freemasonry's origins have intrigued both professional and amateur historians over the years, and have been subject to considerable speculation. The Craft's own mythology traces itself to certain legendary events surrounding the building of King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, but there is little, if any, historical evidence to support this claim. A generally accepted theory, enjoying some historical basis, is that Freemasonry grew out of guilds of operative masons in the Middle Ages -- these craftsmen, engaged in building the great cathedrals, saw their work as a sacred duty and naturally identified it with the biblical account of the Temple. Over the years, other influences may have contributed to the fraternity's development; for instance, some speculate on the influence of the Templars, while others point to social developments in England and Scotland.
However they came into being, Masonic lodges are known to have been in existence throughout England and Scotland by the middle of the 17th century, and all indications are that they had been in existence for some considerable time previously. There has been much speculation over the composition of these early lodges and how well formed the teachings of Masonry as we know them today were at that time, but a certain symbiosis with many of the philosophic trends of the 17th and 18th Centuries probably helped shape both movements. Which came first, Masonry's insistence on religious toleration and the equality of man, or the Enlightenment's humanism and republican ideals? Both seem to have developed in parallel, and for many it is no coincidence that many of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States, who framed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (both prime examples of Enlightenment philosophy applied to government) were themselves active Masons.
Organization
The foundation of Masonry in the United States is the so-called blue lodge (from the standard color of lodge regalia). Also called craft lodges, they are usually warranted to confer the three basic degrees of Masonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. These three degrees compose the core of Masonic teaching -- all further degrees are considered continuations or extensions of these degrees; none are considered more important or confer more "rank" than Master Mason, the Third Degree. Each lodge is governed by a Worshipful Master elected by the lodge membership, usually for a one-year term. Assisting the Master are other elected officers including a Senior Warden, a Junior Warden, a Treasurer and a Secretary. Other subordinate officers are appointed and vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
The blue lodges are in turn organized into Grand Lodges, normally with territorial jurisdiction matching State boundaries, with a few exceptions here and there. Grand Lodges oversee the governance of craft lodges in their jurisdictions, establishing rules and regulations for standard ritual work, financial accounting, State-wide charity efforts and a variety of other subjects. Only a Grand Lodge can create a new craft lodge, granting it a warrant (or charter) empowering it to work. Each Grand Lodge is presided over by a Most Worshipful Grand Master elected by an assembly of the constituent lodges; terms and procedures vary from Grand Lodge to Grand Lodge. There is no single ultimate authority that governs all Grand Lodges, either nationally or world-wide, and each jurisdiction is fully independent of the others, exchanging mutual recognition much as nations exchange diplomatic recognition.
In the United States, there are two sets of further degrees that a Master Mason can pursue if he wishes: the York Rite and the Scottish Rite. The York Rite consists of three independent bodies that each confer a progression of degrees, some of which are optional, culminating with the Knight Templar degree. This, together with the related Knight of Malta degree, is the only specifically Christian rite in Masonry. The Scottish Rite consists of 32 numbered degrees with an honorary 33rd Degree reserved for special recognition of deserving Masons. Either or both rites may be undertaken by a Master Mason and each seeks to further the legendary narrative of the three craft degrees, and in doing so further advance a Mason's understanding of Masonic teaching, philosophy and symbolism. Unlike craft lodges, the various constituent bodies in both Rites are organized into both state-wide and nation-wide supervisory bodies.
While independent of Freemasonry proper, there are also a variety of organizations that are traditionally associated with Masons. Prominent among these are the Shriners, who require their members to be active Masons, and youth organizations such as the Order of DeMoley. Women and girls also have affiliated organizations, such as the Order of the Eastern Star. In addition to recognized organizations and lodges, there are a wide variety of self-proclaimed "Masonic" groups that regular Freemasonry does not recognize. Often, these irregular organizations are responsible for public misunderstandings of Masonry, as their purposes and teachings may differ considerably from those of the Craft itself.
|
|
|
