Morals and Dogma
T.F.S.
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
Number 146 – May 01, 2009
“Travel teaches tolerance.” Benjamin Disraeli
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
“The highest result of education is tolerance.” Helen Keller
It has been a maxim for a very long time that if a person is unhappy in that person’s present situation to make a change for the better. Making a change for the better can be done in various ways: One man has commented that if you don’t like where you are – move. Another suggests that when you are faced with a problem the best advice is to either go around it, tunnel through it, or turn a mountainous problem into a gold mine. Still another puts it simply: Bloom where you are planted.
What is your philosophy, what is your attitude about problems; especially problems in your Masonic Lodge? I hope there are no real problems in your Lodge. It’s a real pleasure to be a member of a Lodge where Brethren genuinely like each other enough to work together for the common good of the Lodge, and sincerely enjoy seeing each other in Lodge.
Unfortunately there are some Lodges where friendliness and mutual respect is sometimes hard to find. That’s, (also unfortunately,) nothing new in Freemasonry; in fact, in a way Brother Albert Like wrote about that problem in Morals and Dogma. If you don’t have a copy of Morals and Dogma of your own I urge you to get a copy, or get one to read; there is a lot to learn in that book.
Some Masons think Morals and Dogma is hard to read, or they will think it only has value for the Masonic scholar, or only for a Scottish Rite Mason: Sadly these misconceptions sometimes are passed from Brother to Brother for such a long period of time Masons think it’s true, but it isn’t. Reading Morals and Dogma is not as hard as you may have been lead to think. The book is something the average Mason can read, so it is not only for the serious Masonic student it is a book every Mason can get something out of, even the Mason who’s not in the Scottish Rite. As a Scottish Rite Mason I think it is a good body to join and take the degrees, (a Mason can learn a lot about Freemasonry and himself in each one of the degrees of the Rites and, of course, the Blue Lodge,) but you don’t need to be in the Scottish Rite to learn from the writings of Brother Albert Pike.
There is a particular part of Morals and Dogma I would recommend to every Mason to read if he is concerned about peace and harmony in his Lodge, and peace of mind for himself. What I’m recommending is short, only 6 pages long; it is Chapter 6 in Morals and Dogma and has to do with Brother Pike’s commentary on the 6th degree or the degree of Intimate Secretary. I think it should be a ‘must read’ for every Mason. If you don’t own a copy of Morals and Dogma there may be a copy in your Lodge library for you to read, or if you prefer you could read it on-line at: http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/ This is a great web site that has a lot of Masonic E-books on it; this is one web site I hope never goes away.
Here is just a small portion of what Brother Pike wrote in the chapter about the 6th degree:
“Masons must be kind and affectionate one to another. Frequenting the same temples, kneeling at the same altars, they should feel that respect and that kindness for each other, which their common relation and common approach to one God should inspire. There needs to be much more of the spirit of the ancient fellow-ship among us; more tenderness for each other's faults, more forgiveness, more solicitude for each other's improvement and good fortune; somewhat of brotherly feeling, that it be not shame to use the word ‘brother.’
“Nothing should be allowed to interfere with that kindness and affection: neither the spirit of business, absorbing, eager, and overreaching, ungenerous and hard in its dealings, keen and bitter in its competitions, low and sordid in its purposes; nor that of ambition, selfish, mercenary, restless, circumventing, living only in the opinion of others, envious of the good fortune of others, miserably vain of its own success, unjust, unscrupulous, and slanderous.”
Pretty easy to read and understand isn’t it? The whole 6 pages in this chapter are that easy to read too. The entire chapter has to do with peace and harmony and how and what Masons can do to help achieve that.
Much of what is and has been written by Masons over the centuries has to do with Tolerance; (Pike is no exception) tolerance of each other and tolerance with ourselves; The degrees of Freemasonry teach us about tolerance, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded about tolerance from a mentor from long ago through his writings.
By reading in Morals and Dogma we can learn from one of the most knowledgeable Masons who ever lived. That does not mean we would or should agree with everything he has written, but we ought to read it and consider what he wrote because, it might be we can use his thoughts and knowledge to help us in some way to become better men, and in the process become better Masons and enjoy Freemasonry more.
Words to live by: We are all one people; we all want to be peaceful.
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” John F. Kennedy
From the Great Light of Masonry: [Love] “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:5
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 05/04/09 is: What is the covenant of Masons [Freemasonry]?
“Nothing dies so hard, or rallies so often as intolerance.” Henry Ward Beecher
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
“Wherever there is strife and hatred among the Brethren, there is no Masonry; for Masonry is peace, and Brotherly Love and Concord.” Albert Pike
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
Number 146 – May 01, 2009
“Travel teaches tolerance.” Benjamin Disraeli
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
“The highest result of education is tolerance.” Helen Keller
It has been a maxim for a very long time that if a person is unhappy in that person’s present situation to make a change for the better. Making a change for the better can be done in various ways: One man has commented that if you don’t like where you are – move. Another suggests that when you are faced with a problem the best advice is to either go around it, tunnel through it, or turn a mountainous problem into a gold mine. Still another puts it simply: Bloom where you are planted.
What is your philosophy, what is your attitude about problems; especially problems in your Masonic Lodge? I hope there are no real problems in your Lodge. It’s a real pleasure to be a member of a Lodge where Brethren genuinely like each other enough to work together for the common good of the Lodge, and sincerely enjoy seeing each other in Lodge.
Unfortunately there are some Lodges where friendliness and mutual respect is sometimes hard to find. That’s, (also unfortunately,) nothing new in Freemasonry; in fact, in a way Brother Albert Like wrote about that problem in Morals and Dogma. If you don’t have a copy of Morals and Dogma of your own I urge you to get a copy, or get one to read; there is a lot to learn in that book.
Some Masons think Morals and Dogma is hard to read, or they will think it only has value for the Masonic scholar, or only for a Scottish Rite Mason: Sadly these misconceptions sometimes are passed from Brother to Brother for such a long period of time Masons think it’s true, but it isn’t. Reading Morals and Dogma is not as hard as you may have been lead to think. The book is something the average Mason can read, so it is not only for the serious Masonic student it is a book every Mason can get something out of, even the Mason who’s not in the Scottish Rite. As a Scottish Rite Mason I think it is a good body to join and take the degrees, (a Mason can learn a lot about Freemasonry and himself in each one of the degrees of the Rites and, of course, the Blue Lodge,) but you don’t need to be in the Scottish Rite to learn from the writings of Brother Albert Pike.
There is a particular part of Morals and Dogma I would recommend to every Mason to read if he is concerned about peace and harmony in his Lodge, and peace of mind for himself. What I’m recommending is short, only 6 pages long; it is Chapter 6 in Morals and Dogma and has to do with Brother Pike’s commentary on the 6th degree or the degree of Intimate Secretary. I think it should be a ‘must read’ for every Mason. If you don’t own a copy of Morals and Dogma there may be a copy in your Lodge library for you to read, or if you prefer you could read it on-line at: http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/ This is a great web site that has a lot of Masonic E-books on it; this is one web site I hope never goes away.
Here is just a small portion of what Brother Pike wrote in the chapter about the 6th degree:
“Masons must be kind and affectionate one to another. Frequenting the same temples, kneeling at the same altars, they should feel that respect and that kindness for each other, which their common relation and common approach to one God should inspire. There needs to be much more of the spirit of the ancient fellow-ship among us; more tenderness for each other's faults, more forgiveness, more solicitude for each other's improvement and good fortune; somewhat of brotherly feeling, that it be not shame to use the word ‘brother.’
“Nothing should be allowed to interfere with that kindness and affection: neither the spirit of business, absorbing, eager, and overreaching, ungenerous and hard in its dealings, keen and bitter in its competitions, low and sordid in its purposes; nor that of ambition, selfish, mercenary, restless, circumventing, living only in the opinion of others, envious of the good fortune of others, miserably vain of its own success, unjust, unscrupulous, and slanderous.”
Pretty easy to read and understand isn’t it? The whole 6 pages in this chapter are that easy to read too. The entire chapter has to do with peace and harmony and how and what Masons can do to help achieve that.
Much of what is and has been written by Masons over the centuries has to do with Tolerance; (Pike is no exception) tolerance of each other and tolerance with ourselves; The degrees of Freemasonry teach us about tolerance, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded about tolerance from a mentor from long ago through his writings.
By reading in Morals and Dogma we can learn from one of the most knowledgeable Masons who ever lived. That does not mean we would or should agree with everything he has written, but we ought to read it and consider what he wrote because, it might be we can use his thoughts and knowledge to help us in some way to become better men, and in the process become better Masons and enjoy Freemasonry more.
Words to live by: We are all one people; we all want to be peaceful.
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” John F. Kennedy
From the Great Light of Masonry: [Love] “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:5
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 05/04/09 is: What is the covenant of Masons [Freemasonry]?
“Nothing dies so hard, or rallies so often as intolerance.” Henry Ward Beecher
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
“Wherever there is strife and hatred among the Brethren, there is no Masonry; for Masonry is peace, and Brotherly Love and Concord.” Albert Pike
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Labels: Masonic Knowledge