Anti-Masonry April 10, 2007

Masonic Matters
April 10, 2007
By Ed Halpaus

“Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world, -- though the cants of hypocrites may be worst, -- the cant of criticism is the most tormenting.” Laurence Sterne 1713-1768

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.

“I do not resent criticism, even when, for the sake of emphasis, it parts for the time with reality.” Brother Winston Churchill

I bring you greetings from Most Worshipful Brother Steven R. Johnson, Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Minnesota, and all of the Grand Lodge officers elected and appointed of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.

“This shows how much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.” Brother Benjamin Disraeli

Every once in a while I get questions from, or I am told there are, Masons who have been approached mostly by well meaning people who repeat something they heard from someone else about the supposed evils of Freemasonry. Most of these charges and accusations can be traced back to an anti-Mason, and sometimes a Mason is openly verbally accosted by an anti-Mason, which many times will catch some of us off guard.

When this sort of thing happens we might automatically think this person is uneducated about Masonry, and that might be true if by that we mean he is not getting factual information from a knowledgeable Mason. Unfortunately he most likely does not think he is uneducated and he isn’t, if educated means he is receiving information about Masonry from someone who he trusts and thinks is knowledgeable. The person may very well have received information about Freemasonry from only one side. If he is willing to receive information from the other side, so he can make up his own mind, decide for himself, on the question of Freemasonry being a cult, or simply a fraternity of good men who believe in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, then you should be able to have a good informative conversation with him.

Devout Fundamentalist Christians, and I’ve been told devout fundamentalists of other religions too, believe what they are told from the Synod, or whatever the parent organization is, that tells them about a certain something; in this case Freemasonry. So there are times when you can talk till the cows come home and give them all the information you can think of, but if they have a closed mind and intend only to believe their clergyman who only believes what his seminary and superiors tell him you’re then dealing with a closed mind, and a closed mind is very difficult to open.

The admonishment in the charge of the First Degree about arguing with those who through ignorance ridicule Freemasonry etc. does not mean we cannot have a decent friendly conversation or debate with someone who is willing to listen or debate with us. So in my mind it is fine to try to open a man’s mind with the truth, but while it can be frustrating don’t let it get to you if he just won’t believe what you have to refute the false charges floating around about Freemasonry. And don’t be surprised. Some people believe what they believe and don’t even want to hear the facts let alone be confused by them.

Having said that I think one of the best books on this subject is “Workman Unashamed” by Brother Christopher ‘Kit’ Haffner, published by Lewis Masonic some years ago, but recently updated and republished again by Lewis Masonic.

Another book, (booklet,) that I like and is cheaper and easier to get is “Conscience and the Craft – Questions on Religion and Freemasonry” by Brother Jim Tresner. My copy is well marked up and highlighted, in fact many of my books are like that. This booklet might be available on line as was another book called “Is it true what the say about Freemasonry,” which is another good book about anti-Masonry. If they are not available on line I think they can be purchased from most Masonic book suppliers at a very reasonable price.

People who are vocal anti-Masons are knowledgeable about Freemasonry. They may have a wrong view of the Craft in our opinion, but that doesn’t mean they’re ignorant about it. So I think a Mason needs to be ready, and by ready I mean he needs to know his subject well, as well as know what their opinion is and where it comes from. To do this we read books, like the ones I’ve mentioned. We need also to know about why the term The Great Architect of the Universe to them is a name for another god, and why they say we regard all gods as equal to the God of Abraham. Also know that saying that the term was used by John Calvin an early theologian whose writings were used in founding a Christian Church really doesn’t mean much to a fundamentalist, because they don’t put much stock in Calvinism.

Also reading books from anti-Masons about Masonry is a good pastime if you can stay objective, and realize you are learning some of what you need to know to be able to debate or have a conversation with an anti-Mason. Many will not want to do this, because it is a big job to become very knowledgeable. But the anti-Mason is knowledgeable and many times more knowledgeable than the Mason he’s talking with. The Anti-Mason knows about our ritual, and they offer their own meanings to our symbols and allegories. Many a Mason has been surprised how knowledgeable an anti-Mason can be. One good thing to remember, since the anti-Mason has a penchant for quoting Brother Albert Pike from his book ‘Morals and Dogma’ is the preface to Morals and Dogma; in it Pike says in part: “The teachings of these readings are not sacramental, so far as they go beyond the realm of morality into those of other domains of thought and truth.” “Everyone is free to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may seem to him to be untrue or unsound.” Page iv (middle of the page.) So even Brother Pike himself is saying that what he wrote in Morals and Dogma is not the dictum of Freemasonry our critics and enemies say it is. Pike knew he wrote only for himself and his opinions - not for Freemasonry.

I will suggest, also, that it is good to know what Leo Taxil’s Hoax’s are all about. Know about the myth about the Great Seal of the United States, know about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and be somewhat familiar with the Holy Bible, and about the information in the Bible that our Hiramic Legend was formed from. Be knowledgeable about where in the ritual of the Third Degree the drama ends, and the officer portraying King Solomon ends. The drama ends when he again resumes the role of the Master of the Lodge. Many people, including Masons, have the mistaken idea that the candidate represents the legendary Hiram right up until the end of the degree; he doesn’t. The drama ends when the Mason portraying King Solomon takes the candidate by the strong grip of a Master Mason. When the candidate hears the word he is the candidate and the Mason saying the word is the Master. The reason I think this is important is because some think we teach that Hiram was raised from the dead, which would be reminiscent of the legend of Osiris, and of course we teach no such thing. In fact, in the 2nd section of the lecture of the third degree it tells us that Hiram’s body was carried to King Solomon’s Temple and buried. However, many anti-Masons will challenge a Mason on that.

The fact is, there are so many challenges and accusations an Anti-Mason can say to and about us it is hard to stay up with them. A number of years ago now the Grand Lodge of Minnesota changed their work to mention the penalties are reprimand, suspension or expulsion and then called the other penalties the ancient and symbolic penalties, which of course they always have been. I’m not saying this change was either good or bad, what I will say is that if it was done to answer or satisfy our critics and enemies then what do you do the next time our enemies tell us about something else that in their opinion is wrong with Freemasonry. They will never be satisfied until we cease to exist.

Awhile back I spoke with a Mason who commented how he liked the piece I sent out in Mehr Licht about the Masonic ring. Then he mentioned he’s noticed that many Masons don’t wear their rings or pins as much any more, (He was a 50 + year Mason,) and he surmised that one reason might be that they had been accosted by an anti-Mason and didn’t know what to say, so to avoid the embarrassment they tend not to use much Masonic jewelry on their person except for attending Lodge or Masonic functions. He may be on to something.

The enemies of Freemasonry won’t be satisfied with any changes we make in ritual, use of symbols, or whatever, they want to see Freemasonry disappear.

I don’t mean to worry anyone, I just want to be clear that in any discussion with an anti-Mason, and even with a well meaning friend repeating what they heard from an anti-Mason, be well prepared, because it is always easier for someone to ask questions than give the answer, and it is always easier to repeat a charge or myth than to explain or answer it.

Brother Leon Zeldis wrote an excellent article that was published in volume 7 of Heredom, (page 89.) Heredom is the annual book sent out to members of the Scottish Rite Research Society, and in my mind is one of the best bargains in Masonic Education. Today Brother Zeldis’ article can be read on the web at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/zeldisfr.html and it is very interesting to read.

I always wonder about some of my fellow Christians wanting to take the same stand dictators do when it comes to Freemasonry, especially when you consider what Hitler did to clergymen, churches, and Freemasons in Germany during his eliminationist period, and to the millions of Jews who were killed in his ‘final solution’ and on his orders. A good book on this is “Hitler’s Cross” published by Moody Press.

Anti-Masons now say that it is the Masons of the ‘high degrees’ that are keeping the rest of us in the dark about what Freemasonry is really about, and that of course we would not know about it if we haven’t been in the inner circle of our Grand Lodge or are not a 33°, which is most of us. They tell our friends and family that we may be good Christians, good men all around, but we are being duped by the Masons of the ‘higher degrees’ who have a plan of world domination and worship the devil. This is the theme of Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which is what Brother Zeldis exposes and explains in his paper I mentioned earlier, do yourself a favor and take a look at it. Chick Publications, on the other hand, repeats the hoax of Leo Taxil, and this is explained in great detail in the book ‘Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry,’ this is a book every Mason ought to have and read. The charges and falsehoods of the anti-Mason are ridiculous, but that’s what they believe. They say the individual Mason is o.k. it’s the organization that’s bad, and that we’ve been brainwashed so much we just don’t know how bad it is or we’d leave it, and it’s part of their calling in life to tell us everything we’re not able to figure out or understand for ourselves.

Another good place to begin learning about anti-Masonry is on the web site for the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Yukon at: http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/index.html There are many helpful articles on this site, one of which is called ‘Responding to Critics,’ which is very helpful.

If you plan to talk to any anti-Mason be prepared. If you’re not as prepared as you would like to be, a good thing to do is to ask questions. When they say something like we’re a cult, or we worship the devil – remain calm, and ask them “can you tell me why you think that?” or “Why do you feel that way?” then write down their answer in your little notebook, (I always have one in my shirt or jacket pocket, so I think everyone does,) and then check it out with research on your own or ask a Brother for help, and get back to our critic if he’s amenable to listening. Anti-Masons, I’m convinced, like to ambush Masons, their wives, children and friends; I think there are too many family members who might believe some of this trash they hear from anti-Masons if the Mason in their lives either doesn’t know himself what is and isn’t true or he is so secretive he won’t talk to them even when they are interested. So when it comes to knowing about the charges of an anti-Mason and providing good honest information to refute them it is important, especially, so that we can educate our family and friends when they have a question.

Remember Freemasonry can stand up to scrutiny; it’s the false charges of the anti-Masons that fold like a house of cards when you do the research. And believe it or not ‘Research is Fun’ because you learn something in the process.

“He wreathed the rod of criticism with roses.” Issac D’israeli 1766-1848

From the Great light of Masonry = “Do not speak against another, brethren. He who speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor.” James 4: 11-12

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail 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 ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

The Masonic Monday Question of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota is posted each week now at http://www.lodgebuilder.org When you get there click on Forums and then click on Lodge Education Forum [near the bottom of the page] and take a look at the question posted there by Brother Glenn Kiecker. These questions are fun to answer.

To read this issue of Masonic Matters in PDF click here: http://www.halpaus.net/MM407.pdf

With “Brotherly Love,”
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer

Political Freedom, Religious Tolerance, Personal Integrity; Freemasonry – it’s not for everyone.

Anti-Masonry November 10, 2006

Masonic Matters
November 10, 2006

“Even the Lion has to defend himself against flies.” German Proverb

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.

“Unsubstantiated, universal gossip – as long as it is stimulating and titillating – always has an elemental appeal to the uncritical.” Mervin B. Hogan

We seem to be living in an age of unsubstantiated charges. Good examples of unsubstantiated charges are running wild in election campaigns, and they also run unbridled when it comes to the unsubstantiated charges made by the anti-Masons. It seems odd to me that we don’t have another name for these people. For the most part the movers and shakers of the anti-Masonic movement around the world are the enemies of Freemasonry, yet we use the name Masons in their name; anti-Masons. I wonder if this gives them some sort of pleasure or prestige to have claim to another version of the name, Mason.

The Internet is a great tool that is used by many Masons, including yours truly, to communicate with other Masons about things Masonic in a number of ways; private E-mails, postings to list servers and bulletin boards, as well as e-mail lists, which I personally have made extensive use of. It hasn’t been a secret about how great this Internet and E-mail is to get information out to those you would like to receive it, and now our enemies, the anti-Masons, are using it to send their messages of mis-information directly to Masons.

In one instance of this in particular, an anti-Mason gleaned many E-mail addressees of Freemasons from what appears to be a Grand Lodge Web Site. Having E-mail addresses published on a Grand Lodge Web Site is a desirable thing, and it does make it easy to be contacted by E-mail – even the e-mails we’d rather not get. However, developing a list of E-mail addresses for Masons who are active within a Grand Lodge does not seem to be a good audience for the diatribe circulated by the Anti-Masons. Even so I’m glad they send them because it’s good to know where they’re coming from and what their strategy is. Recently an E-mail was sent out by an anti-Mason to many Masons in one jurisdiction, and that is my reason for this article.

Many times the attack of an anti-Mason will begin in a very friendly manner, asking for information before telling the Mason about all the perceived evils of Masonry from the anti-Masons point of view. I once read, somewhere, some instructions to Christians in witnessing about the evils of Freemasonry; that they should not knock or attack an individual Mason, because that would be counter productive to the mission, but instead to attack the institution – the fraternity – as a whole. The philosophy is that most Masons don’t know as much about Freemasonry as the witnessing Christian. They think the Mason doesn’t know about the evils of being a Freemason, because those that run the fraternity don’t tell the average Mason what they are involved with. They think the average Mason has been duped by his Masonic Brothers.

Knowing this, I believe it is important to convey as much information to Masons, their families and friends, as we can about what Freemasonry is and isn’t, so that they will know a bunch of malarkey spread by anti-Masons when they hear it. I mention families, because it is my opinion that the wives and adult children of many Masons are extremely ignorant about things Masonic, and when they hear that there is so much to it that is evil and that their dad or husband has been kept in the dark by the world wide leaders of the Masonic conspiracy they might think what they’re hearing could be correct. And so they, with and for all the right reasons, will go to work on dad to leave the fraternity. And if dad is not active in his Lodge any longer, and for the most part pays his dues and has little to no contact with his Lodge Brothers, even though he doubts the veracity of what his family is saying, he might, and I stress might, demit from the Lodge to keep peace in the family. This action on his part really doesn’t change his life much, but it does get the family off his back about him being a Mason. He may not tell them what he knows about being prepared to be a Mason in his heart, and once made a Mason he will always be a Mason, and that his Lodge Brothers will not treat him any differently if he demits from his Lodge.

O.K. having said all of that, when an anti-Mason recently sent out his E-mail to Grand Lodge types he picked on the wrong crowd to tell about his perceived evils of the Craft. E-mail’s such as the one I am going to tell you about, (when you click on the link below,) show that anti-Masonry is alive and well in the world, and it is something we as individual Masons and as a fraternity need to be aware of, and pay attention to. The goal of the anti-Masons is to see the Freemasonry die, to cease to exist; it is not a game to them, they are very serious.

It is my opinion that if we continue to just smile and turn away, thinking ‘this too shall pass,’ we will be making a serious error; all we need to do is to look at the history in Europe over the past decades to know how serious and deadly the enemies of Freemasonry can be when the Freemasons are perceived as being in the way and hindering what they have in mind.

We dare not underestimate the anti-Masonic movement. The real pushes behind it are well versed in Masonry, albeit that they apply their own interpretation on our rituals and symbols, and there are times when they come off as knowing more about Freemasonry than the average Mason does. Where they make the most head-way is through the spouses, adult children, and good friends of our brethren; if the wife is against something the husband doesn’t continue with it for very long, if the adult kids start beating on dad about how bad the Masons are he many times, to keep peace in the family, will drop out; and if a Mason thinks he might lose a friend because of Freemasonry, if he’s not all that active, who knows what might end, the friendship or paying dues to something he’s not that active in. So the anti-Masonry of today is something serious, and we can’t afford to ignore it.

Many devout well know Christian Church Leaders have been and are Masons, and they saw no problem with being a Christian and a Mason.

Freemasons advocate tolerance, but there are some people involved in the fundamentalist sects of Christianity, as well as other religions, that are not tolerant of others, and because of that they have no time for people of other religions or of the Freemasons. These are the kind of people we are dealing with in the enemies of Freemasonry.

In a way we should be glad, I suppose, for anti-Masons; they keep us on our toes. They also prove that there is great interest in Masonry; otherwise they wouldn’t have an audience. We need to gear more of our information to the general public with good honest information to those who want information on Freemasonry, and to offset all the malarkey being spread by our enemies. We need Freemasons who are willing to do research on the charges of the anti-Masons so that they can write articles telling the truth about the charges; speak in Lodges about what the anti-Masons are saying and why it is not true, and to provide good information on Lodge and Grand Lodge Web Sites for Masons and non-Masons alike to learn what Masonry is all about from Freemasons.

I have written answers to the charges leveled by an anti-mason’s E-mail, and if you would like to read it just click on this link: http://www.halpaus.net/Anti1106.pdf

I am not attaching or including it in this issue of Masonic Matters because of its length. If you decide to read it I suggest that you might want to print it out and read it in sections as you have the time.

“Men will wrangle for religion; write for it; die for it; anything but – live it.” Colton

From the Great light of Masonry = “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13 NIV

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail 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 ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Thanks to Brother Kevin Kautzman, my friend and Brother, who designed and set up my web site. The website and the e-mail connected to it are up and working again. All the gremlins have been shooed away. Thank goodness for helpful Brethren who help the rest of us with computer problems. Here is a shameless plug for Brother Kevin: kevin@kevinkautzman.com http://www.kevinkautzman.com/ If you would like help with a web site he can help you.

For fun, relaxation and edification visit these web sites: http://www.lodgebuilder.org/ http://www.mn-masons.org/gleo http://www.halpaus.net/ www.mn-masons.org/gleo

If you would like to read this issue of Masonic Matters in pdf click on this link: http://www.halpaus.net/MM1106.pdf

With “Brotherly Love,”
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer

Political Freedom, Religious Tolerance, Personal Integrity; Freemasonry – it’s not for everyone.

Albert Pike's Morals & Dogma

Masonic Matters
November 13, 2003

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10 King James AV

This publication is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Minnesota.

I bring you greetings from Most Worshipful Brother, Neil E. Neddermeyer, Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Minnesota, and all of the Grand Lodge officers elected and appointed of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.

“When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know it, to admit that you do not – this is true knowledge.” Confucius

Every once in a while an enemy of Masonry will offer up some quotes from Morals and Dogma attesting to the fact that Brother Albert Pike says Freemasonry is a religion, or that freemasons are instructed by him to worship some devil. All of these allegations have been proven false in more than one book in response to our enemy’s accusations; one of the best and easiest to obtain is the book “Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry” by Brothers Art DeHoyos and S. Brent Morris. If you have not read this book I would recommend that you do read it. It’s an excellent book to read and it’s an excellent reference book to keep on hand to refresh your memory so that you can be ready to speak the truth when someone is repeating what our enemies spread about our fraternity and us.

There are some fine things in the book Morals and Dogma, and you won’t hear our enemies tell you about them, but you need to be aware of what they are. One of the things our enemies won’t publicize is that Albert Pike does not and did not speak for all of Masonry, in fact in Morals and Dogma the writings are about half his, and half from other sources. He did, however, speak for himself and much of what he wrote is good and true, such as this from Morals & Dogma.

“Be faithful to your family, and perform all the duties of a good father, a good son, a good husband, and a good brother.
Be faithful to your friends; for true friendship is of a nature not only to survive through all the vicissitudes of life, but to continue through an endless duration; not only to stand the shock of conflicting opinions, and the roar of a revolution that shakes the world, but to last when the heavens are no more, and to spring fresh from the ruins of the universe.
Be faithful to your country, and prefer its dignity and honor to any degree of popularity and honor for yourself: Consulting its interest rather than your own, and rather than the pleasure and ratification of the people, which are often at variance with their welfare.
Be faithful to Masonry, which is to be faithful to the best interest of mankind. Labor, by precept and example, to elevate the standard of Masonic character, to enlarge its sphere of influence, to popularize its teachings, and to make all men know it for the Great Apostle of Peace, and Good-will on earth among men; of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” M&D pg 112m & pg 113u

“In things essential, unity; in things non-essential, diversity; in all things. Charity.” Unknown

In some Masonic Rites a Masonic Age is attributed to the degrees, and the Mason who receives the degree is said to be that particular age. For instance in the Blue Lodge the age of an Entered Apprentice is said to be 3 years, for the Fellow Craft 5 years, and 7 years for the Master Mason.

The founders of our craft selected these numbers most likely for a reason, and Three is said to be the symbol of Peace and Concord, and has been called the number of Perfect Harmony. It was attached to the first degree because it is the initiation into Masonry whose principles are Harmony and Brotherly Love.

Five, attached to the Fellow Craft, is the symbol of an active life, and is said to unite the numbers 2, (which represents the female principle,) and 3, (which is the male principle.) It [the number 5] refers to the active duties of a man as a citizen of the world.[i]

Seven, (which is considered the perfect number,) is symbolic of the perfection, which is supposed to be attained after one becomes a Master Mason.

There are other numbers and ages that are assigned to the degrees that are in addition to the three degrees of the blue Lodge, but what I find interesting is 3 for the EA, 5 for the FC, & 7 for the MM degree. There is a little more to the symbolism of 3,5,&7.

“One who understands much displays a greater simplicity of character than one who understands little.” Alexander Chase

The Grand Lodge Web Site at http://www.mn-mason.org was hacked about a month or so ago, and our Web Master got on it and had it up and running in fairly short order. When this happened I really wasn’t too concerned, because we had a Brother as Web Master who is very good with computers and the like, and I knew he’d get it fixed.

I should mention that as the Grand Lodge Education Officer, our Brother Jordy, (the Web Master,) made me the administrator for the LEO Resources page of our Web Site, and everything I’m able to do in the way of posting to the site is thanks to Brother Jordy’s patience, help, and instructions.

Well if we should get hacked again I won’t be so complacent. I received an e-mail from a Brother who gave me permission to post a paper of his on the site, saying he couldn’t view his paper and a few others too. I checked and found out that when we were hacked most of what I had posted was wiped out. I put all the information back on the LEO Resources page, but it took me about 5 hours to do. If there is a next time I plan to be better organized and quicker to fix any problems with the papers etc. on the LEO Resources page.

All this is my way of putting in a plug for our Web Site, which in the opinion of many Masons is a very Good Web Site, and to let you know that if you’re inclined to want to read and see some fine Masonic Information in the way of Education that the LEO Resources page on our Web Site is worth the time to view. LEO stands for Lodge Education Officer, and this page is designed to be a place to go to for some good papers and the like to use for Masonic Education Programs, and to see some interesting links to some additional Masonic information.

“Education makes a people easy to lead but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.” Lord Henry Peter Brougham

When you have the occasion to go to a cemetery to place flowers on the grave of a Loved one, do you ever take time to walk around a little and look at some of the markers in the cemetery? Well we live in a small town and we’re in the cemetery to take care of the graves of family members every once in a while, so I get the opportunity to visit the graves of many people I’ve known and grown to love in our little area. To me it’s always interesting to ‘discover’ a gravestone with the Square and Compass or some other Masonic insignia on it.

On the Internet I found a photo of the gravestone for John Peter Wagner and his wife. There was a Square and Compass on Brother John’s side of the stone, and the emblem of the Order of the Eastern Star for his wife. Brother John died December 6, 1955 in Carnegie Pennsylvania, and he was born in Carnegie, then Mansfield, Pennsylvania February 24, 1874. By the way Brother John was a professional Baseball Player, and he is better known by his nickname – “Honus.”

I first found that the famous Honus Wagner was a Mason when I took a look in 10,000 Famous Freemasons at the Scottish Rite Library in Minneapolis quite a few months ago. Our Brother John “Honus” Wagner received his degrees on March 17, 1919; April 21, 1919; and May 19, 1919. He was a life member of Centennial Lodge #544 Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

Brother Wagner is an original member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and was one of the first five players inducted into the Hall, being elected in 1936. The first five were; Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner, they were inducted on June 12, 1939 along with 21 others who had been elected from 1937 to 1939. Of the five only Christy Mathewson was not present, as he had died on October 7, 1925

Honus Wagner began his Baseball career at age 21 in 1895 for the Steubenville, Ohio team, he was known as ‘Hans,’ and the ‘Flying Dutchman,’ but the nickname Honus was the one he is best known by, and his Baseball card is the one Baseball card that is worth more money today than any of the rest. Brother Wagner played in the big league for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he played from 1897 to 1917. He batted over .300 for 17 years in a row; led the league in stolen bases, and runs batted in, five times; won eight batting titles; he led the Pirates to pennants for four years; played in the world series twice, and helped his team win two pennants in 1903 & 1909; and he was with the Pirates organization as a coach until 1933 – 38 years in Baseball. He was the first Baseball Player to have his name branded into the Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat. Our Brother John ‘Honus’ Wagner was and is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players that ever lived. John McGraw is quoted as saying about Honus Wagner that “he was the nearest thing to a perfect player no matter where his manager chose to play him.” And our Brother Ty Cobb said; “That (expletive deleted) Dutchman is the only man in the game I can’t scare.” An interesting note about our two Brothers, Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb is that in the 1909 World Series Ty Cobb took off running from first and slid in on Honus Wagner who tagged Cobb out and somehow simultaneously knocked one of Cobb’s teeth loose.[ii]

With his professional Baseball career, and his life after the big leagues, and his activities with what was then called semi-pro ball, Brother Wagner was involved in baseball for over 50 years. That is quite an impressive record, and many of his other records stood for decades, and some may still stand, he was that good a player.

But on his grave marker the only clue that he was a baseball player is this: While the marker says “Wagner” his nameplate says “John (Honus).” There is no mention on the marker about his years as a famous Baseball player and manager, no mention of his batting titles, or the World Series, but there is a mention of the Masons - by the display of the Square and Compass.

If you do have the opportunity to walk through a cemetery I would suggest you take a look at some of the markers on your walk. People put on Grave Markers the things that will tell you about the person, the things that are important to know, the things that defined them or that they loved the most. Today many times on a large Grave Stone you will see the family name, the individual names of those buried there, and in the case of a husband and wife you many times will see their marriage date, and who they are the parents of. On a small marker like Brother Wagner’s you see what was really important to him: his name; his wife; and Masonry.

I will submit that as men our careers are important to us, but that is not who we are. What we are, is a lot more than our career, and what we are, is much more important than what we did for a living.

By the way do you know the reason why the Baseball Card of Honus Wagner is so valuable? Sure there are not many of them, but do you know why there aren’t many of them? Our Brother did not want children to buy tobacco products to obtain his card, so he legally forced the tobacco companies to take his card off the market. However, a few cards did get into circulation, and now you know why the Honus Wagner Baseball Card is the most valuable card of all time.

“He [Honus Wagner] was a gentle, kind man, a storyteller, supportive of rookies, patient with the fans, cheerful in hard times, careful of the example he set for youth, a hard worker, a man who had no enemies, and who never forgot his friends. He was the most beloved man in baseball before Ruth.” Bill James

November 27th is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. so to everyone in the United States, “Happy Thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving will be a very special day here at our household, in addition to having our Children and their families here along with other relatives and loved ones, Thanksgiving day is also my Mother-in-Law’s [Viola] 90th Birthday, so we’re going to have a great time with some great people over a great dinner, and Cake & Ice Cream too. Sharon and I hope you have a fine day as well.

The Mayflower Compact

“In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politick, for the better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the ends afore said; and by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620”

This compact established the first basis in the new world for written laws.

“W, Wagner,
The bowlegged beauty;
Short was closed to all traffic
With Honus on duty.”
Ogden Nash

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With “Brotherly Love,”
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Grand Lodge A.F.& A.M. of Minnesota

Political Freedom, Religious Tolerance, Personal Integrity; Freemasonry – it’s not for everyone.
[i] Mackey’s Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry
[ii] Baseball Almanac