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tubulcain420
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 Posted May 3rd, 2006 09:25 AM IP   
The Future: Advancing Masonic Morality in both Natural Philosophy and
Geometry, by Bro. Jeff Peace
Throughout the past three centuries people have continued to inquire
about the meaning of Free-Masonry. Many books have been written on the
subject, some to purposefully further obscure its true meaning and
others to create meaning where there wasn't any at all. This confusion
is due to the fact that in the beginning Free-Masonry was a secret
society that concealed what were, at the time, considered dangerous
concepts and ideas. Adding to this confusion were the many schisms and
internal conflicts that divided the organization and created a maze of
competing ideas and philosophies. Today's Free-Masonry is a quagmire of
conflicting information that presents a confusing series of ideas to
its members, who try desperately to form some type of a rational
synthesis of seemingly absurd teachings.
One only need look at the plethora of competing Masonic organizations
today to see just how mired the organization has become in the myriad
of unrelated philosophical ideas it has acquired over the centuries.
Free-Masonry of the 21st century is an organization that has lost its
way. The only thing today's Masons can agree to is philanthropy. The
concept of a Masonic brotherhood has been torn to pieces by competing
factions and ugly internal politics. None of this should come as a
surprise. Any organization that has lost its central philosophy - its
reason for being - will quickly begin to flounder on the rocks of the
high seas of modernity.
The newly established United Grand Lodge of America is a lighthouse of
the original Masonic philosophy of the early eighteenth century. These
brethren have penetrated the dark fog that has engulfed Free-Masonry
and have returned it to the solid foundation of its true roots in the
Enlightenment. They are now in the position to advance the Royal Art to
levels never before imagined by Masons of any generation. The
brotherhood of man under the All-Seeing of Deity was but a dream to the
Free-Masons of 1717; it now has the potential to be realized for the
first time.
The days of the social Free-Masonry which took root in the 1950's are
numbered. The next generation will inherit nothing from their fathers
and grandfathers but empty and decaying buildings. The pseudo-Masonic
rituals left to them will be discarded, and then replaced with the true
knowledge of Masonic Light. New temples will be erected whose doors
will be open to all, regardless of race or religion, and the knowledge
that brings peace and harmony will fill every corner with love and
Light.
In the beginning Free-Masonry's aims and objectives needed to remain a
closely guarded secret revealed only to the few, but those times are
now past. What we once held close to our hearts shall now be given
freely to all mankind. This knowledge is the rightful inheritance of
humanity as a whole; we have been merely its silent keepers over the
centuries. The time has come to restore this great gift to its rightful
owners.
Free-Masonry's "Geometry" has reached into every corner of the cosmos
revealing the true nature of the Great Architect in all of His
infiniteness and wholeness. Our "Natural Philosophy" has expanded
mankind's understanding of itself and the world in which we live. It
is, however, our "Peculiar System of Morality" that has failed both
Masonry and humanity. This is not due to fallacies in the original
system as given to us by the patriarchs of our progressive science, but
in our failure to maintain and adapt the system to mankind's
ever-growing knowledge of himself and the Universe. The first priority
of the next generation of Free-Masons and the United Grand Lodge of
America must be the advancement of Masonic Morality in both "Natural
Philosophy" and "Geometry." Mankind now stands uneasily at the edge of
a precipice and must be given the working tools needed to avoid a
catastrophe that could send it spiraling back into the darkness of
superstition and fear. No longer can Free-Masons sit silently in their
stately halls speculating on the future. The future is here today and
our gentle Craft must rise to meet the challenges of generations yet
unborn.
Today is the day we must rise up from our slumbers and once again make
a difference in the world. The old rules that regulated our conduct
must be abandoned and replaced with new ones that better reflect the
environment in which Free-Masonry now exists. Masons who live in the
past will die with it, but for those who see the necessity for progress
and change there is a future filled with hope and service to both the
Great Architect and mankind.
Let me finish with a warning to the purveyors of darkness, superstition
and tyranny: While your numbers have grown during our fitful slumbers
we have not forgotten your treachery or the flames of your pyres. The
All-Seeing Eye is ever watching over its children.
- Bro. Jeff Peace, Rite of the Rose Cross of Gold
http://www.uglofa.org/
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skiendhu
Super Moderator
Posts: 2627
Registered: Dec 2004 |
Posted May 3rd, 2006 10:06 AM IP
What a great paper that is, One cančt help but agree with all it contains and hope that it will come to pass.
S&F
Practical experience is the best teacher
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Admin
Administrator
Posts: 1227
Registered: Dec 2004 |
Posted May 3rd, 2006 10:21 AM IP
I thought this would be a better place to post
original papers.................
How true...........
Rick 
Kenilworth #29 Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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Jeb_Carroll
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Posted May 3rd, 2006 11:36 AM IP
Great Paper and very well written.
What are your ideas of how we can regain our roots and just what roots should we regain?
If you don't mind me asking.
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skiendhu
Super Moderator
Posts: 2627
Registered: Dec 2004 |
Posted May 25th, 2006 08:12 PM IP
Quote:
Jeb_Carroll wrote:
Great Paper and very well written.
What are your ideas of how we can regain our roots and just what roots should we regain?
If you don't mind me asking.
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The evolution of Masonry has taken the craft in so many different directions that I feel that our roots, although they are still there, are virtually irretrevable, in a practical sense.
We are bound to move with the times while retaining the importance and aims of Freemasonry. Forward and upward is the route for the craft.
Jamais Arriere.
S&F
Practical experience is the best teacher
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Bindura
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Posted May 26th, 2006 03:08 AM IP
Am I the only one that detected, not a little, fanaticism in this paper?
Why would the poster use that particular name in this part of the forum? And the signature, an old Roman quote "Veritas odium parit, “Truth begets hatred”... hmmmmmm
Also, although I obviously can't speak for anywhere else in N. America, in my District/Province we are reasonably happy with GL and particularly proud of some of it's officers and the work they do.
Anyway, it could just be me... it's way past my bedtime so I will check out the site more thoroughly tomorrow, meanwhile, I would appreciate some more views from members re the points above and the post.
Cheers,
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russellholland
Master Mason
Posts: 996
Registered: Feb 2005 |
Posted May 26th, 2006 11:58 PM IP
>Am I the only one that detected, not a little, fanaticism in this paper?
Bindura
Perhaps fanaticism is needed to break through the current rigidities.
My GL has ceased publishing membership figures in order to avoid depressing the brethren.
An interesting strategy
Cheers
Russell
Russell Holland
Caboolture 266
UGLQ
Australia
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Dave Mavity
Super Moderator
Posts: 2371
Registered: Feb 2005 |
Posted May 27th, 2006 02:02 AM IP
Quote:
Bindura wrote:
Am I the only one that detected, not a little, fanaticism in this paper?
Cheers,
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Uh, no.
Dave Mavity
Academia Lodge #847 F&AM, Oakland, CA: Traditional Observance, baby.
Golden City Lodge #1 AF&AM, Golden, CO
Oakland, CA Valley A&ASR
Intra Nobis Regnum Iehova
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sentientholon
Unregistered
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Posted September 27th, 2006 10:30 AM IP
Fanatical? OK, sure, it's deliberately colorful to make a point. But I've just been perusing http://www.modernfreemasons.org/ for the past half-hour, and dammit if this isn't the Freemasonry I've been searching for! To speak candidly, the single reason for my foot-dragging has been this gut feeling that the true meaning and glory of the Craft has been covered over by so many conventional attitudes and practices. This movement feels like a breath of fresh air to me.
Can anyone tell me why this might not be the right direction for me to go in?
Very sincerely... Fred
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russellholland
Master Mason
Posts: 996
Registered: Feb 2005 |
Posted September 28th, 2006 06:16 AM IP
Fred
I recall when I first was interested in joining a lodge, I drove to the building to inspect its energy feeling. I noticed a wobbly pale blue energy line coming in the roof from Sirius (the blazing star).
Thus you might say that I tried the lodge with a plumbline before applying to be initiated
So I joined that lodge and over the next few years the blue line became straighter and stronger - but it did not last and neither did the lodge
Cheers
Russell
Russell Holland
Caboolture 266
UGLQ
Australia
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sentientholon
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Posted September 28th, 2006 08:55 AM IP
It's interesting... I spent most of yesterday processing this "modern" Masonry thing in my mind, and reading more blogs and online resources about it -- both for and against. It occurred to me late last night that the emergence of this movement parallels almost exactly the emergence of Protestantism in the 16th century. Both movements are "modern" in the sense that they're not interested in institutional authority per se (whether it be apostolic succession within the Roman Catholic Church or regularity with the UGLE) so much as adherence to the original principles on which their respective institutions were founded. Both movements began from the inside -- attempting to reform the institutions that they loved, and to remove the political and bureaucratic baggage standing in the way of those original principles.
Of course both sides have important points. Going off on one's own has lots of pitfalls. You lose some important checks and balances, and fraternal contact with the larger world of your organization. For example, one only needs to look at the hundreds of thousands of Protestant splinter denominations to see that most of these have not achieved anything like a return to Christianity's original principles, on any definition of what those might have been. And yet, under the circumstances, the Reformation was inevitable. Perhaps a reformation of its kind is inevitable in American Masonry as well?
Just some thoughts, so that my lost sleep wasn't a total waste...
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Freemason Discussion Group :: Freemasonry :: Research Papers :: The Future: Advancing Masonic Morality in both Natural Philosophy and Geometry, by Bro. Jeff Peace |
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