Re: A Bill for Masonic Rights and Duties

On 2010-02-16 04:14:34 -0700, Torence said:

Freemasonry stands for Rights, Rights that are often mirrored in
governmental contracts, Rights that are manifested further in Biblical
Text, and Rights that are inalienable and enviable whenever a society
meets and agrees upon them. But fundamental to the Masonic
understanding of the Rights of the individual, is also the Precept
that certain Duties that must be practiced in order for the desired
effects to result from stating our Rights such as permitting Strong
Men to remain Free as Distinct Entities though we may be engaged in
the most intimate of relationships.
Therefore, should our jurisdictions, then, ever adopt a Masonic Bill
of Rights each Right must be accompanied by a corresponding Masonic
Duty; and, it should be requisite that Masons understand the need for
us to state plainly, from time to time, our Rights and our Duties that
the real Power of our Organizational Planning remain directed to a
mutually agreeable and beneficial end.
So what are our Masonic Rights and our Masonic Duties? Scholarly
men, such as Albert Pike and other Masons, have attempted to collate
them into a workable form. Often they are merely reactionary changes
to temporal disturbances important for their time; but not necessarily
critical to future generations.
For example, one of these commonly accepted Rights is the Right for
a Lodge of Masons to perform the Three Principal Degrees in Masonry.
To a twenty-first century Mason, it may appear incongruous that there
would be a need to state that Fact as a Right. But during the
Nineteenth Century a distinct line needed to be drawn for Albert
Pike?s generation between Lodges and the Appending Rites. We should
state them plainly again because a recent generation of Grand Line
Officers, steeped in the fabled lore of these institutions, have
permitted that division to again be made unstable.
So a fundamental Masonic Right would be to affirm with brevity that
it is the Right of the Symbolic Blue Lodge to perform the Three
Principle Degrees in Masonry. The corresponding Duty, then of course,
would be that a Symbolic Blue Lodge must be capable of performing all
Three Degrees. The desired result is that all Chartered Lodges must
make the effort to form three degree teams of their own members and be
capable of getting this particular job done. Tough, yes, but this
Right and this Duty ?constitutes? so much of exactly who we are and
precisely what it is that we do.
So, what are the other Masonic Rights and the other Masonic Duties
that such a Bill would incorporate? The machine works to execute them
are largely already in place in the Rightful Grand Lodge set-up to
enforce them. I have my list; but I am more interested in discovering
yours.

I guess it would be quite impertinent to ask about our collective Masonic "responsibilities" - but then, responsibility, is not a 21st Century thing, is it ?

--
BES (in Calgary)
Fix the biosphere - eliminate people

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: A Bill for Masonic Rights and Duties
    ... Rights that are manifested further in Biblical ... men, such as Albert Pike and other Masons, have attempted to collate ... a Lodge of Masons to perform the Three Principal Degrees in Masonry. ... what are the other Masonic Rights and the other Masonic Duties ...
    (soc.org.freemasonry)
  • A Bill for Masonic Rights and Duties
    ... Freemasonry stands for Rights, Rights that are often mirrored in ... men, such as Albert Pike and other Masons, have attempted to collate ... a Lodge of Masons to perform the Three Principal Degrees in Masonry. ... what are the other Masonic Rights and the other Masonic Duties ...
    (soc.org.freemasonry)
  • Re: Business on Any Degree
    ... When an EA knocks upon the door of the Lodge, ... what rights do EAs obtain in your jurisdiction? ... Also, in Illinois, an EA has the right to receive all three degrees ...
    (soc.org.freemasonry)