Freemasonry

Enough time has passed that I feel comfortable expressing my thoughts about my almost seven year experience with freemasonry in New Jersey.Top of Form

The principle tenants of freemasonry as espoused are fraternity, charity and truth. It is supposed to have as an overriding goal the praiseworthy objective of “making good men better.”

            While this all sounds good, the experience, as it has been given to me by this organization in New Jersey on all levels from the grand lodge to 23rd district to local lodge, M. B. Taylor No. 141, has been so far from these lofty ideals as to cause me to terminate my connection with it.

             As one might guess, any criticism of the organization subjects one to being ostracized. I have chosen to remove myself from this organization and thus deprive them of any further vain power trip like expelling me.

             With few exceptions, I have found that the concept of fraternity is distorted into inflexible blind loyalty to whoever is the most social, no matter how despicable he is in actions, expressions or thoughts. A rampant undercurrent of racism is tolerated and accepted under the guise of this fraternity. So are dishonesty, hatefulness and hypocrisy. The organization is loyalty to “the good old boy”, virtually without regard for his morality.

              It opens its doors to almost any man who can give the simple answer that he believes in God and can pay the dues and initiation fee. It glorifies this man if he supports the organization with time and money with little, if any, regard for his being a “good man” and even less concern for his becoming “better.”

             Far from being an elite organization of quality men, freemasonry in New Jersey has become little better than a street gang. Its real mantra should be: “my friend, right or wrong.”

             The charity component of this organization is merely a cover for its real purpose of continuing its existence and feeding the vanity of its leaders. Too often I have heard the cry, “charity begins at home” as a mask for self aggrandizement and lodge material development. The alleged charity of freemasonry as an organization (as opposed to the few genuinely good individuals) has become a recruiting tool rather than a virtue to alleviate the suffering of those less fortunate.

             The espoused search for truth and morality is by far the most neglected of the three tenants. Moral action and thinking are so overshadowed by rote memorization and they are in most cases, simply cast aside as irrelevant to the all powerful and distorted concept of fraternity.

             This tome would be incomplete if I did not recognize the fact that there are some good, sincere and true men within the organization. They are and always will be on the lower levels and will always be the “worker bees.” They will be used by the unscrupulous, patted on the head and duly ignored except for what they can contribute to the advancement of the egos of others. The structure and performance of freemasonry in New Jersey is, with few exceptions, such that the manure rises to the top.