Ten Reasons *NOT* to become a Freemason


"Why I became (and proudly remain) an 'antient' Freemason"

Well, I see no reason I cannot make a Freemason themed post. Last evening I attended a third degree at Naphtali lodge. It was my candidate being raised, my friend William Bean. It was an incredible night, especially since we had 28 Master Masons present for the event which was held at the incredible Masonic Temple in midtown Saint Louis. My friends Right Worshipful Brother Chris Neubold, Russ Tinker, Densel Webb, and Fred Statler drove down all of the way from Wentzville and Troy; over an hour drive each way. I acted as the Senior Steward and Junior Deacon for the ceremony.

This was the largest gathering of Masons we have had in as long as anyone could remember for a degree. It is so very gratifying to see Naphtali growing and area members supporting the lodge. After the degree Jesse's wife Meryl provided a lovely dinner in the dining room where we shared fellowship and conversation.

All of this had me thinking. On the blogs of some of my internet brethren I have been reading some very harsh comments about the version of Freemasonry I am involved in. They refer to it as an old boys club, rife with political infighting, backstabbing, and an empty shell of what they believe Freemasony is ‘supposed to be’. I am always befuddled when I read this sort of thing and, to be quite honest, a part of me feels compelled to defend my institution.

I grant that blue lodges in other states and in other jurisdictions may be full of all of the negative things I have read. However, you simply must believe me that here in the State of Missouri we offer a very positive experience for our active members.

Now, this got me thinking about something else. Lately in many of my conversations with friends, when the topic of Freemasonry comes up (which it often does), I sound (at times) like a recruiter. This raises some difficult questions.

Why would I want to 'recruit' people into the institution? Well, it's rather simple. I belong to this club I really like. The club is struggling because older members are dying at a faster rate than new members are joining. If we cannot stem this flow then, in a not very distant time, my club will close down and that would be, as they kids say, 'lame'. So, it appears that I want new members simply to perpetuate the existance of the club itself. It's really not any more complicated than that. Like keeping the Olympic flame lit, we have to keep the ritual alive as well, if for no other reason, than as a tribute to the men who founded this country on such admirable principles.

Over the weekend I was on the boat with my friends the Solomons. The Solomons are all very devout Catholics. They send their children to Catholic schools, attend Mass regularily, and follow all of the customs. One of their sons, Joey, attended Saint Louis University where he received a degree in theology, was going to become a priest, and is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus. However, after graduation, Joey decided not to follow through with the priesthood and just a few weeks ago got married to his lovely wife Maggie. I attend charity fund raisers at their church whenever I can, and support my friends and their devotion to their faith.

As you might guess, it is hardly surprising that when we socialize we often talk about religion and philosophy. In fact, before we lost Steven Solomon last summer, he would constantly ask me about Freemasonry and was seriously considering joining the institution. I knew him to be a young man of excellent character and, no matter how many tattoos or piercings he may have had, I would have signed his petition without hesitation.

When Joey started talking about the DaVinci code on the boat we both agreed that not only is is ‘just a movie’ but also that even then it doesn’t actually say anything ‘bad’ about Jesus Christ. It does not question his divinity or ressurection. It merely says he got married and had a kid. This, in and of itself, is no great scandal since he was known to be a man at the time. We know very little about Christ’s life. Even from the gospels themselves only a very short period is documented in his life and the rest is completely open to speculation. This conversation eventually veered towards the topic of Freemasonry where I explained that ‘at the higher levels of Freemasonry’ it simply suggests that there is only one living and true God, the creator of the Universe, and that all organized religions are created by men and for men. Whether you might be a Hindu, Moslem, Christian, or in any other way identify with any paritcular religious dogma, you are doing litte more than putting your human prejudices on God and these predjucides do not affect the creator itself in any way. Freemasonry teaches us that the best way to understand God is through science, logic, reason, nature, rhetoric, and rational thought.

After waxing poetic on this topic one other young man on the boat, Evan, suddenly got very excited. “That’s exactly what I believe!” he exclaimed. “What do you have to do join?” he asked.

I tried to slow him down and suggested that perhaps he just come to a DeMolay meeting next week and, from there, decide if this is the sort of thing he would be interested in.

It is becoming clear that Freemasonry faces a major opportunity now as well as over the next few years. Once Dan Brown’s next novel, “The Solomon Key” comes out and as his other books are turned into movies, the average American is going to be saturated with documentaries and articles about the fraternity. What are we going to do with this? How can we let people know this is an institution they can actually join? And, most imporantly, how can we explain *why* they should join?

While I was driving to work this morning the thought hit me. Instead of listing the reasons why you should join, why not list the reasons why not? Why not indeed?

The Top Ten Reasons *NOT* to become a Freemason.

(1) You have too many friends. Let’s face it, you have so many friends you can’t imagine trying to juggle any more. Half of the time these so called ‘friends’ are more trouble than they are worth; constantly inviting you to social events, inquiring about the health of your family and personal life, and offering their wisdom and guidance. Sometimes a man just needs to be alone.

(2) You like to lie, cheat, and steal. The reality of the situation is that you are good at what you do. You know how to tell people what they want to hear and have never found a situation where a lie, or half-truth, wouldn’t offer you some advantage. The thought of joining an institution that requires you to be ‘square’ and honest in all of your dealings with your fellow man is fundamentally contrary to your character.

(3) You are a nonconformist. You hate every fad, trend, or anything that anyone else is doing in the world. You are so much of a non-conformist that that your are literally a conformist to the non-conformist lifestyle. How could you be a ‘joiner’ of a club and follow their rules? Even if you consider that these are rules you completely agree with, you would still be ‘joining’ something and conforming to a particular code of ethics. This action would be so contrary to your personal identity that you could never join a group that limits its membership to men of good character and encourages them to live their lives by the highest standards of morality.

(4) You are a stingy bastard. The fact of the matter is that you worked hard for your money and see absolutely no reason to spend one penny of it to help anyone else. Senior Citizens, burn victims, children with birth defects, widows, orphans, youth, all deadbeats. Not only do they not deserve any support or help, there is nothing you would get out of either. In fact, even if all they want from you is some of your time, who has that any more either?

(5) You are a religious fundamentalist and believe the dogma of your faith is the only one true path to salvation. You believe that your only duty in this world is to convert other human beings to your faith, or damn them to hell if you fail. You have no room for 'so called' religious tolerance, and this idiotic ideal of ‘freedom of religion’ is a liberal commie plot by those pot-spoking hippies in the American Revolution.

(6) You are a material reductionist. You believe that there is no such thing as God. Not Spinoza’s God and not any one definition will suffice. You believe that anyone stupid enough to believe in a God is a damnable idiot. You believe that the Universe is a Netwonian tick-tock world of billiard ball atoms and molecules, that there was no big-bang, and that human consciousness is a random glitch in the random process of selfish-gene evolution. You believe that life itself is meaningless and serves no higher purpose beyond self-gratification.

(7) You hate the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. You think the American Revolution, and the Enlightment in general, was a scam. You believe the world ran better when men were uneducated, lived in fear of religious persecution, under Monarchies, dictatorships, and that free thought was a concept reserved for dreaming kittens, not the working class of a society. You do not believe all men are created equal, nor do they have the right to pursue happiness. You do not believe in justice, liberty, equality, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or any form of representative government. Since these are all of the core tenets of Freemasonry, established by Freemasons in the American Revolution, there can be no doubt that this institution would disagee with you most heartedly.

(8) You are too busy. Once again, let’s face it. You have too much TV to watch. You have a two hour commute every day. You have soccer practice, swim-team, World of Warcraft, XBOX, Playstation, and many other critical demands on your time. In fact, it is completely outside of your power to change your schedule and priorties to engage in social interaction with your community. You don’t know who the people are in your community and have no reason to become involved. It is literally impossible for you to ‘make time’, ‘shift priorities’, or re-evaluate for yourself just what really is important in life. You have a job to go to, you have a video game to play, and Netflix and Tivo to get caught up on. How in the world could you attend five, six, ten meetings a year? How could you go to a charity fund raiser or support a youth group? This is all simply crazy talk at this point.

(9) You hate tradition and history. Tradition is stupid. History is stupid. We are in the modern world now. There is nothing worth preserving. Not buildings and, certainly not, oral traditions. Does it matter that a tradition has been around in human civilization for hundreds (if not thousands) of years? Not one bit! Let it die! Remember when people used to try to only speak Latin in the Latin quarter in Paris? What fools! Remember when your Grandfather, Uncles, and other relatives were involved in Masonry? What a bunch of old doddering fools. Why would you want to sustain and support an anachronistic, outdated, and pointless ritualistic ceremony that has long since outlived its purpose? In today’s society there is no point in carying on a tradition such as this, or any other.

(10) You have no intention of ‘improving’ yourself. You are perfect just the way you are, in every way possible. There is nothing you could do to improve your social skills in public speaking, mentoring youth, charitable service, making conversation, or keeping your mind sharp. Your character is impeccable and there is nothing you could do to make it any better than it is today. Were you to join Freemasonry you would merely have to teach others the great skills you already posses, thus making the entire exercise pointless

Comments

Anonymous said…
John:
This is a very well-written and certainly thought-provoking discourse by yourself. Ideas and discussions about the essence and nature of Freemasonry should be a part of every Masonic communion, when brethren come together. I believe there was a time when Masonic events generated much philosophic discussion as to the essence and nature of Freemasonry. It makes me feel glad that young men such as yourself take the time to contemplate the direction in which their lives are going and, more especially, how Freemasonry can help them attain the life goals, in terms of being a good man, that they aspire to accomplish. Every Masonic Lodge in Missouri that I have visited has a Masonic library. Some are substantial, some are modest, but most are little used, which makes me sad because I believe there was a time when most of the fraternity chose to better their minds through the use of these books. Anyway, I am starting to ramble. Congratulations on a well-written article and God bless you! Bill McGuire
Unknown said…
Great post... I loved the 10 reason's brother! If you don't mind, I'll post on my blog and link back to yours.

Fraternally,
Arod
Neoacacia Lodge # 595
Columbus, OH
Tubal Cain said…
excellent piece brother.....
I had over 100 brothers in attendance for my inspection in the MM degree. What a feeling I will never forget. It was a fine night of fellowship.
Jimarichard said…
I find that since the Da Vinci Code book (and now movie) I've been getting some interest in Freemasonry from my colleagues and friends. They know I’m a Mason (and proud of it), and have been asking questions.
I’m still waiting for the magical “How do I join” questions from them.

Fraternally,
Jim Richard
John J. Pershing Lodge 166
Maastricht, The Netherlands
Anonymous said…
John,

I am currently petitioning my local lodge for membership, and came across your post. I must admit it was a welcome change from all the negative I have been reading about Masonry on the web. I will plan to visit back often for more of your writings on the subject.
Anonymous said…
Excellent post, Bro:. John! The 10 Reasons are just sheer brilliance.

S&F,

Cora Burke
Lodge Light of Amen-Ra No 717
Orient of Surbiton
International Order of Co-Freemasonry "Le Droit Humain"
Anonymous said…
(6) You are a material reductionist. You believe that there is no such thing as God.

That's exactly what I think !
but I am freemason's for mote than 16 years !
but infortunately there is also a lot of quite fundamentalist freemasons,
As you said we are not perfect...

Fred
Anonymous said…
The more I learn about masonry the more I want to become one. The idea that worshipers of Christ, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, & Mohammed come together and see that they can all be equals inspires me a bit.

Unfortunately, I have the fortune or misfortune of having a naturally dark hue. Because of this it appears that only Prince Hall masonry is available to me in this country. It would be nice if in this day and age this limitation could be overlooked.

Oh well - I guess I'll have to find a copy of Morals & Dogma in an old bookstore.
This is in response to the last comment. My friend, there is absolutely no restriction on race to join a Freemason lodge.

Most blacks do join Prince Hall Masonry. However, this is of their own choice since it has such a long tradition within that culture.

Also, let me be clear, Prince Hall Masonry *is* Freemasonry.

I recently visited a lodge in San Francisco and there were many people of widely varying races all sitting in the officers chair.

There is no official prohibition of a person of any race from joining a Freemason lodge anywhere in the United States.

That said, to be frank, I have heard that in some places down in the deep South there is still difficulty in having such a petition accepted.

Here, where I live, and in most of the country a person of any race is welcome to petition a Freemason lodge and would be admitted as a brother.

I hope that clears things up.

John
Anonymous said…
Thisblog is very inspiring, disturbing, enlightening, and thorough all at the same time. I have always been adversed to religon in general.
Growing up catholic, I have never truely associated with the catholic church(or any church for that matter). I have always belived in God, and with that fact, I have always asked his forgiveness for my attitude toward the church.
Older now, I now know that the creator, as some call him, loves me and will judge based on my love for him. He will not condemn me for what building with a particular symbol on the front I enter.
I appreciate this entry it gives me a little more clarity in an unclear world.
Anonymous said…
Thank you for you words. The creator would be pleased. I would like to know how to join.
Anonymous said…
well, we mentioned race. how about this one:

11. I am a gay or bi-sexual man
Anonymous said…
Further to the last comment, if gays and bisexuals may become freemasons, women should first be allowed to be freemasons. Then the whole freemason concept will be a 'huge joke'. Cos being gay negates the purpose of The Grand Architect!
Tom Accuosti said…
Cos being gay negates the purpose of The Grand Architect!

::blink blink::

I'm always amazed when some people claim to have knowledge of what is or isn't wanted by the GAOTU. Did I miss the divine memo, or are they possibly unclear on the concept of "Grand" and "Universe"?
Anonymous said…
This was the exact response I expected. Some ignorant comparison between women and gay men, and some reference to divine word that does not exist. Followed by a great rebuttal to the above. The spectrum of intelligence always amazes me.
Anonymous said…
How do I join?
Anonymous said…
hey, i am interested in becoming mason, i live in barcelona spain, i am glad noone of these is my case... but i still have a very big doubt... i am not sure that there is a god... it may be there... but how to believe something u cant see... i cant atributte my happiness to a god instead of a circunstance... i mean i dont say there is no god... i just say i am not sure

so that up there put me out of being mason?, is that called being atheist?

jesusegil50@hotmail.com

thanks from now
alan said…
I have always been a "truth seeker", I've never just taken what I was told as the truth. As I get older I realize our entire reality is based on lies untruths and doublespeak. It begins to wear on me, I have been on the search for someone, something, some divine experience to just put me at ease. I know this search should be only within myself, we make our own self happy. Yet, I also know that certain things have been hidden from me. Free Masonry intrigues me because they deal with ancient knowledge, knowledge that the majority of people are unaware of. I am someone who always wants to progress myself, always trying too learn new things, and always trying to concentrate the energy that I generate, into benevolent intellligent ideas. Free masonry seems to be where I would like too head. I never thought id be lucky enough to become friends with a master and shriner, however, our friendship started before I had even known that. During one of our conversations about life, they let me know who they actually were and then said my character is something they were looking for, now, I guess I am waiting for them to bring me a petition so I can take a step further in this direction. The masons always have had a bad rap, especially from some devout christians..here's my belief, true or not, oh well. Magic is real, people can harness energy around them, tap into the divine conciousness then proceed to practice forms of magic. Obviously there is black and white, black being negative towards people. WELL, the ignorant people think free masonry is the devils club, and educated christians that are against it, feel they are using black magic against all people.not the case. The bible says we are made in the image of god, we also have godlike powers. I'm sure some freemasons know this, and theyy are working towards a universal understanding andf application of these powers...some people scream devil, I say they are just utilizing their god given powers, as they should. Nothing bad in that. I do not expect to see learn or ever hear of magic in the free mason lodge, I am just a truth seeker and the masons know many truths.
Mr.Brizzi said…
Initially, I read the title and was about to pass the text. Glad I decided to read it. I am not a Mason (unfortunately), but I am, very Mason-like. On one occassion I viewed the membership application, and I never had any good paying job which would permit indulgence of philanthropics above the meanial charity work donations I regularly had made until now, finding myself out of work longterm, once again. I have studied the Craft in depth via library text materials and this will definitely go down in the books as one of my greatest regrets. There is even a 50+ Year Master Mason in the family. Fabulous article! I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Gordon said…
I am becoming a Freemason this week.

Seeing this post, as a primary hit on Google, had me pause to see what the reasons were!

Thank you for providing this point of view. As so many of us who use the web these days are asking more and more questions about all things considered; it was so surprising to me to get a "hit" on this exact question.

Each of your 10 points should "hit" home with so many.

Self reflection is indeed a very strong angle...

Thank you John
Wbro Leigh said…
Just read... fantastic! I do have a comment for the man that spoke of being homosexual...I know quite a few gay Freemasons, and not one Bro I know of would ever say a bad thing about any of them. The measure of a man is NOT his sexual orientation, It is how he lives and interacts with humanity. If freemasonry wants to survive, then it has to grow and evolve.
It always makes me laugh to hear a homophbic man talk of gay men! They have this strange idea that they are ALL preditors and want to convert and suduce the straigt guys.lol
Anonymous said…
Hello. Here is my two troubles with masonry.: 1). What about females? Or others that do not fit a particular mode? Members of the GBLTQ community? 2). Atheists and Secular Humanists- must they be excluded? The belief in no God, perhaps a nihilistic perspective on life, does not make one inherently evil. Also, just asking, why are so many engineers freemasons?
The answer about women is simple; it's a fraternity not a sorority. There are many organizations within Freemasonry which involve the whole family. These include the Shrine, Eastern Star, Rainbow and DeMolay.

Regarding the question of atheism here is the answer on that point. While freemasonry is not a religion it's priciples are religious; as the purpose of the institution is to further the spiritual development of mankind. This core purpose would be lost on an atheist who doesn't even believe he has a spirit or soul.

That said, freemasonry doesn't care what religion you belong to, even if that is no religion at all. For example I am myself a pantheist; one who believes the Universe is God.

It's a pretty open tent but the organization is designed to nurture the spiritual part of man, and what purpose or interest would that be to an atheist?

As far as why so many engineers, as an engineer myself I think I can answer that one. Engineers tend to be very logical and rational; likewise freemasonry is also fairly logical and rational too. In our second degree lecture we teach that the best way to 'know God' is through science, math, logic, reason and cosmology.

As an engineer this appeals to me.
Kevin G. said…
This was a very good read and helped simplify some of the questions I had about joining. I've read other articles elsewhere that covered some of the same things mentioned here, but is was a bit more thorough. Most, if not all of the Masonic principles you describe are very much along my line of thinking. For some reason, I've felt like I am being pulled towards Freemasonry, but have been undecided to commit because of the many conflicting information out there. Thanks for this concise, informative article.
Kevin G. said…
This was a very good read and helped simplify some of the questions I had about joining. I've read other articles elsewhere that covered some of the same things mentioned here, but is was a bit more thorough. Most, if not all of the Masonic principles you describe are very much along my line of thinking. For some reason, I've felt like I am being pulled towards Freemasonry, but have been undecided to commit because of the many conflicting information out there. Thanks for this concise, informative article.
John said…
Great. Points. I. Have been thinking of trying to join.I have been reading as much as I can find about the Brotherhood. I LIVE in Milan TN.If some one could guide me in the right direction. I work hard for my family but am missing something in my life that I think the fraternity may add.Thank you.
Anonymous said…
I have to disagree with you man. I have been wanting to join a lodge and I "fit" two of your reasons but not exactly. One, yes, I am too busy. I have been the last few years. I'm an engineering college student, I go to school full-time, I work part-time, I study and workout in my spare time. The little time I have left I give to my fiance', my family, and her family. So no it's not because I watch TV, I would LOVE to have time for TV, even in the summers, I work full-time and take summer classes part time. 2nd, yes I do save my money because I have to. I am very cautious about where I spend it because I have many financial obligations that just take priority. Yes I have worked hard for my money, and it can't help those in unfortunate situations, especially when I am struggling myself. It's different for your adults with careers to have extra cash, it's difficult for young guys like me that pay 25g for school, housing, food, and standard bills working minimum wage jobs because we have no degree. The BIGGEST reason why most guys like us don't join is because we REALLY would like to know if it's worth the financial obligation and time committment. In all honesty, I do charity work on my own in my spare time a few times a month, I can form a brotherly bond through church, school, and the military when i join after college. So other than community service and brotherhood, what else is there? That's my reasoning for being hesistant
Anonymous said…
I am interested in joining myself. I live in New York City and I am also of a darker hue. This fact has never held me back, if I suffered at any time it was due to an action of mine. I have always strived for perfection in anything I did, I know it is a never ending battle but each day I improve, I am closer. I will attempt to join this prestigious fraternity and truly hope I get the answers I seek and finally have an understanding of the machine.

Picture Freedom
taemurz said…
Many thanks for the honest blog .. I am thinking of becoming a Freemason and wanted an honest and truthful reasons as to why I would NOT want to join - almost like a checklist and you answered them all .. thanks once again.
taemurz said…
A really well written blog John. Very honest and truthful. I am thinking of joining but don't know where to begin .. Would appreciate direction .. Thanks
I wrote an article to specifically answer the question of 'how' to jon.

See this link:

http://jratcliffscarab.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-become-freemason.html
Anonymous said…
Interesting post brother. . .

Anonymous #666
()
Anonymous said…
You forgot reason number 11.... im too old to be in a fraternity... its for college kids.
Anonymous said…
The only thing that turned me off about freemasonry Os that you state that it is unlikely a devil worshiper would join. That meer fact that it's allowed turned me away from masonry.
Anonymous said…
Well written post my friend. Some of your points seem rather narrow minded and selfish. "You're a stingy bastard" "You worked hard for your money and senior citizens and burn victims don't deserve it". Even if you knew nothing of the freemasons, it is the nature of good men to be compelled into pity for the less fortunate, and one would hope, charity. Freemasonry, from what I know of it, seems more like a little boy's club; men who's aims are the same of men of good moral standing, why feel the need to give yourself a title. Unity does not have to be under a shady, and declining organization, nor religion (I'm an atheist, so my opinion is probably biased), but more men seeking to change themselves as individuals.
Either way, congratulations on a well written post.
Thanks for the comment; you might have been taking my post a bit too seriously though. It was meant to be very tongue in cheek.

I did not mean to imply that non-Freemasons don't show charity or are in other ways compelled to be good men. I was merely trying to point out that these are qualities the Masonic fraternity looks for in its members.

I am a Freemason but I am also a member of other charitable and service organizations as well.

My membership in Freemasonry is what started me on my path towards more community service and involvement; but it hardly exclusive to that one organization.

John
Anonymous said…
I am a Portuguese freemason and gay, professor at the University of Minho and I work as volunteer for a number of scientific organizations. Most of the Lodges in Portugal are accepting gays without any restriction. This is some great news.

Paulo Pereira
ppereira@civil.umimho.pt
Executive Vice President at iSMARTi
Unknown said…
I was taken aback by the title but if you do not mind I would like to borrow your explanation of religion in freemasonry for a website I'm considering designing for our great fraternity.

Jasper Allen Jacobs, PM
Ben Franklin Lodge #45
Reno, NV
Unknown said…
I was taken aback by the title of this blog entry but I must admit that I enjoyed it.

Thank you!

Fraternally,

Jasper Allen Jacobs, PM
Ben Franklin Lodge #45
Reno, NV
Sure feel free to do so. I was just trying to write something a little bit tongue in cheek is all.

Brother John
Anonymous said…
none of you are Freemasons because there is no unity. most of you are manipulated with facts and opinions and its goes to political issue.
and none of you really know anything as I seen in comments. what I believe that this is some kind commercial project of mastermind. do you really think that people can become Freemasons just like that.
I believe that only members who can be accepted are the carriers of intellect and not social beings.
If you have other ideas then please explain it to me.
Looking forward to hear from you.
motion89@inbox.lv
Anonymous said…
Can I have permission to share your 10 reasons with others? Good humor with a powerful message.
Sure, of course, that's absolutely fine. Glad anyone finds it humorous at all.

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