Originally posted by KSigMason
Here is an article from Masonic Info:
I enjoy reading Bro.'. Ed King's Masonic Info website as I find it to be educational and informative, however I find some of the arguments in this
essay to be spurious and contradictory. When he states that "people who say that Freemasonry is evil and ought to be destroyed then turn right around
and complain that women are not accepted into membership", it suggests that only those who hold such beliefs about the fraternity think that women
should be Freemasons and yet later in his essay he discusses the "progressive" Masons who created Adoptive Rite which admitted women under GOdF
which clearly did not have any such desire to destroy the Fraternity and indeed have carried the Tradition of mixed gender Freemasonry into the 21st
century.
Another argument in favor of mixed Lodges is that "it became clear that a known fact of human interaction might become the downfall of Freemasonry".
As if somehow men and women can not possibly work together as Freemasons but are we not taught to subdue or passions, keeping them in due bounds?
Also, in his own essay he talks not only of the mixed Lodges but also of the Order of the Eastern Star, which is "different from but philosophically
similar and organizationally tied to Freemasonry", which are clear evidence that men and women can work together and have for many, many years.
The argument of Tradition also doesn't hold up as the ancient Freemasons were actual stone Masons and at some point they made a break with this
tradition because they wisely saw the benefit of sharing their Fraternity with a larger society. Cultural Traditions must continually develop and
evolve or they risk becoming irrelevent in the host community, for example, American Lodges adapted to Prohibition by disallowing alcoholic beverages
after their meetings.
Which brings me to Bro.'. King's only viable argument in favor of male only Lodges, that of the sociological need for bonding with one's own
gender. It is hard to argue against that, men and women often seek they company of their same gender friends for guys/girls night out. In fact in many
tribal cultures there are secret societies of men only or women only who meet to teach the skills, values, and roles of that tribe to the young as
they are recognized (initiated) into manhood/womanhood by their elders. It can't be denied that a strong friendship develops between a candidate and
their mentor in the Craft and perhaps this is something lost in our society, acceptance or recognition as an upright man by a respected elder.
Formerly, I was a twenty year member of mainstream or "Regular" Freemasonry, who made the decision to dimit from Regular Freemasonry in order to
affiliate with a mixed Lodge because I felt it was better aligned with my own ideals. I prefer to meet on the Level, as equals, with Brothers AND
Sisters. This decision was very difficult for me to make because I knew that some of my Brethren would no longer see me as a Freemason although I
continue to see them as my Brothers and I would fly to their relief if it was asked of me. I do see the benefit of male-only, female-only and mixed
gender Lodges. I do believe the day will one day come when all Chartered Lodges will recognize each other as Freemasons but ironically I think that
the dawn of that Light will shine last in the U.S.A..
