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Originally posted by network dude
reply to post by 74Templar
Masonry regards a man for his inner qualities, not his external qualities. So every man should be considered equal and on the same level. That being said, masonry is made up of regular men. Men with flaws. The official stance is always the same.
The only requirements is you must be a man, freeborn, non felon, a good man, believe in God or a higher power.
If I was to give advice to a gay man who wanted to join, I would say, don't ask, don't tell, until you are balloted upon. Once you are a brother, Masonic law will no allow any wrongdoing, but during the voting process, you are subject to men of all backgrounds and beliefs.
Masonry is Friendship—friendship, first, with the great Companion, of whom our own hearts tell us, who is always nearer to us than we are to our-selves, and whose inspiration and help is the greatest fact of human experience. To be in harmony with His purposes, to be open to His suggestions, to be conscious of fellowship with Him—this is Masonry on its Godward side.
Then, turning man-ward, friendship sums it all up. To be friends with all men, however they may differ from us in creed, color, or condition; to fill every human relation with the spirit of friendship; is there anything more or better than this that the wisest and best of men can hope to do? Such is the spirit of Masonry; such is its ideal, and if to realize it all at once is denied us, surely it means much to see it, love it, and labor to make it come true.
Nor is this Spirit of Friendship a mere sentiment held by a sympathetic, and therefore unstable, fraternity, which would dissolve the concrete features of humanity into a vague blur of misty emotion. No; it has its roots in a profound philosophy which sees that the universe is friendly, and that men must learn to be friends if they would live as befits the world in which they live, as well as their own origin and destiny.
For, since God is the life of all that was, is, and is to be; and since we are all born into the world by one high wisdom and one vast love, we are brothers to the last man of us, forever! For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, and even after death us do part, all men are held together by ties of spiritual kinship, sons of one eternal Friend. Upon this fact human fraternity rests, and it is the basis of the plea of Masonry, not only for freedom, but for friendship among men.
Originally posted by emsed1
reply to post by EnochWasRight
I don't know what the hell you are talking about.
Freemasonry has no opinion regarding a man's sexuality.
There really shouldn't be a reason that it would come up, honestly. (no pun intended)
Originally posted by getreadyalready
I like the "don't ask, don't tell" idea.
Any Mason can blackball a petitioner for any reason, and the ballot is secret, and we might never know who did it or why. Many men are uncomfortable around gay men, and especially in the older circles, and Masonry is full of old men. I have a feeling my lodge would not be very accepting of a gay member, but at the same time I have a very strong suspicion that our Senior Deacon is gay. As long as it is not advertised or flaunted, it would never be a problem. By the same token, we don't advertise or flaunt our heterosexuality either.
We aren't talking about sexual conquests in Lodge, so the idea of gay or straight doesn't really have any business in the Lodge anyway.
There is some of the degree work that necessarily exposes skin, no genitalia, but skin. A gay man might be uncomfortable with that, or a straight man might be uncomfortable knowing a gay man was conducting him through the degree. That might be a semi-legitimate concern, but no different than going to a gym locker room, or peeing at a football game, so someone with the integrity to be a good Mason, should be able to get past a little hangup like that.
Don't ask and don't tell goes against the aim of the Masons. They are trying to build a better man. This must be done by seeing the law in nature as formed by the truth of God. Would you agree with that statement?
Horus Wiki entry
According to Papyrus Chester-Beatty I, Set is depicted as trying to prove his dominance by seducing Horus and then having intercourse with him. However, Horus places his hand between his thighs and catches Set's semen, then subsequently throws it in the river, so that he may not be said to have been inseminated by Set. Horus then deliberately spreads his own semen on some lettuce, which was Set's favorite food. After Set had eaten the lettuce, they went to the gods to try to settle the argument over the rule of Egypt. The gods first listened to Set's claim of dominance over Horus, and call his semen forth, but it answered from the river, invalidating his claim. Then, the gods listened to Horus' claim of having dominated Set, and call his semen forth, and it answered from inside Set.
Originally posted by JoshNorton
If I recall correctly, I think he was trying to redefine "Libertine" as gay. And since Master Masons swear not to make libertines Masons....
Also - As Past Master of my lodge if I found out a man was refused membership due to his sexual orientation, I would bring the objectors up on Masonic charges. That's not how we do business.
Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by EnochWasRight
Don't ask and don't tell goes against the aim of the Masons. They are trying to build a better man. This must be done by seeing the law in nature as formed by the truth of God. Would you agree with that statement?
I'm not sure I am qualified to give you an answer. I'm a Mason, and an Engineer, and an Investigator, and a Spiritual man, but the things you posted are beyond me.
My personal views on sexuality would probably shock you. I don't think sexuality has anything to do with truth or God, except that we have taken this carnal existence to experience what it has to offer, and evolve in a spiritual way to be better equipped for our spiritual existence outside of this realm. When I look at it that way, I see a need for both pleasure and exploration of the flesh, and self-discipline, moderation, and celibacy. I think it is important we explore all things internal and external to build our spiritual being on a basis of experience instead of speculation. Take from that what you will.