Solomon’s Masonic Learning

Solomon's Masonic Learning (SML) is a virtual learning environment developed by the Solomon Lodge Education Committee to assist the Master with instructing the Brethren in all areas of Masonic education. Using the Zoom platform, the Education Committee will coordinate and schedule Masonic learning presentations and when available, guest speakers to present in a virtual setting.

Contact the Education Committee Chairman for all password protected sessions at: SML@solomon822.com

14 April 2022

The May Solomon’s Masonic Learning session had an astonishing number of registered Brethren, capping at 94 participants from 15 different Grand Lodges, 9 different countries, and 56 unique Lodges from around the world. These Grand Lodges include 2 Grand Lodges from Germany (ACGL and AFuAMvD), 6 Grand Lodges from the United States (California, DC, Maryland, Nevada, New York & Pennsylvania), and the Grand Lodges of Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Romania, and Turkey. The Grand Lodge of Turkey took the lead with 43 Brethren registered while its closest participant rival coming from the ACGL with 29 participants. Within the ACGL, the event was attended by two ACGL PGMs, PDDGM and several key members of the Grand Line including the DGM, SGW, JGW, and GT along with 7 ACGL Lodges that include Berlin 46 Outpost #895, Hitit #1083, Luftbrücke #838, Mimar Sinan #1077, Mystic Tie #1032, Türkay #995, and Solomon #822. Of these Lodges, Solomon had 15 participants. In all, we had 76 MM, 7 FC, and 11 EA.

Guest Speaker

MW Bro. (Dr. Prof.) M Ramzi Sanver

MW Bro. M. Remzi Sanver, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Turkey fully displayed his astonishing research abilities with his presentation on “Freemasonry in Turkey". His performance should be no surprise considering he is also among the founders of “Open Lectures on Freemasonry” (www.openlfm.org), which is a digital platform of online monthly public conferences of distinguished researchers. His research spans three main areas, namely the history of Freemasonry in Turkey, the role of symbolism in Freemasonry, and the evolution of Freemasonry worldwide, which have all lead to several monographs, edited volumes, and papers. If you have not already visited the “Open Lectures on Freemasonry” site, I strongly encourage you to do so.

The May Solomon’s Masonic Learning session was not recorded, however, this video comes from the Open Lectures on Freemasonry session delivered by MW Bro. Ramzi and Mr. Thierry Zarcone on 17 April 2021. This presentation covers the Observations on Freemasonry and Islam: A historical perspective to the foundation of the Ottoman Grand East and while not exactly the topic of our Solomon's Masonic Learning, this video does capture, in part that which he delivered in our platform. Nonetheless, MW Bro. Ramzi is a brilliant speaker and researcher making this video a very interesting addition to our Solomon's Masonic Learning page.

Masonic Education

Form the beginning of human existence with the creation and development of the second brain, individual perspective has played an enormous role in our lives. The subject of this month's Masonic Education should be a topic of interest for every man who calls himself a Freemason. "Attacks on Freemasonry are not new to our fraternity. From the early 1700s to Hitler and Mussolini’s persecution of Freemasons in the 30s, Franco’s execution of Freemasons in the 1950s and the Iranian government’s elimination of Freemasons in the 1980s, to today’s attacks by some religious organizations, one thing is evidently clear, Freemasonry has survived the test of time while most of the organizations who have attacked Freemasonry have not" (Broad Ripple Lodge #643, Grand Lodge of Indiana). That, however, does not make the "sting" of such attacks easier to absorb, if such anti-masonic ideals should ever enter your life on a personal or direct level. If you will indulge me to share a personal experience, I admit that my own daughter has not spoken to me since July of 2021 because I am a Freemason. She further publicly accuses me of satanic practices, acts, rituals and worship in accordance with her current religious beliefs. Today, after two weeks, I discovered my daughter gave birth to a health baby girl and my first granddaughter. Believe me when I tell you, the anti-masonic sward is quite sharp when it is wielded at the heart and it should be equally as horrific to every Mason when it is thrusted into the soul of our Brotherhood. Today, my daughter refuses to hear anything as counter argument from me so I realize now how much I should have educated myself to better combat such ideas in the past. While there is nothing I can do to change the past, I can always use the past to better shape the future. Every Freemason should take the time to better educate themselves in this subject and to further take every opportunity to correct another (including each other) if found to be in error.

Responding to the critics of Freemasonry

Masonic Education #20 Anti- Masonry, (26 Feb. 2016) published by Michigan Masonic Museum and Library.

In this video we look at various anti-masonic movements in history.

Anti-Masonry 101 - Episode 179, (30 Aug 2017) published by Masonic Roundtable

Throughout the past 300 years, Freemasonry has been the subject of hatred and conspiracies throughout the world, This week, the hosts of The Masonic Roundtable are going to dive headlong into a discussion on anti-Masonry, where it came from, what forms it has taken over the past 300+ years and, perhaps most importantly, what you should do when confronted by an anti-Mason. This video is an interesting discussion if you have an hour to spare. CLICK HERE to watch the video.

A Masonic Short Talk from the American Canadian Grand Lodge (ACGL) library.

Reprinted from A Response to Critics of Freemasonry, Masonic Information Center, Silver Springs, MD. A division of the Masonic Service Association of North America, founded by John J. Robinson in 1993. Source

From Northern Ireland to Iran, from the Middle East to the United States, religious extremism is a growing force throughout the world. Jarred by the rapid pace of social and cultural change, especially the apparent disintegration of moral values and the break-up of the family, some people within this movement have sought refuge from the complexity of modern life by embracing absolute views and rejecting tolerance of other beliefs.

Simple, easy, seemingly stable answers bring comfort in a rapidly changing world. For example, some churches have responded to the personal anguish of their members by circling the wagons, that is, by strictly defining theological concepts and insisting their members "purify" their fellowship by renouncing any other beliefs.

The next step, already taken by various churches, is to yield degrees of control within their ranks to vocal factions espousing extremist views. These splinter groups focus the congregation’s generalized anxieties on specific targets. The proffered cure-all is to destroy the supposed enemy. Freemasonry has become one of these targets precisely because it encourages members to form their own opinion on many important topics, including religion.

Thus some churches have expressed concerns, even condemnations, of Freemasonry. Generally, these actions are based on misunderstandings. A case in point is the June 1993 report to the Southern Baptist Convention by the Convention’s Home Mission Board. This report defined eight alleged conflicts between the tenets and teachings of the masonic Fraternity and Southern Baptist theology. Let’s briefly look at those areas, as representative of the thinking of some well-meaning but misinformed church members today, and see if the concerns are real or simply a matter of misinformation or misunderstanding.

Most of the issues really deal with language in one way or another. Almost every organization has a special vocabulary of words which are understood by the group. It’s hardly appropriate for someone outside a group, and without the special knowledge of the group, to object to the terms unless he or she fully understands them and why they are used. If someone wants to read the Journal of the American Medical Association. for example, that is his right---but he doesn't have a right to complain if the articles use medical terms. A person reading a cookbook had better know that terms like fold, cream the butter, or soft ball have special meanings--or he'll make a mess instead of a cake. The same is true of a non-Mason reading masonic materials. As to the critique of Freemasonry by the Southern Baptist Convention (which, incidentally, had several positive things to say about Freemasonry), here is a brief explanatory discussion of each point.

“Offensive Titles”

1. Because they do not see specific words in their historic context, some critics complain of the prevalent use in Freemasonry of offensive titles and terms such as Worshipful Master for the leader of a Lodge. The leader of a masonic Lodge is called the Master of the Lodge for the same reason the head of a Boy Scout troop is called a Scoutmaster, an orchestra’s leader is termed the Concert Master, or a highly-skilled electrician is called a Master Electrician. The term arose in the guilds of the Middle Ages when the most skillful workman was called the Master. Much masonic vocabulary dates from that period. Worshipful in Worshipful Master has nothing to do with worship in any religious sense. masonically, Worshipful is a term of honor and, in this sense, it is a term still used in England and Canada today-- to refer to such officials as mayors of cities. Worshipful John Doe means exactly the same thing as the Honorable John Doe. In the same vein, the Mayor of London is addressed as the Worshipful Lord Mayor. Certainly there is nothing irreligious here in the use of Worshipful or Lord. Such terms are a matter of history and tradition, not religion.

“Bloody Oaths”

2. Some critics of Freemasonry object to what they term archaic and offensive rituals or so-called bloody oaths in Freemasonry. There is nothing offensive in the rituals to anyone who understands them. They are ancient, not archaic, since many of them are so old their origins are lost in history. But there is nothing bad in that. The Declaration of Independence is about the same age as the Master Mason Degree, but few complain it is "archaic."

The alleged bloody oaths refer to the penalties associated with the masonic obligations. They originated in the medieval legal system of England and were actual punishments inflicted by the state on persons convicted of opposing political or religious tyranny. Freemasonry’s obligations do not contain any promise ever to inflict any of the penalties or to participate in the execution of them. In Freemasonry, they are entirely symbolic and refer exclusively to the shame a good man should feel at the thought he had broken a promise.

“Paganism”

3. Certain critics claim the recommended readings for the Degrees of Freemasonry are "pagan" in origin. "Pagan", as they are using the term, simply means "pre-Christian." The major purpose of Freemasonry is the study of man’s intellectual and moral history for the purpose of developing ourselves morally and intellectually. Such a study has to start with the concepts of man and God as held by early cultures and evidenced in their mythologies. The Greeks and Romans, as well as earlier peoples, had much of importance to say, on many topics. including religion. The idea that a physician must act in the best interests of his patient comes from the pagan Hippocrates, and the concept that the government cannot break into your house and take what it wants on a whim comes from the pagan Aristotle. None of us would want to live in a world without these ideas.

In almost every field—law, government, music, philosophy, mathematics, etc.—it is necessary to review the work of early writers and thinkers. Freemasonry is no exception. But to study the work of ancient cultures is not the same thing as to do what they did or believe what they believed. And no Mason is ever told what he should believe in matters of faith. That is not the task of a fraternity. nor a public library. nor the government. That is the duty of a person’s revealed religion and is appropriately expressed through his or her church.

The Bible as “Furniture”

4. Ironically. some people complain about the Bible used in lodge being referred to as the "furniture" of the lodge. No disrespect is intended. Indeed, just the opposite is true. Freemasons use the word "furniture" in its original meaning of essential equipment. Since no lodge can meet without an open Volume of Sacred Law, (Which in North America is almost always the Bible) the Bible is essential and given a special place of honour as the "furniture" for every regular lodge.

“The Meaning of ‘Light𔄩”

5. The masonic use of the term "light' is often misunderstood by non-Masons. This confusion may lead some to think Masons are speaking of salvation rather than knowledge or truth. Nowhere in masonic ritual is "light" implied to mean anything other than knowledge. Light was a symbol of knowledge long before it was a symbol of salvation. The lamp of learning appears on almost every graduation card and college diploma. Fremasonry uses light as a symbol of the search for truth and knowledge. It’s very unlikely that any Freemason would think that light represents salvation.

“Salvation by Works”

6. Freemasonry does not imply salvation may be attained by one’s good works. Freemasonry does not teach any path to salvation. That is the duty of a Church, not a Fraternity. The closest Freemasonry comes to this issue is to point to the open Bible, and tell the freemason to search there for the path to eternal life. Freemasonry does believe in the importance of good works. but as a matter of gratitude to God for His many great gifts and as a matter of individual moral and social responsibility. The path to salvation is found in each Mason’s house of worship, not in his Lodge.

“Universalism”

7. Various critics accuse masonic writers of teaching the "heresy of universalism." Universalism is the doctrine that all men and women are ultimately saved. Freemasonry does not teach universalism or any other doctrine of salvation. Again, that’s the province of the church, not a fraternity. You have to look rather hard to find masonic writers who "teach universalism." Even if you could find one, it’s important to remember that any masonic author writes for himself alone, not as an official of the fraternity. Freemasonry simply does not have a position, official or otherwise on salvation. Since men of all faiths are welcome in the Fraternity, Freemasons are careful not to offend the faith of any. Possibly this in itself may seem to be universalism to some critics. Freemasons call it common courtesy.

Racial Exclusion

8. Some critics, less eager to put their own houses in order than to find fault with others, contend most lodges refuse to admit African Americans as members. Freemasonry today is not a whites only organization as the hundreds of thousands of Black, Native American. Hispanic and Oriental Freemasons can testify. Petitions for membership do not ask the race of the petitioner, and it would be considered completely wrong to do so. At the same time it must be said that Freemasonry, like American society and churches in general, has not lived up entirely to its high ideal of brotherhood in dealing with African-American and other minorities. This is a situation which most Freemasons. like most Americans. are trying to overcome. There is a schism in Freemasonry dating back over 200 years to when "Prince Hall" Masons, who are African-Americans, declared themselves independent. This schism is similar to the division of the United Methodist Church from the A.M.E. C.M.E. and United Methodist Church from the A.M.E., S.M.E. and A.M.E. Zion churches or the National Baptists from the American and Southern Baptists.

In each of these three examples. the organizations are working to repair the damages of centuries of segregation. For each, complete reunification remains an elusive goal hindered by social resistance on both sides, but not by organizational ideals. In the case of Freemasonry mutual recognition between "black" and "white" Grand Lodges has proceeded at a steady pace for nearly ten years, while African-American members are increasingly common in formerly "white" Lodges.

For instance, at the international celebration of the 275th anniversary of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1992 (the most recent masonic gathering of about the same size as the Southern Baptist Convention), there were far more Blacks present than there were at the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston in 1993. Freemasonry’s movement regarding racial matters affirms Freemasonry’s genuine evolution with the rest of American society and churches toward genuine brotherhood among all races.

In summary, looking over the concerns raised in the report, none are tenets and teachings as the report claims. Four of the concerns are merely misunderstandings of masonic vocabulary by non-masons. The complaint that some of the writers whose work Freemasonry studies are pre-Christian could be raised against any study of man, government or philosophy. Almost all areas of study start with the ancient (pagan) Greeks. All members of the Fraternity know that Freemasonry does not invade the area of the church to teach any doctrine of salvation, neither universalism, salvation by works, nor any other. And the objection that Freemasonry is some sort of whites-only club is refuted by the myriad of men of colour wearing the square and compasses.

Freemasonry is simply a Fraternity—an organization of men, banded together to further develop themselves ethically and morally, and to benefit the community at large!

If you would like to contribute to the Education Committee, please CLICK HERE.