Do you feel that once a person goes through the degrees that he will forever be a Mason? Sort of the way some marines always consider themselves to be a marine after leaving?
I can't imagine NOT being a Freemason for the rest of my days. After the journey every man goes through to become a Master Mason, one would have to make a conscious choice to leave the fraternity. To me, even if he stops paying dues and stops attending a regular blue lodge, he will always be a Mason.
Although I agree with you for the most part Rescue, I would hasten to say that, unfortunately there are many members that still pay their dues, but in my mind, are not now, nor ever will be true mason's. I only say this, as in my opinion, the acts that the individual performs and lives by, are the true mark of a mason. Those men who live by the square, and treat others as they wish to be treated. Although we may have traveled the same path for masonry, only those who live by the precepts and examples are mason's for life. Ofcourse this is only my opinion on this matter.
I agree with both of you on many of your points . A Marine who has disgraced himself and the Eagle , Globe and Anchor and was dishonorably discharged , we as Marines who served honoraby no longer consider them Marines . Though I came into boot camp as a civilian and 13 weeks later came out with the title Marine , it was the entire 4 year experience (or lifetime)that made me a Marine . Same with a Freemason , if a Brother who has disgraced himself and the Fraternity for not living up to the precepts of the Fraternity would I no longer consider him a Mason . It's not how we got these two titles , Marine and Freemason , nor what it took to get them . It's what we do with them once we have them and how we conduct ourselves that allows us to retain them . In a nutshell , I think it is a matter of circumstances as to why he is no longer a Mason .
Of course if a man acts in a poor fashion, I too would not consider him a brother from then on. We are only human, but there are of course certain boundaries one should not cross.
Always a Mason. It would take too long to explain the full circumstances, so I will (try to) be very brief. I was made a Mason in New Zealand. Shortly after, as an EA, I had to return to the UK. My Mother lodge asked me to find a Lodge in the K to complete my Passing & Raising on their behalf. Accordingly, I was duly made a MM. However, because of the fact that I didn't know anyone at that lodge & at the time is was afraid to put myself forward, I would be very lonely at the meetings. I regret to say, that the brethren were some what insular and no one but one person made me welcome. After 3 years, of feeling embarrassed an not enjoying the time in the lodge, I just stopped going. No one from the lodge made contact to see why I had dropped out.The crying shame was that an officer of the lodge lived in the same road as us. 18 years go by until I a friend mentioned that he was a Mason. When he heard that I was a Mason, he immediately invited me to his lodge. I was made to feel at home. I joined that Lodge. From that day to this, I have never missed a meeting except when on vacation. In the last years, I have gone through the Chairs and have taken the Chair of KS. I love my Masonry. I regret the 18 years of missed Masonry. If only that lodge had a mentoring scheme, maybe I would not have missed out so much.... As a post script, that lodge is now a very friendly one with a full mentoring scheme, as have most Lodges in the UK now have. So, Brethren, I plead with you to take note of any new member of the lodge or new Initiate who looks lonely, please go an chat to him.... In those lost 18 years, I was still a Mason.
We make all our new and older Brothers welcome and make them feel at home in my lodge . If a Brother simple does not come to lodge , but does good deeds in life , then yes , he is a Mason .But I still can not say "once a Mason , always a Mason " . As Rescue so aptly stated above there are lines no man should cross , more so for a Freemason , and if this line is crossed then he should never be refered to as a Freemason again.
Where were we first prepared to be a mason? As long as Masonry remains there, we will always be a Mason.
Yes, once a Mason always a Mason unless you request to be removed from the Order. Even if you have a lapse in dues I will aid you. As far as making judgements on who is and isn't a Mason. Who am I to say what lives in men's hearts?
Because you are obligated doesn't mean you can travel as one...Meaning you aren't necessarily a true Mason!
I believe if you were truly a Mason I do believe you will always be a Mason! Masonry is a way of life not just something you put on to go to lodge!
As in all things, carrying a label around doesn't make you a an anything. People call themselves by religious labels, societal labels, affiliation labels, etc. It is the actions of the person that says what is in their hearts. Just as you you look at a man's actions and make the determination that he would make a good Freemason, likewise a man who has any number of letter combinations after his name does necessarily act like any or all of those letters. Old saying: Going to McDonald's doesn't make you a hamburger any more then going to church makes you a christian. To paraphrase: going to Lodge doesn't make your a Mason.
This is a tricky subject. Once a Mason always a Mason? No, not hardly. I have had Brothers who, because of a matter of faith (or whatever) have chosen to cut Freemasonry out of their lives. They had been good Masons, too. Despite what I may think of their character (I think good things about their character, btw), despite their continuing commitment to the community, despite it all, they are no longer Masons, even though they may still act as Masons should. Let's never forget that we are a fraternity, albeit a fraternity of moral, upright men. There are many upright and moral men who never join, who will never be Masons, and there are Masons who are far from moral and upright. Don't get me wrong here, Brethren, I'm not devaluing our organization, in my own way I'm holding it up. But to say "once a Mason always a Mason" is just too pat. It's a catchphrase, and, in my opinion, worth only what a catchphrase is worth.
The Master Masons Degree obligation can never be repudiated or laid aside, even if you stop paying dues or are expelled. Having said that though, some members are just members, some are Masons.
Well, yeah, we say that. But I've seen many men repudiate it and/or lay it aside. It happens, and we have no way to make it not happen.
As I understand things... The basis of Masonry is Building. The basis of Freemasonry as an organization is to Build Builders. There is a difference. The former is a state of being wrapped around a Builder's Mindset, which brings about certain Building activity and results in the creation of Buildings. The later is an organization whose premise is that it Builds Builders, but, because of severe quality control issues too vast to go into here, what they do and what they have only Builds membership in the organization rather than Builders. Any Builders Built by such a process is not as a direct result of anything that the organization promotes deliberately. As a result of this reality, the term "Mason" today refers more to a membership or affiliation within an organization rather than a state of being and practiced skillset focused upon Building anything other than membership in the aforementioned organization. If a Mason is truly a Builder, there is nothing that will change that, including death. If a Mason is merely a title given to a man as a result of his association or membership within an organization, then such title is only applicable to said person whilst a member. This include any Obligation embraced by said man whilst a member therein. IMO Bro. Coach N
I believe once a man has taken and showed he is truley willing to become a mason he will then continue to act as he should to uphold his chosen path. “..the true Mason raises himself by degrees until he reaches heaven” - extract from the 28th degree lecture. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
