Brother Jason Eddy
Member
I think that you will agree Brother that the quote above is taken out of context. I do this to illustrate the importance of context.I judge a person based on how they look
What I wrote was: If it is a symbol that truly has only negative connotations and this was known to the Brother when he got it…then he is not the type of man that should have been allowed through the West Gate. We make good men better. We do not make bad men good.
I stand by this statement. As Masons, we are called to judge with candor. "Tolerance" can easily become complacency in our duties as a Mason. To state that all who have passed through the West Gate are worthy I believe to be wishful thinking at best. Our Fraternity places so much focus on increasing numbers that it often fails to focus on worthiness. To clarify, I am certainly not judging this Brother, or his tattoo. I do not even know what it is. As I stated in my previous post, if it were a tattoo that was done knowing that it had only negative connotations, then he is certainly not what I would consider to be worthy of the badge of a Mason. However,the Brother in question has passed the test and is therefore my Brother.
I would agree with your clarification of my statement, however. The Brother owes no explanation to anyone. He has passed his examination and is now deserving of Master's Wages. He is judged now based on his actions as a Mason. I do not seek to pacify the profane or even those within the craft that do not have a working knowledge of our symbols and therefore sees only what society at large might see.
Again, to the OP. We need to walk the talk. Our ritual is more than just mere words. It is the internal qualifications of a man that recommend him to be made a Mason.