🚀 go-pugleaf

Earlier JOHN HEROLD said:


JH>Since the "outsider" view is immaterial and you seem to base your
JH>argument on the premise that it means something, I don't see where
JH>we can discuss agreeably.  As a result of your writing I do
JH>maintain that you lack an understanding of Masonry (IMO, anyway)
JH>and simply have an axe to grind - whether out of sincer interest in
JH>the Craft or from some need you have, I cannot say.  However, I'm
JH>sorry this medium doesn't lend itself to the replies I would need
JH>to make to you to help you learn.

And you sir (seem to) have an obvious need to rationalize reasons not
to change if even in a positive way.  It's the same rationalizing that
many fairly intelligent men use to attempt a justification NOT TO
ADMIT MEN OF COLOR.  They simply do not want to change and now they
need a good reason not to.  So they work very hard at finding one.


You can't really mean that you honestly believe the "outsiders"
opinion means nothing.  Think about it for just one second.  Becoming
a Mason made neither of us (or any of us) IMMORTAL.  We derive our
membership from THOSE OUTSIDERS.  If they perceive us as something
unjustly discriminatory, they are not likely to join.  It's as simple
as that.  Trust me, I'm in Medical Sales (obviously not computers by
the amount of technical trouble this net has from time to time
hahaha), you can not sell something to someone who still HAS
OBJECTIONS TO IT.  You have to eliminate the objections.  In a more
male dominated society (for instance 20-30 years ago) men may have
cared less, but unless you feel that we should strictly narrow our
focus to only initiate men in their 50's or beyond (who could care
less about issues of discrimination) then YES, WE SHOULD CARE WHAT THE
OUTSIDER THINKS.  MEN ARE NOT BORN INTO MASONRY.  THEY START OUT AS
OUTSIDERS LOOKING IN.  THEN THEY JOIN.  In light of this, how can you
possibly say it does not matter what an OUTSIDER thinks?  Have you not
noticed the incredible drop in Masonic Lodge membership since the
1950's?  It's remarkable.  Lodges that used to initiate men 3 times a
month or more are lucky to put in half a dozen new Masons a year now.
And many researchers today blame this on PUBLIC PERCEPTION.  It's not
a problem?  Don't worry about the OUTSIDERS opinion?  There is no
logic or reason in that position John unless you have somehow
developed a means for cloning Masons or making us immortal so none
will ever die.  If in fact you have not found a way to accomplish
either of these, then we still have the task of bringing in YOUNGER
men.  And younger men these days seem far more interested in subjects
like sexual and racial discrimination.  It's as simple as that.  No,
John, I have no axe to grind.  I'm just trying to get some people to
pull their heads out of the sand and see that the present course we
are on has yielded remarkably declining lodge memberships and if we
stay the course without alteration it can only go the same direction.
THIS IS NOT THE GOOD OLD DAYS ANYMORE!  CHANGE IS NOT ALWAYS BAD.
SOMETIMES IT'S GROWTH.  (I'm not talking about CLINTONS CHANGE That's
bad. haha).

It's not a lack of Masonic understanding John.  That's another feat of
wishful thinking and over-simplification.  It's the same one a more
bigoted uncle used on my cousin (both are Masons) when he tried to
defend keeping black men out of the Blue Lodge.  "You just don't
understand what Masonry is all about."  It's not Masonry my cousin did
not understand.  It's all the things my uncle conveniently BUILT INTO
Masonry to support his predudicial feelings that my cousin could not
understand.

I think the same thing applies here.  It's not that we SHOULDN'T LET
THEM IN for some Masonic reason.  It's simply that some of us DO NOT
WANT TO LET THEM IN.  That's the bottom line. It would not matter if
Masonry was really set up that way or not.  That's the way THEY WANT
IT, SO THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE and they now have the task of
attempting to prove that it's SUPPOSED to be that way whether it
really is or not.


Sincerely,
Ron Boutwell, Moderator
Prather Lodge #717 Indianapolis, IN (F&AM)
Prather Chapter (RAM), Prather Council (CM
Raper Commandry (KT), Indianapolis Valley (AASR)


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 * CMPQwk 1.4 #648 * In Canada there is another word for Sushi.......BAIT!