Keeping Our Word

One thing that distinguishes Freemasons and binds them together is our oath and obligation. Each of us, since time immemorial, has sworn certain things before our brethren and before g-d.

It is the golden tie which binds us, our obligation to all brothers, withersoever dispersed around the globe, and their obligation to US in return. We know that we can, in time of trouble, call on a brother to aid and assist us, so far as he can do so without serious injury to himself or his family.

What are we to make then, of brethren who declaim they do not feel bound to the rules and regulations of their grand lodge(s). These brothers state that THEY are the sole arbiter of which rules/edicts they will obey, and which they will not obey, despite the fact that all of us, in one version or another, swear to abide by and conform to all the laws, rules and regulations appertaining to the degree of master mason, and to support the constitution and edicts of the grand lodge.

These brothers offer a variety of rationals for this behavior, from the puerile to the... intellectually dishonest. In all cases though, the excuses are, at the very best, disingenuous, selfish, and unmasonic. More about unmasonic later in this entry.

If a brother is willing to compromise his integrity on any point of his obligation to Freemasonry and to his brethren by rationalizing his obligation, he is proving that he cannot be trusted on any level. Truly, a man is willing to compromise his ethics, which is what keeping or not keeping an obligation freely taken is, then how can he be trusted on any level?

Yet, according to our obligations, this man is still a Mason. It is incumbent upon us, who keep our obligations, to aid, support, defend and assist these brothers who clearly do not feel the same obligation to us, BECAUSE we keep our obligation regardless of what others do.

And here, I point to my masonic motto:

Its not about me changing them, its about me changing me.

I can't change them, I can only do my best to keep my obligations, and hope that by my example, I can encourage my brothers to do the same. It is my considered opinion that as masons, we should fight always in all ways to keep our obligations. If a man cannot honor his obligation, he should consider carefully why he is still calling himself a Mason.