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by
K.W. Aldridge
We want To thank Most Worshipful Hrother Aldridge.
PGM/Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Quebec for this provocative Short Talk
Bulletin. The ancient penalties in our obligations have been the source of much
of the criticism levelled at Freemasonry. Most Worshipful Brother Aldridge deals
with this criticism in a stimulating way.
The United Grand Lodge of England being in many respects
the well-spring of modern day Masonry is a valuable source of inspiration,
education and philosophy concerning what has come to be regarded as RECULAR
FREEMASONRY. The recent decision by the United Grand Lodge of England, followed
by a number of American Grand Lodges, to eliminate the Ancient Penalties from
the obligation of each degree has caused much discussion within the Masonic
Fraternity.
The purpose of this article is to discuss an alternative
approach to the actual elimination of these Ancient Penalties.
Before proceeding further in this dissertation concerning
the ANCIENT PENALTIES it needs to be pointed out that these penalties were not
the brainchild of some distant Masonic ritualist. These or very similar
variations of them were in use in England among the oaths taken by mariners
during the 15th century and were also used in oaths assumed by those
being admitted to the bar in London, England during the 16th
century.
If Freemasonry has erred in the choice of these penalties
it was in the reference to them as “ANCIENT PENALTIES” rather than what they
really were—“ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES”. As Shakespeare’s Hamlet said, “...ah
there’s the rub”. These penalties were never included for the purpose of having
an en-forceable violent penalty. They were included simply as a symbolic
representation of how seriously a postulant should view his oath.
Some would say if these are simply symbolic then remove
them since they no longer mean anything. That is somewhat misleading because so
much of what we have around us and which we hold so dear in this troublesollle
world is recorded in symbols ot all kinds. Symbolism is part of life and cannot
be cast aside. Mathematicians,
geologists, in fact anyone whose discipline relies on the use of numbers or
numeric expressions, relies on symbols as an everyday experience. The simple
act, though not always simple, of driving a car depends on the use of symbols to
arrive safely at the intended destination. The numbers on the speedometer are
symbols, various designs on highway signs are symbols, the little knobs on the
dashboard all have different symbols. They are there to ensure understanding
regardless of the language of the operator. So it may be concluded that symbols
are an effective means of communication to ensure accurate understanding
regardless of language, education or intellect. In fact your ability to read
this paper is based on your understanding of the symbols or letters used to
express my thoughts.
“Oh yes”, some may say “. . .but these are all symbols
lacking any violent origin”. That may not be entirely accurate either. Many symbols in use today depict a
violent beginning and their design is intended to remind us of that hazard. So
it may be concluded violent symbols are effective communication links to save us
from harm. The simplest being the skull and crossbones as a symbol of life
threatening danger and of course the modern nuclear era has spawned untold
violent symbols especially designed to protect us from violent hazards.
Even the flags of many nations which certainly are revered
and honored by their nationals, and displayed in their places of worship, use
red as a symbol of the spilled blood which caused their nations to be born. The
red poppy worn so reverently in memory of our soldiers who died in battles to
defend our country is a symbol of the blood spilled in battle on Flanders Fields
during World War One. The buttons on the sleeve of a man’s jacket and the little
slit under the buttons are symbols of the time a man’s jacket unbuttoned all the
way to the shoulder so that he might have easy use of his sword. The vent at the
back of a man’s jacket is a symbol of the time soldiers rode horseback.
The vent allowed their jackets to fall on either side of the riders’ legs and so
keep his powder dry to more effectively kill his adversary. Quite a nice little
symbol to carry around with us when dressed in our Sunday best.
Now to get back to our ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES. Why on
earth should we even consider relocating or removing them in the first place?
“Oh because they are offensive to some religious leaders”. That begs the
question as to which religious leaders?
Some of the greatest clergymen I have ever met, both the pragmatic and the
scholarly, have been members of the Masonic Order. Not a single one of those
extremely worldly wise reverend brothers ever dreamed of any part of the
ceremony being of-fensive in any manner whatever, INCLUDING the penalties. Obviously no clergy outside of the craft
should cause us any concern because they really don’t understand the context of
the ceremony or the part the penalties play in it. Now what does that leave us
to contemplate? I believe it points out in the clearest possible terms that the
Masonic Order is a true microcosm of the real world in which we live.
We have our own fair share of iconoclasts whose aim is to
tear down rather than to build constructively.
However, their arguments are not too compelling if
analyzed. They suggest that violence
is an offense to God. Yet both Moses and Jesus had recourse to violence in
defending what they believed was an affront to God. Notwithstanding that
argument or counter-argument there is no violence in Masonry provided the
penalties are described as ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES. Anything less than that
description is an offense to God and Masonry. It is not good enough to describe
them as ANCIENT PENALTIES since that implies that they are exigible and therein
we could be faulted from within and without this noble craft.
At a time when the Scandinavian Churches are seeing in
Masonry no conflict with their profession of faith, where leading clerics of the
Church of Rome are finding no incompatibility between Regular Freemasonry and
their belief of Christianity and those who malign us the most are being found to
be guilty of criminal and moral law breaking, we must be sure we stand by what
we teach. We must continue to conduct the affairs of Masonry in a manner well
beyond reproach.
We must not allow indiscriminate changes to be made. Once
the start is made where do we stop? Would we consider dropping the
investigations of potential candidates, would we discontinue the trial
procedures, would we allow avowed atheists to become part of our fraternity,
would we allow and tolerate plots or conspiracies of any kind? Certainly we
would not do any of those things.
We are assembled to unify, in a God fearing brotherhood,
wherein we can unite in spirit to treat all of God’s children as family. We
cannot do that effectively by allowing schisms to develop. We must be unified
for the benefit, not solely for our Order, but to better serve mankind in
whatever manner God leads us as individuals who have learned to recognize our
duty to him and our Brother. There will always be room for change in
administrative practices but we should not change that which has worked so well
heretofore and for which there is no substantive reason to consider change!
It’s that time of year again! We have been experiencing a
large number of returned mail marked “temporarily away.” This does not tell us
when to begin mailing again to the address on file. If we receive two such
returns, we discontinue mailing until we are notified of the correct address. If
you are going to be away, PLEASE notify the M.S.A. of your proper mailing
instructions: when to stop, when to restart.
The Constitution Bicentennial still continues. For
further
information on Bicentennial projects and the continuing
commemoration, contact the Commission at (202) USA-1787. All
states and many communities have their own Bicentennial
commissions. To learn more about events in your area, call
the
State/Local Affairs Division at (202) 653-9808. THE
CONSTITUTION
BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION CONTINUES
Delaware, December 7, 1787 Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787
New
Jersey, December 18, 1787 Georgia, January 2, 1788
Connecticut,
January 9, 1788 Massachusetts, February 6, 1788 Maryland,
April
28, 1788 South Carolina, May 23, 1788 New Hampshire, June 21,
1788 Virginia, June 25, 1788 New York, July 26, 1788 North
Carolina, November 21, 1789 Rhode Island, May 29, 1790
Vermont,
March 4, 1791 Kentucky, June 1, 1792 Tennessee, June 1, 1796
Ohio, March 1, 1803 Louisiana, April 30, 1812 Indiana,
December
11, 1816 Mississippi, December 10, 1817 Illinois, December 3,
1818 Alabama, December 14, 1819 Maine, March 15, 1820
Missouri,
August 10, 1821 Arkansas, June 15, 1836 Michigan, January 26,
1837 Florida, March 3, 1845 Texas, December 29, 1845 lowa,
December 28, 1846 Wisconsin, May 29, 1848 California,
September
9, 1850 Minnesota, May 11, 1858 Oregon, February 14, 1859
Kansas,
January 29, 1861 West Virginia, June 20, 1863 Nevada, October
31,
1864 Nebraska, March 1, 1867 Colorado, August 1, 1867 North
Dakota, November 2, 1889 South Dakota, November 2, 1889
Montana,
November 8, 1889 Washington, November 11, 1889 Idaho, July 3,
1890 Wyoming, July 10, 1890 Utah, January 4, 1896 Oklahoma,
November 16, 1907 New Mexico, January 6, 1912 Arizona,
February
14, 1912 Alaska, January 3, 1959 Hawaii, August 21, 1959