Date: 01-07-97 (23:28)              Number: 407 of 425 (Refer# NONE)
  To: ALL
From: Whiter@btinternet.com, RICHARD WHITE
Subj: Re: George Washington, Freemason
Read: (N/A)                         Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
Conf: alt.freemasonry (12)       Read Type: GENERAL (A) (+)

Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry
Organization: Software/400 Ltd.
Message-ID: <01bbfcf1$5b9aa540$212449c2@s400-b>



WM ignotum <wmignotum@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970102144201.JAA13783@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> George Washington was only twenty in november 1752 when he joined the
> Mosonic Order. He rose quickly through the ranks and eventually was
> elected Grand Master of the Grand lodge of Virginia, although he declined
> the office.
>    Washington treasured his Masonic ties. The Marqui de Lafayette, who
> served under him, Washington used Freemasonry to forge unity among his
> soldiers/troops who largely identified not with a nascent nation but with
> their individual colonies.
>     The general welcomed the creation of at least 11 new military Masonic
> lodges, in which men from all the colonies could mix. The lodges were
> moral builders for many of the men. Washington valued the loyalty of The
> Craft. He wrote "The virtues that enoble mankind are taught, nourished,
> and fostered in the halls of Freemasonry; they encourage domestic life
and
> serve as a standard for the highest duties of state."
>     The reason for the semi Masonic biography of Washington is my way of
> saying to the people who call us "Satanic, Evil, Moraly corrupt ect." If
> it wasn't for a Mason we might not have this great country of ours. I
> would also like to add the fact that the majority of our founding fathers
> WERE masons.... I hope you think about the FACTS before passing any kind
> of judgement on anything..
>
>         Let the captives be brought to light,
>          Peter Adams, PM, RAM, AF&AM.

George Washington may well be considered a hero of the revolution and a
mainstay of Freemasonry in the American colonies.    But how well did he
live up to his Masonic duties?

1.	Contrary of the ancient traditions of Freemasonry he betrayed the
Sovereign of his native land (i.e. King George III).   Every new made mason
is charged with the necessity of paying due obediance to the laws of the
land by never proposing or at all countenancing any act that may have a
tendency to subvert the peace and good order of society and above all by
never losing sight of the allegiance due to the Sovereign of his native
land.

2.	He further betrayed his Sovereign committing both treason under common
law and mutiny under martial law - the former as a loyal subject of the
Crown and the latter because he also held a Commission from the King with
the rank of Colonel.

3.	He also broke with the more recent established traditions of the Craft
by involving it in the politics of the time (although he was far from being
alone in this).   His use of Freemasonry to aid the political cohesion of
the new USA from the individual states, and his reliance on the Brotherly
Love among Freemasons to render the loyalist officers less willing to kill
fellow Freemasons in the rebel army or witness to this.


4.	Subsequently he endorsed and become the first President of a country
which positively promoted the continuance of Slavery and the abduction of
free men and women from Africa into slavery.   There was however some
embarassment at this and the slaves were politely refered to a "migrant
labour" etc..  Perhaps this was the beginning of politically correct
wordings?


I could go on - however the main point I am making is that George
Washington is a famous hero because he won.   Had he lost the revolution he
would have gone down as a traitor.

We must of course be fair - the origins of the American revolution were
founded on the injustices of the colonial rule.   And at that time, slaves
were hardly condidered proper human beings, let alone worthy of being part
of the new order - any more than were women at theat time.

Regards,

Richard


Date: 01-08-97 (17:32)              Number: 417 of 425 (Refer# NONE)
  To: ALL
From: rfire@cais.cais.com, DR  ROGER M  FIRESTONE
Subj: Re: George Washington, Freemason
Read: (N/A)                         Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
Conf: alt.freemasonry (12)       Read Type: GENERAL (A) (+)

Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry
Organization: Sent via CAIS Internet <info@cais.com>
Message-ID: <5b0ln2$bjs@news2.cais.com>

Newly admitted Masons are _charged_ to be peaceable citizens of the
state, but that is different from being _obligated_ to be so.  George
Washington did not, so far as we know, violate his _obligations_ as a
Mason.  Indeed, one can say that because the government in Britain had
acted tyrannically toward its subjects in the new world colonies, it
lost the legitimacy of its rule.  Should Freemasons in Germany have
been "good Nazis" by the same token?

George Washington was a traitor to England, whether he won or lost.
But that does not mean he was false to his obligations as a Mason.

Also, I remind you that it is not involvement in politics or religion
that is proscribed in Freemasonry; it is _divisive or invidious_
politics or religion.  One may not discuss the superiority of one's
party or cnadidate.  But George Washington used Freemasonry to promote
patriotism--love and ardor for the new country being founded by the
Revolution.  Patriotism and support of country are not what is meant
by "politics" in addressing what is prohibited in Lodge.

Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH


