


                          Is Freemasonry Still Viable?
                           -by- Allen E. Roberts, FPS
                
                  [Note: What follows has been written in answer to this 
        question asked by a non-Mason who appeared to be interested in 
        the Craft. It will be condensed in a talk to be given in a 
        meeting open to the general public in the District of Columbia on 
        February 15, 1993.]
                
                  Is Freemasonry still viable in this age of "Hurrah for 
        me -- to heck with you." 
                  A simple question but indeed difficult to answer 
        simply. Of course the simple answer is "Yes!" But I fear there 
        are few, even within the Craft who would accept that truism 
        without a more comprehensive explanation.
                  Let me empathize, as I always try to do, that anything 
        I have to say is my opinion -- no more, no less. No one man, no 
        matter his rank in Freemasonry or station in life is, or can be, 
        a sole spokesman for this organization. And to this question one 
        can receive as many explanations as spokesmen.
                  Let me ask a couple of questions: Is God in His heaven? 
        Does Truth still exist?  Is Truth something we should continually 
        seek? Is being a patriot -- a love of our country -- still 
        acceptable? Are children still taught to love their parents, and 
        do parents still love, protect, cloth, feed and educate their 
        children? Is justice still practiced? Do we still help the 
        unfortunate?
                  If we can answer "Yes" to these questions, then 
        Freemasonry -- the fraternity of men that believes in the 
        Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God -- is indeed still 
        viable.
                  There will continue to be attempts by self-centered, 
        self-seeking, self-glorifying, selfish, egotistical men to 
        destroy Freemasonry -- the oldest, largest and finest fraternal 
        organization ever to exist. Their attempts have hurt Masonry for 
        a time, but as with anything supported by God, it will not die.
                  Strange, isn't it? Freemasonry isn't a charity, yet it 
        contributes daily more money for the unfortunate than any other 
        private organization. Masonry is not a religion, yet it's 
        teachings are acceptable to men of any and all religions. It asks  
        not what a man believes about God, only that he believe in God. 
        As its ritual states, it thereby can help all men meet about one 
        altar to express his religious beliefs as he professes. So it 
        unites men of every country, sect and opinion.  
                  This Freemasonry that is called a secret cult by its 
        enemies and critics is far from secret. More books have been 
        written about it than any other fraternity. Its members proudly 
        wear pins, rings, jewelry of all sorts, clothing and anything 
        else you can dream up proclaiming they are Freemasons, or members 
        of one of the bodies which depends on the Symbolic Lodge for its 
        existence. Principal among these is the Shrine whose members call 
        themselves "Noble" or "Shriners."
                  Freemasonry is viable because it is different. How? 
                  It doesn't seek new members. There was a time when a 
        man had to request a petition to seek membership in a Lodge. This 






        is still true, but to a lesser extent. In most places a Freemason 
        may openly discuss the benefits a man will find in Freemasonry. 
        We can even discuss the attributes found in Freemasonry: Relief,         
        Justice, the Search for Truth, and perhaps most important of all 
        -- Brotherhood, which in a manner of speaking is the love of man 
        for his God. 
                 You'll note we speak of his God. Unlike those who 
        profess love of certain religions, we never claim any particular 
        religious belief is an absolute necessity to attaining a place in 
        the hereafter with God. Freemasonry welcomes good men of every 
        country, sect and opinion. 
                  It's different because it teaches its lessons in much 
        the same manner as did the Master Teacher of all -- Jesus Christ. 
        He made extensive use of parables -- a form of ritual. So does 
        Masonry. His ritual and that of Freemasonry imprints wise and 
        serious truths on the minds of their adherents. Few, if any other         
        fraternal or service organizations do this. 
                  Did you know that unlike the Mason haters who claim to 
        be Christians, Freemasonry teaches exactly what Jesus taught?    
                  And just what did the Man from Galilee teach? Exactly 
        what Freemasonry has taught for centuries -- and still teaches 
        today -- love of man for his fellowman. 
                  Witness the Pharisees who continually tried to entrap 
        Jesus (just as the anti-Masons of today). Jesus parried their 
        traps in every case. "Haha!" said one who was a lawyer, "I've got 
        him!" He turned to the Carpenter and asked: "Master, which is the 
        great commandment in the law?"
                  Jesus looked at him and answered: "Thou shalt love the 
        Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with 
        all thy mind. This is the first and great  commandment.
                  "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy 
        neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law 
        and the prophets."
                  Now, please note, the Master Teacher didn't say "my 
        God" or "my neighbor." He said: "Thy God" and "thy Neighbor." 
        There's no qualification there. Unlike the hypocrites who claim 
        they speak for God and their version of religion is the only 
        religion that will get one to Heaven. 
                  But it's Christ's answer to Peter that I find most 
        interesting of all. "Lord," said Peter, "how oft shall my brother 
        sin against me and I forgive him? till seven times seven?" No, 
        sir! "Jesus saith unto him, 'I say not unto thee, Until seven         
        times; but, Until seventy times seven!'" Wow! What saith the con 
        artists in much of the electronic church who continuously plead 
        for money to support their high-living life-styles?
                  An anti-Masonic charlatan attempted for months to get 
        me on his television program. I finally told him I'd appear on it 
        provided (1) it be a live one-time telecast, or (2) I be given 
        editorial control over the tape. (Being a film producer I         
        know well how editing a film can make those appearing in it look 
        good or foolish.) Neither was acceptable to the pretender or his 
        cohorts. But he continued haunting me to appear. I finally 
        stopped the calls. How? I suggested he and his inquisitors 
        re-read (if they ever had read) the Sermon on the Mount. Never 
        again did I hear from them.






                  Is Freemasonry still viable? The answer is a resounding 
        YES. And as it has always been -- it's as modern in its concept 
        as tomorrow.
        
        



