A new subreddit dedicated to internal reflection on our Fraturnity

I do not have any personal objection to a Hindu joining. I only mentioned why the Hindus I know have told me. My lodge and jurisdiction have held to monotheism but we have never rejected somebody who held different beliefs. Like most lodges, we don't ask for details about what a candidate believes.

I have repeatedly made it clear that I do not believe the entertaining of an idea is an endorsement of an idea, which is a very intellectual stance. But that has not gone over very well here! I'm merely discussing ideas, not drawing a line in the sand and claiming they are beliefs of values I place on others, much less anybody who wishes to join. We have accepted agnostic-theists, they still believe in something.

Is that good? That's the discussion I'm attempting to have. I've seen lodges suffer and I think it is at least worth discussing everything. Has Masonry always made the correct decision? No. Who is to say the current setup is the best setup? We always evolve.

There was a lodge in New York that shot and killed a man during a ritual. Does that mean all lodges do this? No it does not. There was a lodge in Texas that hired strippers. Does that mean Masonry endorses that? No it does not.

The Bible was written in Hebrew and Koine Greek. The English translation is limited and poetically written. The original text is much drier. Many of the Greek and Hebrew words in the original text do not exist in English, so the closest word or meaning is used, which in some cases has been inaccurate.

When you get into Christianity, the spoken language was primarily Aramaic. For the most part, this language has been largely lost. The Assyrians have attempted to revive it, but they have not been able to do it accurately.

The written after Jesus was written in Koine, which is a very simple language. So much of the more complex spoken word was simplified.

I have been involved in some reverse translation for an international Christian organization to attempt to identify possible original words from the Assyrian language that is being rebuilt.

/r/freemasonry Thread Parent