INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHY CONFERENCE
2008
The Potential Contribution of Freemasonry to Global Dialogue
When Doctor Levy first contacted me regarding my addressing this conference on the subject of Freemasonry's relationship with religion, science and philosophy and its potential contribution to global dialogue, I must admit that I had serious reservations concerning my qualifications to do so and I still do. First of all, even though Freemasonry has mystical and esoteric elements that are attractive to many adherents, my relationship to the “craft” is in a far more practical sense as its practice relates to its philosophical purpose and it's contribution to the evolution of civil society. Secondly, I was totally ignorant with the subject of and practice of theosophy.
Dr. Levy alleviated some of my concerns when I talked with him in a telephone conversation. He pointed out that my professional training, interests and occupations might offer a unique perspective especially as the world looks hopefully forward to a more stable environment than the one in which we presently live.
I grew up with a great interest in religion and religious studies and when I entered college, it was to prepare myself to enter into the ministry. Before I finished, however, I changed my major studies to the field of science. I graduated from undergraduate school with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology and finished my graduate studies in the field of zoology with a minor in botany. I entered the teaching profession on a secondary school level teaching biology, chemistry and physics and finished with 14 years on a collegiate level teaching biology, anatomy and physiology.
I eventually left the field of science and after a short time in the business world became a full-time participant in Freemasonry. I served for 20 years as the Grand Secretary of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, two additional years as Grand Secretary for foreign relations and am now in my tenth year as Executive Secretary of the World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges where I am now generally looked upon as a Masonic philosopher. When I was introduced to the president of Portugal about 12 years ago as a noted Masonic philosopher I questioned in my mind, how I could be considered a philosopher. I then began to recognize that a philosopher was an individual with opinions and I do have opinions, especially as they relate to the philosophical purpose and the practice of Freemasonry. In essence, therefore, my life did indeed relate to the elements of science, religion, philosophy and Freemasonry.
In researching the subject of Theosophy I found that according to Webster it relates to the knowledge of divine things and wise in divine matters. It also involves the study of various philosophies or religious systems that propose to establish direct mystical contact with divine principle to contemplation, revelation etc. I found on the Internet that it is a nonsectarian worldwide organization devoted to human solidarity, culture, understanding and self-development. This definition could very well be applied to Freemasonry.
Before I continue let me point out that my references to men in this paper is in a generic sense. Freemasonry is generally thought of as a male bastion and what we refer to as “Regular Freemasonry” does indeed limit itself to male only membership. However, there are lodges of female only membership and lodges that accept both men and women. These lodges are also ancient, originating in the mid 1700’s.
Although Freemasonry lacks the basic criteria of a religion, i.e. a dogma, a theological doctrine or a means to salvation, it does require its adherents to the belief in God's existence as the creator and architect of the universe as a precondition for admission and it encourages its members to become active participants in the religion of their choice. There is no special God of Freemasonry. Each Mason's God remains the one of his religion. It respects all religions and accepts only those who have faith in what they believe. It stimulates all to be a lover of the arts and sciences and to make every effort to improve themselves therein. This encouragement also applies to the studies of their religious commitments so that they might understand more fully the meaning of their belief in a power greater than themselves. In this sense there seems to be some relationship between the philosophical purposes of Freemasonry and that of the Theosophical Movement.
I noted in your program that the keynote address was titled, Global Dialogue: Universal Communication of Wisdom in the 21st Century. I would think that the title of this address would be applicable to a major purpose of Freemasonry throughout the centuries of its existence. It certainly is one of the defined goals of the World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges. This purpose has not changed over time although the application of its methodologies has been greatly altered in some areas of the world since the age of the Enlightenment. However, this evolution of its commitment is not totally unlike that of any other organization that played a vital role during this period in human history.
Freemasonry has been defined in many ways throughout its existence. Perhaps the most descriptive is that it is a “beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols”. We look at ourselves as a “Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God” and as “a way of life”. The simplest and most complete definition is that it is an organization designed, “to take good men and make them better”. Unfortunately most of the definitions are ambiguous enough so that few understand them. It is extremely difficult for most Freemasons to define it in such a way as to make it understandable to those outside of the membership. Indeed, today only a relative small percentage of the members themselves truly understand the significance of the purpose of the craft. Words are simply words. Understanding must transcend words and today this may be the greatest failure on the part of North American Freemasonry.
To understand the potential for Freemasonry to create a global impact through global dialogue and therefore to impact the ongoing evolution of civil society, we must first understand the proposed origins and history of an organization that did undeniably contribute to this evolution in the past and therefore to its potential contribution in the future.
It is almost incomprehensible that any organization that has existed for as long as has Freemasonry to have no true knowledge of its origin. The generally accepted theory is that Freemasonry descended from the early building guilds that were responsible for the erection of the great cathedrals and other structures in Europe during the Renaissance. There is, however, no conclusive evidence to prove that this theory is true. Indeed, it is confounding to think that an organization that has attracted some of the greatest minds that ever lived could be the result of simple stonemasons accepting into their membership those from the highest echelons of society.
A second theory that has been advocated by some Masonic authors and that has passed in and out of favor in the minds of most, is that Freemasonry is either a direct descendent from the remnants of the Knights Templar or that the Knights Templar joined forces with the early Freemasons to produce the foundation of what exists today. This is not a widely accepted theory and again there is no proof for its accuracy.
I have just finished writing a review on a book entitled, Isaac Newton’s Freemasonry: The Alchemy of Science and Mysticism. In this book it is the author's conclusion that Freemasonry had an indelible relationship with the Royal Society through which Isaac Newton was the significant player when Freemasonry emerged as the “incestuous child of research, theology, and freedom”! This theory is far too new to have been examined or debated by scholars of the craft but it is an intriguing concept and frankly stimulates my interest. It carries much logic when trying to piece together a stimulating force within the parameters of the Masonic fraternity that was attractive to so many great men.
I also recently wrote a review on a book with the title, The Knights Templar of the Middle East-The Hidden Mystery of the Islamic Origins of Freemasonry. The authors of this text trace the origins of Freemasonry from the pre-Christian era through the Egyptians, the Mediterranean mystery religions, Islam, and finally the Templars and their influence in structuring Freemasonry. It is therefore their conclusion that Freemasonry's development was directly through the Knights Templar and into its present form but with its embryonic roots in Islam. This is also a new theory that remains to be analyzed and debated.
The principal author of this book claimed to be “Prince Michael of Albany” a legal descendent of the Stewart House of Great Britain and head of Scotland's legitimate Royal House of Stewart. Two days ago I received a communication from a good friend who suggested I might want to take a look at the Internet regarding “Prince Michael”. In doing so I find that there is much evidence to indicate that he is a fraud and a forger.
However, I take solace knowing that I was not alone in spreading his claim. He has been doing so with support from many more knowledgeable people than me for 30 years. I do not know where this places the information in the book. It was still an interesting concept but has now a seriously damaged credibility.
There have been literally tens of thousands of books written on the subject of Freemasonry throughout its several hundred years of existence in an organized form that began in London in 1717, and yet no one knows for sure where we came from. The principal cause of this lack of knowledge of our own heritage is that very little was ever recorded in written form and most of what was written has either been lost or destroyed. Even to this day the ritual of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has no written form. It has been transmitted via word-of-mouth for more than 275 years.
Regardless of how Freemasonry came into being the significance of it is in the impact that it created on the evolution of civil society for several hundred years. It was one of the principal organizations that provided an environment during the age of the Enlightenment for great minds to gather and share their thoughts and ideas with limited fear of governmental suppression or religious restraint. (I would point out that this limited fear depended upon the rule of the country in which it existed.) This environment was especially significant in colonial America for it contributed to the development of a whole new concept of what a nation should be.
Many of the leaders of early America such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, John Paul Jones, John Hancock the Marquis de Lafayette along with many others were members of the fraternity. Of course, it remains debatable as to whether Freemasonry attracted great men or contributed to making men great but it is inconceivable that so many of the historically significant figures who lead their countries struggles for freedom, liberty and equality were not influenced by the philosophy of the craft. To list these great men would be like a listing of a Who's Who of the liberators of the world. This list would include names like Simon Bolivar in South America, San Martin in Argentina, Benito Juarez in Mexico, Giuseppe Garibaldi in Italy, Theodore Kolokotronis in Greece, Ataturk in Turkey, Lajos Kussuth in Hungry, to name but a few. These men are universally revered in their countries for providing the leadership to rise above the tyrannical suppression that dominated the freedom of thought in the minds and bodies of the citizens. There are few countries in the world today that enjoy freedom, liberty and equality that do not do so as a result of the philosophical precepts of Freemasonry or the influence of Freemasons. Even to this day where freedom does not exist, Freemasonry cannot exist, and where Freemasonry cannot exist, the environment is not conducive to Global Dialogue.
The Masonic fraternity has, however, exhibited a phenomenal capability of survival. With the exception of the continued operation of Freemasonry in Cuba, dictatorial and repressive forms of government have worked to destroy it. Up to an estimated 100,000 Freemasons died in the same prison camps along with the Jews during the Holocaust. In Austria during the Nazi domination, all Worshipful Masters of lodges were imprisoned in those infamous concentration camps. Those in Japan suffered the same fate simply because they were Freemasons. Many more thousands died under the repressive regimes of Mussolini, Stalin, Tito, Mao, Franco, (who sentenced all Freemasons in the country to 10 years imprisonment,) and others. Freemasons who were present when Khomeini returned to Iran and could not escape were either imprisoned or executed and had all their properties confiscated, and it continues into present times. The Grand Master of Venezuela was assassinated just this past summer.
These men all were enemies of Freemasonry, and they all opposed the craft for the same reasons that others embraced it, the Masonic precept of the right of men to be free and equal and the practice of tolerance of all men's right to believe in and worship their God as their conscience dictates. This belief is an antithesis to their type of rule.
During the early days of Freemasonry, persecution in many countries was a way of life. Lodges and Grand Lodges were forced to close in numerous European countries as a result of both religious and civil persecution. When Catherine the Great came into power in Russia she shut down all Masonic lodges even though it was through their efforts that Russia gained its greatest introduction to civility. Indeed, in most countries, the society influenced the structuring of the style of Freemasonry based upon the sociological needs of that environment. In Russia, however, Freemasonry contributed more to the structuring of the society. And yet, there will rarely be a reference to any of this impact in history books.
For many years I questioned why historians chose to ignore the organizations of history until I began to comprehend that historians wrote about men and women not organizations that may have influenced them. Today, however, historians are taking more note of the influence that organizations have had upon the minds of those who were creating the history. Freemasonry is one of the most significant of these organizations due to the lasting influence it has had on the evolution of civil society, especially during the age of the Enlightenment.
The Lodge of the Nine Sisters in Paris included in their constitution that “Masons admitted to the society were to devote their attention to studying natural and moral laws, to investigating the arts and sciences, and to engaging in cooperative enterprises for the promotion of the craft and the Enlightenment”.
Regretfully, our craft has also been persecuted extensively by misguided spiritual leaders who looked upon it as a form of competition since we require the belief in a supreme being and as a barrier to their desire for mastery over the minds of their followers. This attack against Freemasonry by various religious institutions has been ongoing since Pope Clement XII issued the first papal bull against the craft in 1738. Today the greatest challenges are from the fundamental and radical elements of religious leadership. Fundamentalism and radicalism in any form of religion is a threat to those who accept the freedom of religion for all people.
This objection is the result of the attitude that if you are not totally supportive of us, you are against us, i.e. if you are not Christian, you are anti-Christ. They find great objection to the fact that Freemasonry promotes toleration and freedom of thought, embracing all people and all religious dogmas, testifying a belief in a Supreme Power. In spite of the efforts of those who would destroy it, however, it has not only survived, it has flourished. It is a tragic commentary that the enemies of the craft have been the world's greatest tyrants and some of the world's prominent religious leaders, both major antagonists of each other. It is probably even more tragic that they oppose us for the very same reason, the philosophical principle that man should not only have the right to worship God but the right to worship God as he sees fit.
This propensity for survival along with a steadfast dedication to the philosophy of the craft also increases the potential that Freemasonry can play a vital role in an ethical, moral and even a spiritual awakening in society through stimulating global dialogue. Make no doubt about it; if this development of a new age of Enlightenment is to be achieved, survivability will be mandatory. It is going to require dedicated and committed individuals and organizations with the vision to look far into the future and possessing the capacity to survive.
I have looked upon the influence of Freemasonry along with its survivability primarily as a result of three factors. Firstly, it was one of the first associations to accept men of all walks of life as equals, or as the prominent Masonic historian Margaret Jacob expresses it, “it was the first leveler of society”. It became an organization of like-minded men wherein one could experience an environment of order, harmony and charity with limited fear of suppression. Secondly, it attracted some of the greatest minds that ever lived. Very few, if any, organization can boast of as many great men in its membership over several hundred years as can Freemasonry. Thirdly, it remained selective on the quality of the man that it would accept. Elimination of any one of these three factors would have resulted in an inability to create a lasting influence on society.
In addition, Freemasonry lacks the built in bigotry of religion. Freemasonry's one requirement which causes it not only to be linked to religion but to be opposed by some religious leaders is the requirement of a belief in a Supreme Being that Freemasons refer to as the Supreme Architect of the Universe. There is no religious line drawn in the sand to prevent great thinking minds from working together toward a common goal. Therefore religion serves not as a barrier to bringing men together but rather as an attractive force. The seal of the Grand Lodge of Israel, operating in one of the more unstable environments in the world today for example, contains the Cross for the Christian, the Crescent for the Moslem and the Star of David for the Jew. I have been in lodges in areas of the world that had as many as five volumes of the Sacred Law upon the altar. Freemasonry truly is a brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. This in itself provides a solid foundation upon which to structure global dialogue.
However, it was not the intent of early Freemasonry to create a global dialogue. Indeed, early Freemasonry tended to express an attitude of provincialism and continues to some extent to do so today. In spite of itself, however, it became a global phenomenon and its commitment to enlightened ideals caused it to become a major factor in the development of freedom seeking societies. It is impressive to see the number of countries that have consecrated or re-consecrated Masonic lodges in Eastern Europe since the collapse of communism. It is just as impressive to observe their dedication not only to the principles that created the greatness of the craft but also to the intent of the leadership to a global understanding.
I have had the privilege of speaking in most of these Eastern European countries since the fall of communism and have encouraged them to study the past and to structure themselves upon the successes of Freemasonry and to avoid the failures. I also emphasize the need to participate in worldwide networking of ideas and in setting and achieving universal goals. This is where Freemasonry has the added potential to contribute to global dialogue. The network already exists and has for several hundred years. I have traveled over much of the world during the past 25 years and never cease to be impressed with the quality of the men that I find within the fraternity. These are the men who are the leaders in their respective societies and countries and are therefore the men who must assume the principle responsibility for global dialogue.
When I was still in the teaching profession and that was over 35 years ago, I was cautioning my students that with the rapidly advancing technology of today, the world will find it impossible to keep up with the legal, ethical and moral requirements of a moral and ethical Society. How true that possibility has become! Unfortunately it appears to be worsening. The need for committed organizations to these fundamental principles of a stable society will continue to increase.
I also challenged my students to locate in today's world with so many more inhabitants the da Vincis, the Beethoven's, the Michelangelos, the Mozarts, the Rembrandts, the Haydns, the von Goethes of the arts, the Voltares of pilosophy the Washingtons, Jeffersons and Garibaldi's from the world of government and from the world of science the Newtons and Galileos who contributed so greatly to the development of a true civil society. Theirs became more than an isolated contribution in a field of expertise. Their contributions tended to unite societies and stimulate enlightenment where they were accepted. Jean Roucher in 1779 wrote regarding Isaac Newton, “Newton made the heavens his domain and through his discoveries made the world humane”. What a great legacy from the age of the Enlightenment. What a great goal for a new age of Enlightenment; to make the world more humane.
Regretfully today, we live in an environment that rewards mediocrity so well that there is little incentive to rise above it. We live, however, in a society that desperately needs an infusion of civility into civil society, a development of a leadership with vision to see beyond self-satisfaction, and a character of life dedicated to rising above the mediocrity of today's social structure. We really do need an organization dedicated to taking good men and making them better; making them better by injecting ethical and moral principles into whatever their profession along with proving to them that they really are greater than they thought they could be. It is a tragedy of no small proportion when we find religious, business and political leaders upon whom we tend to place our greatest trust, functioning as if they are beyond the laws that govern our societies.
What a great goal the Theosophical Movement has assumed to in essence, advance us into a new Age of Enlightenment. It matters not; the name or structure of the organization as long as its dedication is for the uplifting of mankind. Up until a few weeks ago I was unfamiliar with Theosophy and the Theosophical Movement and yet I have come to respect your motives and goals, probably because of the similarity to many of the goals of Freemasonry.
Several years ago I presented a paper to a symposium meeting at UCLA on the subject of the American Enlightenment. During my research for this paper I discovered how illogical it is to consider the creation of the United States of America and fail to comprehend the influence that enlightened minds must have had upon its establishment. I also became more acutely aware of the impact on the development of our society that Freemasonry has created through its environment for enlightened thought. The attributes of the Enlightenment became manifest in principle and in almost every direction early American leaders took in the creation of this country. Indeed, it might not be far-fetched to say that the United States of America is a living manifestation of the Enlightenment or that it precipitated a movement that resulted in what we know today as modern civil society. It can in truth be said to be an invention of the Enlightenment. Margaret Jacob in her book Living the Enlightenment stated that “Modern civil society was invented during the Enlightenment in the new enclaves of sociability of which Freemasonry was the most avowedly constitutional and aggressively civic.”
The Masonic lodge in early America found itself in a unique position to develop enlightened thought by gathering together men from different countries, with different ideologies, opinions and religious backgrounds and fusing them into a common band of brothers with diverse approaches toward a common goal. The result was New World idealism with an entirely new concept of what a nation could and should be with respect to the rights and freedom of humankind.
Today we find ourselves in an environment not dissimilar from those who contributed to the breaking of the bonds of suppression and restraint on the minds of men 250 years ago. The binding forces and restraining elements may be different but they are nonetheless, just as real. There are certainly those societies today that are experiencing similar types of oppressive rule that was experienced at that time; just the systematics and methodologies have changed. This condition offers organizations dedicated to philosophical precepts that promotes the rights and freedoms that all peoples deserve, the opportunity to exert their influence on a global scale.
Of an even greater challenge, however, may well be the need to generate within the leadership of our Western societies the ethical and moral values that will permit them to rise above their self-imposed limitations and clouded vision that have hindered the achievement of the full potential of democratic society. The need for enlightened minds may today be greater than at any time in history since similar minds developed the new concept that resulted in the birth of the United States of America that in turn served as a template in structuring future democratic societies.
Political correctness today places great restraint on freedom of action if not on freedom of thought. The democracy experienced today is not the democracy created by the enlightened minds of our forefathers. If there is to be continued evolution of positive progression of human development characterized by a moral and ethical commitment, it is going to require organizations with the philosophical purposes of Freemasonry and of the Theosophical Movement, to become more influential in that development. We must always aim to pull others up to meet at our level, not climb down to meet on their level.
Unfortunately for North American Freemasonry and probably for Theosophy as well, the environment in which we operate in America is the great equalizer. It is extremely difficult to produce greatness in a society dedicated to equality regardless of the efforts or capabilities of the individual.
More than 30 years ago I wrote a paper for a Flag Day observance which I titled, “What My Flag Means to Me”. In it, I made these observations; “My flag guarantees me the right to an education but it does not guarantee me an education. My flag assures me protection under the law but my flag does not give me the prerogative to violate the law. My flag gives me the freedom to practice my own religious beliefs, but this freedom does not include the right to force my beliefs on others through our political process. My flag gives me the privilege to stand with the decisions of the majority, but my flag does not give me, if I so choose, minority opinion, to dictate my beliefs to the majority.
The equality professed by Freemasonry provides the opportunity for acceptance of men of different religions, social strata and occupations to sit together and act together on equal grounds. It provides the encouragement for men to rise above the limitations that are self-imposed or even societally-imposed. It does not, however, imply that all men are equals genetically, intellectually or physically.
Maureen Dowd wrote in a column that I read in the New York Times some years ago, “If you require less than you deserve, you will receive even less than you require”. Well, we are requiring less than we deserve and so to is the leadership of our society and less is what we are receiving.
Elitism is not a dirty word. Freemasonry became elitist when they decided to take good men and make them better. Elitism played a major role in bringing together the great minds of the age of the Enlightenment and even though one of the fundamental premises upon which Freemasonry is founded is accepting men from all walks of life, it was the men with great minds and capable of great thoughts that made it an influential segment of society. My friends, fine porcelain cannot be made from poor clay.
In America today, the attractiveness of Freemasonry to the influential leaders of society and as a result its potential to influence evolving society has waned considerably. The decreasing vision of the leadership is certainly partly responsible for this decline but the sociological clime in which we operate must assume a major responsibility. We simply live in a society where organizations dedicated to helping others are no longer a dominant factor in our social structure. We are struggling against a sociological apathy for which we have found no cure and until this cure is found our capability of stimulating and advancing into a new age of Enlightenment is improbable.
The failure to maintain the third factor that I mentioned, selectivity, has resulted in a dramatic decline in its ability to attract prominent thinking individuals. Any organization tending to place responsibility on its members is not readily received in this day and age. Hundreds of fraternal, beneficent, civic and social organizations have become extinct in the past 50 years and many more are on the brink of extinction for that very reason. Our government has assumed at the expense of the taxpayer many of the functions that these organizations provided without this expense in the past but even as Freemasonry is not a religion it is also not a political lobbying organization for governmental reform nor is it a forum for political discussion. Indeed, two subjects that are never permitted to be discussed in a lodge are religion and politics. This is enforced to maintain harmony and good order in the lodge room.
It is the function of Freemasonry to build the man; it is the function of the man then to build the society. Freemasonry for several hundred years has proven its potential to stimulate men to excel. However, of an even greater importance is its potential to instill in their consciences those philosophical precepts that will stimulate them to strive toward improving the world for all of its citizens. Our craft has served as a classic example of how an organization with dedicated purpose can rise above almost insurmountable resistance and intractable odds to remain a leader in a cause to resist those who would seek to destroy the freedoms and rights of man.
It is going to require for North America to internally generate a new long range vision along with a regeneration of enlightened thought to inspire the membership and to cause them to comprehend the potential that they possess to make this world a fit abiding place for all mankind as well as for the Supreme Architect of the universe.
The need for a new Age of the Enlightenment is paramount. Great thinking minds must be out there. Kant defined the Enlightenment as, “a search for truth and the freeing of human knowledge from the chains of suppression and superstition with which it has long been bound” but does not sociological apathy, result in a decline of effort in the search for truth, the loss of ethical standards and the failure to maintain moral principles and is not that, just as binding on enlightened thought?
So where in this age of rapidly advancing technology inhabited by citizens with a “me now” mindset and a commitment of their time to self-satisfaction allowing little time for concern of the need for enlightened thought leave organizations that tend to appear archaic, with commitments such as the fraternity of Freemasonry or the Theosophical movement? Have our organizations with our philosophies really become an anachronism in present-day society?
If we are not an anachronism then we must become more active participants in structuring an ethical and moral global society. This cannot happen unless it is preceded by global dialogue. We may not resolve our issues through global dialogue but we definitely will not resolve them by failure to have a dialogue. This knowledge opens wide the door to organizations based upon the fundamental commitments such as Freemasonry, that has a perspective to do so, a history that has done so and a survival capability to outlast the opponents of a civilized world.
There can never be a time when our principles are not applicable to any society. The path we are on today is not proving successful if we analyze it with a measuring standard grading on ethics morality, honesty and integrity. Somewhere out there in this world's vast population are minds just as capable of enlightened thought as were present during that last great age. The demand for organizations to attract these minds and stimulate them with philosophical fundamentals for the benefit of human social structure may be our greatest hope for survival as a civilized society. We simply cannot afford to fail in our quest, for if we do, the world will be the poorer for it.