The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 10 - Conclusion
Masonry incorporates many of the aspects inherent to the latter, they are not the
basis of the institution. The Order is not protected against misuse. In spite of this,
one can say with regard to its long history and social achievements that
"Masonry is a unique organization. When something is unique, it is unmatched,
unparalleled, unequalled, unsurpassed, uncommon, unprecedented, rare, and
singular. It is without like or equal. It is single in its kind or excellence." 2089
Masonry is a selective organization uniting men and in some instances women
with a common philosophy of life, who either believe in a Supreme Being or not,
and who try to live according to a moral code and tolerance transmitted through
allegories and symbols of the old builders' craft.
It is not a social club, not a civic club, not a fraternal insurance society,
not a society for the promotion of business or personal ambitions. All
these have their places, but no one wants to turn Masonry into one of
them. Not that we do not have opportunities for social contacts in our
many meetings, with occasional social gatherings, but these are
incidental to the main purposes of our Order. They are not the be all and
end all of its existence.
Masonry is not a political party, but it teaches its members to be
good citizens and to advocate those things which tend towards the ideal
state: public education, equality before the law, freedom of religion, and
due regard and tolerance for the rights and beliefs of others [...].
Neither is Masonry a church nor an organized religion, though all the
basic tenets and the fundamental virtues advocated by our Order are
inherent in the [...] Holy Bible [...]. 2090
Masonry has many faces. As a philosophical and ethic institution, it teaches
its adherents the building of the Temple of Humanity, of which every member
symbolically forms a stone. Thus, the Order serves to refine the individual
character. As a social institution, Freemasonry has the task of unifying the ingroup
and creating an inner cohesion. In the 18 th , 19 th , and early 20 th centuries,
Freemasonry by its exclusivity and secrecy thus provided a stage for discussing
and living out social roles, as well as - in some instances - political ideas
otherwise censored by the profane public. In our modern times, this necessity has
diminished, since these ideals are already granted in most countries by the civil
rights. However, as we have seen at the example of Prince Hall Masonry for the
blacks, the fraternity still plays an important role in fostering self-pride and selfhelp
within a suppressed minority:
Prince Hall Freemasonry has helped provide security, friendship, and
unity to its members. It has helped develop a tradition of organized
charity, self-help, and self-reliance, and has trained individual members
not only for Masonic leadership, but for leadership of the entire black
2089 The New Age Magazine, March, 1966, p. 53.
2090 Ibid.