Thank you for sharing, brother. Greetings in 2024. I'm compelled to believe, or at least consider, that upon information received thus far from meetings with Masons, (and I mean hearing the word), that much of the constant complaints held against us by anti- masonic organizations is probably not related to anything morally whatsoever; these people, or groups intend to cause disharmony among Freemasonry members. It is something I hope we brothers consider here that binds us with spiritual knowledge on the Plum to do our best individually to become better over and over again. Our personal development is important as we exist in the fraternity, it becoming what it has become today since 1717. Our faith has been the joy the Fraternity has preserved for endless time. We must discover our inner selves where what we don't disclose to those outside of the fraternity is the foundation we alone must remain self- aware of to keep an open mind to the theory of knowledge, building relationships, working with others, and our faith in the, 'Great Architect'. This disharmony is our perception individually, and we are addressing how to stay focused this month with an outlook to the Craft in which we brothers believe to be the better society of harmony than existing organizations attempting to encompass us for only to test our faith. I enjoy your thoughts, and I hope to continue to be able to. Excellent posts as this one are the posts I know to expect from you. With that, I yield back the floor.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts, and for your very kind words. I appreciate them very much.
As long as we remain vigilant as Freemasons, we can keep the forces of division and disharmony away from our Brotherhood. I certainly hope that is the case anyway.
Bracing for impact here as well. And in some ways it's already here, with massive injustices that some cry and others deny and we have to hold it all in.
Personally, I have a separate Facebook page for any commentary that might be contentious.
A separate FB page is I think a very good idea for those of us who want to be active as Masons and political folks online. Doing that certainly helps to preserve the reputation of our Craft.
I don't personally have one, but I think I successfully avoid all the big national controversies while on Social Media. I try to limit my social media politics to stuff happening in my own little city. There doesn't seem much divisive disagreement on those local issues. We all want a thriving main street and good infrastructure.
A great friend of mine and I would have relatively civil arguments about union issues. He's very pro union, and I am pretty anti public sector union. I don't mind unions forming through private corporations, as they deserve to collectively bargain with the companies they work for.
But occasionally we would disagree about a topic, and go back and forth a few times stating our cases, but in the end we'd usually agree to disagree and move on.
Well, his wife took exception to my discourse, and proceeded to send me some very heated texts telling me to leave her husband alone, and that I was mean and an asshole. Keep in mind, both my friend and I to this day get along great. We both have the ability of separating politics from friendship. At no time did we stoop to anger. But, in the interest of harmony, I had to unfollow him on social media, because I didn't want to engage in further heated conversations with the spouse.
But you are right, the public narrative being pushed is meant to sow hate, fear and disharmony, a divided society is easier to control while our government robs us blind. Entire families and friendships have been torn apart over politics.
Your point is very well taken, people do have different levels of tolerance for political debate and jousting. It has been my profession throughout my adult life, so I've certainly got friends from all along the political spectrum, some that I disagree with and debate quite strongly. But, I recognize that I'm an odd duck, given my profession, where much of this is viewed more as sport than something to become angry over.
But, even that is breaking down in my own workplace now, and there are markedly less friendships across the political divide than there were in the past. It seems that many more people take disagreement personally these days. And are much quicker to ascribe impure motives to political opponents.
Vast sums of money are raised and made by those who can cause fear and disharmony between people, so that does give incentive to tear our society apart. It would be wise for we as a people to recognize the scam for what it is, and stop falling for it.
But, ultimately, I think as we move through 2024, all of us as Masons need to ensure that we don't allow any of this to sow division or hard feelings within our Craft.
There's no question that social media has emboldened the hateful, and thereby has normalized hate. Yes, let's preserve our dignity with our online remarks. We can at least be proud of that. But there's only so much that this can accomplish; social media is thick with people looking for a fight that they won't shy away from when they don't have to look their readers in the eye. But let's preserve our dignity online anyway. And let's do more.
Years ago I was walking through Pioneer Square on my way to Starbucks for a mid-morning refresher when a young woman holding a clipboard bearing a sticker from the other party approached me and asked me to sign something, which I declined and explained that I was going to stick with my party. I continued toward Starbucks and as I opened the door I heard her from behind me saying, "Oh, that's a good idea", and she followed me in. As we stood in line I braced myself for what I feared might be a lecture on the merits of her party, but she didn't say a word. When it was my turn I ordered my coffee and then pointed to her and told the barista to give my fine friend from the other party anything she wanted. She immediately resisted and said, "Oh no, you don't have to do that." I replied, "Yes I do. I believe in the two-party system and we don't have to agree with each other but we do need each other and we need to respect each other." She thanked me and told me I was nicer that many others she had encountered from my party.
I do very little online. I generally don't trust the big platforms and so much of what's online is either a shouting match or somebody bragging. But whatever I do online I'll keep it civil. When I'm not online I'm going to buy coffee for people from the other party.
>>>"Yes I do. I believe in the two-party system and we don't have to agree with each other but we >>>do need each other and we need to respect each other."
This is exactly correct. If we did not have a loyal opposition our entire political system would collapse into tyranny. Perhaps an unlikely benevolent tyranny, but tyranny nevertheless. For it to work at all, there must be two (or more of course) sides, the side that rules and the opposition.
To hate the opposite side for doing exactly as it needs to do in order to make our system function is crazy!
Thank you for sharing, brother. Greetings in 2024. I'm compelled to believe, or at least consider, that upon information received thus far from meetings with Masons, (and I mean hearing the word), that much of the constant complaints held against us by anti- masonic organizations is probably not related to anything morally whatsoever; these people, or groups intend to cause disharmony among Freemasonry members. It is something I hope we brothers consider here that binds us with spiritual knowledge on the Plum to do our best individually to become better over and over again. Our personal development is important as we exist in the fraternity, it becoming what it has become today since 1717. Our faith has been the joy the Fraternity has preserved for endless time. We must discover our inner selves where what we don't disclose to those outside of the fraternity is the foundation we alone must remain self- aware of to keep an open mind to the theory of knowledge, building relationships, working with others, and our faith in the, 'Great Architect'. This disharmony is our perception individually, and we are addressing how to stay focused this month with an outlook to the Craft in which we brothers believe to be the better society of harmony than existing organizations attempting to encompass us for only to test our faith. I enjoy your thoughts, and I hope to continue to be able to. Excellent posts as this one are the posts I know to expect from you. With that, I yield back the floor.
Thank you for sharing these thoughts, and for your very kind words. I appreciate them very much.
As long as we remain vigilant as Freemasons, we can keep the forces of division and disharmony away from our Brotherhood. I certainly hope that is the case anyway.
Bracing for impact here as well. And in some ways it's already here, with massive injustices that some cry and others deny and we have to hold it all in.
Personally, I have a separate Facebook page for any commentary that might be contentious.
A separate FB page is I think a very good idea for those of us who want to be active as Masons and political folks online. Doing that certainly helps to preserve the reputation of our Craft.
I don't personally have one, but I think I successfully avoid all the big national controversies while on Social Media. I try to limit my social media politics to stuff happening in my own little city. There doesn't seem much divisive disagreement on those local issues. We all want a thriving main street and good infrastructure.
Know thy audience. Have a thicker skin.
A great friend of mine and I would have relatively civil arguments about union issues. He's very pro union, and I am pretty anti public sector union. I don't mind unions forming through private corporations, as they deserve to collectively bargain with the companies they work for.
But occasionally we would disagree about a topic, and go back and forth a few times stating our cases, but in the end we'd usually agree to disagree and move on.
Well, his wife took exception to my discourse, and proceeded to send me some very heated texts telling me to leave her husband alone, and that I was mean and an asshole. Keep in mind, both my friend and I to this day get along great. We both have the ability of separating politics from friendship. At no time did we stoop to anger. But, in the interest of harmony, I had to unfollow him on social media, because I didn't want to engage in further heated conversations with the spouse.
But you are right, the public narrative being pushed is meant to sow hate, fear and disharmony, a divided society is easier to control while our government robs us blind. Entire families and friendships have been torn apart over politics.
Your point is very well taken, people do have different levels of tolerance for political debate and jousting. It has been my profession throughout my adult life, so I've certainly got friends from all along the political spectrum, some that I disagree with and debate quite strongly. But, I recognize that I'm an odd duck, given my profession, where much of this is viewed more as sport than something to become angry over.
But, even that is breaking down in my own workplace now, and there are markedly less friendships across the political divide than there were in the past. It seems that many more people take disagreement personally these days. And are much quicker to ascribe impure motives to political opponents.
Vast sums of money are raised and made by those who can cause fear and disharmony between people, so that does give incentive to tear our society apart. It would be wise for we as a people to recognize the scam for what it is, and stop falling for it.
But, ultimately, I think as we move through 2024, all of us as Masons need to ensure that we don't allow any of this to sow division or hard feelings within our Craft.
There's no question that social media has emboldened the hateful, and thereby has normalized hate. Yes, let's preserve our dignity with our online remarks. We can at least be proud of that. But there's only so much that this can accomplish; social media is thick with people looking for a fight that they won't shy away from when they don't have to look their readers in the eye. But let's preserve our dignity online anyway. And let's do more.
Years ago I was walking through Pioneer Square on my way to Starbucks for a mid-morning refresher when a young woman holding a clipboard bearing a sticker from the other party approached me and asked me to sign something, which I declined and explained that I was going to stick with my party. I continued toward Starbucks and as I opened the door I heard her from behind me saying, "Oh, that's a good idea", and she followed me in. As we stood in line I braced myself for what I feared might be a lecture on the merits of her party, but she didn't say a word. When it was my turn I ordered my coffee and then pointed to her and told the barista to give my fine friend from the other party anything she wanted. She immediately resisted and said, "Oh no, you don't have to do that." I replied, "Yes I do. I believe in the two-party system and we don't have to agree with each other but we do need each other and we need to respect each other." She thanked me and told me I was nicer that many others she had encountered from my party.
I do very little online. I generally don't trust the big platforms and so much of what's online is either a shouting match or somebody bragging. But whatever I do online I'll keep it civil. When I'm not online I'm going to buy coffee for people from the other party.
Thank you VW!
>>>"Yes I do. I believe in the two-party system and we don't have to agree with each other but we >>>do need each other and we need to respect each other."
This is exactly correct. If we did not have a loyal opposition our entire political system would collapse into tyranny. Perhaps an unlikely benevolent tyranny, but tyranny nevertheless. For it to work at all, there must be two (or more of course) sides, the side that rules and the opposition.
To hate the opposite side for doing exactly as it needs to do in order to make our system function is crazy!