Archive for January, 2010|Monthly archive page
Logical Conclusions: Temple Prostitution
Filed under: Christian, politics, religion | Tags: Christian, church, homosexuality, men, ministry, religion
Leave a Comment I do not normally link to blog posts from others but this time I simply have to make an exception. I first found this post linked at Chris Roseborough’s blog Extreme Theology, which he had linked to the original article. The basic premise here follows the logical conclusion that if liberal churches can accept homosexuality as a viable part of Christianity and not call it sin, why not do the same thing with temple prostitution? I think it is a brilliant piece and absolutely worth reading. If you have any comments, please leave so that we can have a discussion.
Setting the AJC straight on anti-abortion
I just read an article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the conviction of Scott Roeder for the murder of Dr. George Tiller, who was a late-term abortion doctor from Wichita, Kansas. The article is a great showcase for poor journalism without facts as well as liberal yellow journalism, you can take your pick which is worse.
The article, written by Roxana Hegeman of the Associate Press, does correctly summarize the facts of the days court proceedings, wherein Roeder was found guilty and could serve 25 years to life. This is fine. Hegemanalso says that fringe groups support Roeder and might want to commit more violence. While there was only one source to back up her statement this may also be true.
The problem is that the article seems to paint all pro-lifers as being extreme and wanting to see abortionists dead, and that pro-life activists want more protection to commit these crimes. This is patently untrue. Every major activist group and ministry affiliated with the right to life such as Operation Rescue, Focus on the Family, and Personhood USA condemned this act of violence, as it is the opposite of the right to life movement. The general consensus of the right to life movement is that while Dr. Tiller committed thousands of atrocities against humanity by daily killing the unborn, and that he deserved to be tried in a court of law, he himself had a right to life that Scott Roeder violated.
Perhaps the worst part of this article is when the author quotes Randall Terr,y as the founder of Operation Rescue, promising there will be more bloodshed. What she fails to tell you is that Randall Terry has not been affiliated with the organization for 17 years. In addition, as stated previously, Operation Rescue denounced this and all other violence against abortionists and staffers.
Hegeman and the Associated Press dropped the ball on this article. Either that, or they are purposefully trying to skew this issue, knowing that a majority of Americans say that abortion is morally wrong.
Masonic Vocabulary: Titles
Filed under: men | Tags: fraternity, freemasonry, masonry, men
Leave a Comment Another subject people wonder about related to Masonry are the titles we use. There are lots of different names for officers and past officers, and sometimes people think they sound religious or theologically inappropriate.
First, lets look at the officer titles. There are many positions in a lodge, and many of the titles seem quite obscure.
Tyler-Stands outside the lodge room during meetings to make sure non-members do not come in, and that members coming late enter when it is appropriate.
The two Stewards (Senior and Junior) are primarily responsible for providing for refreshments at meetings or dinners at special events. In Ohio these positions are appointed by the Master of the lodge.
The Deacons are responsible for many things mostly related to communication (that sounds vague!). While the Junior Deacon stays at the inner door and communicates with the Tyler, the Senior Deacon conducts the candidates during the degrees and traditionally delivers the lecture for each degree.
Secretary and Treasurer are responsible for taking care of the administrative necessities of the lodge. The Secretary keeps the minutes of the meeting, handles correspondence , and the like. The Treasurer keeps the books and handles banking such as writing checks, making deposits, and investment decisions.
Now we come to the top three officers of the lodge: the two wardens and the Worshipful Master. The Wardens, who could also be called first and second vice presidents, assist the Master with conducting the meetings and with the overall leadership of the lodge. The Senior Warden specifically charged with conducting meetings in the absence of the Master. There are some other duties but these are the most important.
Finally, we come to the Worshipful Master. The master is the elected leader of his lodge, essentially the president. He is in charge of presiding over meetings (basically keeping order), setting the agenda for them, and generally planning the agenda for his term (which is usually one year).
But why Worshipful? Many people think this is a sacrilegious title, as if the Master is the object of worship. This is not the case. The earliest lodges were founded in the United Kingdom (probably Scotland) where the term worshipful is used the same way we use honorable. So the master is not being worshiped, he is simply being honored in the same way a judge, legislator, or head of state would be.
I hope this helps answer some questions about Masonry and the titles we use to identify our officers. If you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments or send me an email using my contact form.
Masonic Membership Process-How to Become a Mason
One of the questions I often get asked is: “If I want to be a Mason, what do I have to do, and what is the process like?” Well, I thought I would share this with the rest of the world.
First, it is very important to not e that Masonry is NOT a by invitation organization. Masonry requires that those who wish to join must do so of there own free will. Therefore, inviting a man to join is actually not allowed. It is permissible to invite a friend to a social event, or to tell him he would make a good Mason. But we never invite someone to join.
That being said, the first thing a man would do to begin his journey into Freemasonry would be to ask a member for a petition, which is similar to an application for a job, and typically includes name, address, occupation, birthplace and date. The petitioner then returns it to the lodge member along with the initiation fee (in my lodge this amount is $150.00 which is about average). Before the petition and fee can be turned in to the lodge Secretary it must also have the signed recommendation of two members, usually the person the petitioner got the petition from and another member who knows the petitioner.
Once the petition is turned in, it is read in open lodge during a stated meeting. The Worshipful Master then assigns a committee to investigate the candidate. Typically the committee is 3 Past Masters of the lodge but there could be variation on this. The committee should then contact the candidate to arrange a meeting, preferably at his home. The committee will ask a series of questions to try to get to know the man better, to test what kind of character the man has. The committee should also talk to the wife to make sure she understands what Masonry is and why her husband wants to join. The last thing a lodge would want is for membership to cause strain on a marriage.
After the investigation the committee goes back to the lodge and makes a recommendation at the next stated meeting. The petition is then voted on by secret ballot, using a special box.
Box used for balloting in a Masonic Lodge
To vote, you simply reach in the front and either pick up a white ball or a black cube (you cannot see them but it does not matter since they are different shapes). The voter than places the ball or cube in a hole at the other end of the box. The ball or cube lands in a little tray that can be pulled out to count the votes. The ballot must be unanimous in order for a petitioner to be elected to receive the degrees of Masonry.
Finally, once the petition has been successfully voted on, the candidate is notified that he has been elected and what meeting he needs to come to receive his Entered Apprentice degree.
That’s it! If you have any other questions about the election process, leave a comment here on this post. Also, if you are a Mason with a funny or interesting story about your election, please leave it here for others to enjoy!
