Masonry and Salvation?

Path: athena.mit.edu!dryfoo
Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry
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References:  <3prjsm$ahd$1@mhade.production.compuserve.com> <1995May24.161335.14605@walter.cray.com>
From: dryfoo@athena.mit.edu (dr foo)
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Subject: Re: Freemasonry and Freedom of Religion
Keywords: 
n

...
|> It was my understanding that, although Freemasonry requires a belief
|> in a supreme being and an immortal soul, it specifically doesn't
|> address salvation.
You are correct.

|> I'm not a mason; I only know what I read. Can someone elaborate on
|> the role that "getting into heaven" plays in masonic philosophy.
None, in theory. The ritual, in these parts anyway, tends to say more ambiguous things like, "...and die in the hope of a glorious immortality."

"Hope of", not "certainty of".

It is often said that Masonry teaches the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of mankind, and the immortality of the soul.

Questions of _what_ that "immortality" might be like, and what, if anything is required (faith? works? clean shoes?) to "earn" that immortality is left to each Mason to find for himself, and if he belongs to a particular faith or sect, then he is encouraged to turn to _that_ for more specific answers.

Masons who believe in survival of personality after death (i.e. a "soul" going to "heaven" or similarly) like to extend the metaphors found throughout ritual, and to imagine or believe that upon dying, they will be "raised" into a Celestial Lodge, where the Grand Architect of the Universe presides (and, where, presumeably He, unlike we mortal Masters, can get His officers to show up for their regular rehearsals, I suppose).

[Myself, for example, I have no "belief" or "faith" in what follows death, but I do like to _imagine_ being welcomed (in some form) into "More Light". It makes me happier to imagine that something like that will happen than not. Do I believe it'll happen? I don't know. It's a question I'm willing to leave open. I have a tremendous amount of work to do on the "Brotherhood of Mankind" part of the teachings, and I have more facts available about what kinds of useful work I can do about that at the moment. I'm willing to leave the other more ambiguous parts for later.]

Masonic images and teachings will emphasise this "Heavenly Lodge" sort of thing in predominantly Christian cultures, and perhaps de-emphasize it in cultures where other forms of belief about spiritual immortality are more common.

Masonry catches a lot of crap now and then from people who will pull out one line or phrase from a particular version of the ritual, and use that to "prove" that all of Masonry has a particular teaching about salvation, or, say, something like the "Faith vs. Works" debate, and it's usually the "wrong" side of the question, from the crap-flinger's point of view. In fact, it is presumptious on the part of said c-f'er to assume that Masonry, as such, gives a hang about the "Faith vs. Works" debate. That's the flinger dragging his own baggage into the question. Like many other things, Masonry leaves it to the individual brother, of whatever religion or sect, if any.

Masons from religions that teach about Heaven might mostly believe that good Masons will end up in the Celestial Lodge, if they do whatever they're supposed to according to each one's faith. Masons who believe that the goal of re-incarnations is to eventually get off of the Wheel of Life might mostly believe that Masonry will help good Masons clean up their Karma and get off of the Wheel of Life. Masons who are completely agnostic about what happens after death might mostly believe that living as a good Mason will help them face death with a clear conscience and a willingness to move on to whatever comes next.

Does that help any?

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Gary L. Dryfoos   ofc:253-0184, fax:253-8665
| P.O.Box 505, Cambridge, MA 02142  HTTP://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/www/
| Master, Mt. Scopus Lodge AF&AM, Malden, Mass.
| P.M. Ocean Lodge AF&AM, Winthrop, Mass. (1988-90, 1991-93)
|  "...one sacred band, or society of Friends and Brothers, among whom no
|   contention should ever exist, save that noble contention, or rather
|   emulation, of who best can work and best agree."
+===========================================================================