Letters... we get letters!
2010
2009
- May 2009: My reply to a reprinted
article in Philalethes Magazine.
- February 2009: Trying to find the
owner of a lost ring.
- January 2009: Her sister is telling
her that their dad's Masonic jewelry is “cursed”! How can
she reply?
2008
- December 2008: Is there some kind of
“covenant” about returning a Mason's “possessions and
estates” to his lodge? (Short answer: no.)
- August 2008: A follow-up to an
earlier letter.
- July 2008: She wants to thank the
Masons who performed a graveside service for her late father.
- June 2008: She wants to make
arrangements for a Masonic funeral for her grandfather.
- June 2008: A non-Mason wants to
properly identify his Masonic information website.
- June 2008: Finding a refuge from
bigotry in Masonry.
- June 2008: Finally getting around to
petitioning a lodge for membership, at 60 years old.
- May 2008: Inheriting a grandfather's
Masonic apron and some other mementos.
- May 2008: Visiting foreign lodges;
and what about that “F&AM” vs. “AF&AM”
thing?
- January 2008: No Masonry in his
country, he wants to start a lodge.
- January 2008: Making visiting
arrangements for a Mason friend from overseas.
2007
- November 2007: Two for one —
questions about wearing a Masonic ring, and about asking the candidate
to make some remarks.
- May 2007: Can anyone identify these
mystery emblems?
2006
- November 2006: What kind of
arrangements can a lodge provide for a deaf applicant?
- August 2006: Her husband is
petitioning a lodge. She wants to know about some symbols.
- July 2006: The master of a lodge has
a serious question. Another reply to his
letter.
- June 2006: A young man asks, "Am I a
Lewis?"
- May 2006: What is "Charity"? How
should a Mason understand that word?
- April 2006: This is actually an old
posting from the USENET group Alt.Freemasonry that I was recently
reminded of. It takes on all those questions about Masonic "secrecy".
- March 2006: Calling all military
Masons -- Looking for a lodge overseas.
- March 2006: How to wear a Mason's
ring? The absolutely definitive answer at last!
2005
- December 2005: Masonry and religious
tolerance.
- November 2005: Trouble reaching a
Masonic publisher -- is it due to a web nanny?
- June 2005: Another problem regarding
a requested Masonic funeral. What are the lodge's responsibilities?
- May 2005: An inactive brother, maybe
suspended, wants to get re-instated.
- April 2005: Maine's answer to the
"One-Day Class"
- March 2005: Why didn't his brother
get a Masonic service at his
funeral?
- February 2005: A letter presenting
views on alleged Masonic symbolism in the Great Seal of the United
States (a/k/a the funny stuff on the one dollar bill).
- January 2005: Bible, Koran, Gita,
Zend Avesta, and so forth -- a survey of variations in Masonic custom
and practice regarding the Volume of Holy Scriptures.
- January 2005: She wants to know why
her boyfriend's Masonic pals are taking advantage of him.
2004
- December 2004: Looking for a way to
make a charitable donation to honor her stepfather's 50 year committment
to Masonry.
- December 2004: Her father was joking,
right?
- September 2004: How should she
dispose of her late husband's Masonic jewelry?
- July 2004: This guy has the real
proof about the Masonic symbolism on the one dollar bill!
- July 2004: Should he try to join
right now? Or wait until he has a more stable address? (Also contains
a suggested reading list.)
- July 2004: Looking for
ancestors/relatives who were Masons? Here's my definitive explanation
of what you can and cannot expect to find, and how to look.
- March 2004: Background info about
Masonic social clubs, like the "Fellow Craft Club" in Patchogue, scene
of the recent tragic shooting.
- March 2004: A note from the
Monterrey Mexico Shrine Club, serving the welfare of humanity one child
at a time.
- February 2004: Was my departed
relative a Mason?
- January 2004: Was Dr. Martin Luther
King a Mason?
2003
- December 2003: Was her grandfather
really a Satanist???
- November 2003: Translating the
inscription in a ring. (No, not that
Ring!)
- September 2003: Are Masons obligated
to cover up murder?
- August 2003: The "Antient Landmarks"
and the One-Day Classes.
- June 2003: How to deal with Masonic
"exposures"
- April 2003: A new brother comments
on his One Day Class experience
- April 2003: In search of Masonic
scholarship funds for descendants...
- March 2003: Does Masonry itself take
a stand on the great issues of the day?
- March 2003: What is the significance
of our "Square and Compasses" emblem?
- March 2003: Trying to find a
relative's gravestone, she needs held from a local lodge.
- January 2003: Why does Masonry
require belief in a Supreme Being as a condition of membership?
2002
- November 2002: Once a Mason, always a
Mason?
- October 2002: Starting a lodge in
another country...?
- October 2002: Another, shorter answer
about the Square and Compasses.
- September 2002: Her grandfather was a
Mason -- what does that mean?
- July 2002: How can an applicant
decide between lodges?
- July 2002: "Riding the goat" -- what
does it mean?
- July 2002: A young fire-fighter
looks into Freemasonry for himself.
- July 2002: Getting one's facts about
Masonry from a movie about Jack the Ripper?
- June 2002: What is the Masonic emblem
-- the square and compasses? What does it mean?
- May 2002: Prince Hall lodges? Blue
lodges?
- April 2002: Teaching his theology
class about Masonry... and Lucifer???
- April 2002: A question about the
Volume of Sacred Law.
- April 2002: Right and wrong reasons
for joining Masonry.
- March 2002: The responsibility of a
Master to learn what he needs to govern his lodge.
- March 2002: Just who is this "Jack
DeMolay" fella, anyway?
- February 2002: Where to get
interviewed is not his biggest problem.
- January 2002: Alright now: is it
"compass" or "compasses"??
2001
- December 2001: Templar theories about
Masonry?
- September 2001: A Mason's son asks,
"What about a Masonic funeral? What about his Masonic ring?"
- September 2001: Replacing a lodge
officer -- what's the right and how to find out?
- August 2001: Two questions: about
rings and about titles in Masonry.
- July 2001: A young man asks "what God
do the Masons believe in?"
- June 2001: A Mason and a
Christian, and proud of both.
- May 2001: Regarding the turmoil in
Alabama.
- May 2001: York Rite? Scottish Rite?
Shriners? Templars? Rosicrucians? What are all these degrees??
- April 2001: Does Masonry "believe in
Jesus Christ"?
- March 2001: Why a white glove in a
Masonic funeral service?
- March 2001: Is Masonry "satanic"?
(Short answer: no. Not at all.)
- February 2001: What is the Scottish
Rite?
- February 2001: What is the "A.L." on
Masonic documents? And why is there no lodge officer or work in the
North?
- January 2001: Why "Worshipful"
Master? (again)
- January 2001: A Masonic "hit
list"?!??
2000
- December 2000: Tracts 'n' cults 'n'
stuff.
- December 2000: A question about the
"Morgan Affair"
- November 2000: What's a "Vulcan
Lodge"?
- September 2000: Why can't Masons pray
to Jesus in lodge?
- September 2000: Can a man wear his
uncle's Masonic ring?
- September 2000: What was the white
apron for at her father's funeral?
- July 2000: A Masonic ring,
arrangements for a Masonic funeral, and other questions: a daughter
needs advice from from her father's lodge.
- July 2000: Do we "worship" the
"Worshipful Master"?
- July 2000: A question about Masonry
in South Africa.
- June 2000: A lodge putting local
cable television to good use.
- May 2000: My letter to NPR's program
The Connection
- May 2000: The continuing journal of a
newly-made Mason.
- April 2000: Are written materials
allowed when learning the candidate's lectures?
- March 2000: Jazz and Freemasonry? --
can anybody help this cat out with some information?
- February 2000: What is a "Masonic
lodge"? What is a "Masonic temple"?
- January 2000: What's blue
about a "Blue Lodge"?
- January 2000: Wearing a relative's
Masonic ring?
- January 2000: How long does it take
to receive the degrees in Masonry?
1999
1998
- November 1998: More questions about
Masonry and Christianity.
- November 1998: A Mason's daughter
has questions about the fraternity.
- November 1998: A Mason wonders if he
was visiting a clandestine lodge.
- August 1998: AF&AM vs F&AM --
what's the difference?
- July 1998: An opinion from a
qualified expert.
- May 1998: More questions about
locating ancestors.
- April 1998: Texas is advertising "2B1
Ask 1" on the radio. Apparently, it's attracting some attention.
- March 1998: Some good questions
about picking a lodge.
- March 1998: Same Slanders, Different
Day.
- March 1998: An oddly-delayed request
for information about Women's Freemasonry.
- March 1998: A Masonic fund-raiser for
a Habitat for Humanity project.
- February 1998: A few direct
questions about Masonry. And my attempt at an answer.
- Febuary 1998: All of a sudden, I'm
getting letters from "open minded" women whose "boyfriends are Master
Masons" or "are Masters of their lodge" (or who don't seem to know the
difference between the two), and these women are convinced that Masonry
is actually about "winning converts for the Devil" in a war against
Christianity. Go figure. Anyway, I've gotten three of these in the
last few weeks. This one is representative. My answer is perhaps not
as patient and full an explanation as I could have given. But why would
a person convinced I was a tool of the Devil believe my answers anyway?
Have other Masons on the web received these letters, too? Let me know.
- January 1998: A worthy project in
Tennessee: Masons and Habitat for Humanity.
- January 1998: Is Masonry "in
conflict with" Christianity?
- January 1998: A question about
Masonic rings.
1997
- November 1997: A question about
Joseph Smith (founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints -- "Mormons")
and Masonry, and my not-too-helpful answer.
- October 1997: An excellent
suggestion for a lodge activity.
- October 1997: How can you consider
yourself a SECULAR fraternity...?
- September 1997: I get this
one a lot! "My father / grandfather / uncle / great-grandfather
/ wife's grandfather / etc. was a Mason, I think. Can you tell me how I
can find out...?"
- August 1997: Can women join Masonry?
If not, why not?
- August 1997: Don't the writings of
Albert Pike prove that you guys are all...? No.
- July 1997: Masons and Mormon?
- July 1997: Hey, what about those
secret handshakes, anyway?
- June 1997: Another question about
Masonry and the Catholic church. This gets asked a lot.
- May 1997: Why is Masonry listed
under "occult" in many web index and search pages?
- May 1997: The American Military
Scottish Rite (NATO) Bodies are now publishing a monthly e-mail
newsletter. You can subscribe...
- April 1997: A French Mason's request
for an American editor/publisher.
- March 1997:. An odd question and a
thorough answer, about U.S. presidents who were and weren't Masons.
- March 1997: Here's a letter I was
unable to reply to.
- Another February 1997 letter about
a very worthwhile project.
- February 1997: Can Catholics join
Masonry? (short answer: Yes)
1996
- November 1996:: An update on the
results of last month's letter.
- I picked my October 1996: LotM a week
early -- Read about a beautiful example of civic pride and a practical
civic project.
- September 1996: -- A gift for a
Master? (or a Grand Master?)
- August 1996 -- What about links to
the "adoptive" bodies for women and youth?
1995
- February 1995 -- Did this would-be
applicant really get "A Masonic Cold-Shoulder"?
All the way UP to A Page About
Freemasonry main page.
|
|
|
|