Letter of the month: June 2008

Message-ID: <BLU128-W17018C5E24B1B42FE809D6A9B10@phx.gbl>
From: Ragin El <raginaubert@hotmail.com>
To: <masonry-ask@mit.edu>
Subject: Why I joined Freemasonry.
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 06:33:41 -0600

I didn't become a mason until this year (2008) but my masonic journey started well over 10 years ago with the knowledge of knowing that my Grandfather, Uncle, are Masons and my Grandmother and all of her sisters are Eastern Stars. I'm young by all standards for being a Mason, I'm 29 years old but I've taken the road less traveled.

You see over 11 years ago I converted into a religion that comes from a foreign land. I thought that when I converted to this religion that my new "brothers" in faith were really my brothers in faith.

But I learned through a long and painful process that we were not brothers in faith but that it was alright for me to be their stooge, these were brothers that looked down on me. They didn't seek to guide me and help me grow spiritualy instead they sought to riducule me for things that I knew not.

I thought that these "brothers" were truly my brothers that I even went to the extent of prefering to do business with them before considering others that were not a part of my new found "faith".

One "brother" ran a butcher shop and he would always sell me rotten beef, but when somebody that was of his ethnic background made a purchase he always sure that they received the freshest of product. But hey this is my "brother" it's alright I now beleive what he beleives, we are "brothers".

Another "brother" owned a used car dealership, once again I prefered to do business with my "brother". My "brother" sold me a car in terrible condition that he knew had problems and when I tried to take it back to him a week after purchase he wanted to charge me for the repairs.

Once again a "brother" of the same ethnicity came to him to purchase a car and he made sure that the car was in mint condition. But hey my "brother" says its ok, Allah has given him preference over me so he has a right to do me the way he does.

I never understood why my "brothers" treated me the way they did and say some of the things that they would say ie; because my family has a different faith they're not entitled to inherit the Heavens, or my country hates me because of my ethnicity and it's such a terrible place (by the way they were capitalizing off of their new lives in the land of milk and honey).

I never understood why these "brothers" behaved the way they behaved towards me and held my people with so much disdain. I asked these "brothers" about their views on Freemasonry and all of them had this to say: "It's a very bad organization brother." "They're Zionist bent on destroying "our" religion" "You can't trust them" the best one I remember hearing was this: "In order to be accepted you will have to let them sleep with your wife".

About 7 years ago I was divorced and those same "brothers" were trying to talk my ex-wife with whom I have 2 daughters to sleep with them. 3 years later I married a woman from "their" background and I really discoverd how much we were not brothers. They would say things to my wife wich I will not say.

I was back at the "trestle board" looking for brothers, but this time real brothers for fellowship, and like mindedness. I remember that Grandpa, Uncle were Masons and Grandma and all her sisters were Eastern Stars. I searched dilligently for a lodge, I wrote them the 2nd week of June (little that I knew that they were on recess until September) but I received no reply.

Months later in October I received a call from a stranger stating that he was from the local Masonic Lodge and that they would like to set up a time and day to meet with me.

The day was established where they would meet me and my wife. When they came over my house to investigate my wife sat through the entire meeting, these are people of a different ethnicity than her and she liked them and they liked her. After they departed my wife told me that she wanted me to join their "group" because they're "good men".

I joined Brothers and let me tell you, I've discoverd that I have brothers of different nationalities, religions, backgrounds that have expressed the utmost of Brotherhood that I've ever experienced. I've come across strangers that became Brothers, people that I probably under normal circumstances would not come close to have become my Brother without regards to ethnicity,national orrigin, or religion.

My other "Brothers" no longer associate with me any more, not because I'm a Mason but because I won't let them abuse me, no phone calls, no e-mails, nothing. But my Masonic Brothers are just one call away.

I have only one regret about becoming a Mason, I wish I joined 10 years ago so that I would have plenty of more brothers along my travels.