Being Mason - The Masonic Belief in the Immortality of the Soul

[Torence]

How specific are the requirements in your jurisdiction for belief?
In Illinois, following the 1888 Crum Case, notions such as an
insistence that a Brother accept the VSL to be true as written, was
replaced with a much more broad acceptance. Tough the condition is not
generally understood by the untried membership, under certain
circumstances an agnostic or even an atheist can remain a member and I
have successfully defended a brother’s right to remain among us though
his faith has faltered.
But rather than ask the group to get involved in that discussion, if
we can accept the belief in the immortality of the soul to be
essential to "Being Mason", then do most of us accept that if we do
not expire with our bodies then logically we also do not begin with
our body’s creation? Are our souls a one ended cable tow? There is no
such object. A rope can either have two ends or it is a loop. Is a
Masonic understanding of the immortality of the soul simply the dream
of a continued existence? Or is it the acceptance that we are as much
a continuation of what has gone before?

Fraternally,
Torence Evans Ake
Secretary – Auburn Park Lodge No. 789 – Crete, Illinois
PM – Arcadia Lodge No. 1138 – Lansing, Illinois

[David Simpson]

Post by Torence
How specific are the requirements in your jurisdiction for belief?
In Illinois, following the 1888 Crum Case, notions such as an
insistence that a Brother accept the VSL to be true as written, was
replaced with a much more broad acceptance. Tough the condition is not
generally understood by the untried membership, under certain
circumstances an agnostic or even an atheist can remain a member and I
have successfully defended a brother’s right to remain among us though
his faith has faltered.
But rather than ask the group to get involved in that discussion, if
we can accept the belief in the immortality of the soul to be
essential to "Being Mason", then do most of us accept that if we do
not expire with our bodies then logically we also do not begin with
our body’s creation? Are our souls a one ended cable tow? There is no
such object. A rope can either have two ends or it is a loop. Is a
Masonic understanding of the immortality of the soul simply the dream
of a continued existence? Or is it the acceptance that we are as much
a continuation of what has gone before?

It is not a requirement in my jurisdiction to believe in the
"immortality of the soul".

[Chris H]

Post by David Simpson

Post by Torence
How specific are the requirements in your jurisdiction for belief?
In Illinois, following the 1888 Crum Case, notions such as an
insistence that a Brother accept the VSL to be true as written, was
replaced with a much more broad acceptance. Tough the condition is not
generally understood by the untried membership, under certain
circumstances an agnostic or even an atheist can remain a member and I
have successfully defended a brother’s right to remain among us though
his faith has faltered.
But rather than ask the group to get involved in that discussion, if
we can accept the belief in the immortality of the soul to be
essential to "Being Mason", then do most of us accept that if we do
not expire with our bodies then logically we also do not begin with
our body’s creation? Are our souls a one ended cable tow? There is no
such object. A rope can either have two ends or it is a loop. Is a
Masonic understanding of the immortality of the soul simply the dream
of a continued existence? Or is it the acceptance that we are as much
a continuation of what has gone before?

It is not a requirement in my jurisdiction to believe in the
"immortality of the soul".

I thought there was only one requirement: conviction... a criminal one
:-)

AFAIK the ONLY requirement is the belief in a Supreme Being. I assume
the SB can initiate or terminate souls at will. That is the point of
being Supreme. Not all faiths have an afterlife or a re-birth.

[Torence]

Post by Chris H
I thought there was only one requirement: conviction... a criminal one
:-)

When you guys go to lodge you sit among your Brothers. Mine at
Auburn Park are more like....henchmen.

Post by Chris H
AFAIK the ONLY requirement is the belief in a Supreme Being. I assume
the SB can initiate or terminate souls at will. That is the point of
being Supreme.

We'll call that the Diana Ross theory.

Post by Chris H
Not all faiths have an afterlife or a re-birth.

But seriously, is not the evergreen emblematical of our belief as
Masons across all jurisdictions? Of course we also have for us the
image of the broken pillar. So much of what we do is founded on
history, lore and fable about the record; shouldn’t we then all agree
as Masons that what is past is also premonition?

Fraternally,
Torence Evans Ake
Secretary – Auburn Park Lodge No. 789 – Crete, Illinois
PM – Arcadia Lodge No. 1138 – Lansing, Illinois

[Doug Freyburger]

Post by Torence
How specific are the requirements in your jurisdiction for belief?

Specific beliefs move towards discussing sectarian religion within tiled
space. That's a bad idea therefore I want very broad requirements.
:eave it up to the individual brother to decide.

Post by Torence
In Illinois, following the 1888 Crum Case, notions such as an
insistence that a Brother accept the VSL to be true as written, was
replaced with a much more broad acceptance.

Broader than most know in fact. The very term VSL is not specific to
one book in some jurisdictions.

Post by Torence
Tough the condition is not
generally understood by the untried membership, under certain
circumstances an agnostic or even an atheist can remain a member and I
have successfully defended a brother’s right to remain among us though
his faith has faltered.

A brother in my district demitted last year after a crisis of faith. I
think he did the honorable thing but I also think "once a Mason always a
Mason" so there was no specific need for him to demit. In spite of that
technicality I am comfortable that he made his choice.

Post by Torence
But rather than ask the group to get involved in that discussion, if
we can accept the belief in the immortality of the soul to be
essential to "Being Mason",

Bro Chis H already pointed out this is not a universal requirement. I
think it was listed on my petition.

Post by Torence
then do most of us accept that if we do
not expire with our bodies then logically we also do not begin with
our body’s creation? Are our souls a one ended cable tow? There is no
such object. A rope can either have two ends or it is a loop. Is a
Masonic understanding of the immortality of the soul simply the dream
of a continued existence? Or is it the acceptance that we are as much
a continuation of what has gone before?

This is the argument for reincarnation if I understand what Plato had
Socrates say. I accept it by not digging very deeply into the
philosophical aspects of it.

[Torence]

Post by Doug Freyburger
A brother in my district demitted last year after a crisis of faith. I
think he did the honorable thing but I also think "once a Mason always a
Mason" so there was no specific need for him to demit. In spite of that
technicality I am comfortable that he made his choice.

No doubt there is no need to leave. Masons who maintain faith are
known to do so out of choice. We are not a suitable club for persons
who would submit to having faith imposed upon them; and I suspect that
Masonry, therefore, is not meant to exist for certain manmade places
on this planet. We can only operate properly in free societies and if
planted elsewhere, Masons cannot help but to those undo societies
formed by other kinds of men as a vain expression of His name. As
thoughtful and passionate men, it is only natural that our faith may
wane at times and at other times flourish particularly as we wrestle
with hardships, either our own or the tribulations of others. Better
to take that journey, IMHO, amongst friends then in some lonely field
of isolation.

Post by Doug Freyburger
Bro Chis H already pointed out this is not a universal requirement. I
think it was listed on my petition.

And that question goes to the heart of the discussion. I suppose
that the majority view point in our organization would include the
belief in the immortality of the soul; but is the concept one that
should be subject to a consensus opinion? Or is it a landmark aspect
of Masonry? The notion is consistently alluded to, displayed and
illustrated in our artwork. We regularly collate and strengthen the
idea as our candidates progress through their degree work and explain
it to the public in our exoteric ceremonials.

Post by Doug Freyburger
This is the argument for reincarnation if I understand what Plato had
Socrates say. I accept it by not digging very deeply into the
philosophical aspects of it.

But our idea is that we are, somehow, linked to our fore Brothers
and we tread eagerly where others “have gone before.” Shouldn’t we
then, democratically, accept that the universality of Masonry is a
precept that must transcend the limitations of linear time? If so,
what then is this perspective's proper Masonic application?

Fraternally,
Torence Evans Ake
Secretary – Auburn Park Lodge No. 789 – Crete, Illinois
PM – Arcadia Lodge No. 1138 – Lansing, Illinois

[Rob Sandilands]

Post by Torence
How specific are the requirements in your jurisdiction for belief?

... apart from the belief in a Supreme Being, there are no further
requirements for religious belief ...

Post by Torence
In Illinois, following the 1888 Crum Case, notions such as an
insistence that a Brother accept the VSL to be true as written, was
replaced with a much more broad acceptance.

... 'the' VSL ... which one? ... if you have Brethren of more than one
faith in your Lodge, then there is more than one VSL ...

Tough the condition is not

Post by Torence
generally understood by the untried membership, under certain
circumstances an agnostic or even an atheist can remain a member and I
have successfully defended a brother’s right to remain among us though
his faith has faltered.

... there is a difference between 'faith' faltering, and a person
completely altering their religious beliefs through a conversion
experience, a complete loss of belief or similar circumstances ...

Post by Torence
But rather than ask the group to get involved in that discussion, if
we can accept the belief in the immortality of the soul to be
essential to "Being Mason", then do most of us accept that if we do
not expire with our bodies then logically we also do not begin with
our body’s creation?

... are you referring to a doctrine of 'reincarnation' or simply the
creation of a new soul with the creation of a new life form? ...

... in general, there is room for both beliefs in Masonry ... but this
is not necessarily taught in the religious faiths of individual Brethren
...

Are our souls a one ended cable tow? There is no

Post by Torence
such object. A rope can either have two ends or it is a loop. Is a
Masonic understanding of the immortality of the soul simply the dream
of a continued existence? Or is it the acceptance that we are as much
a continuation of what has gone before?

... in a Jurisdiction where all, or at least the greater percentage of
Brethren, come from the Abrahamic faiths, then belief in the afterlife
is what their own religions will teach them ... the Craft has no
teaching whatsoever on the specifics of the afterlife, but encourages
each individual to examine their own faith in this regard ...

... our rituals were originally predicated on there being an afterlife,
but that was because the dominant religion of its original members was
Christian ...

... in purely Christian terms, 'life after death' is quite a complex
concept ... with the release of the soul after the death of the body,
most Christians believe that they will go to Heaven and be with God ...
but then there is the establishment of the new physical kingdom at the
end of time ... so Christians also have a concept of 'life after life
after death' ...

... unfortunately, this discussion is one of those that has to descend
in the dogma of individual religions and is, therefore, not Masonically
appropriate ...