Post by Tamrin on Jul 2, 2008 18:26:46 GMT 10
Albert Through the Looking Glass
Freemasonry's Nonsensical No Women! 'Landmark'
[/b][/i]Freemasonry's Nonsensical No Women! 'Landmark'
Philip Carter
(Excerpt)
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Albert Mackey (above, on the left) proudly declared himself (Encyclopedia, p.500) to be the first Freemasonic writer to ‘distinctly enumerate’ the essential and unchangeable characteristics of the institution, which Freemasons call their ‘Ancient Landmarks’. His enumeration has since become widely acknowledged throughout the fraternity and officially adopted in many jurisdictions. Included among Mackey’s alleged landmarks was the rule, first published by Rev. James Anderson in 1723, excluding women from Freemasonry. Mackey’s inclusion of the rule among his ‘landmarks’ gave the impression that it was not just another rule, arising from the prevailing circumstances at the time and as subject to amendment or revocation as any other rule, but was, as it were, chiseled in stone.
Mackey’s innovation, in enumerating this rule among the ‘Ancient Landmarks’ of the Order, has misled generations of Freemasons and has contributed to the reversal of Freemasonry’s formerly moral, progressive and egalitarian tendencies, making it instead a sexist, obstructive and divisive force in modern society. Freemasonry’s timeless principles still have much to offer to modern society. Sadly, its current practice of excluding women serves only as bad example and is contrary to pure and ancient Freemasonry’s peculiar system of morality. This paper examines the issue of Freemasonry’s ‘Ancient Landmarks’, Mackey’s role in enumerating them and his opinions on that subject.
Mackey’s innovation, in enumerating this rule among the ‘Ancient Landmarks’ of the Order, has misled generations of Freemasons and has contributed to the reversal of Freemasonry’s formerly moral, progressive and egalitarian tendencies, making it instead a sexist, obstructive and divisive force in modern society. Freemasonry’s timeless principles still have much to offer to modern society. Sadly, its current practice of excluding women serves only as bad example and is contrary to pure and ancient Freemasonry’s peculiar system of morality. This paper examines the issue of Freemasonry’s ‘Ancient Landmarks’, Mackey’s role in enumerating them and his opinions on that subject.