At the core of Masonic custom is confidentiality, which fulfills many vital functions:
1) Maintaining Ritual and Symbolism:
The foundation of Freemasonry is its ritualistic labor and symbolic teachings associated with the operative masons. Keeping the confidentiality of these components guarantees their integrity and influence for every new applicant. Progressing through the degrees is considered a personal experience that is essential to the Masonic path. Knowing the specifics in advance would diminish the unique and profound nature of the event associated with the various degrees pursued. Intrinsically, a man who joins a lodge embarks on a series of lessons that prepare him to become a better man, husband, father, grandfather, and, in many cases, great-grandfather. The candidate’s journey to enlightenment inside the lodge is like a meticulously crafted story meant to unfold slowly, layer by layer, guaranteeing that every lesson speaks with its intended meaning.
2) Encouraging a Special Brotherhood:
Members develop a strong bond from their shared experience of learning and understanding Masonic values inside the lodge. Held in confidence, this common knowledge enhances the feeling of brotherhood and belonging. It creates a setting where confidence and privacy are top priorities. Masonic teachings’ secrecy becomes a unifying factor driving members to depend on one another, exchange ideas, and develop together. Like-minded men with a common core of morality come together to work towards building a better community as the primary goal of the lodge.
The lodge room is meant to be a refuge where members may openly and honestly discuss issues without concern for their words being repeated outside the context of the lodge. This confidentiality strengthens the internal cohesion of the fraternity and promotes careful discussion. It is a space free from outside judgment where spiritual reflection, moral teachings, and personal development can be sought. It is also a place free of political discourse. Men with different political associates come together as brothers. The common effort to improve the community, regardless of a brother’s political affiliation, is the heart and role each member plays.
3) Influence on Internal and Public Perceptions:
Internally:
Confidentiality strengthens the feeling of community and shared identity among brothers. It emphasizes the need for trust and discretion, which fosters respect and sets expectations for the traditions and teachings. As people feel part of something bigger than themselves, connected by a shared path of moral and intellectual growth, this internal feeling of oneness can be deep.
Publicly:
Externally, the impression of secrecy is, and always has been, a more nuanced topic for those who are curious about Freemasonry, especially in the 21st-century technological age where social media is prevalent and misinformation abounds. Unfortunately, mankind has always considered secrecy a nefarious act. Of course, keeping things secret could lead to misunderstandings and fuel gossip. Speculation and wonder about the unknown ignite the imagination. The human mind frequently attempts to fill in the gaps when information is not easily accessible, sometimes with baseless assumptions. Though the reality is usually about preserving tradition and the personal experience of members, this lack of openness can be misread as secretiveness with a negative purpose.
The Reasons Confidentiality Fuels Conspiracy Theories:
The essence of something being “secret” or “confidential” can foster mistrust. This is why:
Lack of easily accessible information creates a vacuum for conspiracy theories to rush to fill. Some individuals might think secrecy is concealing something evil instead of just safeguarding a legacy. Observers build stories to explain what they do not grasp, therefore, fertilizing the unknown for speculation.
Especially when dealing with long-standing companies with customs, there is a natural human inclination to be curious about the unknown and sometimes to suspect hidden motives. For outsiders, the use of symbols, allegories, and rituals in Freemasonry may seem strange and inspire creative readings that stray from the true teachings.
While Masonic symbolism is rich in meaning for members, those unacquainted with its background might misinterpret it. The all-seeing eye, a symbol of divine watchfulness, for example, has been seized by conspiracy theorists as a sign of world control. Often, these misinterpretations result from ignorance of Masonic values and their moral, philosophical, and spiritual goal.
Historical Myths: Freemasonry has experienced times of persecution and misrepresentation throughout history. Sometimes these historical stories feed contemporary doubts. For instance, in periods of political turmoil or religious strife, Freemasonry was frequently depicted as a sinister group after power. These falsehoods have developed and persisted as conspiracy theories hiding the genuine goal of the brotherhood.
Dispelling the Myths by Means of Openness
Though Masonic rituals are kept private; lodges are not totally closed off to the public. Usually, guests are welcome to join social events, public ceremonies, and open lodge meetings. Dispelling myths and showing the genuine character of Freemasonry as a fraternal and charitable organization depends on this openness. This website is dedicated to the effort of educating those that are seeking an understanding about the fraternity.
Lodges can efficiently refute the stories resulting from the required confidentiality surrounding their rituals and traditions by actively interacting with the public, being open about the non-secret elements of Freemasonry (charitable work, community involvement, principles of morality and brotherly love), and inviting guests.
Inviting the public to see parts of lodge activities firsthand can help to demystify the Craft and foster trust inside the community greatly. This proactive strategy not only strengthens the ideals of openness and brotherly love of Freemasonry but also helps to dispel the myths that secrecy by itself has promoted throughout history.
