After a tremendous meal we moved to the lodge room to witness the degree. There were at least 50 brothers in attendance from many different lodges and areas represented along with a Grand Lodge Officer and several Grand Lodge representatives, Past Masters, and brothers from throughout the area.
What made this a slightly different EA degree was that the candidate placed his trust in The Great Spirit, and took his obligation at the altar of Masonry with the Holy Bible open and also his Sacred Emblems displayed along with the square and compasses.
As we are taught in Masonry to become a Mason you must profess a belief in a Supreme Being. Masonry encompasses many religions that believe in a Supreme Being and eternal life. This applies to most major religions, i.e. Muslim, Jewish, Mormon, etc.
Diversity is something that makes Masonry unique. There are many types of diversity; age, socio-economic, race, religion, level of education and others. Often times we tend to overlook the diversity aspect of our fraternity. As we progress further into the 21st. century diversity becomes more and more of a real issue.
Remember our fraternity started with operative masons, but through their teachings and principals they began to open up to "accepted" masons. Another thing to remember is that after the "building boom" of the renaissance period the number of "operative" masons began to diminish and the ranks of the fraternity turned more towards the "accepted" masons.
The founding of our own country was a result of the colonists seeking religious freedoms and the ability to worship according to their chosen faith.
This was truly a fine night in Masonry and one which was a true pleasure to witness the accepting nature of this great fraternity.
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