In some Masonic obligations, there appears a phrase which will cause a law-abiding citizen to pause. While the wording may be slightly different from place to place, the essence of the promise is that a Mason agrees to protect a Brother Master Mason's secrets as his own, murder and treason alone excepted.DGP1 wrote:Why would you have to give up going to the masons for a criminal record??Thorby Bislam wrote:Well, there's your answer. Just have a quiet word with your brother freemasons. If the old bill dealing with you isn't one, the magistrate probably will be. Just ask the Grand Imperial Wizard (or whatever they're called) of your lodge to put a fix in. After all, masons are bound by oath to come to the aid of other masons, even above the law of the land.savy wrote:Hi I have just been charged with unexused delaying the mail, some d2d were found at my previous address from 2005 when I worked for the royal mail i left in 2006. but i was arressted by the police and have now been charged and am going to court. I know what i did was wrong but its seem irronic that if i was stii working for the RM i would have just lost my job. Now I have a criminal record and as i run my business if this gets out( which it proberly will )then that goes down the pan.
Also I was a freemason and now with a CR i've had to stop that.
I have know idea what I will receive a court. I have never been in trouble before and this was a long time ago and was 1 silly mistake.
And Thorby, masons still have to obey the law of the land they're in, they cannot use their position to get around the law.
and now off to my lodge for my devil worshipping and goat sex.
One may rightfully ask, then: what about other crimes? Robbery, assault, or other crimes against persons or property surely should not be the subject of 'Masonic protection', should they?
Of course not! And no Mason would believe that they were. Immediately prior to taking that Masonic obligation, the candidate is advised that nothing he is about to promise will in any way interfere with any duty he owes to God, his country, his family/neighbor or himself.
Clearly, an obligation each person in our society has is to report knowledge of a crime. In fact, hiding knowledge of a criminal act is a criminal act in and of itself, sometimes punishable by only a slightly lesser penalty? Accordingly, no Mason has an obligation to protect another Mason should he learn of criminal wrongdoing of any kind. Were he to do so, he interferes with his duty to family/neighbor that he live as a peaceable citizen, obeying the laws of the land. He would also severely violate his duty to himself, to live a clean and upright life, providing for his family and his community to the best of his ability. Thus, the hiding of a crime by another, be they a Mason or not, is inappropriate for a Mason under any circumstances.
Masons are obligated to protect the laws and to live as law-abiding citizens. As such, it would be unthinkable to allow a criminal to avoid the appropriate punishment simply because of a common membership. In fact, most Masons would be so distraught at the thought of a criminal in their midst, they would quickly take action to ensure that the perpetrator was brought to justice and be removed from their ranks as well.
Freemasonry does not condone criminal acts nor does it condone the hiding of them when known.
The admonition in the obligation is to impress upon a candidate that a Brother Mason should feel free to share their innermost thoughts without concern about 'blabbing' or reprisal. To suggest that (a) a Mason would commit a criminal act and then (b) tell another Mason about it in order that (c) it would be concealed is foolish in the extreme.
Masons as a group are not law-breakers nor do they support them. The charge that they do is specious at best and there are no supportable examples of Masons concealing the criminal acts of other Masons.
