Toleration

Title

Toleration

Creator

Turney, M. W. Paul

Language

English

Year

1957

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

the Monitor. In fact, thevv are concentrated in the Charge of the Apprentice. These right ideals or principles of human conduct are not new. They are tried by time and brought down through the ages by the medium of Freemansory. Moreover, any right-minded man of lawful age who is worthy and well qualified will admit the truth and value of these ideals and principles. He will also readily admit the advisability of following these teachings in direction and control of his life. We are prone to depart from the effect of our first good impressions on the grounds of expediency, but, if we believe in the principles taught us as we go through the degrees of Freemasonry, we are sure to think and act on a higher plane of life than we did before we were made Master Masons. TOLERATION By M. W. PAUL TURNEY Grand Master Grand Lodge of Texas (The Texas Grand Lodge Magazine) Masonry is richly endowed with great principles and virtues, and endeavors to impress these virtues upon the mind of every initiate. Among the more personal virtues which the Order strives to keep ever present in the hearts of candidates and members is Toleration. This important virtue must never be neglected if Masons are to function as a Fraternity of Brotherly Love. Toleration is that broad-mindedness which both prompts and enables a man to regard every other man as his peer, and entitled equally with himself to his individual opinions and sentiments regarding matters political, pholisophical and religious. Toleration is that spirit of unselfishness which leads a man to recognize that each person sees things from his own viewpoint, and to admit that it is always possible for himself to be wrong and the other to be right. It is that kindliness of thought which prompts a man to respect the opinions of his fellows as if they might some day become his own. Toleration is that charitable judgment upon the actions, the conduct and even the foibles of others which each man would wish passPage 142 THE CABLETOW ed upon his own, and which concedes that another may be honest at heart even though wrong or mistaken in his opinion or conclusion. Masonic toleration does not in the least imply any obligation to condone wrong-doing or the commission of crime either by Masons or others, for Masonry undertakes to teach men what is right, just and true; and this field of toleration extends only to those who are trying to follow these precepts and not to those who are knowingly or willfully violating them. Men genuinely imbued with the principle of Toleration are qualified to lead the people in their struggle upward, and those not appointed to lead know how to follow and serve in every movement for Justice, Right and Truth. The Lesson Of The Ballot In small communities competition usually creates enmity. It is almost u nu s u a 1 to see warm friendship existing between business competitors. Avarice and self-interest destroy that consideration which should be' given between decent fellowmen.’ In the same town there once lived two men who followed the same line of business, that of a butcher. The competition for local trade had produced between the two a very strained relationship. Jim Bryant, the older citizen, was a member of the Craft and highly esteemed by the Brethren as well as by his fellow citizens generally. Ambrose Watson, the younger competitor, was also a highly esteemed citizen. The latter became desirious, prompted by a good opinion conceived of the Order, to be ranked among its members. With this object in view he approached his next door neighbor with a request that he propose him as a member. The application in due time came before the Lodge. There were few present who exp e c t e d the application to go through, as all knew of the enmity that existed between the two butchers. “How do you find the ballot in the South?” asked the Worshipful Master. “Fair in the South.” “And how in the West?” “Clear in the West.” “And bright in the East.” Jim Bryant went up in the estimation of his Brethren one hundred per cent: and complimentary remarks were whispered around Lodge—“Jim’s big.” “You can’t beat Jim.” “Jim’ll do the right thing every time.” One night following, Ambrose Watson knelt at the Altar of Masonry. In the country where this happened there is an ancient practice of extending “the right hand October, 19S7 Page 143

Media