The golden rule essay contest ...

Title

Language

English

Source

The Cabletow Volume XLIII (Issue No.12) December 1967

Year

1967

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

The Golden Rule Essay • Contest. . . Bro. Simeon T. Garcia (171) 5th Honorable Mention • Masons Implementing the Golden Rule “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets... .Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. CHRIST We are born haters. Do not fly off the handle anl say, “YOU ARE CRAZY !” Hate is one of our strong est emotions. Any psychiatrist or psychologist can verify this. It is not surprising therefore if the mod ern slogan is what it is now — “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Man was born to love and to hate. Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, hated his brother Abel, so much so that he waylaid him and killed him. Joseph was hated by his brothers so they sold him as a slave to the Egypt ians. The different feuds, killings and wars during the generations that fol lowed and those cited in the Bible all tend to prove that human nature is violent, the heart, deceitful and wick ed. Von may contend that most of these brutalities happened before Christ. I.et us not forget that our dear Lord was persecuted, beaten and crucified bv those who hated Him. This is proof enough that man is basically wicked and resents even the wavs of God. Hatred, envy, and greed were the remote causes of the past two global wars, the same could be said of this brewing third. The atomic and hy drogen bombs are weapons designed to obliterate mankind. I shudder to think of the effects of even a tiny atomic or hydrogen bomb that may find its way to this beautiful land of ours. Heaven forbid! Alan’s animalistic nature is shown in the kind of society we live in now — the novels (best sellers?) that we read, the movies (box office hits?) that we see, the news that newspapers carry. Crime, immorality, hatred, greed, violence, are all interwoven in everything around us. The nume rous cases of juvenile as well as adult delinquency are proofs that hu man nature could be rebellious and violent if not properly guided. What could be the cause of all of these? Have we pondered how Masonry could contribute even to a small degree to the improvement of the human nature. Let us not lose heart, for all is not lost. It goes without saying that while there is life there is hope. Man is not all godless and wicked. However bad one is, there is always something good in him, there is always a soft spot in his heart. Like the parable of the sower taught by Jesus Christ to His dis ciples, there are good and bad seeds as there are good and bad people. Those that are good and righteous walk in the light and those that are not. in the dark. Our generation is not yet hopeless because of the good societies formed for the betterment ot the individual. One of these good societies is Masonry, which is as old as time itself. Masonry is a society of men linked together in one sacred band by an indissoluble chain of sincere affection and brotherly love that regards the Turn to next peg* DECEMBER, 1967 13 whole human race as one family. The underlying principle of brother ly love in Masonry, if practiced by all Masons outside the lodge, can well implement and promote the practice of the Golden Rule. Masonry ab hors to advertise what it has done, what it is doing and what it aims to do, for that would be self-conceit and seli-elation. Likewise, no Mason will give away the ancient mysteries of the fraternity. However, all Ma sons can practice outside the Lodge and in their homes, brotherly love, not only to their fellow Masons, but to non-masons as well. By practicing the basic principle of Masonry out side the Lodge, a Mason may well demonstrate to others what brother ly love can do. Brotherly love is love of God itself, from it springs forth kindness, from kindness, charity and from charity, faith and hope. God handed down to Moses His ten commandments. We in MasonDealer of Genuine Leather Goods VILLANUEVA LEATHER GOODS 1446 San Marcelino, Manila AUo Available. Tear Gas Revolvers & Pistols Tear Gas Ball Pens Tear Gas Ammunitions ry do not profess to have followed strictly the Ten Commandments, neither do we profess to be angels nor even measure up to it, but certainly our hands are clean for Masonry makes a good man a better man. We may not have strictly followed the Ten Commandments, but in Mason ry all follow and practice one sacred Commandment — “Love thy neigh bor as you love thyself.” Masons practice this commandment mostly among themselves only, because the non-masons think tliat Masonry is one kind of religion that does not believe in God. If the non-masons will only try to understand and feel the brotherly love we have for one another, they will surely reciprocate the love we have been painstakingly trying to make them feel and under stand. If this will be realized, I am sure our non-mason brothers will also do a good turn of making their neighbors feel their neighborly affec tion, thus setting the example of lov ing one another. Then others will follow their example, for love begets love. Again, if this is realized and practiced by all, nations will love na tions and brotherly love will prevail throughout. Brotherly love, I repeat, is love of God. A great majority of the people on earth profess to love God. Let us then love our brothers and fellow men in the truest sense of the word. As St. John said, “How can you profess to love God whom you can not see if you cannot love your own brother whom you can see?” God created man in his likeness so man himself is the image of God. So, we owe it to God to love our brothers and fellowmen. Masonry not only teaches us to love our brothers but also to be to lerant of their faults. If in one way or the other we find them overbearP*B« Io p«a* 21 14 The Cabletow WHERE ARE THEY?. . . From P.e. 4 medicine." Science in the Latin West came mostly from Moorish Spain. By 1550, the world’s scientific he ritage had been fully recovered. But, alas, the descendants of the originators, as well as those of the early inheritors, seem to have lost the genius of their ancestors! The Greeks and the Arabs of today arc no better than the present-day Fili pinos. Does this prove the truth of the statement that Science may be regarded as a mood -in which we consider our world” and that “no man is always in the same mood, and no man of science remains per manently in the scientific mood?” Perhaps climate has had something to do with the slow progress of peo ples in the tropics but there is ample evidence to show that their mental capacity is not hopelessly inferior to that of peoples in the temperate zones. Maybe it can be said that, like the present-day Greeks and Arabs, we simply are not at this time in a scien tific mood, because of our economic and social underdevelopment but not because of our proximity to the Equa tor. It would be an impossibility for us, for the next hundred years per haps, to set aside billions for scien tific and technological research and development and it would be non sense to beat our breasts and say we could equal the United States and the few other advanced countries in these fields. What we must do quick ly is to avail ourselves of their al ready available scientific and techno logical knowledge and discoveries un der the “time-binding process” and thus push our own economic and so cial development without very costly experimentation. A GOLDEN RULE... From pogo 14 ing, let us admonish them as brothers and not as enemies. Forbearance and humbleness drive away hatred and endears one to another. Masonry also teaches us to be compassionate, share with the misfortunes of others and to extend a helping hand to a fallen brother. Let this kind of love as taught by Masonry and as prac ticed by Masons be felt by non-masons. Let us be bound by a strong bond that gives the kind of love and af fection needed by all, a love that is reciprocated by an equal love, a true love that is unselfish and unifying. Let us learn a lesson from the iowly dog who loves its master and is faith ful till death. Let the same hold true to human beings. Love begets love. Masonry teaches us to be charit able even to our enemies, for charity is the greatest of all virtues and the bond of perfectness. Charity eman ates from a pure heart; when given, it relieves the distressed of his bur den and a new ray of hope springs forth and shines on his life. Water is sweet when given to the thirsty, bread is life when given to the hun gry. Not all Masons are rich, nay, some could hardly make both ends meet, but they can afford to be charit able just the same. All Masons know that to get butter one has to churn. A Dr*. Anadeto & Del Mundo DR. P. DEL MUNDO-ADAMS CLINIC Hearing Aids * Contact lenses * RX. Glasses ♦ Plastic Eyes 606 & 414 Rizal Ave., Manila 1120 A. Mabini St., Ermita Naga City * Hotel Great Eastern, Manila DRS. ANACLETO & DEL MUNDO DECEMBER, 1967 21

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