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Ear to the Ground

Racial Row in Freemasonry

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Posted on Jul 3, 2009
Freemasons
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Requirements for Freemason membership are that an individual must be male, not a slave, of good character, and with belief in a higher power.

Not only are the Freemasons a bit weird, some are also a bit racist. The admittance of Victor Marshall, a 26-year-old African American, to a chapter in Atlanta last year caused many Georgian Freemasons to seek to revoke the charter of Marshall’s chapter, sparking a legal battle over equality in this new “post-racial” world.

The Guardian:

There is much about Freemasonry that remains shrouded in mystery to the outside world. But a group of members in the US state of Georgia appear to have clarified one thing—the supreme being in which all Masons are required to believe is not likely to be black.

Freemasonry lodges in Georgia are at loggerheads over the admission of a “non-white” member to an organisation that was founded on the principles of the Enlightenment but which is apparently still struggling to catch up with the latter part of the 20th century.

Now the issue is headed for a Masonic trial and the state courts after some lodges in Georgia sought to revoke the charter of one in Atlanta for admitting Victor Marshall, a 26-year-old African-American army reservist, last autumn.

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By lightman, July 7, 2009 at 6:47 pm Link to this comment
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Do not judge. A small few have a perception issue. Just as many PH brothers think F&AM; masons are toothless backwoods shine drinking rednecks. So do many F & AM think PH and Others are dope slanging dirt doing, baby’s daddies. Neither is true. Introductions are in order. The GL will take this opportunity to get the word out that F & AM will accept brethren of all races. I have set in lodge with Victor and he is OK. No more no less. I like him and welcome him in my lodge.

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By Night-Gaunt, July 4, 2009 at 10:45 am Link to this comment

I wonder how common this Dark Ages thinking of racism is in the so-called “Enlightened” Freemason organizations? If you look at them they are Christian in context since the Great Architect is their JHVH. The All Seeing Eye in a blaze of light is of Odin er.., God the Heavenly Father who sees all. The first surveillance device. Even in your head! Though the Klan has let down their guard, in the 1980’s one of the Texas KKK locals was run by a “half-Indian” during the row with the Vietnamese Shrimpers. [It got into the news.] It also reminded me of the infighting in George Lincoln Rockwell’s American Nazi party between the lighter and darker skinned members of his benighted organization.

However the racism is something separate in this case unless it is explicitly in their charter.

Wasn’t it Annie Bezant that created her own Co-Freemasonry group? I can’t recall when or if they are still in existence in this country.

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By bogi666, July 4, 2009 at 9:18 am Link to this comment

I may be mistaken, but aren’t the Shriners affiliated with the Freemason? If so, when I was living in Mexico there was a young girl badly disfigured by fire and without hands. The Shriners provided medical care for the girl and it was remarkable. She still had to beg. For this reason alone I don’t think that wholesale criticism is warranted, contingent upon a Shriners/Mason relationship. I happen to live in North Georgia and two miles from where I live at town Tiger, Georgia there is a house with a full sized NAZI flag flying on the outside. If their is racial discrimination by the Mason any/all tax exempt status should be revoked nationwide.

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By Political Insurgent, July 4, 2009 at 6:42 am Link to this comment

Just what we need. More complaints in regards to the world’s favorite segregationist male cult.

Why can’t men ever do anything productive and actually helpful to society? What an epic waste of space.

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By godistwaddle, July 4, 2009 at 5:59 am Link to this comment

My dad, a Third Degree Mason and good old New Hampshireman, would be spinning in his grave like lathework if he knew this.  He was only bigoted against bigots.

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By A Giant Slor, July 3, 2009 at 8:44 pm Link to this comment
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Douglas Ethridge and Starling Hicks, the two Masons who complained about Marshall, are in the wrong organization. I’m sure Georgia has a few KKK groups they can join.

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By PatrickHenry, July 3, 2009 at 2:24 pm Link to this comment

Sexist and theologically challanged as well.

Klan by another name.

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By Charles Ippoliti, July 3, 2009 at 1:21 pm Link to this comment
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Please don’t pass judgement on all Freemasonry because of a few bigots in Georgia. I am a Freemason in Oregon and our lodge admits good men of any color or ethnic origin should they apply.

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