LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.   Exclusive Truthdig Merchandise - Gore Vidal signed first editions - Signed Mr. Fish prints
November 7, 2009
Log in / Register

 Choose a size
Text Size

Most Read

Steve Fraser on the Crisis of Capitalism

Sen. George McGovern on the Presidency From Lincoln to Obama

'Daily Show' Insta-Classic: What Lurks Within Glenn Beck?

America Performs Its Familiar Role of Propping Up a Dictator

Happy Birthday, Pat Tillman

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture

Digs
Financial Meltdown 101
Vetting Sarah Palin

Truthdig Bazaar
Caspian Rain

Caspian Rain

By Gina B. Nahai
$25.00

Matters of Fact and Fiction book cover

Matters of Fact and of Fiction

by Gore Vidal
Very Fine, Collector's Copy $150 NOW $80 - Only two copies left!

more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Racial Row in Freemasonry

Email this item Email    Print this item Print   
Posted on Jul 3, 2009
Freemasons
wordpress.com

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.

Read more

More Below the Ad

Advertisement

Chrome Bag - Free Shipping

Elsewhere: .

Comments

Are you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.

By lightman, July 7 at 9:47 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

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.

Report this

By Night-Gaunt, July 4 at 1:45 pm #

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.

Report this

By bogi666, July 4 at 12:18 pm #

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.

Report this

By Political Insurgent, July 4 at 9:42 am #

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.

Report this

By godistwaddle, July 4 at 8:59 am #

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.

Report this

By A Giant Slor, July 3 at 11:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

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.

Report this

By PatrickHenry, July 3 at 5:24 pm #

Sexist and theologically challanged as well.

Klan by another name.

Report this

By Charles Ippoliti, July 3 at 4:21 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

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.

Report this

Add Your Comment

Posts by unregistered readers are moderated. Posts by members
are published immediately. Why wait? Register today!







Number of characters remaining: 4000

Notify you when others comment on this article?


Are you a human?
Retype the word you see here.


Please read and abide by our comment policy.
By submitting this comment, you agree to this site's terms and conditions.

 
Click here to learn more about Truthdig
 

 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2009 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved.