Prejudice By Damien IPM, Lodge Devotion 723

Every Fellowcraft Freemason is charged with making his “passions and prejudices coincide with the just line of his conduct’ and to “hold the scales of justice” with poise. Earlier, an Entered Apprentice is urged to “imprint indelibly on your heart the sacred dictates of truth, of honour and of virtue.” Latter a Master Mason is told he will come to appreciate the “connection of our whole system” and how each part is dependent on the others. Freemasonry is full of values and lessons, but we can’t just focus on one element in Freemasonry – we should try to embrace, understand and then apply our whole system. This takes understanding and work.

Freemasonry calls upon a man to examine and to improve himself. If we stop doing that I suggest we are failing to be the best Freemasons that we can. The lessons and messages contained in our rituals can be applied in our daily lives to make us better men. Even at first glance at stand out charges like the Working Tools, it is obvious self examination and self improve are central in being a Freemason. As our MWGM said on 27 June on Channel 10’s The Circle. “...there has been one or two occasions when I thought “which way should I jump with a certain situation?”, I’ve been able to latch on to a Masonic principle and say, that is the right way to go in this certain situation.” Freemasonry has much to ponder, to teach, and to guide, for all of us, regardless of our Masonic knowledge and experience.

On the previous page we read of “discrimination” – a word stigmatised in our modern society through current use in relation to differently abled people - not to overcome discrimination as the word was once used and how it is still used in a Masonic sense, but rightly in applying judgments to overcome prejudice. Less murky than the distinction between “charity” and “benevolence”, the distinction between prejudice and discrimination in Freemasonry is clear - being two distinct and varied concepts. In Freemasonry, Discrimination is making choices based on sound and fair criteria. Prejudice is about preconceptions (often negative) unduly influencing our choices and attitudes.  Discrimination is bad when based upon prejudice but not bad in itself.

Prejudices are tricky things – obvious ones are easily identified (especially in others, HA!). However bias is often hard to identify in ourselves and in our actions. Recognising our prejudices comes from having an open mind to two things. 1) you might be wrong (or right for the wrong reasons) and 2) you might, and probably do, have prejudices you are not aware of. Not admitting this could see you charged with being a zealot or even worse, a persecutor – most unmasonic. Prejudices are often founded in fears. To be a self actualised person, and a good Freemason, we must recognise our fears and control them. This journey overcoming fear begins with our first step in Freemasonry – our initiation when we enter the unknown trusting in the reputation of the Craft and the intent of our proposer.

As Freemasons who embrace men of immensely varied social standing, wealth, colour and different values and religions, there is a great danger we will declare ourselves free of prejudice and become complacent. As men interested in self awareness and improvement, we should remains vigilant for prejudice in ourselves and examine our serious decisions by asking, “Am I being prejudiced?” where prejudice might be a factor. Our prejudices can lie in our “passions” (emotions) which masons are charged to keep in “due bonds” and control. The first steps in that is identifying our passions and to subdue them.

Further, we are often told to act “on the square” with something’s which may be compromise if our decisions, attitudes and actions are distorted by prejudices.