David A. Roach, 32°
6511 Misty Lane, Pineville, Louisiana 71360–9712

Masonry isn't what the "antis" of the world make it. It's what we as Masons make it. The Fraternity doesn't live by public opinion, but by the heart of the Mason.

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A few years ago, a plague of anti-Masonry infected my church. I love the people of my church and tried to tell them, the best way I knew how, that their suspicions about Freemasonry were unfounded. In spite of my defense of our beautiful Fraternity, they voted not to allow Masons to become deacons of the church. Needless to say, the Masons of the church were heartbroken. We had served the church with enthusiasm. The pastor even remarked about how we were some of the hardest workers in the church.

From that point on, I researched the history of our Fraternity. I read Morals and Dogma and found Pike to be confusing and ostentatious, but, after closer observation, I could see many of his points. I actually decided not to reduce my Masonic involvement, but to extend it, and I joined the Scottish Rite and the Shrine. I even joined a second Lodge.

I read Mackey's and Coil's works. I read Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry? and A Bridge to Light. I went through the Louisiana Monitor and other Masonic works. I have grown to love this Fraternity more as I learned more facts about it. Though some of the writings and lectures don't appeal to me, I find that the vast majority of the tenets and ideals taught in Freemasonry foster the characteristics of a perfect child of God. After all, Christ said in Matthew 22:36–40 that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love others. Sounds a lot like Masonry's "the Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man," doesn't it?

It wasn't until February 1, 2001, that I finally came to grips with what was most important. We had a fund-raiser for the Salvation Army. My Lodge has been struggling to survive for some time now. We've had some setbacks that almost destroyed us. We are now rebuilding. So you can see that this was a steep hill for us to climb. We sold lunches during the day and had a presentation supper that night. The Mayor of Pineville, the pastor of the Methodist Church in nearby Alexandria, and the Lieutenant from the Salvation Army were there to speak. We managed to collect about $1,400 in money and food for the Salvation Army. It was a great night!

As the speakers were addressing the gathering, I began to realize that it doesn't matter what others say about us. It doesn't matter what is being printed about Freemasonry. It doesn't matter what skeletons are dug up from our past. It only matters that we continue to do what is right and good in the eyes of God. If we are to be the perfect children of God spoken of in Matthew 5, we need to love even our enemies. Freemasonry lives by that principle as is proved by its charity which is offered to all peoples of all races, of all creeds, friend or foe, faithful or foolish, regardless of Masonic or church affiliation.

Unfortunately, society today is made up of bashers. Everyone wants to bash something or someone. This country is being overcome by people who want to find something bad about something that has always been thought of as good or something ugly about someone who is respected in the public eye. People will do anything to sell a book or make a movie. The cleaner the organization has been or the better the person has been, the more vicious the attack. If the basher can just find something to make this respected thing or person imperfect, he can become rich and famous. What a shame.

Yet the Freemason knows that no one on Earth is perfect. We are not surprised to see imperfection. We know that we need perfecting. That's why, through our tenets, rituals, and teachings, we strive to make good men better men. We prefer to start off with men humble enough to have the desire to become better men, not men who think they are already perfect.

I wrote letters to the anti-Masons of the church and the deacons to explain to them that the books they read are wrong. I even wrote a 95-page book about my findings and sent them a copy. The biggest anti-Mason sent me back insults and turned all my words around, reading things into them that weren't meant, even calling me anti-Christian for being pro-Mason. And the pastor let me know how disappointed he was in me for becoming the Worshipful Master of my Lodge.

That's when I found out that it doesn't matter what we say or print or prove; our critics will do as they please and believe what they want anyway. That's why in the "Charge at Initiation" of the Louisiana Monitor it says: "Although your frequent appearance at our regular meetings is earnestly solicited, yet it is not meant that Freemasonry should interfere with your necessary vocations, for these are on no account to be neglected. Neither are you to suffer your zeal for the Institution to lead you into argument with those who through ignorance may ridicule it." They'll just twist what you say and use it against you.

So, my Brothers, this is the great truth that I have found through my struggle. Continue to do what you know is good and right in spite of the darts that are thrown at you. Become more charitable in your heart, and the wounds will heal. If your main focus is defense, your main purpose in life will be neglected. If the world can sucker you into a defensive posture, it will use your own defenses against you. Ignore it all and focus on charity. The more charitable your heart becomes, the better man you will become, and your enemies will be ashamed.

That night at the Salvation Army fund-raiser I learned Masonry isn't what the "antis" of the world make it. It's what we as Masons make it. The Fraternity doesn't live by public opinion, but by the heart of the Mason. If we keep our main focus on charity, brotherhood, and God our Father, our Fraternity will survive all of the maliciousness of other men. What do you want Freemasonry to be? Do you sit back and wait on it to become something that the world agrees with, or do you go and do? Make a difference in the world. Don't wait for things to get better; make things better. How can a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons expect to keep and attract good men if it doesn't give them good things to do? The opening and closing can't keep everyone interested forever.

Remember the Good Samaritan. In concluding the parable about the traveler who helped the man who fell among thieves, the Master of Nazareth said:, "Go, and do thou likewise" (Luke 10:37). It is time for us, as Masons, also to "go, and do likewise."

David A. Roach
is the Worshipful Master of Solomon Lodge No. 221, Pineville, La. He takes care of the sound for his church's services and teaches Youth Discipleship Training on Sunday evenings. He says: "I am fortunate to be a Christian; proud to be a member of my church and a Mason; and blessed to be all three. I have a plural membership with W. D. Fisher Lodge No. 480, Deville, La., and I am a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies and El Karuba Shrine Temple of Shreveport, La., as well as a member of the CenLa Shrine Club of Alexandria, La.