Comments on The Millennial Freemason: Masonic Baptism?!

A discussion of the book as well as other issues i...

2009-08-18T14:27:06.341-05:00

A discussion of the book as well as other issues in Masonry can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/Masonic-Central

If we read the ceremony closely we see that it is ...

2009-07-21T23:30:59.558-05:00

If we read the ceremony closely we see that it is Masonic in ritual. It invokes the blessing of the Deity and charges all present to look after the child and help guide him to lead a moral life.

The ceremony promotes the basic tenants of the craft and encourages our community to be a part of our childs moral development.

Thanks for posting this, but I would respectfully disagree with you.

Bro. Scott A. Wynn
Shekinah Lodge #256
Crystal City, MO

I always baptize my bricks with cement before layi...

2009-07-09T22:00:46.865-05:00

I always baptize my bricks with cement before laying them, this ensures a good strong bond with adjacent bricks and i feel my bricks are happier because of this.

Cliff, I am sure that you have a strong belief th...

2009-07-07T22:22:59.337-05:00

Cliff,

I am sure that you have a strong belief that Masonic baptism is non religious but for me, it just seems to be a mixture of religiousness in a Fraternity that has been pulling away from religious identification since the inclusion of brothers of non-Christian faiths. However, if a brother wishes to have this rite performed on their child, it should be left up to their choice.

Nick

I understand apprehension. I understand also that...

2009-07-07T21:11:29.806-05:00

I understand apprehension. I understand also that we have an opportunity here to reach deep, practice, tolerance, and research. The history of baptism is a wonderful and rich one. It is not necessarily religious.

I am the author the most current Masonic Baptism ritual that has been worked in the U.S.

I assure you I am a Christian and a Mason.

www.masonicbaptism.com

Never mind that, it's the Masonic circumcision...

2009-07-06T13:21:59.136-05:00

Never mind that, it's the Masonic circumcision that has me worried.

Masonic baptism sounds painful, who would want a l...

2009-07-06T05:43:37.151-05:00

Masonic baptism sounds painful, who would want a load of bricks dropped on their head?

First off Jorge, congratulations brother! I agre...

2009-07-05T20:43:25.692-05:00

First off Jorge, congratulations brother!

I agree that ritual is so necessary to the human condition. I think there are some instances when a brother wants to make Freemasonry something it's not, a religion. Masonry rides a very fine line between the two and I think it takes some sense to keep them separate.

Nick

Bro Nick, I would imagine that you and I share a m...

2009-07-04T02:49:10.343-05:00

Bro Nick,
I would imagine that you and I share a more or less an equal degree of apprehension concerning the idea that any particular dogma might be given preference in the craft. Still, I am not sure what to think about this one.

I am playing devil’s advocate here to some extent, but I really am considering these possibilities.
Could it be the case that someone might want o replace a particular religion’s ritual with a non-sectarian one? For example; I am getting married this week. I purposely chose a brother from my lodge to perform the ceremony. He is a clergyman but the ceremony will not contain anything alluding to any formal religion. He will talk about the allegorical significance of the ring, what it symbolizes and the lessons it teaches us regarding the union of two indiviuals. It is not in any way a Masonic wedding ceremony, but some of the themes invoked happen to be informed to some degree by Masonic ideals. Ideas that are applicable to any moral situation.

I guess my point is that sometimes it is just about the ritual, celebration or formal acknowledgement. AS we all know ritual fills a need in mankind. In this case it might be the formal welcoming of a new member to the brotherhood of man, not masonry but humanity and it so happens that the backdrop is Masonic due to the preferences of the celebrant. Of course this is all conjecture on my part; be that as it may, it might be something to think about.

Fraternal and sincere regards,
Jorge

Nick, Very interesting post. In most protestant...

2009-07-03T12:02:29.410-05:00

Nick,

Very interesting post. In most protestant sects any member can confir baptism. This can be done in any setting with virtually any liquid including Mt. Dew.

Do you have a link to the article you could post?

2009-07-03T11:10:52.755-05:00

Do you have a link to the article you could post?

I found a NY Times story about Pike performing one...

2009-07-03T11:04:51.368-05:00

I found a NY Times story about Pike performing one of these. It sounded pretty innocuous.

While not baptism, this does remind me of a practi...

2009-07-03T09:52:42.325-05:00

While not baptism, this does remind me of a practice I have heard practiced by masons outside of America. In the case of a mason passing on, some lodges will informally adopt the mason's child until after college. The lodge will cover any costs the mother is unable to pay for until the child is able to make his or her own way in the world. This can include food, clothing, shelter, and any school costs, including college.

It would comfort me greatly to know that the brothers of my lodge would actually take care of my widow and orphans in the event of my untimely passing rather than hoping someone else would.

Have frequented your blog enough today, I hope I have helped to shed further light on the topic at hand.

It seems you updated the post while I was writing ...

2009-07-03T09:43:03.719-05:00

It seems you updated the post while I was writing my comment.

Thanks for the update!

Nick, I would like to see more scholarly informat...

2009-07-03T09:42:05.111-05:00

Nick,

I would like to see more scholarly information to accompany this blog post. I have never heard of such a thing (that's not saying much), but like many masons, I try to educate myself as much as possible on all things masonic.

It's important to remember that Freemasonry is like ice cream. It's all made up of the same ingredients, but an extra ingredient here or there is what sets each flavor apart from the others. One particularly odd flavor does not ruin the idea of ice cream, it mearly speaks to the fact that ice cream can have nearly any flavor and still be ice cream.

Now... where's the freezer?! =D

I would like to get a copy of the subject article....

2009-07-03T02:32:50.835-05:00

I would like to get a copy of the subject article. I have heard of these baptisms, but I always found them to be rumors. cemab4y@hotmail.com