Freemasonry: The Naked Truth

In France, especially, there is a definite choice to be made by candidates who wish to join the movement. The choice is between a “societal” Lodge and a “spiritualist” Lodge, between raising money for community needs or else concentrating on the spiritual elevation of each individual member. Most French Lodges choose to privilege the spiritual side of the coin.

The following is the advice of Franck Fouqueray to help French candidates to make the right choice. But most of what he says is useful to candidates everywhere.

It is not because many Freemasons choose to communicate on social themes that we should consider this as the best practice for everyone. We can add that the work produced on social themes by university students is often of a much higher level. However, the latter do not claim to change the face of the world with their writing. To change society, you must know it and have worked in advance on yourself. Can you believe that a Freemason who attends Lodge twice a month and spends an evening or two studying a theme that is not linked to their usual activity can legitimately hold forth on our society and propose changes to it?

Let's stop dreaming. When a candidate is asked: "What is your motivation for joining Freemasonry”, they usually answer: "To debate on social issues". Claiming to have the power to change society thanks to our work and discussions in the Lodge?? Let’s be serious!

I often ask this question: "Can you quote one recent example, one Freemason whose work in a Lodge has changed society"?

There have been almost none in France, for example, since the end of the Third Republic (1940), for the simple reason that, in our time, practically none of the work carried out in a Lodge is transferred outside. Finally, to qualify this point, we could say that the influence of Freemasonry is of the same magnitude as that of any group of individuals who question the civilisation they live in. Very important political decisions have surely been taken in golf clubs, but that does not make the sport an annex to any occult power, or the embassy of a new world order.

Being aware of of the insignificant political and social influence of Masonic Lodges in our modern society should stop new members from being disappointed after their Initiation. One can check that the importance of political and social Freemasonry has declined by observing the subjects regularly put forward by some Masonic Obediences in order to attract attention: such as secularism, the rise of the extremist right wing parties or other recurring topics of current events. In some cases, such behaviour reminds one of discount supermarkets, who offer promotions on rulers, squares and compasses, to equip the school bag at the beginning of each school year. If you really want to change the world through social or political action, there are other solutions.