Brothers,

The "Webb" lecture on the 47th problem, "This was an invention of our Ancient friend and brother, the Great Pythagorus . . .",  bothered me from the first time I heard it. Almost every statement in the lecture is false and to me did not seem proper for Masonic presentation. Therefore, in my rebellious youth, I wrote the following substitute, which, I think, is both factual and philosphically valid.

The first time I used it was at a MM degree where a Custodian of the Work was on the side lines. After the degree I asked him what he thought about my 47th problem presentation. He hadn't even noticed that I had departed from the standard lecture!

Since then I have used it many times and no one has ever commented on the departure from prescribed wording. This demonstrates to me that by that time in the MM work most ears have yielded to overload and the only ones aware of what I am saying are the new MM's who are hearing it for the first time.

The 47th Problem of Euclid

This ancient mathematical theorem was discovered and re-discovered many times during a 2000 year period.  Masonic tradition attributes its invention to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, but every civilization that developed a formal mathematical system based on geometrical concepts has found this to be a central part of their theories.  From its ancient use in performing accurate land measurement to its modern appearance in the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics, this proposition has played a key role in man¹s understanding of the universe.  It should inspire Masons to appreciate the beauties of science and geometry. 

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MW Bro. Rod brings up two problems in the Webb work.  The first is the innovation of canned lectures, versus the explanatory and very personal lectures that would mean so much more to everyone.  Most members wouldn't consider parroting the Master Mason symbolic lecture to be the easy way out, but rote memorization should never have been allowed to replace the creative processes needed to truly help the new member understand an important portion of freemasonry.  And this goes for the entire masonic career of most masons.  As another commenter pointed out, once a lecture has been heard a few times, most members either avoid the room, leave the room, or take a mini-vacation, and end up never having the least idea of what the symbols are supposed to teach. Standardization in the pursuit of such knowledge does not seem to be very effective.

The second is having lecturers standing up there and essentially lying to all assembled.  The Holy Saints John masons?  I doubt it.  I have been too lazy to do the work Bro. Rod has done in avoiding these exaggerations, but I have added a few 'are said to have been' and 'according to Masonic tradition' when they seemed necessary.

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Dear Bro. Ted,

I agree with you.  I am beginning to see just how important the
Blue Lodge Rituals are, now & I noticed Numerous mistakes in the
Rituals, when I came through.  One guy meant well, but kept messing words up, such as "Past" for "Pass," etc.--very confusing to anyone who hasn't read the Rituals.  "Do you have the Past?" just didn't quite make any sense.

Personally, I am afraid to have Brothers "Innovate" the rituals,
at their own discretion--regardless of Intent.  So much of this
information is meant to convey meanings locked into Time. 
Modernizing the Rituals could be a disaster.  Besides, I believe The
Monitor states that we are not to make Innovations upon the Rituals.

If you let one guy change the words, then everyone is allowed to
change things around...then, suddenly, we will find ourselves in very
precarious situations.

Perhaps, the Rituals are even set-up to MAKE you think about the
statements, thus leading to Investigation....?  Whereas, simply
stating the research would preclude most people's individual research.

Regardless, I'm with Ted on this issue.  No Innovations on the
Rituals, please.

Laborare Est Orare,
Graham Douglas Lincoln
Utica #337  /  A.A.S.R. 32° (S. Jurisdiction)
2b1ask1 : http://indianamasons.org
http://www.southernindianamasonry.org/index.html
http://www.kymason.com/aasr/main.htm
"Study The Book of Nature, Brother-it Bears the stamp of Deity."  -
Old Masonic Admonition

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Bro:. Graham,

You have touched the central topic here:Perhaps, the Rituals are even set-up to MAKE you think about the statements, thus leading to Investigation....?  Whereas, simply stating the research would preclude most people's individual research.

The rituals are to make a deep and lasting impression on the Candidate and to continue the teaching of the 'experienced' Brethren.  We must take great care in making changes because we don't really know all of the reasons the authors wrote what they wrote.  Perhaps some facts were out of ignorance. Other apparent errors have no basis in fact because the teaching lies underneath.

Frat:.
Ted Berry
Washington DC

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Brothers Graham, Ted & others:
Let us not forget that there is nothing uniform in word and thought
officially from Jurisdiction to Jurisdiction. A letter perfect MM lecture is not the same in the GL of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Washington DC, Indiana, etc. And certainly not the same in the GL of Western Australia, UGLE, Scotland, etc. 

Don't get hung up on the words or their "truthfulness". We should remember the inner meaning, the "natural" truths we are trying to teach our candidates. They are the important persons that we are attempting to teach, not the old, set in their way Brethren.

Brother Mike Beltzer
Junior Warden
Cuyahoga Falls Lodge #735
GL F&AM of Ohio 

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Hello, Mike & All

I am simply very concerned about "Innovations," because my first
experience with "Lodge of Instruction" involved a certain guy
teaching in the name of G.L., that "we are all here because of Jesus/
Christianity" and he was, basically preaching Chrisitanity at the
Altar of F&AM...saying that F&AM is based upon Christianity.

The "Holy Bible" is an innovation upon the rituals, and now most
Masons I have met seem to think F&AM is based upon The Holy Bible and Christianity--despite the fact that F&AM is *supposed* to be based upon "Universality" (and, as any Anti-Mason can tell you, we are *supposedly* welcoming of ALL Men of All Religions, Races, Colors, Creeds, etc.--not just White Christian Males).

Because I have seen someone trying to preach their version of
Truth at the Altar of F&AM, I am very concerned about "Innovations." Technically, the Rituals should read "Volume of Sacred Law," Not "Holy Bible."  However....  If people would actually read The Monitor and study a little, they would know that and leaving the discovery to others would be just fine.  Many things were taught to me, that are NOT in the Rituals, after I was raised as an MM (methods of recognition, etc.).  Explaining the meaning of "V.S.L." (Volume of Sacred Law) should be an important element of that teaching.  However, unlike the rest of the Mystery Schools in the world, F&AM has virtually stopped teaching and just gives out titles and the Candidate is on his own....

I find it rather odd that I had to learn about Masonic Libraries
from a NY Mason & John J. Robinson.  Why was I not informed, in the Lodge?

The lack of education in F&AM precludes changing things, at-least
where I live.  The way things are going where I live, Hiram may be
replaced by Jesus or something to that effect.

When people are placed in positions of authority and/or power,
they often use that position to espouse their own theories/rhetoric.

It seems to be a better Idea to collect all of the Monitors (and
Rituals) from every state and every country and put them all together
into one large book, then distribute that book to every Grand Lodge,
with enough copies for each individual Lodge and each MASONIC LIBRARY (including the Scottish Rite Libraries, etc.)....then, after decades of pondering that one book of collected Monitors, the Fraternity as a whole could probably create a wonderful Universal Monitor (and Rituals).

I signed a KY Masons Monitor and it was twice as thick as mine.  I
would LOVE to see such a work in my lifetime.

For now, however, the lack of education in F&AM precludes the
right to start changing things at this time.  Too many people do not
really know enough about the subject to alter the rituals.

The really knowledgable guys should put-together some kind of
Test.  If the test isn't completed with reasonable accuracy, the
person taking the test should have no involvement with altering the
rituals.....  Maybe, in two or three decades the Rituals could be
married, consolidated and "fixed" but, it should be by the consensus of The Fraternity, as a whole, and each G.L. should have say in the matter.   A long, slow process, creating more accurate Rituals--after much Research.

The idea of people making changes on an Individual level is
frightening.

Look at the way the Constitution is being thrown out the window,
as we speak.  Look at the moron down south, with the Ten Commandments in the Courthouse, carved in stone.  That could happen in F&AM as well--destroying the Universality of F&AM.

Numerous men think a person must be a Christian to be a Mason--
which defeats the purpose of the organization.

At this time, the level of Masonic Education (or lack thereof)
should be testament to the fact that we should not change the
Rituals, until we know what we are doing.

Men with interesting ideas, and proposed changes could Submit
their ideas to the collective Council of all G.L.s/Philalethes and
the changes could be voted on.....  Yet, as I said, this process
would take Decades to be accomplished Properly.  I don't think the
G. L.'s have ever operated on this level, but it could be done & would
lead to a more firmly Cemented Society.

Take Care.
Laborare Est Orare,
Graham Douglas Lincoln

Utica #337  /  A.A.S.R. 32° (SMJ)
http://www.geocities.com/veritas_gdl/index.htm
2b1ask1 : http://indianamasons.org
http://www.southernindianamasonry.org/index.html
http://www.kymason.com/aasr/main.htm

"Study The Book of Nature, Brother-it Bears the stamp of Deity."  -
Old Masonic Admonition

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Brother Graham:
Agreed. Amen. So Mote It Be!  
Brother Mike Beltzer,
I have been in Lodge when the name of Jesus Christ has been invoked. And have been told by several Brothers, in Lodge and out, that Masonry is a Christian organization. Being a non-Christian and a Mason for 33 years it rankles me that this occurs, but in the spirit of Freemasonry, I'll only respond to this in private conversation. Note that when a prayer is said in the name of Jesus, it loses much of its meaning to me. The same would be said if appeared in another religious name (Mohamed, Bhudda, etc.).

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Bro. Rod writes:

"The 'Webb' lecture on the 47th Problem... bothered me from the first time I heard it. Almost every statement in the lecture is false and to me did not seem proper for Masonic presentation. Therefore, in my rebellious youth, I wrote the following substitute, which, I think, is both factual and philosphically valid....

"This ancient mathematical theorem was discovered and re-discovered many times during a 2000 year period.... From its ancient use in performing accurate land measurement to its modern appearance in the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics...."

I'm not against editing or modernizing the prose of Masonic ritual, but as a brother I'd urge you to proceed under the rules and regulations of your Grand Lodge.  It's only fair; think of it as intellectual property rights.

Perhaps your ideas should first take the form of a research paper presented in a proper forum or published in an appropriate Masonic periodical.  There it may gain credibility and could take root.

In addition, I'd say that the changes you make should be based on
Freemasonry's founding documents and valid history.  References to quantum mechanics in a monologue that implicitly dates [at least] to the 18th century will confound your audience.  Start with Mackey's "The Legend of Euclid" and from there try various MSS.

In other words, brethren, look to the PAST for clarity.  It's there.

Jay Hochberg
Menorah Lodge, No. 249, F & AM
New Jersey, USA

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Greetings Brethren,

Here in Utah the Webb lectures aren't used, so I have little or no familiarity with them. I have, however, found that if any innovation is to be made to Ritual it must be done with extreme care.

As an example, we have had a movement to make public the ceremony of constituting a new Lodge. In the current tyled ritual the language includes the statement that the Lodge is "empowered" to perform degrees (i.e. make masons). If the language is "modernized", as has been suggested, some Brother might wish to change that word to "authorized" as having a clearer meaning.
He'd be wrong. To "empower" is literally to give spiritual substance, not just authority. Manna, if you will, cosmic or spiritual power and ability. If we change the Ritual, we may inadvertently remove much of the intended meaning.

I agree that there are errors in our Ritual, and even the prejudices of the past. The FC staircase lecture is certainly anti-Roman, which every Brother who is a Roman Catholic will instantly pick up on, therefore, it is to the Greeks, and not the Romans, to which we owe . 

The Master Mason lecture says that Abraham was about to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. This is the Jewish and Christian tradition (both coming from the same book), but the Moslem tradition is that Abraham was to offer up Ishmael - his first born son.

If you change the Ritual, and let each Brother change it as he will, pretty soon it's not Ritual at all, the constant repetition being an integral part of it's meaning.

As my Lodge's chaplain, I recently wrote an essay for our newsletter entitled "Why Ritual?". My own graduate education being in psychology and cultural anthropology, I was asked by the Worshipful Master to address this very question. It is available for any who may request it.

Fraternally,
Arthur Reilly, PM
Argenta, Lodge #3; F & AM of Utah

P.S. Pythagorus is said to have sacrificed a "hectatomb" - which is 100 head of oxen, sacrificed according to a particular & precise Greek ritual. ;)

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