Masonic Lodge Is Suspended After Shooting

NY Times ^ | March 15, 2004 | PATRICK HEALY

[Russian Sage]

Masonic Lodge Is Suspended After Shooting

By PATRICK HEALY

Published: March 15, 2004

A week after a man was shot dead inside a Masonic lodge on Long Island, leaders of the state's Masonic organization made the rare move yesterday of suspending the lodge while a panel of lawyers investigates the culture and ritual that led to the shooting.

...

William James, a new arrival to the lodge, South Side 493 Masons of Patchogue, was killed Monday as he was being initiated into a social club connected to the Masons but not officially part of the organization. A 76-year-old member of the social club, the Fellow Craft Club, was supposed to fire a gun loaded with blanks, but reached into the wrong pocket, drew a licensed, loaded gun and shot Mr. James, 47, in the face.

[TheLion]

Well stated bro.

[TheLion]

A follow-up article:

"The brotherhood remains relevant"

"While a proud past does not ensure a vigorous future, Masonry is valuable even today. Part of this significance is individual - the pleasure of meeting with other men (and, through a variety of connected groups, women). But the fraternity also helps build society as a whole. The most obvious benefits are about $800 million in charitable giving and countless hours of volunteer work that Masons provide each year"

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpbul183711262mar18,0,3645816.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines

[uglybiker]

Who's giving churches grief?

Any grief the Masons give is in response to the grief given them.

[Trinity_Tx]

Excellent. : ) Thank you for the updates, Lion.

[PresbyRev]

It's a shame that the other thread was pulled. This update is a good follow-up and confirms what the Masons on the previous thread had affirmed - namely, that there whatever happened on Long Island may have been many things, but Masonic ritual it was not.

[PresbyRev]

ixnay the 'there' - a typo

[Rightly Biased]

Thanks for the update I have to agree with most and say that I believe that the shooting was not anything to do with the Masons......
But I still have my convictions about the Masonic rituals and beliefs, and how they square up with Christianity.
Lets not argue the point again its too laboring.
And Again I say the Masons that I have dealt with here are nothing but gentlemen and scholars.

[Elsie]

Any grief the Masons give is in response to the grief given them.

I guess they are not Christian then.....

---

Romans 12:17-19
17. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

[Trinity_Tx]

By that Logic, the ones who dished out the evil the Masons "repayed" aren't Christians. ; )