> Your problem is why would a disaffected Mason leave the organization in the first place if it is so wonderful?
Any number of reasons. Ours is a wonderful society, but because we are all human we are not perfect: sometimes it is possible that we accept someone for membership who is unsuitable. Perhaps, for example, one who joins only so that he can write an expose for you to read.
> If it was simply because he lost interest, he would have no reason to be critical of Free Masonry, would he?
He wouldn’t resign, then — he would lapse his membership, but still be a Freemason. Either way, he’d still be bound by his Oaths.
> On the other hand, if some leave because they had some very serious concerns about the beliefs of Free Masonry, it should come as no surprise that some might want to pass on that information to the otherwise unaware.
And break a solemn, freely-given Oath, a promise to keep a confidence? How much credibility can such a cretin have, and why on earth would anyone want to have anything to do with such a person, far less listen to anything he’d have to say?
People do not go into Freemasonry with their eyes entirely shut — we do not let them. They are interviewed before we will even consider their application. They are not recruited, they have to ask to join — which means that this is something that they wanted badly enough to go to some inconvenience to achieve. During the Rituals they are asked if this is something they are willing to go thru with.
Nobody can plead ignorance, and nobody can say they were tricked. If they genuinely believe they made a mistake and choose to resign as a result, they are still honor-bound (to say nothing of Oath-bound) to preserve our confidential information.
Only a cretin breaks his solemnly-given word.