William G. Mathis, 33°
Grand Master, Grand Lodge of North Carolina
PO Box 6506, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27629

What do we believe and what is it we are not willing to compromise about our Gentle Craft?

In 1952, the Mississippi Legislature had a hot debate over the legalization of whiskey in that state. During the harsh divisiveness that followed, Judge Sweat was asked his position on the issue. He replied: "If when you say whiskey, you mean the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation and despair and shame and helplessness and hopelessness, then, certainly I am against it.

"But if when you say whiskey, you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman's step on a frosty morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy and happiness and to forget, if only for a little while, life's great tragedies and heartaches and sorrows; if you mean that drink the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our pitiful aged and infirm, to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.

"This is my stand, and I will not compromise."

What can Judge Sweat's comment have to do with our Gentle Craft? Perhaps a lot. It is my firm, uncompromising belief that Freemasonry is an institution ordained by God. I am further convinced that no other institution, not even the church, has been given such an opportunity to unite men of differing faiths, beliefs, political, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds as have we. If we will but be uncompromising with the Masonic Creed as here set forth, we will be able to accomplish our destiny. This course is not without difficulty.

Our Masonic Creed: One God, Father of all; the Holy Bible, the great light of Masonry; immortality of the soul; character determines destiny; that love of man is next to love of God, man's first duty; communion of man with God through prayer is helpful; that we should practice charity and benevolence, protect chastity, respect ties of blood and friendship, adopt the principles and revere the ordinances of religion, assist the feeble, guide the blind, raise up the downtrodden, shelter orphans, support the government, guard the altar, inculcate morality, promote learning, love man, fear God and implore his mercy, and hope for happiness.

Given the division within our Masonic ranks today, what is our position on Masonry's fundamentals? On what do we stand like Judge Sweat, not willing to compromise?

What is our consensus?

This is my position.

When you say Masonry, do you mean Masonic Lodges that are fortresses for bigots and braggarts? Where prejudice and arrogance abound and superstition and ignorance prevail? Where race and belief are scorned and criticized? Do you mean a place where contempt is the norm and brotherly love is viewed as weakness, where white and Christian are the accepted and non-white and non-Christian are excluded?

When you say Freemasonry, do you mean tolerance for every individual's beliefs. Do you mean all values and all lifestyles are equally valid? Do you mean that not only does everyone have an equal right to his beliefs, but that all beliefs are equal? Do you mean the norm is trodden under foot by the perverse? Do you mean going beyond respecting a person's rights and demanding praise and endorsement of that person's beliefs, values, and lifestyle? When you say Masonry, do you mean that brotherly love means approval of everything that people do, agreeing with everything that they say? Do you mean that everyone should be allowed to have his way? Do you mean that sin is out of touch and outmoded? If you mean avoiding offensiveness at all cost, then certainly I am against it.

But, if when you say Masonry, you mean Masonic Lodges that are asylums where friends and Brothers can meet, where boorish conduct and bully pulpits do not exist; if you mean a place where knowledge and enlightenment abound, where internal qualifications of a man are truly the rule and not the external and where God-fearing men of all races and all beliefs can meet on the level and part on the square in their search for truth; if you mean tolerance that recognizes and respects the beliefs and practices of others without necessarily agreeing with them; if you mean that every Brother has a right to his own opinion; if you mean brotherly love that tells us we must love one another the more when our behavior is offensive; if you mean that repentance is the pathway to both God and man; if you mean that we must whisper good council to each other even at the hazard of our friendships; if you mean that we must be Brother Masons, then certainly I am for it.

This is my stand and I will not compromise!

Acknowledging that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future and that a bad peace is worse than a good war, from all this, what conclusion can we draw? What is the underlying meaning? Does it mean that we should start purging our rolls? Does it mean that I, as a Grand Master, should start pulling Lodge charters? Does it mean that we have become too rigid? Or, on the other hand, does it mean bad behavior should be rewarded? Does it mean pride of opinion is of greater value than the truth? Does it mean that diversity has no limit? In essence, if you have concluded that what I am doing is figuratively drawing a line in the sand or tightening the circle of individual responsibility, then you have missed the whole point, even though sooner or later lines must be drawn and behavior must be brought under scrutiny.

However, what I wish to do is erase the counterfeit lines we have already drawn and to allow each to broaden his circle of responsibility, thus getting down to the business of being Brother Masons who always remember that, around this altar, we have promised to befriend and relieve every Brother needing our assistance. We have promised, in the most friendly manner, to remind one another of our errors, and aid a reformation, always striving to be all of one mind; living in peace; and hoping that the God of love and peace will delight to dwell with and bless us; being ever aware that this mystic tie is only as strong or weak as we allow it to be.

This is my stand and I will not compromise.