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  1. MarkR

    PHO vs PHA

    You're absolutely correct (except UGLE formed in 1813.)
  2. MarkR

    Homosexual and Bisexual Brother Masons

    So then, there are no behaviors that are condoned by any religion, or condoned by the petitioner's own belief of what God accepts, that you would consider to be incompatible with a man becoming a Mason? Interesting.
  3. MarkR

    Lack of Fellowship?

    Be generous in your analysis of their actions. A lot of brothers are not certain what they are allowed to talk about outside of a tyled lodge, so their fallback position is just not to talk about it at all.
  4. MarkR

    Homosexual and Bisexual Brother Masons

    You didn't read my hypothetical. I didn't propose a single act; I proposed a brother whose religion teaches that homosexuality is a sin, and the petitioner who is in a homosexual relationship. Thus, he is a sinner who is neither repentant nor trying not to sin in the eyes of the brother. I...
  5. MarkR

    Moving to England

    I wish we'd adopt this custom in the states, instead of the majority of the brothers wearing the ratty, wrinkled, decades old, plain white cloth aprons from the pile at the tyler's station. I have both a MM apron and a PM apron of my own.
  6. MarkR

    Lodge Break

    We go dark in July and August. A good reason for that is that our very old building has no air conditioning in the second-floor Lodge room. It's usually stiflingly hot at our last June meeting. July and August would be unbearable.
  7. MarkR

    Reading Morals and Dogma before MM

    My Valley gives each new member a copy of A Bridge to Light. I (and others have reported the same) found it extremely useful to read the chapter on the degrees I was about to see, then read it again afterward, to better understand what I had just gone through. Oh, wait, you're talking about...
  8. MarkR

    Homosexual and Bisexual Brother Masons

    If we apply "judge not" in entirety, then let's get rid of investigating committees and balloting. Because we surely judge during both of those. What that says is that you will be judged by the same standards you use to judge others, so you should be very careful in your judgment...
  9. MarkR

    Homosexual and Bisexual Brother Masons

    All I did was ask a question. I did not champ at the bit to run to anyone's defense. You answered my question.
  10. MarkR

    Would you still be looked at the same?

    That depends on jurisdiction. Up until this year, you could not hold elected office in two lodges simutaneously here in Minnesota. At GL this year, it was voted to change that to not being allowed to hold the same elected office in two lodges simultaneously.
  11. MarkR

    Background Check upon Membership

    I'd also want to know how long it has been. If it was thirty years ago (and felonies aren't automatic disqualifiers in your state) I'd balance it against the rest of the investigation. If it was within the last five years or so, I'd say no.
  12. MarkR

    Homosexual and Bisexual Brother Masons

    I'm confused here. How has WalMart defrauded workers of their wages? Do they not pay them the wages they were offered, and accepted, when they were hired? If they do, there is no defrauding. If they offer one wage and then pay a lesser one, or not pay it at all, that's defrauding.
  13. MarkR

    Homosexual and Bisexual Brother Masons

    I don't think this should start to devolve into arguing with each other. He gave his honest feelings; don't demand that he defend them. Yes, we are all sinners. We are, however, expected to repent our sins and genuinely try not to sin. In my original example of a brother who believes that...
  14. MarkR

    Regarding PHA members

    The United Grand Lodge of England does not have authority over any Lodges other than their own. There is a question of "legitimacy of origin," where a Grand Lodge must have been constituted by Lodges that can directly trace their lineage back to the Grand Lodge of England, Grand Lodge of...
  15. MarkR

    Homosexual and Bisexual Brother Masons

    Re: Gay and Bi Brother Masons Devil's advocate question: what if a brother's religion teaches that homosexuality is a sin? Would you expect that brother to support a sinner for membership?
  16. MarkR

    Should a new MM wait for a period of time, before petitioning an appendant body?

    I suppose that could be true in your jurisdiction, but I've never heard of any mandatory time that must elapse before petitioning and appendant body.
  17. MarkR

    Looking for an heirloom jeweler

    Take a look at this guy: http://www.lewallenjewelry.com/ I know he can do custom investment-cast jewelry, and it sounds like he might be right up your alley.
  18. MarkR

    Your Ring

    Back to the topic of the G, The Journal of the Masonic Society, Issue #18, had a very good article on the symbolism of the "G" that might help you decide.
  19. MarkR

    Your Ring

    Scotland also uses the G.
  20. MarkR

    What Bums Me Out

    For the most part, I've found it pointless to argue with antis. They usually respond with one of two counters to any facts you give them: "You aren't high enough up to know the truth." Like they, not a Mason at all, have access to information that we, as "low-ranking" Masons don't. Or "you...
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