Todd M. Stewart
Premium Member
Having only recently discovered the work of MWB Dwight L. Smith, my first though was 'How is it I have been a MM for 13 years and not discovered this before? My second was 'I appear to be very much a 'Fundamentalist Freemason.' "Whither are we Traveling" and "Why This Confusion at the Temple", two essays over 55 years old and yet still speaking so directly to the struggles Freemasonry faces today. Smith’s universal answer to the problems of Freemasonry as an institution was to “Try Freemasonry.” That is, return the fraternity to its most basic tenets, strip it of its innovations, and get back to the business of concentrating on making men better ones, one Mason at a time. Some stark questions come to mind that I will not enumerate here, but leave for discussion. In addition I found an interesting essay from 2004 entitled, "Laudable Pursuit: A 21st Century Response to Dwight Smith" from the Knights of the North. An effective recapitulation of brother Smith's works in a modern context. From the introduction:
"We are poised on a ledge, and can either fall into oblivion, or turn around and head a direction different from the one we are going. Not to become just another service club, like Lions or Kiwanis. Not to become more like the “animal” fraternities by turning our Lodges into bars and billiard halls. Not to become crass, noisy, self-aggrandizing back-patters for our charities."
Brutal honesty? In this brother's humble opinion, yes. What say ye? Are you a Born Again Fundamentalist Freemason? I have attached Bro. Smith's essays as well as Laudable Pursuit
"We are poised on a ledge, and can either fall into oblivion, or turn around and head a direction different from the one we are going. Not to become just another service club, like Lions or Kiwanis. Not to become more like the “animal” fraternities by turning our Lodges into bars and billiard halls. Not to become crass, noisy, self-aggrandizing back-patters for our charities."
Brutal honesty? In this brother's humble opinion, yes. What say ye? Are you a Born Again Fundamentalist Freemason? I have attached Bro. Smith's essays as well as Laudable Pursuit