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Tennessee Freemasons expelled a straight man for 'promoting homosexuality'

Winter

Premium Member
Read this article on Reddit this morning. The original article appears to be behind a paywall but the full text of it is in the Reddit post linked below. As a Wisconsin Mason I have had gay Brothers since I joined and I never thought less of them or considered that their sexuality would make them ineligible for membership in our fraternity. And to expel a Brother, not even for being homosexual, but for offering them support as a member of the clergy seems counterintuitive to the diverse brotherhood we claim to embrace. And this isn't the only place it is happening either. If your religion tells you to condemn homosexuality, then you must act as your conscience dictates regarding the tenets of your faith and I would never try to interfere in another's religion. Even if they are bigoted, that's on them. But to bring those laws to Freemasonry and force an entire jurisdiction to adhere to the laws of one religion regardless of whether they belong to it or not is anathema to Freemasonry.

https://www.reddit.com/r/freemasonry/comments/uq6sv8
 

Keith C

Registered User
Thanks for that link.

I find it interesting that it seems he could have avoided expulsion had he permitted his home Lodge to hold the trial. Putting this in the hands of the Grand Lodge of TN sealed his fate before the trial even began.
 

Winter

Premium Member
I wonder if he wasn't trying to force an official GL stance with holding the trial there instead of his home lodge. Or maybe he thought he was getting a fairer hearing there.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 

Keith C

Registered User
The impression I got was he was hoping saner minds would prevail at the GL level since the decision 7 years ago. The article implied the Bretheran at his Lodge all supported him and he would have been aqutied there.
 

Winter

Premium Member
Reminds me of when FL expelled anyone who wasn't from one of the 3 Abrahamic faiths around a decade ago.

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coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Reminds me of when FL expelled anyone who wasn't from one of the 3 Abrahamic faiths around a decade ago.

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<cough> That was not FL. That was the then GM of FL, who was summarily told what to do with his "rule" when the FL GL reconvened.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Good point Brother! I was very happy to see such a nonsense edict booted quickly.
You and the 50,000+ some odd Brother in the FL GL as well! There was a heck of a lot of planning that went into the effort. The Brothers really did come together on this and for all the right reasons! An effort that should have NEVER had to be put in!
 

Bloke

Premium Member
...An effort that should have NEVER had to be put in!
I hear you. It is sad how much energy Freemasons have to waste on trying to correct the damaging "wisdom" of some of our decision makers. It is one of the few things in life which make me angry.
 
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