Thor Denied Entry to Lodge For Being Practicing Odinist

[My Freemasonry]

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Willow Creek, Pennsylvania--After traveling upon the Bifrost of the sleepy town, Brother Thor Odinson, Crown Prince of Asgard, along with friend, Jake Olson, a member of Orange Grove Lodge No. 471 under the Grand Lodge of California, were reportedly denied entry into a lodge of Master Masons, because he was a practicing Odinist. According to reports, the Worshipful Master of Willow Grove Lodge No. 1298, Ken Williams, informed the Tyler that, “no paganist would be allowed entrance into this lodge as long as I’m Master.”

“We just can’t let people with different belief systems into this Fraternity without vetting that belief system, “stated Williams, “Do we even know what an Odinist believes? Is there even a God there?”

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Although equipped with Masonic emblems, his own working gavel, Mjolnir, and riding astride two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, the Master’s prerogative held sway.

“‘Twas a strange circumstance,” said Odinson, “that yon lodge would denyth themselves the presence of the Crown Prince of Asgard. ‘Tis mine own religion, to honor mine Father, the All-father, He that defeateth Surtur, the evil demon of Muspelheim. Doth not this land, this great Midgardian land, give to mine own kind those inalienable rights to loveth mine Father as my kind hath for millennia?”

Olson continued, “I’m speaking for Brother Thor here but it seems a little unfair that he be denied entry when Ra gets to be at the Scottish Rite all the time. Just seems unfair, ya know.”

The Honorable Reginald Farquar, XVI°
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[dfreybur]

One evening a bunch of us were walking from the lodge after closing to the dining room for fellowship. One of the elderly guys said he was proud of the religious diversity in our lodge. Not only did we have more Protestant branches than he could count we had Catholics, Orthodox and Jews.

I smiled and nodded. In the group was a Druid and an Asatru brother. Regular lodge attendees at our lodge included at least one Muslim. Our most recent district officers class had been attended by more than one Wiccan. Our elderly brother was correct to an extent far beyond what he thought. Welcome to California! Late 1990s long before the events in Florida a couple of years ago.

Have you seen the movie Thor? In it there is a scene were Thor takes a drink from a mug. "What drink is this?" "Coffee." "I love coffee! May I have another please?" The script writer for the movie Thor was also the producer for the 1990s SF TV show Babylon 5 . A Babylon 5 fan had asked him to include a scene where Thor loves coffee as a favor to long time fans. The scene is an "Easter egg" that is hidden in the open.

There are a tiny number of Asatruar in the general population but among Asatru folks there is a much higher than average percentage of Masons, veterans, comic book fans and Babylon 5 fans compared to the general population. Many of the stories in the myths about fighting it should be expected that many Asatruar decide to serve. Being a member of a tiny population religion requires a strong imagination so it should be expected that SF fans are common in Asatru.

Why more Masonic Asatruar than the general population? Because Masonry actually does live up to its claims of religious freedom and tolerance!

Tolerance is not acceptance, tolerance is taken and accepted.
Tolerance is not agreement, tolerance is contending to work and to agree on topics that are discussed and not discussing topics that are not agreed upon.
Tolerance is not approval, tolerance is fraternal love.