by Theo
(Twin Cities, Minnesota, US)
I understand that as a fraternity, the freemasons are men-only, but outside of that, I am curious about how diverse the freemasons are. For instance, are they open to men of different races and ethnicities? What about gay, bisexual, or transgender men? Are there any significant barriers for poor men to join? Do you have many members with physical disabilities or mental health issues? Would a polytheistic man be able to join if his personal god weren't a "supreme being" but were still "something bigger than ourselves"?
I'm also curious about meeting the requirement of being of good moral character (a good requirement for most organizations). How "strict" are lodges about questions of personal choice? For instance, while it is a religion and not a fraternity, I had mormon acquaintances who said that in order to be considered a good person in their religion, one must go to church consistently and give money, vote conservatively, proselytize as much as possible, get married as soon as possible, and have as many children as you can, among other things. These seem like fine choices for one to make if one wants to, but a lot of things to (attempt to) stipulate to people who may have different wishes for their lives. My question here is how much pressure there is to be socio-politically similar?
Comments for Diversity in the Freemasons?
|
||
|
||