Just another random thought on enemies of freemasonry…
In one regard, I find that masonry’s vocabulary can be a cause for those that are ill-informed to take strong anti-Masonic opinions needlessly.
A few examples: the leader of a lodge is called “worshipful”. For a person well versed on British or Canadian English, this term is common and used in courts and other municipal positions to mean what an American might use in the context “your honor” when speaking to a judge or magistrate. To someone with an anti-Masonic bent, this gives a springboard for the claim we worship the lodge leader. Obviously, never the case.
Another issue might be the use of the term “mystic”, “mystical” or “mysterious”. To the general public this may sound like witchcraft when that is not the case. It is really the same medieval proper English intention as is used in some traditions like Catholicism. That being, if a man’s heart is transformed to be more gentle, more prudent, or more charitable that is something that is profound and an indication we are made in God’s Image and we can do positive things beyond our natural, self-serving states.
Because masonry’s proper use of language has not changed, but common society’s vernacular evolves rapidly, the disconnect can cause masonry to give ammunition to those that do not understand the terms.
So by Masonry’s very traditions and terms, it too may serve as fodder for the enemies of freemasonry. The good news is that a secular understanding of arts and sciences can give any thinking man a clear understanding of the truth.
