Thanks for your thoughtful questions.
Masonry teaches by the use of allegory. The Temple of Solomon – especially the biblical representation of how it was supposedly built and the employment of the stonemasons who built it – is one of the major allegories used in our Ritual, and it in fact accounts for many of the wonderful and fascinating similarities in Masonic buildings.
But your 33rd degree Mason in Romania was either misquoted or he “misspoke” (as they say in American politics). Freemasonry has no agenda to restore or otherwise bring back the Temple—or for that matter to support or link to Judaism or any religious affiliation or people.
And though your question about the Star of David may be completely legitimate (based on some of your other questions I would assume it is), no legitimate Master Mason ever said it was the model for the square and compasses. But it brings up and interesting point:
There are a wide range of wild conspiracy theories out there that try to tie our symbols – especially the square and compasses – to the occult, to specific religions, and to things dastardly. I’ve even seen dissertations “proving” they are somehow “unchristian”.
It’s almost laughable.
The square and compasses are simply a representation of “operative” stonemason tools that we, as “speculative” Freemasons, use as tools to help us teach moral character. For example, the square reminds us, among other things, to “square our actions.”
Freemasons donate millions of dollars – and countless hours – every day to charitable causes. I don’t understand why people spend so much time trying to “discredit” us.
As this site is dedicated to helping men learn how to become Freemasons, I will just say this about that: You can turn anything good around to try to make it bad. As I often say, if you turn an arrow that points up around, it points down. Not sure what that proves.
And I know your questions did not ask this, but since a search on the internet with those same questions will bring up a lot of negative mumbo jumbo, I would just tell anyone who goes there that being anti- Masonic is a bit like being anti-good. And I question the motives of anyone who would want to do that.
Bob Heruska
Moderator
Cambridge, MA