by Rod Kennedy

Created on: January 08, 2009

Since the dawn of civilization there has been a wide variety of religions and religious beliefs observed among humans. Some of them survive to this day, others have been lost in the sands of time. The fact that there are (or have been) so many different religions suggests that there is not necessarily one "true" faith suitable for all people. Yet today, in our so-called "modern age", there is wide spread division and polarization among the worlds religions. So how do we humans ever hope to heal the divisions of the world and create a true and lasting peace? The answer, as flippant as it may sound, is tolerance.

Four years ago, I followed in my father's footsteps and became a Freemason, and one of the first lessons we are taught is that there are two things never discussed in lodge: religion and politics. Why? The simple reason is that of all things, these are the two topics that will invariable divide people and set them at odds with each other. One of the goals of a Masonic Lodge is to help good men become better men by improving their character through metaphorical lessons. One of these lessons teaches us to work together and put personal biases and opinions aside. This means that every man is allowed to worship a supreme being or Deity in whatever way he chooses, but he MUST allow others to do the same without comment or derision.

While Freemasonry is not for everyone, the principles that Masons live by are worthy of consideration. They not only make for peace in lodge meetings, but they also allow us to view our world from a much broader perspective. Think of it. How much different would our world be today if Cortez had viewed the Aztec Empire for the great civilization it was, rather than the heathen cult of savages that he and his men believed it to be? Intolerance, combined with greed brought down one of the most advanced civilizations the world has ever known; with nothing even resembling an apology from the church.

How do we learn tolerance? That is a much bigger challenge than merely talking about it. Obviously it involves a change in how we view the world. We must be willing to accept that all religions have merits worth considering as well as drawbacks. We must be willing to acknowledge that one person's beliefs may be just as devout as our own. We must be willing to let others explain their beliefs to us and we must be willing to explain our beliefs to them (IF they are willing to listen). We must be willing to ask questions and be willing to answer questions. When dialoge occurs, we may find that our beliefs have more in common than we realize. Above all we MUST be willing to teach our children that there are other belief systems out there and they are deserving of our respect and admiration.

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