Social Issues: Safe for Lodge?

Social Issues:

Safe for Lodge?

Mark R. Shapiro, Master

Federal Lodge No. 1

Brethren, it is an unfortunate reality in our socithe power to shape communities, form the character ety today, and particularly within the Beltway, of citizens, and greatly impact civic life. While some that many important social issues have become would consider the purpose of rhetoric to be the persuaso politicized as to be indistinguishable from political sion of others, and thus any dialogue (or monologue) issues. Whenever any issue comes to the forefront of which accomplishes that goal is thus successful, a more our collective consciousness, one party champions one elevated view considers the means to be as important, polarized side of the issue, the opposing party chamif not more important than the goal. Within a Masonic pions the opposite side, and those who try to remain lodge, the purpose of rhetoric is not merely to persuade independent are courted by both sides. The debate others, but to educate them. quickly devolves into a fight where each side tries to get their own way, instead of all involved parties working together to come up with a workable solution. Debate, too, is often seen as merely one application of rhetoric with the necessary outcome of convincing your audience that you are right, In the early days of our and your opponent is wrong. country, Masons, if not I would argue that here, too, Masonic lodges, were leaders of social change. Nine To shy away from the purpose should be to educate and inform, with signers of the Declaration of Independence (includmeaningful discourse the swaying of opinion as a happy coincidence rather ing John Hancock), and one than an objective to be third of the signers of the US Constitution were Freemaon some issues of achieved regardless of the cost. When I took a debate sons. Today, our prohibition against discussing politics social concern does a course in school, we were often given assignments to in open lodge has, intendebate for or against a partionally or not, prevented us from discussing issues disservice to us and ticular issue, without regard to our personal opinions on which are political only by virtue of having become the to our communities. the subject. We were graded on how effectively we suplatest ragdoll toy of politiported the position we cians fighting over our votes, were arguing, rather than or maybe just our campaign whether we “won” or “lost” contributions. To shy away from meaningful discourse the debate. In that context, our objective was in no on some issues of social concern does a disservice to us way to “beat” the other person, but rather, to inform and to our communities. our audience.

In politics, the purpose of any debate or discussion about any given issue is about trying to sway the undecided voters in your favor. It’s about convincing someone to agree with you, and about trying to make your opponent look bad. Facts are irrelevant, except when they support your side of the argument, and truthiness is more important than truth.

As Fellowcraft Masons we are taught of the seven liberal arts and sciences – including rhetoric and logic. These two, plus grammar, constitute the three ancient arts of discourse. When applied to social issues, rhetoric has Within a Masonic lodge, then, I believe we should be able to discuss social issues with the same objective: education. Any important social issue has, in reality, more than one “side”. If drawn geometrically, these issues would be, at best, circles, and more likely, irregular polygons far more akin to a Rorschach test than a line evenly dividing us into two distinct groupings. Discussion of these issues, then, should be focused on educating the lodge on the various intricacies and details, the whys and wherefores, rather than the for or against.