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The Park Street Masonic Hall was one of the 'Bristol open door' venues this year. A rare opportunity to have a poke around our city's normally forbidden freemasonic H.Q.. Most Bristolians, if you ask them, walk straight past the sandy old building at the bottom of Park Street all their lives without knowing where the Masonic Hall is, let alone wondering what might go on inside.
All masons must believe in some kind of supreme being or god. The other prerequisite is a belief in an afterlife. And they seem to have at least one 'god' on their side. Though Tony Blair promised a public register of Freemasons in the Labour Manifesto (to combat masonic police corruption) miraculously no new law has been drawn up to implement the pledge, now all but forgotten.
We were shown round by Grand Wizzard: Dr Dennis Fox, or to give him his masonic title 'Provincial Grand Master'. Bristol, we were told, is the only masonic 'province' in the country to be a city rather than a county. Masonry is, Fox explained, a mainly charitable institution. It is not a 'secret society' but a 'society with secrets'. One of the secrets that was not related to us by our guide is that the M25 road-rage murderer and cop-killer Kenneth Noye was the head of his local masonic lodge.
We were shown Bristol's main temple with its high-backed chairs at the ends, portraits of past Grand Masters along the walls and chequerboard carpet in the centre. This, we were told, is where the craft, that is the first second and third degree masons, do their ceremonies.
In the next small ante-room something called the 'ceremony of the veils' takes place we were told. The analogy is that someone who has been picked to join the higher (Royal Arch) levels of freemasonry is passing from a state of ignorance to a state of enlightenment. Only masons of a higher degree than him can part the 'veils of ignorance' so he can become 'enlightened' and be allowed into the 'Royal Arch' which is apparently the masonic 4th to 33rd degree.
Then we moved into the Royal Arch temple laid out, Dr. Fox explained, like a Synagogue with the flagpoles and pendants of the twelve tribes of Isreal in the centre. Both windowless temples were entirely free from natural light and, instead of switches, had hefty 1950's dimmer wheels by the entrances. Mason guides I asked about this gave me conflicting stories but the dimmers suggested that some of the ceremonies in the temples could be conducted in darkness, with only a few candles to see by.
In the Royal Arch temple we 40 or so masonic tourists listened to Dr Fox as he talked us through some of the aprons and other paraphernalia of the various masonic degrees. The open session that followed began with some questions about why women couldn't join. We were told they can and do join special women's Eastern Star lodges. One question to which there was no answer forthcoming though was 'what are the actual rituals you perform in here?'. Dr Fox didn't want to answer and advised us to look it up in the public library.
At one point Dr Fox mentioned a recent book purporting to link the Medieval Knights Templar with the early freemasons. This, presumably, was 'Secrets of the Lodge', by Tubal Cain (pub. Delphi). This comes up with strong evidence of continuity: banking, ritual, hidden passageways, wealth, secrecy and sunless temples are strong characteristics of both. When pressed Dr Fox denied that he has ever had any financial or 'pecuniary' advantage from his masonic connections.
During the tour there were masons posted at strategic points around the lodge to stop visitors 'wandering off'. These masons barred any exploration of the lower levels of the lodge which might reveal regalia changing rooms and passages to nearby buildings. This guesswork was partly confirmed when we were told the story of the owner of a hat shop opposite who had managed to get into the basement of the lodge and rescue some valuables when the building was bombed during world war two. The artifacts had been in the basement so how did he get in and out of a bombed building?? Not necessarily as mysterious as it might seem.
One theme in Dr Fox's commentary was the easy compatibility of Freemasonry with Christianity. A recent book 'Freemasonry, A Christian Perspective' by John Lawrence (Pub. Gazelle Books) reveals that most top-ranking Church of England clergy are masons but it draws the opposite conclusion on compatibility. So when I found myself standing next to Bristol's Grand Wizz after the tour had finished, I raised some questions.
One central Christian/masonic conflict is with the blood-oath sworn by masons. On initiation into the first degree they have to swear to keep the secrets of masonry and to always protect a fellow mason. In the sermon on the mount at Matthew 5:33 Christ advises us: 'Do not swear an oath... simply let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no", anything else comes from the devil.' When I quoted this snippet of scripture to him Dr Fox looked a little perplexed and questioned the validity of my translation. Had I read the verse in the original Hebrew?
After a little thought I pointed out that Matthew was originally written in Greek, not Hebrew. Dr Fox then asked me what I would do in a court room if asked to swear on the Bible. I explained I would not swear on the Bible but quote that verse instead. He quoted a disputed verse from the end of Mark about 'thrusting one's hand into a nest of vipers' and made off.
I remain to be convinced that the freemasons are anything other than an anti-social, sexist, racist club of men who think themselves above anyone not in the club. Just look at the wealth and influence masonic accountants, solicitors, judges, magistrates, police, military officers, councillors, civil servants, bankers, barristers and businessmen have. The perfect elitist and endemically secretive 'old boy network'.
Spiritually, I found Bristol Freemasons Hall a particularly negative place, it took my fellow visitors and me several hours to recover composure in a local coffee shop after the visit. Our fear was the lodge might be a harbour for grasping men who dare not expose corrupt connections to public scrutiny.
When I politely pointed out to a Bristol magistrate who was shepherding us that masons don't have a monopoly on integrity he invited me to join. I think he missed the point.