Tolerance

 Tolerance has always been one of the tenets of the Craft. What do we mean by Tolerance?  It does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that one belief is as good as another or is as true as another or is as valuable as another.  Freemasonry does not advocate a general indifference to all beliefs nor does it hold that all differences of opinion should be melted down into a drab  compromise.  We, as masons take the opposite position.  WE believe that one belief is truer then another that one opinion is better grounded then another and we want the truth to prevail.  But we know that truth can never emerge unless man is free to observe the world for itself.

 Tolerance is a positive , constructive thing encouraging man to think for himself.  In all of our Masonic meetings we try to deal with on another insofar as religious and political matters are concerned in the spirit of fair play.  We may well disagree but we must try not to be disagreeable.

John Bourne WM

Vermillion Lodge, 24