CLC - ENTERED APPRENTICE - 05.22.17

T OLERANCE Tolerance is not simply “putting up” with others. It is an affirmative appreciation of the interests and beliefs of others. Masons are tolerant, not because they must, but because they can. This virtue finds its origin in Brotherly Love. In order to truly love one another, we must respect one another. And respect for one another begins with an acknowledgement that the interests and beliefs of others are important to them in the same way that our interests and beliefs are important to us. Freemasons do not discuss sectarian religion or partisan politics in a Masonic environment – not because these things are unimportant, but rather as a mark of respect for the deeply held beliefs of others. By the practice of tolerance, we learn to respect others as well as ourselves. Unlike many organizations, we are men of “every country, sect and opinion,’’ and as such, Freemasons individually hold many different interests and beliefs. Our appreciation for this diversity is one of our defining characteristics.

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