MUST

GET

NEW

GLASSES

A quick glance at today's Kent on Sunday, led me to believe momentarily that they had gone too far with their headline "Barbarians at the gate", in close proximity was a photograph of Jeremy Clarkson, whom I regard as more cynical opinionated perhaps even slightly moronic, rather than barbaric adjusting my focus I realised I'd misread the story which referred to the Bishop of Rochester and his worries over the decline of Christianity.

The Bishop, has some justifiable reservations about the Islamic ideology representing as he does a Christian view, but the thing that really worries me in this week's is the cosy article on freemasonry.

Apparently members of the provincial Grand Lodge of East Kent are keen to welcome tourists and visitors to their museum. The article suggests that secrets of this ancient society need not be so secret anymore, reassuring isn't it. Representatives for the museum are keen to dispel myths, particularly ones that suggests members gaining advantage through the Society. I am sure they are genuine in their belief.

Being a liberal who am I to criticise consenting adults, who choose to meet in secret, wearing their little aprons once a month, membership of the freemasonry is clearly an individual choice, its certainly been my experience of those who join, at least have some expectation of advancement with one confirming it, though since membership is a secret who knows whether they were telling the truth.

As an outsider it's not possible, to have a clear view of freemasonry, for me openness is the cornerstone of democracy, the Society however innocent their aims, ought to reconsider the need for secret membership, with apparently 18,000 in Kent alone clearly they are quite influential, so why not openly declare membership if they are the benign organisation they claim to be.

Given the notoriety of freemasonry this may well be my last blog. Still if they wish to maintain their mystery and secrecy they can hardly blame the likes of me for imagining the worst as I do. Since I'm a Atheist likely to remain, I will never qualify for membership, so I will never have an honest view from inside this organisation.

Link East Kent Freemasons (Assuming you don't already have a funny handshake)

Link Kent on Sunday