Moral Terpitude/Expelled Masons

Another question or two, sorry...

I know that Masons are expected/required to maintain a high standard of personal morals, however, one's public expression of personal morality might be in stark contrast to their actual morals exercised in private.

Questions to Masons: Are you aware of any Masons expelled for moral terpitude? Would, say marital infidelity constitute moral terpitude and merit expulsion from the Brotherhood? What does/does not constitute moral terpitude and merit/not merit expulsion?

I am not a mason, but to be frank, some of the masons I met were misfits. It seems doubtful that the masons would expect all their members to be like mother Theresa.

At the end of the day masons are people just like everyone else. You would not want to associate with someone who engaged in "moral turpitude" just like the masons. Whether adultery counts as moral turpitude is probably highly dependent on the circumstances surrounding the act.

If a good friend of yours confessed to having a moment of weakness and having an affiar, under most circumstances you would probably be able to continue to be his friend. If he slept with your wife, or the wife of a close friend, or if he happened to be married to your sister, or a close friend's sister, it would more difficult or impossible to forgive him. Other aggravating circumstances may include the adulterer giving his faithful spouse an STD, the adulterer having a child or children out of wedlock, affairs that bring shame and embarrassment to the family, and repeated affairs.

Masons are ordinary people. Like many ordinary people, a good fraction of them have had affairs, so my guess would be that they would be generally foregiving if one of their members had an affair. Therefore they probably would not disqualify a member just because he had an affair, unless their were aggravating circumstances surrounding the affair.

Some of you guys have a very unhealthy obsession with the Masons.
There is one Mason that I talk to a bit on here, Rockpuck, hes really cool
and will sometimes answer most peoples questions as long as everyone is respectable.

Originally posted by Zhenyghi


I know that Masons are expected/required to maintain a high standard of personal morals, however, one's public expression of personal morality might be in stark contrast to their actual morals exercised in private.

Boy oh boy, you sure got that right.

Questions to Masons: Are you aware of any Masons expelled for moral terpitude?

Yes.

Would, say marital infidelity constitute moral terpitude and merit expulsion from the Brotherhood? What does/does not constitute moral terpitude and merit/not merit expulsion?

The fraternity attempts to impose a moral code, but it is of course tricky. Marital infedility is a very good example. We don't want to impose on our members' personal lives, but then again we require a certain bar of integrity.

A member could certainly charge another with unmasonic conduct for marital infidelity. A trial would then be held in the Lodge, and the accused would have the chance to defend himself. In like manner, habitual drunkeness or similar things could be charged against a member.

If the act that a member is convicted of is not illegal, in most cases it would not lead to expulsion...temporary suspension or censure or other options. However, if the act is felonious criminal offense, or is a violation of the Masonic obligation, expulsion is automatic.

Originally posted by Zhenyghi
What does/does not constitute moral terpitude and merit/not merit expulsion?

Hi Zhenyghi

You might be interested to know that 'Moral Turpitude' and expulsion is a US thing. In the UK only GL can expel a member, and then only usually because a criminal offense has been committed. People do, of course leave by peer pressure but that's another matter.

In the US there are masonic trials and a whole jurisprudence system operating at the lodge level. I think the term Moral Turpitude would be interpreted differently by different people, in different parts of the country. For example, profiting from the porn business might be viewed differently here in Alabama to, say, California.

a reply to: Zhenyghi

I have a friend who recently became a free mason and is currently involved with a gay married couple in a menage a trois (my friend is also gay). Would this situation be an offense to the free mason's standard of "moral turpitude"?

originally posted by: mykel
I have a friend who recently became a free mason and is currently involved with a gay married couple in a menage a trois (my friend is also gay). Would this situation be an offense to the free mason's standard of "moral turpitude"?

Firstly, why/how would his personal business become public knowledge?

And second, gayness is not a Masonic offense.