Obligations in Freemasonry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Freemasonry, the Obligations are the parts of ritual in which a candidate swears to (among other things) protect the "secrets of Freemasonry," which are the various signs, tokens and words associated with recognizing other Masons.[1] In regular jurisdictions the obligations are sworn on the Volume of the Sacred Law, a general term for the religious text appropriate to the belief of the candidate.
The details and wording of the obligations vary amongst the Masonic constitutions with some versions being published[1] and others privately printed. Not all printed rituals are authentic, and some are proven hoaxes (such as that published by Leo Taxil).
Amongst various sources and groups critical of Freemasonry, the obligations are known for their so-called "bloody penalties",[citation needed] an allusion to apparent physical penalties associated with violating the Obligation in each degree. The penalties no longer appear in authoritative, endorsed sources,[1] following a decision "that all references to physical penalties be omitted from the obligations taken by Candidates in the three Degrees and by a Master Elect at his Installation but retained elsewhere in the respective ceremonies".[2] The penalties are interpreted symbolically, and are not and have never been applied by a Lodge or any other body of Masonry to an individual. The description alludes to how the candidate should feel about himself should he knowingly violate his obligation.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Emulation Ritual ISBN 0-85318-187-X pub 1991, London
- ^ Emulation - Preface to the Eighth Edition.
- ^ Difficult Questions About Freemasonry
