I struggle with this post. While the premise of our craft being "progressive' in terms of fluidity and adaptive to changing times in which we live, the "progress made in the science" from our ritual has been taken out of context. It is not that the points you have made about generational challenges are not relevant i.e. "that's the way we've always done it." Where the point was missed is that our obligations instruct us to make progress upon ourselves and thus Freemasonry as an institution progresses through the collective improvements we each make.
Let's begin with the statement of "Freemasonry is a progressive science". With grammar being one of the liberal arts and sciences we are to make progress in, I have to point out that this statement has a Subject-Adjective-Object relationship rather than Subject-Verb-Object as you noted. Progressive is used here in a descriptive fashion to describe the type of science we are describing Freemasonry to be rather than being used grammatically as an action being taken upon the institution of Freemasonry.
We must be careful in how we communicate our obligations Bro, as a new EA may read this and see it their duty to enact changes to their lodge or to the craft as a whole before they have made any progress on themselves beyond learning their card. Our science is a personal one, which while supported through proper mentoring, can only be undertaken by each Mason within themselves to transmute those base qualities and passions into fertile soil for education in the sciences and ultimately rendering them better prepared to be of service of both the craft and society as a whole.
You raise some good points, however there is both the Subject-Verb-Object and Subject-Adjective-Object; it demands on which lens and what you are applying it to.
Now, if you think this is a let’s go and be progressive and change everything, perhaps you missed the point.
For example, having a website is progressive by Masonic standards, yet the older brethren will advocate that it’s not Masonic to do so, because we haven’t done them before.
This whole subject and the notion of being able engage and converse online about these topics is progressive
I struggle with this post. While the premise of our craft being "progressive' in terms of fluidity and adaptive to changing times in which we live, the "progress made in the science" from our ritual has been taken out of context. It is not that the points you have made about generational challenges are not relevant i.e. "that's the way we've always done it." Where the point was missed is that our obligations instruct us to make progress upon ourselves and thus Freemasonry as an institution progresses through the collective improvements we each make.
Let's begin with the statement of "Freemasonry is a progressive science". With grammar being one of the liberal arts and sciences we are to make progress in, I have to point out that this statement has a Subject-Adjective-Object relationship rather than Subject-Verb-Object as you noted. Progressive is used here in a descriptive fashion to describe the type of science we are describing Freemasonry to be rather than being used grammatically as an action being taken upon the institution of Freemasonry.
We must be careful in how we communicate our obligations Bro, as a new EA may read this and see it their duty to enact changes to their lodge or to the craft as a whole before they have made any progress on themselves beyond learning their card. Our science is a personal one, which while supported through proper mentoring, can only be undertaken by each Mason within themselves to transmute those base qualities and passions into fertile soil for education in the sciences and ultimately rendering them better prepared to be of service of both the craft and society as a whole.
You raise some good points, however there is both the Subject-Verb-Object and Subject-Adjective-Object; it demands on which lens and what you are applying it to.
Now, if you think this is a let’s go and be progressive and change everything, perhaps you missed the point.
For example, having a website is progressive by Masonic standards, yet the older brethren will advocate that it’s not Masonic to do so, because we haven’t done them before.
This whole subject and the notion of being able engage and converse online about these topics is progressive