TACE- SILENT, SECRET

Freemasonry is dying because except for the membership, it has become irrelevent, disconnected in the larger context of life, self serving; toothless in old age; worshipers of glory days; once rock, now spongy and soft; unable to maintain a standard based on accountability lost in history.

It's a pithy statement full of ideas that are by the rules of denial and avoidance, not spoken in polite company. Too inflamatory for a group priding itself on the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment.  The fact it is wrong should leap out at us.  Freemasonry is not dying but willing to take on the risk of irrelevancy.  

Masonic education has been so carefully, narrowly defined. Sadly, it is thought the value of education is direct value and not bringing it's own rewards. Commerce  has stumped for philosophy. Science for results has replace exploratory work.  How in the world did this happen?  

Education is to the mind, what a symphony is to mathematics. How do men of different stripes appraoch philosophical conversation without a template?  Truth is we are left to struggle.  It requires a particular  receptive,'inclination of mind and ability'. So education speaks less about the tasks of freemasonry and more about the nature of society.  The tasks of freemasonry include being content as we go about our business asking questions, wrestling with stiff ideas that do not come to us naturally. Truth is, the zeitgeist is not about regalia or connecting.  The facts we disgest need to be accurate, not wishful, sentimental or rash. The hidden key that unlocks understanding is hindsight.