A lot of people do not understand what Freemasonry is. They do not understand the core ideas and principles that Freemasonry is based on. Most authors just write gibberish concepts where they explain all that they know without imparting the true meaning of Freemasonry. They explain Freemasonry from their personal knowledge and concepts. They explain its benefits, symbolisms, philosophies, universality, history and virtues in several paragraphs.
Freemasonry is like a mirror. What you see is what you get. The reflection you get is what you put in it.
Henry Wilson Coil, Senior has the best answer to the question. ‘what is Freemasonry?’ This answer is in his book, ‘Conversations on Freemasonry.’
Facet of The Diamond
Today, it is hard to get an exact meaning of what Freemasonry is. Some see Freemasonry as a religion. Some just see it as a religious body.
Some see Freemasonry as a body that upholds morality. They see Freemasons as pious people with a temperance almost bordering on hypocrisy. Others see Freemasonry as a body for upholding schools, the National Constitution and the National flag.
Some say that Freemasonry is based on monotheism and other doctrines like the resurrection of the dead and immortality. Some call them Christians while others think that they do not have any religious affiliation.
Some see the Masonic Lodge as a private room where secret ceremonies are performed while others see the Masonic Lodge as a holy place.
There are those that treat the Freemason rituals as sacred and never want to see anyone make mistakes or mispronounce a word when rituals are carried out. Others do not care much about these things.
Some take the rituals casually and do not see a symbolic meaning in them. There are some others that do not think about the rituals literally or symbolically. They just consider them as a rite of passage to gaining admission to higher levels.
Some love to know about the rich history of the Brotherhood and its philosophy. Others just take things as they are and see the Fraternity as a great spiritual entity.
The Masonic symbols are relevant to some, and they see a lot of meaning in it. Others just see the symbols alone without reverence for them.
Some see the deep bond among the Freemasonry brothers. Others just see it as a social club for entertainment. Some have no idea or notion of what the Brotherhood is and lose touch with it.
Freemason could be compared to a diamond with many facets. Different people view each facet from their perspective.
About Henry Wilson Coil, Senior
Henry Wilson Coil was a lawyer who was the Past Master of Riverside Masonic Lodge No. 635, Commander of Riverside Commandery No. 28, K.T. and Past High Priest of Riverside Chapter No. 67, R.A.M.
He was a 33⁰ and a member of the Long Beach Scottish Rite Bodies and also a member of Al Malaikah Shrine Temple of Los Angeles.
He has written various literary works on Freemasonry. His works are deep and a good reference point for those willing to know more about the noble Freemason Fraternity.
He died in 1974 at the age of 89, after serving in various capacities as a Freemason.