Text Box: Our obligation which makes it impossible to allow an “irreligious libertine” to enter our ranks, is eminently suggestive of the religious character of our venerable institution, which founded as it is, on the great doctrines of religion, cannot be properly appreciated by anyone who doubts or denies their truth. Text Box: Libertine was the name given to certain political or social groups that became active in Europe in the 16th century. Libertinism was a form of freethinker philosophy, and this term was first irreverently applied by John Calvin, who was an important French Christian theologian during the Protestant Reformation, to a sect called the Dutch Anabaptists. This sect were Christians of the Radical Reformation and Calvin and others objected to the Anabaptist practice of rebaptizing adults who had previously been baptized as infants. Anabaptists believed infant baptism was not valid, thereby rejecting many of society's established morals and beliefs of the time. Nowadays the word ‘libertine’ is defined as a man of licentious habits, free from restraint, particularly from social and religious norms and morals in relation to the opposite sex. The label ‘irreligious’ seems therefore to be redundant followed by libertine. In looking at the modern connotation this may be true, but Text Box: let us look at the antiquated meaning of “libertine.” Derived from the Latin “libertinus,” a man that was once a bondsman but who has been made free, it was metaphorically used to designate one who had been released, or who had released himself from the bonds of religious belief, and become in matters of faith a doubter or denier. Hence “an Atheist”, to use the language of the Psalmist was, “the fool that hath said in his heart there is no God,” while an “irreligious libertine” designated the man an agnostic who is unconvinced or noncommittal about the existence of deity, who with a degree of unbelief, denies the distinctive doctrines of revealed religion. Early speculative Masons were charged in every country to be of the religion of that country or nation, whatever it was. Today it is thought more expedient only to obligate them to that religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular Text Box: Who or What is an irreligious libertine? Text Box: Montana’s Masonic Family Can Stand Sure! Text Box: Special Points of Interest: March Tidbit Grand Master’s One Day Class Grand Master’s Message 50 Year Award Bikes for Books Celestial Lodge From the Grand Secretary Twain Award Master Builder Award

 

The level  

 

 

March 2006

No. 420