A Brother I Know

A Brother I know believes that if you simply sprinkle water on the forehead that it is not a real Baptism. Just doesn't count.

A Brother I know believes that union with G-d can occur through meditation and concentration. That if you study, you can achieve the G-d state on earth.

A Brother I know believes that the Catholic Church is the truest of all Christian traditions and to truly secure your place in heaven, this is the smartest path.

A Brother I know believes that Jesus did not exist as an historical entity and is an archetypal symbol of a Jewish Gnostic tradition modeled after the Egyptian mysteries.

A Brother I know believes that G-d is all around you all the time and you can never be separated from G-d, so in effect, you are a part of G-d as is everything. There is no heaven, hell, good, sin, or separation from Deity.

A Brother I know believes that Nature is Morality, that G-d, Nature, and the Universe are all part of the same energy source called G-d.

A Brother I know never misses Christian communion and believes that Jesus died for his sins, and that during this communion, he is partaking of a blood and body sacrifice given to him through his god's last days on earth.

A Brother I know thinks Easter is more about the equinox than it is about a Saviour.

These Brethren I know gathered around an altar. They crossed their arms across their bodies in the traditional form for the Chain of Union, they joined hands, they prayed, they promised, and they marked their promise.

They retired downstairs and shared wine and food. Smiles abounded, conversation was loud and lively. They toasted one another with fervor and claimed greatness for the men around them declaring them some of the best men they have ever known.

These Brethren I know have said, "I love you," to one another and met it as much or more than any two men of the same family might claim.

These Brethren I know listened to ideas that they utterly disagreed with and smiled. They enjoyed hearing a differing opinion well stated from a man they liked and trusted.

These Brethren I know hugged one another with a full knowledge that they would vote for opposing candidates, pray to a different mental image of G-d, and would participate in varying religious rites.

These Brethren I know are Masons.