There are many issues that concern modern society, especially that of Western countries. One of these, for me and for many others, the most important and the one that cannot be ignored for any reason, is that which concerns the Environment and the existence of the Human in it.
In the twentieth century, many human activities took place whose impact has a direct effect on the Environment. Nuclear tests on the Earth's surface, the development of industry and the increase in consumption, the decrease in free land and the increase in its use for the needs of the economy, and the application in agricultural production of methods and technologies that bypass the natural process, are some of the reasons that have contributed to the awareness of a problem, which is not new, which is directly related to the survival of the human species.
In recent years, modern human has begun to worry about the impacts of his activities on the Environment, and various movements and activist groups are making demands regarding its protection from human actions. Civil society is gradually including in its interests the changes in the Environment and the effects of these changes on Humans.
Masonry is part of civil society and therefore must be interested in the place of Human in the new World that is being created and in the new environmental conditions that arise. In this article we will examine the way in which modern Freemasonry has included, or not, the environmental concerns in its Rituals and its interests.
A first general question, therefore, is whether Freemasonry, as a system of ethics for Humans, has included the Environment and its problems in its interests by proposing some "rules" of behavior. It is true that I am a Freemason in a country located on the periphery of Europe and therefore I do not have full knowledge of what is happening in the Masonic systems throughout the World. The relevant information comes from personal relationships that have developed during my personal Masonic journey and cannot be characterized as the most reliable.
From this information, however, I have formed the opinion that at the level of Grand Lodges, there is no one who has integrated the Environment and the problems it faces into its actions. They have not even informed their members about the impacts of human activities on the Environment. Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, charitable actions continue to be the main Masonic activity. However, I know that some individual masons and perhaps some lodges are concerned about the Environment and the Ecological problem, but they are isolated and uncoordinated in their initiatives.
Another important point is that the ecological problem and the attitude of the Human-Mason towards it is not mentioned in the Rituals of the masonic degrees. We could justify its absence due to the fact that the Rituals were written, in most cases, before the middle of the previous century when the ecological problem was not so acute. However, the Rituals are changing and modernizing to meet current needs. Should the ecological problem and the attitude of the Human - Mason towards it be one of the elements of their modernization?
Therefore, to the question of whether tectonics should begin to be interested in Ecology and human actions that have an impact on the Environment, the answer cannot be other than an affirmative one. The Ecological Problem tends to become number one in the issue of the survival of Humanity itself. Masons are part of it and therefore it is necessary for them to be involved in it. Freemasonry is a "system of Ethics", at least in the Emulation Rite which I serve. As a “system of Ethics”, it proposes a way of life. This way of life, in order to be modern and attractive to the Human of the 21st century and the issues that concern him, must necessarily include exhortations to protect and care for the Environment.
There are many ways that the interest and the initial concern can create proposals for a life in harmony with Nature that subsequently, will lead Masons to address the ecological issue. The organization of information and reflection events by masonic lodges with the participation of scientists, who may not be their members but who know the subject in depth, is a good start. In Greece, for example, in the masonic lodges, after each meeting, a Dinner follows, in which all the Brothers participate and is a continuation of the masonic meeting. In this, after the meal, a chaired discussion takes place, where opinions and reflections are exchanged on the topic presented by a brother during the meeting. In such a meeting, the topic to be discussed may be the Environment and the impact of Human on it.
The Environment and the problems of Human survival in it can be part of the social actions of the Grand Lodges. Supporting, financially and morally, groups and movements to address the Ecological Problem is a form of action. Another form is to encourage members of the Lodges to participate in environmental awareness and protection actions at a local or national level.
Regardless of any collective actions, I think what is important is the stance of each mason on this issue. Awareness of the problems caused by our daily actions on the Environment and finding ways to help protect it are necessary. If we think about it more carefully, we will identify many of our actions that negatively affect it. We must all realize that the planet will exist without us, if the environment in which we will live is inhospitable to human existence. We as humans have the problem of survival, not the planet.
In conclusion, the ecological problem, in my opinion, requires a collective approach and its solution should not be assigned to a single person or group of people, no matter how knowledgeable they may be. The changes that need to be made in our behavior need to be very radical. This is even more true of Freemasonry and its exhortations. This, of course, presupposes a radical change in current masonic rituals and their modernization, without, of course, abandoning the main characteristics of the institution. I have referred to this issue in many of my articles and also in my book Post-Masonry – Masonry in the 21st Century, which was published in 2018, unfortunately only in Greek. However, you can download it for free from my website www.bousoutas.gr and read it in your language with a translation tool.
As I mentioned before, the Masonic Ritual which I serve is that of Emulation Rite. In this, the ethics proposed are influenced by Protestantism and the development of Human through his labor and his economic and social evolution. Such an ethic that does not take into account the impact of the any development on the Environment cannot contribute to its protection. I'm not suggesting a very radical ecological models of de-development, which I could support, but I think placing its protection in individual and collective action is necessary.
Providing information and action on ecological issues, both at the local and national level, is another proposal. Information and awareness are important for any environmental action, especially today when two wars are being waged using weapons, which not only have impacts on the Environment, but these impacts are particularly devastating. Also, masons who may have duties in local, regional or national government administrations should promote programs related to its protection.
However, as I have already mentioned, the effort to develop environmental action programs must be collective and coordinated in order to be effective. Actions for Ecology in general could be carried out with the participation of members from different tectonic Grand Lodges in the same country, overcoming " regularity" and "mutual recognition". Such initiatives will contribute to the creation of a true masonic fraternity that will include all masons, men and women, so that the vision of many members to see the masonic fraternity united and away from political masonic expediency that only concerns the leaders can be realized. The effort to protect Human from climatise change and the impacts of his activity on the Environment concerns every thinking person and much more so the mason, because he wants to believe that he is the model of Human who will build the Temple of Humanity. In order for the Temple to be built, planet Earth needs to be hospitable for the Human and his activities.
Giorgos Boussoutas Thanassoulas M. A.
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