Why?
There have been many attacks on the order throughout its history. Political dictatorships traditionally have outlawed the fraternity. Particular religious denominations have from time to time attempted under the threats of Hell and eternal damnation, to stamp out any vestige of Masonry. Elements of society demanding social reform have castigated and denounced the Masonic fraternity as a threat to their grand designs. But Masonry survives.

Why?
What is there about this group that gives it the resilience, the staying power, to sustain so many attacks over so long a period? The answers have to lie in only two places.

First, there must be something in inherent value and worth in the very basis of the order itself. There is something about Masonry that no power on earth has been able to subdue or eliminate. It is a way of life for those who take it seriously.

As a Mason progresses through his Masonic career, he soon comes to realize that there are certain tenets upon which the Masonic Order is founded; and upon this foundation is erected a systematic and orderly framework of ethics and morality, which, if followed, will guide him through his public, personal, and spiritual life. The truths which are taught are generic and universal; they are consistent with those of the world’s great religions, but Masonry is not a sectarian religious order. The work and responsibilities which are a necessary part of the functioning of the order teach self discipline and concern for others. But Masonry is not a service club. The friendship and spirit of fellowship which draw Masons together around the world is unique; yet Masonry shuns the prominence of the social pages and the press.

Masonry is all of these things. State, church, fellow-man and self-good citizenship, attention to spiritual and religious beliefs, concern for one’s neighbor, and fulfillment of individual potential, are all encompassed in the Masonic system.

Although the fundamental principals are fixed and immutable, the individual Mason must apply these truths as they appear to him. This is why Race, religious creed, and political doctrine are not important to Masonry so long as the Mason has freedom of inclination, a belief in a supreme being, and a consciousness of the political rights of others.

The second answer is found in the men who are attracted to the order. It is true, like any human institution there are members who are somewhat of a disappointment. There are curious, the ambitious, and the status seekers who may appear superficially to profess the beliefs and portray the attributes required for initiation. But these individuals usually do not progress within the fraternity, and the majority of them soon become inactive and drop away from the order.

The Masonic Brotherhood is sustained and perpetuated by the rest of the membership. The man who accepts a basic obligation to attend lodge on a regular basis; the man who donates his skills and talents toward the functioning of the lodge; the man who will go out of his way to help a person in distress, without thought of recompense; the man who will take time to visit the sick, listen to another’s troubles, stand on his principles, and defend his rights – these are the men who have built our order, and these are the men who will ensure the continuance of Freemasonry for future generations