Comments by "Realist The" (@TheRealist2022) on "Business Insider"
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@AnonHeX If I understand the question correctly, you are asking me why I don't believe in any specific religion.
This is a personal opinion and I am quite willing to say I am wrong, if proved otherwise. It is not representative of any other Mason, but me.
I believe that religion is a man made thing and was made and developed in such a way as to preserve the status quo for a few very powerful and clever people. They realised that there are a lot of very dumb people out there, who will believe any old claptrap that they are told in the name of religion...playing on their superstitions and their fears. For example, most people are afraid to die, because they do not know what happens after death... these guys come up with an answer (behave yourself and follow the rules *the ones they made up*) that you should follow and you will have everlasting life in Heaven. These clever people became "the Church"and still wield an INCREDIBLE amount of power.. not to mention wealth.
I firmly believe that whatever entity created the universe, is so way way way beyond our comprehension that we, as human beings with our flimsy, pathetic brains could not come anywhere near comprehending "God" and thereby forming any sort of relationship with it.
Also, why on Earth should any being so hugely powerful give a damn about us? Does a scientist in a lab that grows some mould care abut it? NO! We are as mould..we are insignificant. Isn't it hugely arrogant to think that God should care about us? He loves us? Wow.. tell that to a child with bone cancer... tell that to the millions that starve to death through lack of food and clean water...tell that to the countless Jews/Gypsys/Gays/Freemasons that were tortured and murdered in WW2....that's the kind of "love" I could do without thanks very much.
No. What all the religious zealots imagine to be the truth is just wishful thinking. We'd LIKE all the myths and legends to be true.... but they aren't and in my humble opinion, those that DO believe in all that religious nonsense are having the worlds biggest con played upon them.
A persons religion is (broadly speaking) dependent on where he is born on the planet. Is that right? Is that the way to form a religious dogma? And the rules of the religion, far from being divine, are largely based on the social structure of the location? So if it is socially acceptable for the woman to be the 2nd class citizen... it's because "God" said so? What a load of old bollocks. So whatever religion is the biggest, is dependent on population? Bloody hell, what a con!
Wake up, you Muppets and smell the coffee.
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@owaissaiyed01 Good morning Owais. Please accept my apologies for the lateness of my response.
Our agenda is to take good men and make them better. To serve our communities. To exhibit kindness and charity to those that may need a helping hand.
I really don't inderstand your question about funding our buildings. Some Masons meet in places that need little to maintain them, some are more expensive. My annual dues for one of my Lodges, part of which is used for building maintenance, is just under £200 per year. That's not a lot of money.
As Will Derby said, the last POTUS who was also Mason was Gerald Ford. Out of the 43 others, only another 13 were Masons. Probably much less than you imagined.
I never said nothing was secret...I said hardly anything. But they are merely modes of recognition and are easily found on the net and in books. They are unimportant, but as we have taken an obligation not to reveal them, purely as a symbol of our integrity, you won't get them from me.
The star if which you speak is a symbol. Many different people use the same symbol, but have vastly different meanings for them. For example, the swastika. You immediately think of Nazis, right? Well for well over 1000 years, it has been a Hindu good luck symbol. The pentagram...a demonic symbol, yes? Well why is there 50 of them on the flag of the usa? See where I'm going with this?
Nope...we're not hiding anything, (apart from the modes of recognition) hence my invitation for you and anyone else to ask me whatever you or they want.
You say "the facts" say different. Well, you have all your "facts" wrong, my friend. You don't HAVE facts...you sir, have misconceptions.
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@michaelmccaffrey2731 Good morning Michael. It is not widely known, but Freemasonry uses archaic language in a lot of it's work. The word "Worshipful" in a Masonic context, does not mean that he is worshipped. In a Masonic context, "Worshipful" means "worthy of respect". It is used in the same way as a Judge..."His Worship, Judge Smith". Or perhaps, a Mayor, "His Worship, Mayor Jones".
By the way, every single Brother who has been Master of a Lodge, is then called "Worshipful Brother XXXX" as opposed to "Brother XXXX" BEFORE he reached that office. So, even though I am no longer Master of my Lodge, I am still called "Worshipful Brother Cxxxxxx".
Make no mistake, a Mason must have a belief in a single supreme being that created the universe. The identity of that being, we leave up to the individual Mason and the vast majority are Christian.
Being a Mason is not sinful, so there is nothing to repent for. We all believe in whatever deity we believed, in before we were Freemasons, nothing changes. There are no further religious requirements when a man joins Freemasonry or at any time he is a member.
Please feel free to come back to me if you have any further questions.
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@magyy8727 Margaret...secrecy is not necessarily a bad thing. For example, do you tell everyone your PIN for your ATM card? What about the alarm code for your house? Tell everyone? Do you invite passing strangers in to your house so that they can listen to your family business? When people work for corporations, they are bound by confidentiality agreements... secrets! When I was in the Royal Navy, my security clearance was Top Secret because I handled very sensitive material, which, if leaked to any potential enemy would put us at a disadvantage.
So you see, although yes, there can be things of a nefarious nature that are kept secret. But it doesn't mean that because they are secret, they are nefarious. Or do you subscribe to "Politicians Logic"? All cats have four legs. My dog has four legs. Therefore, my dog is a cat!
I've been a Mason for 23 years and have visited Lodges in 22 countries all over the world. Never once have I witnessed anything like you say.
Madam, you are speculating over something of which you know nothing!
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@TheRenekruse God evening. Please accept my apologies for the late response.
Why do I use a pseudonym? Why does Spiderman wear a costume and a hood? Protection from the bad guys.
There are some nasty people out there and by the power of the internet, they can easily find where I live and where I work. This happened a while back when I did use my real name. I was stalked and abused. I don't care about that, I can take care of myself, but it got close to my family. I will not risk their safety.
Our meetings are about as "secret" as the confessional box. They are as "secret" as a board meeting of a corporation. They are as secret as your house when your family are having conversation. If someone knocked at your front door and asked to come in and watch what you guys get up to, would you let them? Of course, not. You'd tell them to mind their own bloody business! So what's the difference between the confessional, the boardroom your house and a Masonic meeting? NOTHING. In fact, In Masonry' we're a darn sight more open than YOU are. Would YOU be happy for a complete stranger to have a tour of your home? Of course not! At any other time than when we meet, it's perfectly fine for anyone to come in and have a look around and we'll answer any and all questions. Those that attend a Masonic meeting have earned the right to be there. You have not. So why on Earth should we let any Tom Dick and Harry in when we meet?
When you consider that Freemasonry has been around for at least 1000 years and is a global organisation. When you consider all the world leaders that have been around over the years and all over the world, the number of world leaders that have been Freemasons is microscopic compared to the number of ORDINARY me who have been. You are VASTLY mistaken. But let's look at some of our members. you say we are all villains?
Buzz Aldrin, Mozart, Joseph lister, Ernest Shackleton, Rick Wakeman, Duke Ellington, Oliver Hardy, Sir Alexander Fleming, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Simon Bolivar, Sir Christopher Wren, Sir Winston Churchill, General MacArthur. More than 200 British and Commonwealth servicemen have received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the UK armed forces.
And you think people like these are not good people? You have NO idea and your comments are laughable.
Where do you get the ludicrous idea that we want to oppress anyone? We purposefully distance ourselves from religion and politics.. we have no interest at all in oppressing anyone. If you ask me, YOU are the oppressor of Freemasonry! Practice what you preach sir!!!
I served in the Royal Navy for 25 years. In all that time, I saw much action around the world, defending the weak from those who wish to oppress them. I was involved in disaster relief, helping people in areas where there have been natural disasters. When based at various USN bases, I developed outreach programmes between British and US naval Masons, and the poor of the local area. And you say we OPPRESS PEOPLE! You have NO IDEA. HOW DARE you speak of me and my Brethren in such a manner. You are a stain on humanity and it is people like YOU who should look in the mirror with a sense of shame. You disgust me.
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@old_redlk3319 Good afternoon, Stephanie. You are completely correct. Freemasonry is nothing like a religion. All discussion of religion and politics is prohibited when we meet. Why? Because those are the two subjects that have the potential to cause hostility, even among friends and family members. Two words...civil war! Brother killed brothers, friends killed friends... over politics. Freemasonry is about unity and harmony... not division and discord.
Also, a religion needs a central figure of belief, like a god of some sort. Freemasonry has no god. It needs sacraments. Freemasonry has no sacraments. It needs a promise of salvation. There is no promise of salvation in Freemasonry. There is no religious teaching and no worship of any kind. To be clear, though, you may have heard that the head of a Lodge is called the "Worshipful Master". The word "Worshipful, in this context, is taken from the old English and means "worthy of respect". You may have heard of the term used like "His Worship, the Mayor"....or perhaps in a court, "His Worship, Judge Smith".
Masons are expected to follow their own respective religions, be that Christianity, Islam, Hinduism etc. and indeed they retain their religious preference even when meeting... but the discussions should be left to outside the Lodge room!
Also, there are many members of Freemasonry who are ordained members of their own Church. A Freemason Brother of mine, performed my wedding and baptised my children. He also performed the funeral service for my father, even though my Father was not a Mason.
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@amalpv5600 There are different interpretations of various symbols within Freemasonry, some of which, differ between Freemasons themselves. For me, the pentagram reminds me of geometry. the geometry required to make such a shape. The science of the universe.. the planet, the solar system, the galaxy and the universe could not exist without geometry. It also reminds me of the five points of fellowship explained to a Mason when taking his Third Degree. Here's an explanation.
The central bonds that hold Freemasonry together are found in the obligations we have taken and the commitment to which we honor them. The word fraternity has its origins in the Latin word "Frater," which means "Brother." Thus, our Fraternity is a Brotherhood, or sacred band of Brothers, committed to mutual support, understanding, and affection. The symbol which best communicates our commitment is the Five Pointed Star, presented in the Master Mason's Degree. Each point of the star represents a point of fellowship and reminds us of our obligations to each other. As a group of equals, the Five Pointed Star should guide our actions toward one another.
With the first point of fellowship, we are instructed to go by foot to answer the needs of others, including that of a Brother Freemason. This is not to say we ignore others in our benevolent acts. We look carefully not to ignore our Bothers in need. Beyond helping with Masonic instruction and guarding a Brother's fidelity, we should strive to insure our Brethren reach their potential and serve the Order to the fullest. Helping them to improve themselves helps us be better Freemasons.
Within the second point of fellowship, we find the power of our devotion, especially as directed for the benefit of a fallen Brother. When we kneel to pray, we call upon the most powerful force to bring about good. Acknowledging our dependence upon The Most High can lead to the wisdom to see His path, the courage to choose that path above all others, and the strength to carry out His will. Clarity of action and concern for the welfare of our Brethren makes Freemasonry a stronger Fraternity.
With the third point of fellowship, we are reminded of the responsibility of trust. Holding in our heart the secrets of our Brother Freemason is a sacred responsibility. We do have some discretion with those secrets, but our honor requires treating them with the utmost respect. When communicated to us confidentially, a Brother's words are to be securely guarded, as we would wish our own words to be properly guarded. We earn the trust of others by giving trust, and our Brother is our most trusted friend.
In the fourth point of fellowship, we are charged to support the character of our Brother, either before his face or behind his back. In an age when people eagerly seize rumors concerning the conduct of others, we must guard the character and integrity of our Brethren on all occasions. As Freemasons we are charged to erect our Masonic edifices, not tear them down, and a careless word can do more harm than good.
With the fifth point of fellowship, we are encouraged to give wise counsel to our Brother Freemason and to support him in his time of need. In Ancient Craft Masonry, the hand symbolized the support, while the whispered counsel, if found worthy, was equally common. The key is to see the responsibility of communicating good advice and providing support and help in implementing that advice. No matter who we are, we will need some help at some time, and, as Freemasons, we should strive to be available to offer our assistance to others when needed.
Thus the Five Pointed Star reminds us to extend love and affection to our Brother Freemasons, doing for each of them as we would wish done for each of us. Each point carries an important lesson and responsibility found within the teachings of the Third Degree. Never forget that five-pointed ritual and the bonds that unite us into a sacred band of friend and brothers who strive to emulate the love of the Supreme Grand Architect of the Universe.
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@Donna Stowers Good evening, Donna. There is no hood, It is more a blindfold. It is a symbolic representation that the man is in darkness.... which is ignorance of Freemasonry.
The noose (we call it a cable-tow) is an outward sign of the solemnity of the ceremony the man is going through and also am acknowledgement that the man is, ideally making a lifetime pledge. The poignard (or dagger) placed to the naked left breast underpins the seriousness of the association with Freemasonry. There is no question of the Candidate being hurt in any way should he decide not to go through with the ceremony... it is all just symbolic. The noose, for example, is not even tightened.. it's left loose round the Candidates neck..
There is NO bath tub of blood. There is no being submerged in anything... that's just silly. No running round naked either. My goodness, what a vivid imagination you have.
In Craft Freemasonry, there are three Degrees. A man must be of the Third Degree, and have served at least ne full year as a Warden of the Lodge, in order to be eligible to be elected to be Master. If a man chooses to follow the Scottish Rite, he can reach the 32nd Degree well within a year, with several Degrees being conferred on a Candidate at meetings. The 33rd Degree is an honorary one and is by invitation only.
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@Prince Velkan While it is true that we have men of very high achievement in Freemasonry, the vast majority are ordinary working men, struggling to pay the bills, just like anyone. But you comment that we can use the knowledge and skills of these men... well that's what they do anyway.. for 8 hours or more per day every working week. I'm an Engineer by trade and served as a Deputy Marine Engineering Officer on British warships. I am now a director of an engineering training company that provides hands-on training for young people who may not be academically gifted, but are good with their hands. We then try to find them placements with various companies. But when I attend my Lodges (I'm a member of several Lodges) the last thing I want to talk about is work! Yes, I enjoy my job and I believe it helps others tremendously... but there has to be a separation. It gives me a chance to do something different, enjoy the company of men I would not otherwise get to meet and to help those who may be less fortunate than we are.
And we're NOT a secret organisation. Our Lodges all have websites these days. Masonic halls have our logo outside. Our HQ in London, England is a huge building in Covent Garden which runs free tours of the place for anyone for free, several times a day, most days of the year. Here's our website.
www.ugle.org.uk
So we're hardly a secret organisation, are we?
We don't do something great? Well, the answer is.. we do! In UK, w have an air ambulance service, getting to casualties in places where normal ambulances can't go, to provide life saving-care. Without support from Freemasonry, most would not be able to fly. We provide cash for disaster relief throughout the world. We have given MILLIONS to the Red Cross and the Red Crescent to save the lives of those poor souls to whom mother nature has not been kind.
My local cathedral needed a lift (elevator) to be installed so that the disable and elderly could explore this magnificent gothic building.. guess who paid for it?
https://www.freemasonrytoday.com/more-news/provinces-districts-a-groups/freemasons-continue-over-a-century-of-support-for-liverpool-cathedral#:~:text=The%20installation%20of%20a%20new,Masonic%20support%20for%20the%20Cathedral.
In the USA, the Shriners built and continue to finance 22 hospitals for the FREE treatment of all children.
https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc
And the smaller but no less vital things. We made sure that in a dozen hospitals around my locality, those who could not be visited by family and friends due to covid, were given tablets to keep in touch. Free.. to keep.
https://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/news/18473605.south-wales-freemasons-donate-100-tablets-hospitals/
Myself and a few of the Brethren of my Lodge, recently renovated a kids playground because it had been closed due to being unsafe. The local council said it had been scheduled to be refurbished, but due to budget cuts, the renovation had been shelved. We paid for materials and did the work ourselves. now, the local kids can play in safety.
I hope this makes things clear.
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@Animation Nation Everything mentioned and done in the Degree ceremonies is symbolic...it MEANS something. For example, the "Square". Encourages a man to be fair and equitable in all things. Ever heard the phrase "square deal"? That's where it comes from.
A Candidate in the ceremony of Initiation.. the first ceremony he goes through, raises a trouser leg. Looks ridiculous when taken out of context, right? But this is done for two reasons. It is so that when he kneels, there is a physical contact between the man and his Lodge. It punches home, the connection between us all. It also shows that he has no marks on his legs which would have been left by manacles. This ensures he has never been a convict! Obviously, not all convicted criminals wear manacles.. and those that do, are not scarred by them these days. It's purely traditional.
Our ceremonies try to get over a philosophy of brotherly love, relief and truth. They are designed to encourage a man to build himself in to the best version of himself that he can.
A small correction. In Freemasonry, every man is considered with equal respect and regard. It doesn't matter if you are a Grand Officer with 60 tears in Freemasonry.. you are JUST as important as a man who has just been Initiated! We do not give a damn about colour, creed, social status, income, occupation etc etc. I'll give you an example. Recently, the Master of my Lodge was a Taxi Driver. Before that, he was a Sous chef. Not particularly "high profile" jobs.... not at all well paid. He took over from a man who had been a Hedge Fund Manager. they are the best of friends. They regularly socialise out of the Lodge. Their families are friendly too.
I am a 33rd Degree Freemason and am a Grand officer in the United Grand Lodge of England. I am usually the one serving the wine at the meal afterwards and regularly help with the clearing up etc. I may be a Grand Officer.. but I still have to take out the garbage in the mornings! From time to time, we DO get men who see themselves as something special because they gain a certain position. They are very soon given extra, informal, instruction that their behaviour may not be acceptable. Sometimes it's too much for them and they leave. Sometimes they take on board what has been said and see the error of their ways..making them in to better men.
I created this account to enable anyone to ask me anything on Freemasonry. If you have any questions, please let me know.
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@Susie Ashcroft Many years ago, there was a papal bull issued by the Roman Catholic Church, which said that if any man were to join Freemasonry, he was to be excommunicated. It was all one way.... Freemasonry has never ever barred Catholics from joining...or any other religion for that matter...but when the papal bulls were reviewed, the ones they wanted to maintain were officially reissued... the ban on men joining Freemasonry wasn't. That means that yes, according to canon law it's ok for any Catholic man to join Freemasonry if he wants to.
Why is it secret? Well the short answer to that is... it's not! Freemasons take an obligation not to reveal certain things.. but not because these things are important... in this case, it's the promise itself that is important. It's important that the man maintains his promise and this is regarded as a symbol of his integrity. What are the contents of the "secrets"? They are the signs, grips and words of the Degrees. That's it. EVERYTHING else in Freemasonry is open and can be discussed by anyone at all.
I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have about Freemasonry. I cannot divulge the signs, grips and words exactly to you... I will maintain my promise to conceal them. But I can let you know, for example, the origin of these secrets. And by the way, we CALL them secrets, but in fact they are easily available on the internet and in libraries.
You may ask me anything here, or if you prefer, my email which is therealist1964@yahoo.com
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@Anthony Bauguess To add to the comments of my Brother Adam, yes, he is perfectly correct. There is no doctrine. The ethos of Freemasonry is to improve onesself from a moral standpoint. A by-product of this, is to embrace the ability to be considerate of the needs of others and also to act on that ability. It is the done thing for a Freemason to behave in a decent and upright manner, to think of others before himself, to exude compassion and kindness and always to maintain an attitude of humility.
It is thought that we emerged from the stonemasons guilds of the middle ages. One of the aims of these guilds was to look after those members who may have fallen on hard times, until such time as they were able to look after themselves again. This moralistic way of behaving, with care and compassion, was based on the teachings of the Christian bible as 99% of the population of Great Britain were Christian.
Nowadays, we admit members from any faith. Members all believe in their own personal faith, but respect the beliefs of other without necessarily agreeing with them.
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@wendywesley9220 Thanks for your response Wendy. No, absolutely not for billionaires! 99.999% of Freemasons are just ordinary working men who struggle to pay the bills every month. Yes, there are also men who are very very rich! But in Freemasonry, all men regard every other member as their equal... the richest men respect the poorest men and vice versa.
In my Lodge we have company directors, we have a Lord, we have a Security Guard and two taxi drivers. The guy who is the security guard and one of the taxi drivers have been the Master of my Lodge. Equality is one of the greatest things in Freemasonry.
We do not have any influence in the running of anything other than Freemasonry. We don't control councils, governments, corporations etc...in fact we take a vow NOT to use our Freemasonry to do those things.
Freemasonry is not a religion, nor a substitute for one. ALL discussion of religion or politics is forbidden. And because of this, a Freemasons meeting is the only place on the planet where traditional mortal enemies can meet as equals and friends. I have often had a meeting where Catholic and Protestant, Sunni and Shia and Arab and Jew have met together. Not a hint of any division between them. Now that's GOT to be a good thing.
Why do we exist? Well there are a multitude of reasons for a man to join, but generally, we meet in order to try to become better men... better husbands.. better fathers.. better members of the community.
The reason I am here and use this name is to dispel the myths of Freemasonry. so many people "know" what it's all about, but they aren't Masons. so please, ask me anything you like about Freemasonry and i'll gladly try to answer you. If you prefer, you can use my personal email therealist1964@yahoo.com
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@wendywesley9220 Hi Wendy, the costs for joining vary from Lodge to Lodge so I'll give you the figures for my Lodge.
The first years membership includes a set of one-off charges, plus the annual fee for the Lodge that you join. This is around £350-ish for the first year and then £200 per year after that. There is a deduction for under 25's.
It is the easiest thing in the world to leave. A man simply has to write to the Secretary of the Lodge confirming his intention to leave. That's it. To be honest, not many leave, unless forced to due to other circumstances such a relocating for work, or a change in financial circumstances meaning they would find it difficult to afford the fees.
It seems like a "top-secret club" because that is a much perpetuated myth.. it simply is not true. Very often, a Masonic Hall is open to the public. For example, Freemasons Hall in London, England, is open. It runs free guided tours for anyone.. several times per day, most days of the year, of the building, the library, the Lodge rooms, the museum and of course the shop where we buy our regalia, ritual books etc etc. Questions are freely answered by the Mason taking the tour.
"Regular" Freemasonry is men only (although there are women's versions... we don't formally recognise them but have a good working relationship with them) and this is probably due to the possibility that we hail from medieval stonemasons guilds.. who were... due to the nature of the heavy work.. all men.
We have men and women who act as waiters and waitresses for the formal meal we have after our meeting. They are employed by the Masonic Hall where the Lodge meets. but there are no "servants" as such.
We are encouraged to talk about Freemasonry and I can tell you anything you wish to know, other than the sign, grip and word of the Degree being worked. We make a promise not to reveal those.. not because they are Earth-shatteringly important... it's just as a symbol of our integrity. All else can be discussed openly.
We go through "Degree" ceremonies, which are, very simply, two-part morality plays... they teach moral lessons. We, as moral men, mix together at our meetings and socially and this mixing rubs off on us and this makes us all the same.. caring, kind, compassionate men. As stated previously, women do not play a part.. they cannot be members...however, when I am trying to learn by heart a part of the ceremony, my wife holds my book and go through it.. she keeps a check on me as I practice and helps me to practice.
Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternity. There are some Grand Lodges that are not recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England, the worlds oldest Grand Lodge, because they do not operate under the same principles as us. And in some countries Freemasonry is banned completely, but they tend to be in oppressive regimes in the Middle=East. Yes, there most certainly is Freemasonry all over Canada. Here's a link to a Lodge in Vancouver. I hope I've answered your questions adequately.
http://vancouver68.com/
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@Jacob Brown Good morning Jacob. We use the sun as an allegory for knowledge. Knowledge, is finding something which was previously hidden. If you are standing in total darkness with a bar of gold on the ground in front of you, you don't know it's there. The sun comes up, you see the bar.. bingo! You are few thousand better off! It's the same with knowledge. Knowledge of the self.. of the world.. of anything you want. Hence we use the word "light" as an allegory for knowledge. Hence the Master of the Lodge, the most senior member, represents what we all seek.. knowledge.
I have never ever carried out any act of worship in any Lodge of which I have been a member or any Lodge that I have visited, in 22 countries around the world, right form my First Degree to my 33rd. And nobody else did either.
Lucifer has nothing to do with Freemasonry. This is a misunderstanding of a rather clumsily-worded passage in a book that wasn't even about Freemasonry, from a man that only wrote around 50% of it and whom used archaic language even for the day. What's worse, is that most of the time, people who reference that passage, have not even read it, but simply repeat what others say, through sheer laziness. They cannot be bothered to read it for themselves.
There is no Masonic god. Each Mason must have a belief in a higher being who is responsible for the creation of the universe. This is the god they believed in even before they were Masons. There are no further religious requirements at any time in Freemasonry. none of the ceremonies a man goes through are religious ceremonies dedicated to any god whatsoever.
The sun is not regarded as the creator of all life... god is.. whatever god each individual Mason believes in, be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, whatever. The sun is necessary for sustaining life, not creating it.
Please feel free to comment or ask questions.
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@borkokostic8290 In 23 years membership there has been NOTHING to indicate I should run. You have it all wrong.
Here are other famous Masons.
Oliver Hardy, Buzz Aldrin, Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Christopher Wren, Harry Trueman, Audie Murphy, General MacArthur, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Oscar Wilde, Alexander Fleming.
If you don;t know some of these men, just google them. You will see that they are all great men. Do you REALLY think they'd be involved in something evil? If you still do after our exchanges, then there's really no more to say. Just continue to live in ignorance.
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The Rock SANIBEL, Fla. — Mayor Randy Henderson of nearby Fort Myers recently had to withdraw a proposal to rename a local bridge in honor of Henry Ford. In 1915, Ford built a winter residence next door to Thomas Edison’s house, and today the two homes are a popular tourist attraction.
But Alan Isaacs, the director of the local Jewish Federation, and others criticized the idea: “He (Ford) really has a very dark history as far as the Jewish community and Jews are concerned.”
Henderson said he didn’t know about Ford’s anti-Semitic history prior to the controversy, yet nonetheless “there’s a legitimate outcry against this and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read Mr. Ford’s background.”
Ford’s “background” is indeed “dark.” Let me count the ways.
In 1919, Ford purchased The Dearborn Independent, then an obscure newspaper published in the Michigan city that was the headquarters of his automobile company. For the next eight years, the weekly publication reflected his bigoted views.
One of the paper’s chief targets was the so-called “International Jew,” a sinister figure cited as the root cause of World War I. In 1921, The Independent printed the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” even though the book had by then been exposed as a forgery created by the Russian czar’s secret police in 1905 to foment virulent anti-Semitism.
The fraudulent document described an alleged secret cabal of Jewish leaders who plotted to control the world. Nevertheless, the Independent published the discredited document, giving it both wide distribution and global credibility. Ford’s newspaper merged racism with anti-Semitism by calling Prohibition-era whiskey “n_-r gin” and labeling jazz “Yiddish moron music.”
Ford and his publication attracted attention throughout the world, including from Adolf Hitler. In fact, Ford is the only American mentioned by name in Hitler’s notorious “Mein Kampf,” published in 1925. Anti-Semitic Independent articles translated into German and other languages during the 1920s were used to “prove” Nazis were not alone in their pathological hatred of Jews and Judaism.
“You can tell Herr Ford that I am a great admirer of his,” Hitler said. “I shall do my best to put his theories into practice in Germany. ... I regard Henry Ford as my inspiration.” By 1925, The Independent had a weekly circulation of 900,000.
But two years later, a libel suit was brought against Ford and his paper and was sent to trial in Detroit. The auto magnate did not testify because he (ironically) suffered an auto accident, and Ford’s doctors felt he was not able to appear in court. The trial came undone when a reporter interviewed one of the jurors, and the judge declared a mistrial.
However, Ford issued a public apology, and in a full retreat, the famous automaker retracted his anti-Semitic views. In December 1927, he ended publication of The Dearborn Independent, claiming he never read the articles in his own newspaper and placed the blame for the anti-Semitic views on his underlings. His mea culpa confirmed the widespread perception of Ford as kind, gentle, and generous, enabling him to disavow his publication without taking responsibility for it.
Ford opposed America’s entry into World War II, blaming the conflict once more on “international bankers,” well-known code words for “Jews.” In 1938, the automaker received the Grand Cross of the German Eagle from Nazi Germany. The Nazi award incensed many Americans who had refused for years, even decades, to buy Ford products.
However, when Ford’s grandson, Henry Ford II, assumed control of the company in 1945, he began a lifelong campaign to support both the American Jewish community and the State of Israel — positive efforts that helped erase much of his grandfather’s negative impact. In addition, “Hank the Deuce,” as he was called, played a major role in the development of the philanthropic Ford Foundation.
In an ironic twist of history, earlier this year, Mark Fields, an American Jew, became the new president and CEO of the Ford Motor Company.
(Rabbi A. James Rudin, the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser, is the author of “Cushing, Spellman, O’Connor: The Surprising Story of How Three American Cardinals Transformed Catholic-Jewish Relations.”)
Copyright: For copyright information, please check with the distributor of this item, Religion News Service LLC.
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@evanssamuelbiju4315 I joined because I found that men I respect hugely, were members and my best friend was too. I thought that anything these men are involved with must be a good thing. I hope to improve every day and to learn lore about myself and I think I achieve that. I'm also hugely aware of the great divide in society... the "haves" and the "have nots". We work to try to make the lives of the "have nots", a little better. The men of whom I spoke, were (and are) pillars of the community, involved in charitable works, with long happy marriages and well adjusted kids. I hope I am regarded as such by those I respect.
Normally, the route in to Freemasonry is to approach someone you know is a Mason and ask them. You will never be invited... that's strictly forbidden. If that man thinks you qualify, he will propose you for membership.
If you do not know anyone in Freemasonry, you may look up the website of your local Grand Lodge and apply that way. it will take longer, as nobody will know you... and they will need to get to know you before they are willing to propose you.
Qualifications for membership are:-
1. Must have a belief in some sort of supreme being that created the universe.
2. Be male.
3. Have no criminal convictions.
4. Be able to afford the fees, without undue stress on the family budget.
5. Have the support of the family.
If you have all the above, you will be invited to an interview. If successful, after a time, when you have paid the joining fees and lodge dues, you will be Initiated and take your place in the Lodge.
It is worth stating that, if you do not take to it, you are free to leave at any time.
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@ultradeni Hi niky. The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) has a set of principles and tenets, ancient landmarks if you will. One of those is that to be a Freemason in a "Regular" Lodge (an official Lodge.. there are some UNofficial ones!) you must be male. It is thought that this came about, because of the supposed origins of our fraternity.. that of the stonemasons of the middle ages.. who were all male. Naturally, in those days, the heavy and arduous work of building cathedrals was a male only preserve. This has followed on in Freemasonry. Recently, with the law surrounding transgender people, things have "developed". Here is the quote from UGLE
https://www.ugle.org.uk/gender-reassignment-policy
I, personally wouldn't have a problem with ladies becoming Freemasons, but I am sure I am in the minority.
There are two organisations that I know of that are 99.99% the same as the male version of Freemasonry.. and both are female only.. that is the only difference.
1. The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons.
https://hfaf.org
2. The Order of Women Freemasons.
https://www.owf.org.uk
There are similar organisations in the USA and other parts of the world.
I do remember a radio phone in show when the tone of the callers was "if we women anted to join Freemasonry, we join the ladies order.. not the mens"!
I hope that's answered your question. If you have other, then please just ask.
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@AdamtheFreemason But you'd still need to count how many balls are in the box, compared to how many Brethren of the Lodge are present. You'd need to know that someone has not put a ball in. That's seriously open to miscalculation, my Brother. As I said, if you have, say, 100 Brethren of the Lodge present, you;d need to count 100 balls... and if the Master makes a mistake... and thinks there's 100 balls in the accept section when there are actually 99... that means one Brother, who has rejected the Candidate will have his wishes ignored. If you use black and white, it would be very evident at a glance that someone had rejected him.
I completely respect the traditions of a Lodge and it's own way of doing things... I would never ever mention it at a meeting as a visitor. It would be completely inappropriate and downright rude to...but your way is very very flawed, in my humble opinion.
Might I suggest that you discuss this with your WM, DC and Sec. at your next Committee meeting and point out to them, the problem I have highlighted.
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@flossycee1012 Good morning Flossy Cee. I'd just like to correct you on that, if I may. We are most definitely not a secret organisation. That's a misconception. The HQ of the United Grand Lodge of England is an enormous building in the centre of London. It has the name of our organisation all over it. We run free tours of the building for anyone, several times a day, most days of the year. We have guides to answer any questions anyone might have. Our Book of Constitutions (our rule book) is free for anyone to read interactively here.
https://www.ugle.org.uk/about-us/book-of-constitutions
...so we can hardly be called a "secret organisation".
And you talk about living together in peace? Freemasons regard each and every member as their equal. We don't care about the colour of a man's skin, his creed, his background, his cash...we simply don't care...those things are irrelevant.
I have visited Lodges all over the world and dined with people who, traditionally, would be at each others throats! I have dined with Sunni and Shia, Catholic and Protestant, Arab and Jew. We all sit together as equals, friends, Brothers. Our religion and politics is left at the door....now tell me ANYWHERE in the world where that happens aside from a Masonic Lodge? It simply doesn't. So Freemasonry PROMOTES living in peace. If the rest of the world followed our example.. it would be a much better place.
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@whatsupbato It is forbidden for any Mason to invite a man to join. Those that wish to be Freemasons need to approach us. It's actually in the ritual, that a man must "come of his own free will and accord".
You most certainly do NOT have to be rich or white! I have already stated that we do not care about a man's background, his colour or his creed. We are interested in the mans CHARACTER and INTEGRITY rather than anything else. However, you MUST be male.
The worlds premier Grand Lodge, is the United Grand Lodge of England. It has set a series of principles and tenets in order to achieve "Regularity". Any Grand Lodge wishing to achieve Regularity and to be recognised by the UGLE, MUST adhere to these principles and tenets. Consequently there are many Grand Lodges around the world. The USA has a Grand Lodge for every state. Every Grand Lodge is independent of every other one, but all work on the same principles.
It has to be said that there are other groups, notably on the continent of Europe, that STYLE themselves as "Freemasons" but do not adhere to the aforementioned principles and tenets and as such, are not recognised by the UGLE. They are often those responsible for the more risible actions which have taken place around the world, for which we REGULAR Masons are often blamed.
All Regular Masons around the world are regarded with the same respect and regard, regardless of what Grand Lodge they belong to and what rank they have attained.
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@00st307-m That's a very good question and illustrates that you have thought about it and presented it well. It's refreshing to have an intelligent question, rather than have some jerk calling us devil worshippers or criminals.
The answer is....I don't know. These things were formulated well before I became a Mason.
I DO remember the first time I became the Master of my Lodge. I had the Holy Bible opened before me with the square and compasses resting on it. And then I rested a piece of A4 paper on it, with some notes to aid me for the rest of the evening. Straight away, an older and wiser Mason pointed out (discretely) that I should remove that paper. Probably, for the reasons you stated.
Jesus never told us about the square and compasses, because they hadn't been invented in his day! The S&C are allegorical...but don't forget, many of the teachings of Jesus were too! And in any case, it scarcely matters what Jesus said or did....we are a non-religious group..and have men from all the worlds faiths.
I give you my word, though, that placing the square and compasses on the open book, is not meant disrespectfully at all. Quite the reverse, in fact. But as to why we do it?...not a clue.
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@John Obeid You mean this secret oath?
"Worshipful Master to Candidate - Repeat your name at length and say after me:- I,.............................. (Candidate gives name in full) - in the presence of the Great Architect of the Universe, and of this worthy, worshipful, and warranted Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, regularly assembled and properly dedicated, of my own free will and accord, do hereby - (with left hand touches Candidate's right hand) - and hereon - (with left hand touches Volume of the Sacred Law) - sincerely and solemnly promise and swear, that I will always heal,* (pronounced hail) conceal, and never reveal any part or parts, point or points of the secrets or mysteries of or belonging to Free and Accepted Masons in Masonry, which may heretofore have been known by me, or shall now or at any future period be communicated to me, unless it be to a true and lawful Brother or Brothers, and not even to him or them, until after due trial, strict examination, or sure information from a well-known Brother that he or they are worthy of that confidence; or in the body of a just, perfect, and regular Lodge of Ancient Freemasons. I further solemnly promise that I will not write those secrets, indite, carve, mark, engrave, or otherwise them delineate, or cause or suffer it to be so done by others, if in my power to prevent it, on anything, movable or immovable, under the canopy of Heaven, whereby or whereon any letter, character, or figure, or the least trace of a letter, character, or figure, may become legible, or intelligible to myself or anyone in the world, so that our secret arts and hidden mysteries may improperly become known through my unworthiness. These several points I solemnly swear to observe, without evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation of any kind, under no less a penalty, on the violation of any of them than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the root (singular) and buried in the sand (singular) of the sea at low water mark, or a cable's length from the shore, where the tide regularly ebbs and flow twice in 24 hours or the more effective punishment of being branded as a wilfully perjured individual, void of all moral worth, and totally unfit to be received into this worshipful Lodge, or any other warranted Lodge, or society of men who prize honour and virtue above the external advantages of rank and fortune. So help me God, and keep me steadfast in this my Great and Solemn Obligation of an Entered Apprentice Freemason".
Not very secret, is it?
You're right though, you can do all those things alone. Freemasonry isn't for everyone, we get that. However, many men are ex-armed forces or emergency services and miss the cameraderie.. they get that back as a member of Freemasonry. Yes, you can give to charity and even help in some charitable venture, but so much more can be achieved as a group. Have you never heard the phrase that something is "more than the sum of its parts"?
We carry out a range of ceremonies intended to help a man think...about very important subjects. That can't be done alone. So many men have become great men, simply by rubbing shoulders with like-minded individuals. An employee of mine is a Mason (in a different Lodge to mine) and he is an engineer. He is in overalls all day, big clunky boots, unshaven, dirty hands, oil smears everywhere. He enjoys having something to dress up for! When he attends a meeting, he is in his three-piece suit, tie, very shiny shoes etc, he looks as smart as any CEO of a multinational.
So, fine, don't join. We'll survive without you.
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@johnobeid67 Hello John, thanks for the response. Thanks also for the kind words.
All of the obligations ( not oaths... obligations!) are available online but they are, broadly speaking much the same. This was the first one taken when a man joins.
As you will see, the main gist of the obligation, is not to reveal the "secrets" which are the sign, grip and word of the Degree being worked. And yes, there are blood-curdling penalties to be paid if you break it. Or... at least there USED to be. It is explained shortly after taking it, that these physical penalties are no longer necessary. The penalty for breaking the obligation is expulsion from Freemasonry. Nothing more. Freemasons MUST obey the law.. and last time I looked, that sort of ritual mutilation was illegal! In the obligation, we are actually talking about the penalties that would be expected during King Solomon's time.
Freemasonry is not a religion. If it were, I would never have joined. It has no god, no sacraments, no doctrine, no promise of salvation, no clergy. There is no worship of any kind. In fact ALL discussion of religion and politics is forbidden at our meetings. Why? Think about it. Religion and politics is what causes all the worlds problems... they cause division and discord. Freemasonry is all about unity and harmony. So during the time we meet, we ask that these subjects are not discussed.
Can you tell me why you think Freemasonry tries to destroy the "truth"? In Freemasonry, each Mason is encouraged to follow his own religion....what HE believes to be his own truth. And did you know that the Holy Bible MUST be open at a Masonic meeting? If, for some reason, the Bible cant be found.. the meeting must be abandoned. I almost had to do that once, when our locker key was mislaid at our Masonic Hall! It's the book that our morals were originally thought to be taken from and Freemasonry is all about moral self-improvement. Each Mason may have his own particular holy book present at the meeting and he MUST take HIS obligation in HIS holy book.
You said " There is only one God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to The one God is due all worship, honour and praise." ALL Freemasons agree there is only ONE god. In fact, it is a REQUIREMENT that a Mason believes in only one god. All Christian Freemasons agree with you completely. They respect the beliefs of those professing other religions, but believe they are wrong.
LOL! I absolutely assure you, that Freemason hates NOBODY and NOTHING. We are most certainly not anti-Catholic! Rather the other way around.. many Catholics hate us! And why? Just because some guy says so. They do not have the first clue about why Catholic heirarchy is ant-Masonic. I was RAISED as a Catholic... my three brothers, sister and Mother.. all Catholic. Are yo saying I hate my own family? I absolutely assure you that is not the case. Did you know there are many Catholics in Freemasonry? They are perfectly happy that their membership of Freemasonry is, in no way, incompatible with their faith. Catholic heirarchy is a little like you.. assuming we are a religion.. and also that it hates the fact that we refuse to condemn all other faiths. The catholic Church has always been about numbers... and the fact we don't decry other faiths really hacks it off!
You are not a Freemason and I am. I've been a Mason for a long time! Please explain to me, how it is that you think you know more about Freemasonry than me? As I said, I was raised Catholic from my birth nearly 57 years ago and have been a Freemason for 23 years. I have seen this argument from both sides and can absolutely assure you that Freemasonry is NOT how you see it. PLEASE do not accept blindly, the words of a man who is, in all sense, anti-Masonic. Think for yourself. Ask me as many questions as you like, without pointing the finger. And when I answer, take those answers, apply logic, reason and the balance of probability and THEN make your mind up.
BTW, where in the world are you?
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@nowankersallowed2115 I do know that some Lodges (mainly american ones) do keep more in-depth family records, again to contact those men and women far and wide from American families so that they may seek assistance from/offer assistance to those members. I don't know where you live, but if you live in the USA, you may have some luck.
What was the name of the book? Very very few books are "official" Masonic ones. The fact you felt sick and started to have dreams says more about you than it does about the book!
If he was an Atheist, he was NOT a Freemason. He may have joined, gone to the meetings etc etc. but the obligation a man takes is taken before his God... if he doesn't have a God, he has lied during that Obligation and so it is void and so is his membership.
You don;t have to be "good at" Christianity. Freemasonry is not a religious society. In fact, all discussion of religion (and politics) is forbidden. We have members of every major religion on Earth and quite a few of the minor ones too. you don;t even have to have a religion....I do not......just a belief in a Supreme Being that created the universe.
In Freemasonry, you do certainly have the freedom to chat and float about. nobody cares what your beliefs are... in Freemasonry, aside from supplying the relevant holy book for you to lay your hand on when taking your obligation, we don't even wish to know your beliefs. As I said.. for religious matters, a man should go to his place of worship..for Masonic matters.. he should go to his Lodge!If you were interested in joining, unless you know someone in Freemasonry, you should Google your local Grand Lodge and click the relevant button to join. They will take you through the process and if it works out, then great.. you're a Mason.. if not, at least you've tried.
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@margieprovencio9145 Margie, the reason I never ever put my name or Lodge down here is because I have received death threats from crazy pricks who can't separate fantasy from reality. I can handle myself perfectly well. I am a Royal Navy veteran and have seen conflict up close, but I fear for my family. It only takes one crazy prick to watch me leaving my masonic hall and to follow me home and then my family is in danger. That can't happen. Sorry if that's a problem for you.
If I "attack" anyone it's in defence of what they have said about something I value quite highly. Freemasonry.
You yourself, just did that. you said that because I never put my real name down, I am possessed by a demon. How ridiculous!!! You claim my mind is "programmed". The reverse is true. Freemasonry encourages free thinking and personal opinion. It uses symbols rather than printed instructions, so that the individual Mason can interpret things for himself.
I'm a 33rd Degree Freemason, a Grand Officer of the United Grand Lodge of England. I'm a Past master of TWO Lodges and have been a Mason for over 20 years. Yes I know the secrets (which are simply the sign, grip and word of the Degree being worked...nothing more, but you obviously think there is more to it) and I say again, you accuse us of being in league with demons and that we worship a god called Lucifer. Madam, you are 100% incorrect in your assumption. And you have also fell in to the trap of believing that "Lucifer" is some sort of diabolical figure. That's wrong too. It's of no consequence to us that you are incorrect because we have nothing to do with "Lucifer" either.
I assure you of my best intentions at all times.
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@krglfromworld That's the thing. MOST people have perceptions about Freemasonry which are simply untrue.
Yes, you HAVE to ask to be a Mason..... you will never be invited...no matter what sort of bloke you are, but it is in the ceremony.. a man has to "come of his own free will and accord". But we don;t just take anyone. There are requirements for membership. In any Lodge under the auspices of the United Grand Lodge of England and any regular Grand Lodge, primarily, you have to have to have a belief in some sort of benevolent "Supreme Being"... doesn't matter which one. We do not bar anyone based on their religion.. we don't even ask what a religion a man follows, if any. You have to be a certain age, which varies from constitution to constitution. You have to be free from criminal convictions. You have to have the support of your family. If your partner is against your membership, we'd rather you did not join. The last thing we want is to cause trouble at home. And lastly, you have to be able to afford it. There are certain fees which gave to be paid and part of these fees are maintained annually, but you do not have to be rich at all. My Lodge fees are less than £200 per year.
VERY little in Freemasonry is secret. And even those things that are are quite insignificant and are inly used within the Lodge meetings.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
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@Stephanie Denny Good morning Stephanie. The answer to that question is in the video!
But to put some meat on the bones, as it were. Freemasonry is worldwide and it is the worlds oldest fraternity. Nobody knows for sure how old it is, but the best guess so far is that we emerged around the 11th Century in Scotland. It's aim, generally speaking, is to take good men and make them better by encouraging them to take a long hard look at themselves and to build themselves in to the best version of themselves they can be in terms of morality, integrity, citizenship. We value integrity, kindness, and selflessness very highly.
The by-product of this desire for greater integrity and moral uprightness is charity. Freemasons give millions and millions of their own cash to charities. They also donate millions of man hours of their own time in community projects, all to try to make the world a slightly better place.
In order to apply to be a Freemason, a man has to satisfy the following.
1. Be male. no ladies in "Regular" Freemasonry, although there are organisations of "Lady Masons"...doing almost the same as us....dressing the same... care for others, charity etc.. but we do not officially recognise them. We are completely friendly and cordial... but we can't join their Lodges and they can't join ours.
2. Have a belief in some sort of Supreme Being that created the universe. We do not care what you call this being... you don't even have to follow a specific religion.. just have that belief that one entity created the universe.
3. Be free from criminal convictions. If a Man comes to us and he has been in prison.. he will not be admitted. If a Mason, no matter how distinguished, or how long he's been a Mason, is convicted of a crime, he is immediately expelled.
4. Be able to afford the fees. It's not expensive to be a Freemason, but if a man is struggling to make ends meet at home financially, the extra financial pressure of paying fees would almost certainly cause undue pressure at home and we don't want that.
5. Have the support of the family. Again, we value the family unit very highly. If a man is regularly going to his Lodge, once a week or maybe even more, and his wife thinks that would be too much time away from the family.. we don't want him to join.
It is not a religion, nor a substitute for one. Each man must believe in what HE regards to be the Supreme Being. He is not required to take on any further beliefs at any time. We have no Masonic god, there are no sacraments, no promise of eternal life. ALL discussion of religion (and politics!) is forbidden at Masonic meetings as those are the two subjects that cause discord and division. We are about harmony and unity.
If a Mason were to pass away and the family have not been adequately provided for, Freemasonry will very discretely look after the widow and the family. Children's school fees are taken care of and the welfare of the widow is also taken care of. We have the "Broken column" brooch worn by the widow of a Mason. If a Mason sees a lady wearing this, he will make himself known to her and let her know if any assistance is required, she may call on him.
I hope I have, to some degree, answered your question. I created this account for this very purpose....to let people know what we are about and also to debunk the crazy conspiracy theories out there.
Many people think that everything in Freemasonry is secret. however, that is completely untrue. Almost everything in Freemasonry can be discussed openly with non-Masons.
Please come back to me if you wish to know more. I'd be happy to answer any more questions you may have.
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@Ramiro C So many rituals? Pure ancient Freemasonry consists of only three Degrees plus the Royal Arch. Why do we do them? They are allegorical lessons on morality and are designed to help us to improve as men. In the Scottish Rite there are 29 other Degrees and these may easily be achieved very quickly. At each ceremony, several Degrees are conferred at a time. In theory, a man may take his First Degree and be a 32nd...in less than a year. This is also true of the York Rite which has only ten Degrees.
Why can't we talk about it? Er.. WE CAN! It's only the conspiracy theorists that tell you otherwise and people take what they say as true... it really isn't. The ONLY things in Freemasonry we cannot divulge, are the sign, grip and word of the Degrees. Everything else is completely open for discussion. And even the "secrets" I just described, are plastered all over the net. We don't CARE if you know, but we keep our word not to divulge them as a symbol of our integrity.
Why so much symbolism? It is thought we emerged from the stonemasons guilds of the middle ages. At that time the vast vast majority of men, including these craftsmen, were illiterate. Their trade was taught to them, by including symbols in their training as stonemasons on the site. We use symbols to get across lessons of morality. For example, the most famous Masonic symbol is the square and compasses. A stonemason would use the compasses for scribing a perfect circle. We use them to remind us to limit our passions, prejudices and excesses in life.
I proudly wear a couple of rings with Masonic images on them. Why? Well why does anyone wear anything with images of things that they are proud of? Why do guys wear football shirts and baseball caps with their teams logo? Why do some cars have vanity plates? Why do people fly flags in their back yard?
If you have ANY more questions, please just print them here and if YT plays the game and alerts me to them (sometimes that doesn't happen) I'll be happy to answer them.
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@DENNIS MAGARE Good morning, Dennis. Firstly, it is important to know that Freemasonry is not a religion NOR a substitute for one. No worship of anyone, or anything happens at our meetings.
Secondly, you need to know that there are many Christians in Freemasonry, of various sub-denominations, as well as men of other religions. Indeed, we have many members of the clergy among our numbers! We have members of all of the worlds major religions and some men (like me) who have a belief in some sort of supreme being, but do not necessarily subscribe to an organised religion. Belief in some sort of supreme being is the first requirement for membership.
When a man comes to interview for Freemasonry, the FIRST question that must be asked, is "do you have a belief in a supreme being"? The man must answer "yes" for the interview to continue. After that, there is NO more mention of religion... as it is not relevant.
At our meetings, we do not allow the discussion of religion or politics. Not disrespectfully, but because religion and politics are the two subjects that cause the most trouble in the world. They can cause division and discord. Freemasonry is bout unity and harmony. But just because a man comes to a meeting, that doesn't stop him being a Christian and supporting the XYZ party... it's just that we mustn't discuss it at meetings.
I am fortunate in that I have travelled to many regions of the planet. I have attended meetings and dined (we always have a dinner after our meetings!) where Arab and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Sunni and Shia sit together. These men would normally be at each others throats, but at meetings, they meet as equals, friends and Brothers. It is a sight to behold! Now you tell me any other place on the planet where that happens!
So in conclusion, there is nothing in Freemasonry which is incompatible with Christianity or any other religion you care to mention. Questions? Please feel free to ask me anything you like!
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@mo Mo The room we meet in is properly called a "Lodge room". Some Masons call it a temple, because it is very loosely based on the design of King Solomon's temple. Why? Because the highest Degree there is, the Third Degree, is a sort of two-act play set in the temple. The principal architect is murdered because he would not divulge the secrets of a Master Mason..he had made a promise not to and his integrity prevented him from breaking his word. King Solomon is consumed by grief and sends men to look for the murderers and the architects body. They and it are found. The murderers are put to death and the body is re-interred inside the temple.
NO worship of any kind happens in Freemasonry. Each Freemason is encouraged to follow his own religion and when he joins, no Mason is required to take on any further religious beliefs.
Why do we wear regalia? Two reasons, really. It is believed that we originated from the guilds of the ancient stonemasons that built the great cathedrals of the middle ages. Naturally, if a man was working a piece of stone on his lap, he would wear an apron to protect his clothes. These were Operative Masons. In time, well to do men caught on to the idea of the "guild" a sort of union or self-help group..and developed their own, but extended it to those outside the fraternity... anyone who needed help. They adopted the stonemasons tools and used them symbolically as a guide to their morals..similarly, they wore aprons.. but the mode of the day was for "fancy"... so they decorated them with more symbols and now they are used to denote rank.
A meeting involves a fair bit of talking. We may discuss charitable giving, or perhaps perform a Degree ceremony, or maybe a lecture on the history of the Craft. there will be propositions for membership, discussing potential candidates for Freemasonry.
I hope I have answered your questions adequately. If you have more, please feel free to ask.
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@HatimMukabele Rural people? Not a problem. Poor people? Well, if you join Freemasonry, there are certain fees you must pay to retain your membership. On top of those fees, there are other costs... the cost of your meal after the meeting, the charitable giving you make when you are in the meeting, for example. You also need to buy your own regalia. That is not cheap. There are also social functions that cost money to take part in. There is a lot of giving in Freemasonry. If we were to accept those who are financially struggling already, we wouldn't want to add to that stress and strain. In fact, it is one of the rules of Freemasonry, that we do not accept anyone, whose financial obligations are already quite tight...as to add to them will put pressure on the family...and that is not acceptable. We do not want to adversely affect the family of any man.
If a Mason falls on hard times, there is help available for him and his family... but you need to financially buoyant BEFORE you join.
I hope that helps.
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@j18i319 Please explain what you mean by "scope".
How big? There are currently in excess of 6 million Freemasons spread over the globe.
Who is involved? Well, it's men only. Women are not allowed to be Freemasons, despite there being several different groups of women who CALL themselves Freemasons. The vast majority of Freemasons are just ordinary men who you would see walking down the street any say of the week. Some Masons are well known but most are not. We are from all echelons of society. For example, I was a meeting last week, where the Master of the Lodge, was a butcher. The Lodge was Initiating a new member, who was a neurosurgeon. So the most senior member of that Lodge is a butcher and the most junior is a neurosurgeon! What a man does for a living is of zero importance. How much cash he has in the bank, of zero importance. What IS important, is a man's character and that is how he is regarded, within Freemasonry.
How does it connect to society? It does so, by means of all of the members, being part of it. Freemasons try to improve themselves from a standpoint of integrity, kindness and good character. As we interact with all the other members of society, we try to be the best examples we can be, of citizens of the world.
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@Ruslan Mamadaliyev You'll no doubt be surprised to learn, that almost nothing in Freemasonry is deemed to be secret. In other words, we can tell you almost anything you like.
The "secrets" are simply, the sign, grip and word of the Degree being worked. But in truth they are all over the internet and the library. They are insignificant... so we don't care if you know them or not, it's just that we have made a promise not to reveal them..and that's as a symbol of our integrity. After all, if we can't keep something as unimportant as our "secrets" to ourselves.. what would our word really be worth?
It is thought that Freemasonry stemmed from the craft of the stonemasons of the middle ages... think gothic cathedrals etc. The building site of these cathedrals was run by a Master stonemason, well skilled in all aspects of the building trade. He was in charge of fellows of the craft and apprentices and they were paid according to their skill level. So for example, when an apprentice got better in his craft, he naturally wanted to get promoted and so earn more cash. He would go to the Master and show his work. If the Master thought he had improved enough, he was promoted.
Now, if that man's work was finished on that site, he'd travel to another one looking for work. He'd go to the Master and tell him his qualifications so that he could be put to work on the appropriate job AND be paid accordingly. But how did he PROVE his skill level? When he reached the next level of skill, the man's previous Master would take him to one side and give him a grip and a word.... naturally these were kept secret because if anyone else found them out, they could travel to any site claiming to be of a skill level and be paid more than they were worth.....so they are kept secret. the man sees the Master of his new site... gives him the word and the grip.. and he was paid for his skill level. That's the origin of OUR secrets.
I hope I have explained this adequately.
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@ruslanmamedaliyev3912 If you don't come to the table with an open mind, in other words, you have made your mind up that I will lie, why bother to ask the questions? That, to me, looks more like the type of stance a conspiracy theorist comes from. Conclusion first, evidence later.
But... in the interest of friendship and to defend my much-maligned Craft, here goes.
1. No one man is in charge of all the worlds Masons. Each Grand Lodge has it's own Grand Master. Each one is independent of the rest. However, in order to be an official Grand Lodge (we say a Regular Grand Lodge) all must maintain the basic principles and tenets of the United Grand Lodge of England, largely thought to be the worlds oldest Grand Lodge.
The HQ of the United Grand Lodge of England is based behind Covent Garden, London, England. It is open to the public and runs free tours for anyone, of the building, and the library, the museum, several times a day, most days of the year. you may also visit our shop and purchase anything that we wish to.. ritual books, regalia, jewellery, clothing etc etc.
www.ugle.org.uk
2. Men join for different reasons. Some because they wish to be involved with philanthropy, some because it is a social thing, some use it to get in to comminity work, some because it recreates a cameraderie they no longer (or perhaps still do) enjoy in the armed forces, the police, the ambulance service etc etc. I myself an ex-Royal Navy and consider my Brethren similar to my shipmates when I was at sea.
Most men are of average income and status in society. Don't believe it when people say only the wealthy join... that is not true. Yes we do have wealthy members, but not an inordinate amount.
If a man's aim IS wealth power and world domination, why would he have to join the Freemasons to do it? He could just do it anyway. we have been going since probably the 11th century. If our aim was world domination.. don't you think we'd have done it by now?
I happen to know a few "high flyers" in this world who are prominent in business etc.. and they come to their Lodge to get away from all that stuff.. to a haven of peace and friendship without all the high pressure stuff they deal with in their day-to day dealings at work...so your contention is the polar opposite of reality!
3. Freemasonry has a policy of non-interference in politics, religion, commerce etc etc. I'd be interested to see these documents you mention... because they do not exist. If any Masonic movement did get involved in those things, it would not be a "Regular" (I explained what "Regular" was near the top) Lodge... ie a non-authorised one, of which there were a few over the last few centuries.
4. If you are going to make accusations about "sacrificing children" and "bad things", you should come up with evidence. For example, the fact that you have brought this up, tells me that YOU are in to sacrificing children. Now.. prove to me that isn't so.
Why WOULD we sacrifice children? We run 22 hospitals in the USA for the FREE treatment of children... ANY children... if their parents cannot pay. If we were to do all that.. why on Earth would we want to sacrifice them? And who to? We are a secular fraternity and have nothing to do with religion of any kind. Again.. if we were in to all that, why would we have to join the Freemasons to do it? We wouldn't!
5. Satan? Are you crazy? Yes! you are! The last question and this one proves to me you are incapable of reasonable thought and I'm loathe to carry on on... however...
It's a similar thing to question 3 and 4. Why on Earth would we have to join Freemasonry to do that?
It is a requirement that any man who applies to be a Freemason MUST be asked..as the first question.. "Do you have a belief in a Supreme Being"? And by that, we mean whatever it was that created the universe. Any way you slice it, that aint Satan! If the man says "yes", the interview continues. If he says "no" the interview ends and he is sent in his way.
Many people who believe in God (by whatever name you call it) believe there has to be a Devil of some sort. I do not. Yes there has to be a builder.. who created the universe...that many term God, Yaweh, Allah etc etc.. but there does NOT have to be a "Satan"..or a "Devil".
Now you can believe that or not. I'm past caring. I know I'm a good man and that I want to improve myself on a daily basis and help others along the way... and that's all that matters.
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@Richard ushiro-lumb Just to correct an otherwise accurate post.
You said "should not be of any specific religion" That is incorrect. I think you MEANT to say "a man can be of any religion....as long as he has a belief in a higher power".
You talk about us providing " connections for individuals in life" This is totally incorrect and in fact the reverse is true. We do NOT provide connections and anyone found to be profiting, either legally, financially, in business, or otherwise as a consequence of their membership will be disciplined and this CAN lead to permanent expulsion.
I remember a case of when I was the master of my Lodge. I noticed a new member handing out business cards for his garage to the Brethren. The Brethren all refused to take them. He was trying to drum up custom for his garage. I had my Director of Ceremonies tell him to stop it. the fact he was new, I cut him some slack. Next meeting, there he was again trying to handout business cards. This time, I told him myself in no uncertain terms that if he continued to do this, I would have him disciplined and he was to stop immediately. We never saw him again. He had got the wrong idea about Freemasonry from posts just like yours...and now the fact I stopped him doing it meant he had no need for Freemasonry. We were well rid of him.
There is no "higher up the chain" All Freemasons meet on the level... we greet each other as equals. HRH the Duke of Kent is my brother.
If you need any more info, or have any more questions, please just ask.
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@Cannabis Grow videos Movies? I take it you mean "movement". Well, one of the aims of Freemasonry is to care for the community it finds itself in. For example, we are the largest contributor to charity after the National Lottery in England. Most of the Air Ambulances that fly around the skies of England, saving lives where paramedics and ordinary ambulances cannot go would not be able to operate due to lack of funding. Research in to cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimers, mental conditions etc etc is funded by Freemasonry. sure, we aren't the only contributor to those charities, but we make a HELL of an impact. The Royal College of Surgeons would be seriously compromised if it wasn't for the financial funding of Freemasonry.
Disaster relief is also a concern. There hardly seems to be a day go by where we do not hear of some natural disaster. As soon as any disaster like an Earthquake, a Tsunami, a hurricane etc happens, we donate huge amounts to the Red Cross or the Red Crescent so that they can carry on their lifesaving work.
In the United States, the Shriners (a side Degree of Freemasonry) has built and continues to run, 22 hospitals for the treatment of children.. for FREE. No money changes hands.. not even from insurance.
But it isn't just cash we give. We give our time and our expertise too. I am a 1 man ambulance service for my local retirement home. Many of the residents of the home need to get to and from hospital and do not have their own transport. On the days I am off work, I use my own car, using my own fuel to transport them to and from their appointment. I am not paid for this, nor do I require any payment.
A friend of mine from another Lodge runs a night time food van for hot food and snacks for the homeless, plus a listening ear if required. He funds this himself. He is a successful business man so works his own hours, and can afford to keep the service going.
Local fishermen have just got together to form a group to teach angling to mentally and physically disabled children. It is hoped that it will be something different that they can all benefit from.
Enough?
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@2handsandwiches When people hear "The Crown", they automatically think of the King and Queen. When they hear "London" or "The City", they instantly think of the capital of England in which the monarch officially resides since London's expansion absorbed the City of Westminster.
"The City" is in fact a privately owned Corporation - or sovereign state - occupying 677 acres in the heart of the 610 square mile "Greater London" area. The population of the City is 5,000 whereas Greater London has 8 million.
"The Crown" is a committee of 12-14 men who rule this independent sovereign state known as London or "The City". "The City" is not a part of England and is not subject to the Sovereign nor under rule of Parliament. It is an independent state, like Kowloon City in Hong Kong, which belonged to Communist China. It's the Vatican of the commercial world.
The City is ruled by a Lord Mayor elected for one year. When the Queen visits the City she's met by the Lord Mayor at Temple Bar, the symbolic gate of the City. She bows to him and asks permission to enter his private, sovereign State. He grants permission to enter by handing her the sword of State. During such State visits, the Lord Mayor with his robes and chain, his entourage in medieval costume, outshines the Royal party, which can dress-up no further than service uniforms. The Lord Mayor leads the Queen into the City of which he is the monarch and she is his subject.
The Rothschild-controlled Bank of England, Lloyd's underwriters, London Stock Exchange, leading international trading concerns are located here. The small clique who rule the City dictate to the British Parliament, Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Until the middle of the seventeenth century, the British Monarch was truly sovereign. Britain was prosperous. Indeed, for 280 years there was no inflation. The average man worked for only 150 days of the year, and lived well. (In Australia today, its said that we work for about 150-days to pay our taxes, and the rest of the year for the usury on our houses). Conditions went down-hill ever since the privately-owned Bank of England was established to finance the profligate ways of William III. Two separate empires operated under the guise of the British Empire, all white-skinned colonies: South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (representing 13% of the people who made-up the British Empire) were under the Sovereign and under British law. All the other colonies like India, Egypt, Bermuda, Malta, Cyprus, the colonies in Central Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong and Gibraltar comprised the hidden empire that belonged to the Crown of the City of London. These were not under British rule. Parliament had no authority over them. They were private enterprise, owned and ruled by The Crown of the City of London whose representatives had the power of life or death over the people. And there was no appeal to British law - not even for a British citizen.
As the Crown also controlled the British Government, there was no problem getting the British taxpayer to pay for naval and military forces to maintain the Crown's supremacy. Any revolts were met with terrible retribution by the British navy at no cost to the Crown who reaped fantastic profits. This was not British commerce or British wealth, and the average Briton became poorer. It was "The Crown's" commerce, and "The Crown's" wealth.
The International Bankers of the City of London today control the available resources of the world at any moment. "The Crown of the City" still own and control their former colonies, financially and materially, only today the United Nations uses American military forces supplemented by the forces of other nations and paid for by the taxpayers of member nations (The Empire of "The City", by E. C. Knuth). And today they control the politics and economies of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and . . . the USA.
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@JamieSmith-fz2mz Too much time? Well, each Lodge can decide for themselves, how often they meet. So if meeting, say ten times a year suits them.. ten times a year it is.
My own Lodge has 7 regular meetings per year and 7 Committees. We often get together for social events with the families and with friends who are not Masons, as well.
And it may also surprise you to know, no Mason MUST attend if he does not wish to do so. It's not like the armed forces, where you are on duty, or at least on the base, like it or not! For example, these days, many members are shift workers. If their shift coincides with a Lodge meeting, he would not be expected to attend.
I was at sea for many of my meetings. Every third Tuesday of the month at 9pm local time, I KNEW the Brethren met together were drinking a toast to "absent and seafaring Brethren".... and at that same moment, I was doing the same for them.
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There is no relation to any government body like the CIA or the FBI. For a start, you have to realise that Masonry exists in all free nations on the Earth... those that don't even have the FBI or CIA!
The "secrets" we have (which aren't even secret... they are all over the internet and in libraries) are the sign, grip and word of the Degree being worked and are only ever used in the ceremonies.
Hardly anything is secret in Freemasonry, despite what the conspiracy theorists will tell you.
We have zero to do with "illegals and paedo's". However, a man must be free of criminal convictions to join and to maintain his membership. If a man does acquire a record during his membership, he is automatically expelled.
How can we be a "secret society" if we are discussing Freemasonry here?
Some people say that we do get away with motoring offences etc. due to our membership, but it's forbidden to use membership for personal gain and that includes getting off with tickets!
We are "Speculative" Masons in that we don't do stonework, but are part of a worldwide fraternity, dedicated to moral uprightness and philanthropy. "Operative" Masons work in stone. However, we do do work in the community as you described. Many Freemasons for example are electricians, bricklayers etc and if any work like construction does need to be done in the community, they will most likely give their time for free. I run and man a food kitchen for the homeless in my local community several nights a week. Community work is very important for those less fortunate than ourselves.
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@kenny832 I suppose you're right. That to anyone who was interested enough to observe us, it might seem a little old fashioned... but then Freemasonry has a strong strong sense of tradition. And traditionally, stonework was the work of men... Freemasonry embodies their tradition. Yes although there exists female Lodges, they are not formally recognised as bona fide Freemasons (although they have the same principles, wear the same regalia and perform the same rituals!) but have a good working relationship with Regular ("Regular Freemasonry" is that which adheres to the principles and tenets of the United Grand Lodge of England)Freemasonry.after the civil war,
PH Masonry was formed so that black men, denied entry to Regular Freemasonry, could become Freemasons. Happily, the Lodges still exist, although the restrictions on colour from both sides no longer exist. We have "evolved".
It is true to say that men of a certain religion to collect together and form Lodges, but it's never to the exclusion of men of other faiths.
Mixed gender Freemasonry is also not regarded as bona fide to Regular Freemasons, because one of the Principles of Regular Freemasonry is that only men can be Freemasons. There exists an organisation called "Le Droit Humain" who see themselves as Freemasons but in LDH, women are admitted and no belief in a Supreme Being is required.
I should point out that there are some Freemasons who are perhaps a little "dyed in the wool" and shun anyone that says they are a Mason but do not adhere strictly to the principles of Regular Freemasonry. Most, however are perfectly happy to consort with anyone who regards themselves as such, but it's also important to realise that there can be no cross membership. I am a Regular Freemason but I am not allowed to join another order, say LDH and vice versa, but tbh, I have no desire to, and I suspect the same is true of most, if not all, Regular Freemasons.
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@Steamshovel 1611 Not "forbidden" as there would be no cause for me to mention the name of Jesus. It's not a religious society. The word Jesus can be allied to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogeryllantysiliogogogogoch.... a famous place in Wales....I wouldn't mention that either. Know why? Because it has ZERO to do with Freemasonry. Should I shout FORE!.....er.. no.. know why? Because GOLD has zero to do with Freemasonry.
I'm sick and tired of correcting people about Pike. YOU, like sooooo many others have completely misquoted AND misunderstood Pike. You, like so many conspiracy theorists/religious nutters are always economical with the truth. Rather than research, come up with evidence and then postulate a theory, you have a theory and then try to find evidence to support it, cherry-picking what fits with your theory and discarding the rest.
How do YOU know what happens in 29 and 30? You're not a Mason so can't possibly know. You'd LIKE that to be the case, but just because you want something to be true, that doesn't make it true.
Scottish Rite Freemasonry was NOT written by Pike. Pike was a big fish in a very small pond and outside the Southern Jurisdiction, nobody had ever heard of him.
You say Freemasonry excludes Christianity. Again, not true. Another wild claim that, as a Mason for over 20 years, I can categorically deny.
You completely misunderstand our stance on religion. It is not that we INCLUDE all the religions.... rather that we don;t care what religion you are, or even if you DON'T have a religion... your system of worship is no concern of ours. Nobody even ASKS what religion you are. The ONLY reference to a particular religion is when a man is asked what holy book he'd like to take his obligation on, rather like in a court when being sworn in.
You really ought to speak to a Mason in person and that will prove that all you think is completely untrue.
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@MattCrawley_Music Good evening, Matt. The traditional method is to approach someone you know who is a Mason and to ask them to propose you, but even to be proposed, you must satisfy some conditions.
1. Have a belief in some sort of supreme being that created the universe.
2. Be male.
3. Have no criminal convictions.
4. Be able to afford the fees without too much strain on the family budget.
5. Have the support of the family.
If you do not know a Mason, you may apply via the web site of your local Lodge. It will take a little longer, as a lodge member has to propose you. He will want to take his time to get to know you before he is happy to propose you for membership.
Every member must take part in an Initiation ceremony that we call the "First Degree". Then there's the Second a while later and ultimately the Third or Master Masons Degree. These Degrees are to encourage you to learn about yourself and the way in which you interact with society and other humans in general, in order to make the world a better place. It is hoped that the Candidate will take it upon himself to study further such of the liberal arts and science as may lay within the compass of his attainment.
At a meeting, we may have a business meet to discuss the finances of the Lodge, we may have a degree ceremony, we may have a visiting lecturer or a Masonic lecture. We will consider any communications to the Lodge and address requests for charity. there may be outside events we need to decide upon, visits we may do etc.
Almost nothing is secret in Freemasonry. It's just the conspiracy theorists that will tell you that our lips are sealed. The ONLY things in Freemasonry that we take an obligation not to reveal are the modes of recognition. The sign, grip and word of the Degree being worked,. All else is open for discussion.
So.. if you have specific questions, please feel free to ask.
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@Jacqueline Amoit Good morning, Jacqueline. Do not be sorry to ask a question. Questions help us to learn.
The answer to your question, is YES. In Freemasonry, the colour of a man's skin is completely unimportant. We do not care about colour, background, profession, wealth, religion, politics. What Is important is a mans character and his integrity. We have men from all walks of life, all meeting together as equals, with the shared values of kindness, charity and care for our fellow man.
We are a no-religious and non-political order with over 6 million men all over the world.
Please feel free to ask me anything you like about Freemasonry.
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@dalebattaglia Completely incorrect. We don't swear "blood oaths" (whatever THEY are) to cover up any wrongdoing by other Masons. If a Freemason commits a crime, he is morally (not to mention legally) obliged to confess. Indeed, it is part of the Initiation, that a man is told that he must obey the laws of anywhere he resides and also to "strictly obey the moral law".
There is a famous case, the Frederick Seddon case, where the accused, on trial for murder, used a Masonic sign to the Judge in court, in order to secure an aquittal. The Judge, himself a Freemason, acknowledged the signal and said in court...
"It is not for me to harrow your feelings – try to make peace with your Maker. We both belong to the same Brotherhood, and though that can have no influence with me this is painful beyond words to have to say what I am saying, but our Brotherhood does not encourage crime, it condemns it".
The rest of your post is so ridiculous, I have not the time nor the inclination to address it.
Now go away and polish your tinfoil hat.
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@Baron of Haste Better than that. I'm a Freemason and have been for almost 23 years. We're very very open and I'm happy to answer anything you care to ask. I can tell you 99.9% of it.
But to answer your original Q., We are a worldwide fraternity of some 6.5 million men, dedicated to moral self-improvement and philanthropy. We only take men who have a belief in a supreme being, doesn't matter what religion they follow, if any, are free of any criminal conviction and do not expect any special privilege as a result of their membership. Contrary to popular belief, we do not recruit. If a man wishes to join, he must approach us. This can be done by speaking to a Mason you know, or by contacting us via a website.
Each Grand Lodge is separate from the rest, but the United Grand Lodge of England is the worlds oldest in existence. Here's our website which should help answer any immediate questions you might have.
www.ugle.org.uk
If you have any more questions, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer you.
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@Marty Bear Freemasonry requires that only men of integrity can join. A Man with integrity proves such, by being asked to keep a promise. That promise is never to reveal the sign, grip and word of the Degree being worked. That's it. The ONLY secrets in Freemasonry are those signs, grips and words. They are a tiny tiny part of the rituals that Freemasons practice. EVERYTHING ELSE is open. I can tell you anything you like about Freemasonry but will not divulge that sign, grip and word. Keeping that promise is symbolic of my integrity as a man.
How can you believe us? The only way I can prove 100% is for you to join and see for yourself. I'm not inviting you to, of course, just stating a fact. But one thing I've noticed here is that there are so many accusations of things we are SUPPOSED to believe and things we are SUPPOSED to have done. EVERY SINGLE TIME, I have asked for evidence of the claims from these people.... nothing. Not one piece of evidence.... and then they go quiet, or change the subject. Every answer I give, is reasonable and logical pointing towards it being accurate and truthful.
So, if you have any questions, please ask and I'll do my best to answer you. It's up to you if you believe me or not.
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@Jay Workman not sure exactly what you are referring to. There is most certainly no sacrifice involved in any Degree of Freemasonry. However, there is a death.
The story of the Third Degree, is of the principal architect of King Solomon's temple, Hiram Abif. When the temple was almost complete, three Fellowcraft workers accosted him and demanded of him, the secrets of a Master Mason. He had promised not to reveal them to those who are not qualified, so did not tell them. They murdered him because he decided to keep his word, his integrity being so important to him. It's symbolic.. allegorical...it never really happened, but it is hoped that the message of the Third Degree is communicated to him, that death holds no terrors for honourable men.
So there you go.. it's a death, but not a sacrifice. And it confers on men the highest Degree there is.. the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason.
More questions? Please feel free to ask.
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@jayworkman747 Not at all, Jay. I'm certain that it goes on. And it is a disgusting business. All involved should be jailed for life. But ask yourself this. If someone wanted to get involved in human trafficking, why would they need to join Freemasonry to do it?
Jay, perhaps I should explain my qualifications for saying what I do. I was initiated in to a Lodge 23 years ago, when I was in the Royal Navy. As a result of my service, I am well travelled and have visited Lodges in 22 countries around the world. I am a Past Master of TWO Lodges and am now a Grand officer of the United Grand Lodge of England. When on an exchange with the USN, where i served for a total of 6 years, I joined the Scottish Rite and in 2018 was invited to the 33rd Degree. I have served on boards and authorities within Freemasonry at the highest levels. I KNOW Freemasonry intimately and can say with hand on heart, Freemasonry does NOT sanction such things and in fact the opposite is true. As men of integrity, we condemn such actions. I'm not saying that all Freemasons are sweetness and light... I'd certainly cross the street to avoid some of them...but the vast, vast majority are.
Now, out of the two of us, who do you think is more likely to know the truth about what you say concerning Freemasonry.
Fine, you can say I'm lying. I cannot prove anything that I have said unless, of course, you were to join, but based on the balance of probability and with the application of common sense, I feel anyone with half a brain cell knows that I am telling the truth. That's good enough for me. so as we have got to the stage where all you are going to do is to call me a liar, I see no point in continuing this exchange. I will no longer reply to your posts. I will let those who view the exchange, judge for themselves, who is telling the truth.
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@astrokidtre money you misunderstand completely.
It has nothing to do with "intellect" in that a Mason does not have to be considered an "intellectual".
Most Masons are just ordinary people. Not especially clever, but then not stupid either.
We don't wear uniforms as per the armed forces, simply a dark lounge suit and an apron which serves to identify the rank or the job of the individual inside the Lodge.
There are no "false Gods" or real ones either come to think of it. What you will see inside a Lodge is a rectangular room. In the West, you will enter through a doorway between two columns. In the East, West and South, you will see a Chair and a candle. This is where will be seated the worshipful Master, the senior Warden and the Junior Warden. In American Lodges, in the centre you will see an "altar" on which is placed what we refer to as the volume of the sacred law, which is the generic term for whatever holy book is pertinent to the members of the Lodge. In an English Lodge, you would see a Tracing Board and this is a board with some decoration on it depending on what degree is being worked.
The letter G will hang from the ceiling or will be above the Masters chair. What this means, is up to the individual Mason... it could stand for God or Gnosis or all manner of things.
On the Junior Wardens pedestals will be a column each, usually around 18 inches high, but can be bigger or smaller. On the top of the columns is a model of the terrestrial globe or the celestial globe.
The floor in the centre is black and white chequered and represents moving from ignorance to knowledge, no matter what that knowledge may be. It may be Masonic knowledge or academic.. again what it means is open to the individual Mason.
We do not seek "blessings" of any kind, other than those from whatever God the individual Mason believes in and it is on whatever we are about to do... that we may do it well and for the benefit of all concerned. We do not make reference to any religion in particular, because to do that, would exclude those who do not share that religion...and that's not what we are about... we are an inclusive organisation and believe that great things can be achieved by this.
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@HeavensLuv I'll now state WHY it is impossible for a Mason to be a Satanist.
When a man is first interviewed to join Freemasonry, the FIRST question he MUST be asked is "do you have a belief in a supreme being that created the universe!"? If he answers yes, the interview continues. If he answers no, he is thanked for his time and it is explained to him that the interview has concluded. His application will not be taken any further.
Members of Freemasonry MUST have in their life, a supreme being, responsible for the creation of the universe. Satan did not create the universe and not even Satanists believe he did.
Ok another scenario. A Satanist applies to join and when asked the first question, he LIES and says he DOES believe in that supreme being that created the universe. From then on, even if he is Initiated... he will never actually BE a Freemason. It's like a guy driving a car who has never taken a driving test in his life. a cop asks him if he is qualified to drive "oh yeah, sure I am".......... he's not a qualified driver, no matter what he says.
What qualifies me to say this? I am a Freemason and have been for nearly 25 years. I am a Grand Officer of the United Grand Lodge of England and am a Past Master of TWO Lodges....soon to be THREE. I worked in the USA for many years and joined the Scottish Rite, being invited to the 33rd Degree in 2018.
I am well qualified to say what I do.
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@evanssamuelbiju4315 We meet to discuss some financial transactions, like applications for Masonic charity, but a lot of the routine payments are decided by the Treasurer.
The truth is that some men, DO reveal the secrets. If they are caught, they are expelled, with no chance of readmission. Every Mason takes an obligation not to reveal them, as a symbolic gesture of his integrity. If he breaks his word, we don't want him as a member.
Why do we never hear of it? It's because the "secrets" are completely unimportant outside Freemasonry. It's not like something massively important has been revealed. They consist of the sign, grip and word of the Degree....they aren't worth reporting. Now, if a secret was, say, how to run your house on a teaspoon of water yes anyone finding that out would broadcast it to the world...but as I say...the secrets WE have are, to non-Masons, pretty lame.
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@old_redlk3319 It's purely a traditional thing, from two aspects.
Some say we stem from the guilds of stonemasons of the middle ages. Naturally, in those days, there was no machinery or power tools, so only men were strong enough to work the stone. There were no women stonemasons back then.
Another viewpoint, is that speculative Masonry...the kind I'm in now...emerged from the idea of the guilds....probably around the early 17th century, men were the boss and women looked after the home and children. Either way, things are very different now, but that tradition continues.
That said, although we do not OFFICIALLY recognise them, there are two splendid Grand Lodges for ladies in England. Thr Order of Women Freemasons and The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons. They wear the same regalia, do the same ceremonies and have, broadly speaking, the same aims and principles. We have an excellent working relationship with them and in fact there are many couples who are both Masons.
There are ladies Lodges, of varying description all over the world...but they are not "official" Masons.
For what it's worth, if there ever arose a proposal to allow ladies to join OUR Lodges, I'd be very much in favour.
I hope I have answered your question adequately. If you have others, please feel free to ask
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@Peace7... Good morning. Please forgive the lateness of the response. I have only just come across your post and never get a notification of it.
For the record, I ALWAYS answer honestly!
Society, is the collective name for the population of a nation and it's effect on it. As Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternity, let's take the world population to mean "society". That number is approximately 7.7 billion people....compared to around 6 million Freemasons. This works out to around 0.075% of society being Freemasons.
We cannot work miracles! Due to the small percentage, the effect of Freemasonry is felt at a more local level. In some cases, down to the individual. For example, myself and the Brethren of my Lodge, refurbished an entire kids playground, which had been closed for months due to our local authority not having the cash to do so, because we financed the project and did the work ourselves. when it was complete, we had the council safety officer sign it off as safe and the local kids can play again. That's the wort of thing we do. Now, us refurbishing a kids playground in England isn't going to be felt in the Stares, is it?
We also support national and international charities, such as the Red Cross and Medicines Sans Frontiers. There, we are contributing to the end result along with others.
In small ways we do change society for the better.
If you mean what involvement do we have in politics, finance, commerce etc., the answer is zero. We always vow never to use our Freemasonry for personal gain or underhanded tactics. To do such things would render the Masons involved liable to expulsion.
I hope this helps. If you have more questions (and please try to be a little more specific), please feel free.
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@revdavemapes Absolute nonsense. Why? We have no deity of our own, no sacraments, no clergy and no promise of salvation.
Let's look at your post and why the elements of it are wrong.
Religious books. A court, a council, a military training base...all have religious books. Are THEY religious orders? Of course not. The Holy Bible MUST be present at all Masonic meetings, as a nod to our supposed beginnings, where the men there took their morality (and Freemasons prize morality highly) from the Holy Bible.
Oaths of commitment. Again, I'll cite the court, the council and training base. And of course, a civil wedding ceremony... all include oaths of commitment. Again, not religious. We take an oath, not to reveal the traditional modes of recognition and keeping that oath is a symbol of integrity and trustworthiness.
Funeral rites. These are an addition to a traditional funeral service and are carried out only with the permission of the family. These are usually carried out in the USA and almost nowhere else.
"Clestial Lodge" is simply a bit of a tongue in cheek reference to ther afterlife. it has no bearing in Regular Freemasonry, whatsoever.
Your post holds absolutely no water.
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@michaelmccaffrey2731 Nobody in Freemasonry is asked or required to serve anyone but their own deity. Obviously for Christians, it is God. So all this serving two masters...does not apply.
No Freemason seeks to publicise the good works we do to the public, it's kept very much "in house" and always has been. Often, the events that we attend and assist have non-Masons there too, and it is their choice to publicise as they wish. We have no power to do otherwise. I congratulate YOU on your charitable nature. There should be more like you.
Now the "oath" thing. There we must disagree. If you think about it, armed forces personnel, police officers, doctors, surgeons and all manner of professional people take oaths. Are you saying that you'd never ever require the services of a surgeon if you need it, just because he or she took an oath? If your country is being invaded and you had the power to stop the armed forces from defending your country because they took an oath.. would you? And...would you denigrate your parents (or perhaps even yourself) because of MARRIAGE? Every married couple has taken an oath. I think this might be one area in which the Holy Bible may need to be update, or at least not taken TOO literally.
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@lobobaltazar1322 Good evening.
There is NO connection to world power. We distance ourselves from anything that could be connected, to politics, religion, commerce, world affairs etc.
There are approximately 6.5 million Freemasons over the globe.
Freemasonry is not a religious organisation. All discussion of religion (and politics!) is forbidden at meetings, but Masons are encouraged to follow their own religion outside the Lodge.
Our ceremonies are geared to make a man learn lessons in life, about the world, himself, his relationship with others etc. No part of the ceremonies are anything like you suggested.
We have NO power whatsoever in world affairs, or even local affairs for that matter.
I have no idea about other groups that may wield power, but I do know there are many many conspiracy theories that feature such groups.. So I'd tend to disbelieve they exist at all.
We have no more knowledge about the creation of the world than anyone else.
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@Soul_N_Control Hi Christina. Hmm.... ok... I'm guessing there is some problem as to why hubby isn't being consulted on this... so I'll play along.
Some Lodges give their Christian members a bible. Sometimes after their first Degree and sometimes after the Third. And their Muslim members receive a Koran, Jewish Brethren, a Talmud, etc etc. It is not a Masonic practice, the world over. Freemasonry acknowledges that the holy books of each religion are, generally, a guide to good morality and relies on the individual Mason to interpret the writings in a positive manner. We even have it as part of our ritual. Here it is.
"As a Freemason, let me recommend to your most serious contemplation, the volume of the sacred law (that's a phrase we use to represent anyone's own holy book) charging you to consider it, as the unerring standard of truth and justice and to regulate your life and actions by the divine precepts it contains...."
So as you see, we ACKNOWLEDGE each mans religious beliefs and encourage him to be active in his faith, but we do not teach religion nor confer any worship. You might as well ask why do Presidents of the USA, witnesses in a trial, service men and women take their obligation on a holy book.
"Jahbulon". Years ago a man named Leo Taxil put on a massive hoax, that Freemasons were the scum of the Earth, Devil worshippers, evil... and it was his intention to sucker in the church.. (he had a major problem with the church) to agreeing with him.. saying that they knew all he said was true. the trouble is... it wasn't He exposed them for the frauds they were...and they didn't like it! One of the "gods" of Freemasonry was supposed to be this "Jahbulon" figure. Here's the Wikipedia page that explains it a lot better than me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxil_hoax
Freemasonry as a body, doesn't worship any god. Freemasonry is not for that. As I have already explained, we are not a religious society.. we don't have our own particular Masonic god. Each Mason MUST have a belief in some sort of supreme being that created the universe. but the identity of that god is left up to him. He must maintain that belief to remain a Mason and no other religious beliefs are required.
Many years ago, a prominent Freemason, Albert Pike, wrote a book called "Morals and Dogma". There is one particular passage, that conspiracy loonies jump on allll the time and they ALLLLL misquote it...I'm sure most of them do it on purpose. He references the word "Lucifer". Lucifer is the Latin name for the planet Venus. The planet Venus is most visible just above where the sun rises.. it "brings the light". Pike was arguing that "Lucifer" literally meaning "Light Bringer", is NOT the name of the Devil or Satan.. as he is known as the Prince of Darkness. Why wold you call the Prince of Darkness a name that means light bringer? It's so stupid, it cannot be right. BTW, the word "Lucifer" is NOT used in Freemasonry at all. This video explains the misnaming of Lucifer far better than I could.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc47JDmpWt0
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@Palmina D'Alessandro Good morning, Palmina.
First, let me express my sympathies to you with regard to your dental problems. That is real pain and I hope you get some relief soon.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have. I am a Grand officer of the United Grand Lodge of England and have been a Mason for nearly 25 years now.
Why are there so many independent Grand Lodges? It is the ethos of Freemasonry that every man may do as he wishes within the constraints of morality and the law of the land. However, the huge size of the planet makes one massive Grand Lodge impossible. As long as a Grand lodge in another country, or a state of the USA, keeps the ancient landmarks, it may practice Freemasonry. See it as a "franchise" of sorts.
You are incorrect to say we cannot visit other Lodges. We can and it is a wonderful thing, too! I was Initiated in to the English Constitution. Through my work, I have visited 22 countries around the world and have visited Lodges in all of them. I even became a member of the Scottish Rite (chiefly only meeting in the United States) after joining several American Lodges.
You are most certainly NOT out of line for asking questions. Despite what you may have heard, we welcome questions about our order. We are absolutely fed up with all the sully rumours and gossip about us and answering any questions that non-members have, will go some way to stopping all that.
Please feel free to ask me ANYTHING about Freemasonry.
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@God Exists Hi god Exists and thanks for the response to my post.
The thing about Freemasonry is that for a long time it was it's own worst enemy. For centuries, Freemasonry was as well known as the Superbowl, the Football (soccer) World Cup or even Donald Trump! Then the thirties came along.. and with it came Naziism.... and Hitler.
Hitler, like others, feared Freemasonry because he was ignorant of it and did not understand it...and murdered countless Freemasons..he treated them the same way as Jews, Romany's etc etc.. As a result, Freemasonry went "underground" and meetings were held where the Nazi's could not find them.
After the allied victory, Freemasonry, generally speaking, failed to re-emerge. We were not as open as we had been before the war. No Mason has ever been told that he cannot reveal his membership. It has always been left up to the individual, but since the 1980's, in England at least, there has been a positive policy of openness. It is still up to the individual if he wishes to let people know he is a Mason, but now he is ENCOURAGED to do so. Some men still like to keep it to themselves as there still remains suspicion (entirely misplaced) and this could come from his boss, or some other person with influence on his life.
"Ex-Masons" normally come in a variety of categories:-
1. A man who SAYS he was a Mason but "left" when he never was a Mason at all, but wants people to think he managed to get in, in order to increase his status.
2. A man who WAS a Mason but has been kicked out for whatever reason and of course harbours bad feeling.
3. A man who APPLIED to join but was rejected. Same thing.. harbours bad feeling.
4. A man who was a Mason and has not fully understood what was going on (it requires a certain level of intelligence) and then "got religion" and listened to some religious zealot or other who has made him think Freemasonry is on some way bad or evil.
Ok, the next bugbear of mine. So many people think that Pike was the granddaddy of us all. Wrong. Pike was a Mason of the 19th century. He was a big fish in a small pond. Outside the Southern Jurisdiction, hardly anyone had heard of him. so many people think he was the boss of Freemasonry. Nothing could be further from the truth. He had ZERO influence outside the SJ, let alone the rest of the world!
He was responsible for producing "Morals and Dogma" (M&D) and you'll notice I never said he "wrote" it... because he didn't. He stole a lot of it from other publications and it is chiefly about comparative religions, which was a particular interest of Pike's. There is very little in it which is actually about Freemasonry. In fact, his bosses at the SJ said in the foreword to the book "it would have been better if he had written more and borrowed less". SO many people "quote" from it (lol!) about "Lucifer being our God" but they actually MISquote it because it is so darn difficult to read...such is his writing style.
Pike was never a spokesman for Freemasonry (such a man could not exist) nor is M&D regarded as a Masonic "handbook". He was an OLD man when he wrote it.. in a very different time and in very different social conditions... as such it CANNOT be compared to todays Freemasonry. For example, Pike had slaves...in that time it was perfectly ok to have slaves and nobody batted an eyelid...it was an acepted practice. Today that practice is considered outdated, cruel and is of course illegal. See how things change?
There is VERY little in Freemasonry which can be considered "secret". The ONLY things in Freemasonry are the modes of recognition which consist of a sign, a grip and a word for each degree. they originate (probably) from the signs, grips and words given by stonemasons to communicate their skill level and naturally they would keep those things secret.. otherwise any unqualified stonemason would be getting paid a rate for which he was not deserving. Don't forget, in those days, they were all illiterate.. there was no such things as paper qualifications.
And these things are freely available on the internet for all to see.. they are not earth-shattering or mystical.. they are in fact.. quite innoccuous. I have made a promise NOT to reveal them.. simply as a test of my integrity.. that I am a man of my word.
So I hope I have answered your questions. If you have more, please get back to me.
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@God Exists hi God(wow..something I feel uncomfortable saying!) Not a revelation, because as I explained, it is very badly written (by others as well as Pike.. don't forget a lot of it was largely plagiarised!) because it is largely NOT about Freemasonry.... but that's the part that people always fixate on..as I stated, it's mainly about comparative religions, which Pike would have written about regardless of his membership of Freemasonry...it was a particular interest of his.
Ask yourself this. Why would Pike, a 33rd Degree Mason, obviously a very important part of his life... compile a book DECRYING Freemasonry.. and making out that we worshipped Satan?.. It makes no sense. And that's because he DIDN'T.
You say you KNOW these things... but, sadly, you have (largely) fallen prey to the tricksters,pranksters and hoaxers that plague our order. Why, know not. They just enjoy being silly. I'll take them one at a time.
Nimrod. Not involved in Craft Freemasonry at all. Made up by those who SAY they are high-ranking Freemasons.
Hiram Abiff, the Widows Son is the central character in Craft Freemasonry. He is just allegorical and never really existed. The story of Hiram is an allegory for faithfulness, integrity, moral uprightness etc.
Abbadon, never heard of him/her/it. Do you mean Adonay? See Le Taxil hoax.
Lucifer, Light Bearer, the alternative name given to the planet Venus (which heralds the sun in the morning and in the evening.. the sun is important to us) and NOT the bad guy in the Old Testament. It's like having two guys called Bob. Ones a bad guy, and the other is a good guy. They just share a name. Light bearer.. referring to the light of the sun.
Death oaths, again misunderstood. In the various degrees, it is explained that in ancient times, a set of punishments including death and disembowelling could be meted out by King Soomon to anyone who disobeyed the law. It is ALSO explained that these punishments are symbolic in Freemasonry and are no longer included. The conspiracy theorists love to tell you the first bit, about the disembowelling etc..but conveniently forget to tell you the second bit about them no longer applying! We call it being "economical with the truth". To kill someone is illegal. Masons have to obey the law first and their Masonic obligations second.
There is no official Masonic Bible. The Bible often used in a Masonic Lodge is the same as any other Bible. Some "masonic" bibles are printed by some companies to make a little cash and some Lodges...misguidedly.... use them. It is incredible the amount of ignorance of Masonic procedure, principles and tenets among some Masons. There is SOME discussion regarding Egyptian deities and there is some research to say there is an element of Egyptian in Masonic lore, but it is still being researched. Without written records, it is very difficult to say with any degree of accuracy where such things lie.
Jahbulon. The product of an elaborate hoax from a gentleman called Leo Taxil. There is NO such character in Freemasonry. There IS a word, used in the Royal Arch Degree which Jahbulon is mistaken for...but it is NOT Jahbulon. Some also confuse the Light Bearer with what was written in M&D.
Here's the link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxil_hoax
Again, I hope I have answered your questions.
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@n T This is simply a tradition. It is largely thought that Freemasonry evolved from the stonemason guilds of the middle ages. Those were ALL men as they were physically more able to handle the heavy work that women simply cannot do.
There exists in various places around the world where women ARE Masons. There are women's grand Lodges where they wear almost identical regalia, have almost exactly the same aims etc etc. However, they are not officially recognised... they are not what is called "Regular". However, relations between the ladies and are us are absolutely fine. And I have it from a lady Mason.. they wouldn't WANT to join male masonry anyway! They are perfectly happy doing what they are doing. In fact one of my Masonic friends own wife is a Lady Mason! He goes to her social functions and she goes to his!
There are plenty of "minorities" in Freemasonry. If you look at the Grand Lodge of India, for example, you will find that there are a huge amount of black Masons compared to white. On the whole, lodges reflect the predominant colour/race/creed of their location.
In English Freemasonry, we have a meal after our meeting and it is called the festive board. At the end of THAT, we have one final toast... the Tylers toast. One line in this toast is "...we praise each Brother, fair or dark who bears no moral stain"... this indicates, we really don't care what colour a man is... it's his morality that is most important!
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@College Days We have a formal opening of the Lodge. The minutes of the last meeting are confirmed (or altered as appropriate) and signed.
The business of the evening then takes place. This may be a Degree ceremony, or a lecture. There may be a visiting Brother with some special instruction, say the way our charities work and how to set up a local charity hub. There may be some visiting Lodge who may put on some sort of display. Two years, we had a visiting Lodge of Native Americans showing us how THEY carry out Initiations, for example.
We then come to the communications of the Lodge. This is where the Lodge deals with requests for charitable help, ongoing reports from existing charitable efforts, communications from other Masonic bodies, news on any Brother or a Lodge widow who may be unwell or having problems, reports on the Lodge accounts, invitations to other Lodges for various events that they may have.
Then there is a collection for charity.
Then we have "any other business" where the Brethren may bring to the attention of the Lodge, anything they should be aware of, or to ask questions of any nature.
Then there Lodge is formally closed and we all gather together in the next room for our "festive board" which is a formal banquet where formal toasts and wine-takings are carried out, a song or two may be sung and we have speeches from the relevant Brethren.
Then we go home.
At my two Lodges, we start at 6.30 in the evening and we are usually on our way home by around 10pm. Some Lodges meet during the day. Most Lodges meet once per month for 7 or so months of the year, with Committee meetings before each Regular meeting, normally interspersed by 2 weeks or so.
I hope this helps.
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@Anne Taylor I'm surprised at this. If a man applies to join us (in England anyway) one of the processes he has to go through is for a couple of Past Masters to visit him and his significant other at their home, or at a place of their choosing. The reason for this isn't to "check up" on them, it's to make sure that the significant other is happy and to give them a chance to ask any questions that THEY might have. It is imperative for us to know that the other half is happy for him to be attending his Lodge and also to make sure that the financial commitment to Freemasonry is known to her and to make sure she is happy with that. The last thing we want to happen is for Freemasonry to cause any sort of problems in the family. In Freemasonry, we believe that the pecking order is:-
1. Family.
2. Job.
3. Freemasonry.
So if anything family, or work wise, prevents a man from attending his Lodge, then we say he should tend to those things before he thinks of his Lodge. We even have a toast to "absent brethren" at our meal after the meeting, because we fully accept that a man has other responsibilities that are more important than Freemasonry. We would like to think that at 9pm, when the toast is proposed, as we are thinking of them, they are thinking of us.
If your husband joined in secrecy, he sounds like a bit of a sneak to me... you're well rid of him.
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@Luke 82 What di you think links all these men?
Generals Schwarzkopf and MacArthur, George Washington, Buzz Aldrin, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, Edward Jenner, Alexander Fleming, Rick Wakeman, Mozart, Audie Murphy (most decorated soldier of WW2), John Wayne, Harry Truman, Ernest Shackleton, Robert Falcon Scott, Peter Sellers, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons.
All snivelling, snobby, nerdy, virgin geeks?
I think not.
I'll accept your apology if you're man enough to give it.
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@erinjacobs3159 Of course you may ask a question. It's exactly why I created my account... to enable anyone to ask me anything.
What god do the Masons serve? Well, Freemasonry is not a religious organisation so as a body, we don't serve anyone....we're not like a church of any kind. However, each Mason is encouraged to serve whatever god he believes in and this is the one he believed in before he was a Mason. No extra religious beliefs are ever required of any Mason. So a Christin Mason serves God, a Muslim Mason serves Allah etc. It's important to know that we do not require anyone to believe in any other god as well as his own. So, for example, the Christian Mason does not believe in Allah....the Muslim Mason does not believe in God and so on. We tolerate each others beliefs without necessarily sharing them.
It's important to realise that symbols are interpreted differently to different groups or even individuals. The pentagram, for example..... the "five pointed star"...yes, in Satanism, I understand it has some significance, although I do not know what. I also know that it has been in use by other groups, centuries before Satanism existed! Now where else have you seen five pointed stars? On the flag of the USA. Does that mean the USA is a Satanic country? NO! You also see them on the uniform of armed forces personnel..Navy, army and air force. Does that mean all those service people are Satanists? And what about the swastika? you think of that, what pops in to your mind? Nazis! but did you know that for thousands of years before the Nazis got their greasy little paws on the swastika..it was a Hindu and Jainist good luck sign? Also, many Christian groups use the pentagram as a reminder of the five wounds of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The pentagram in Freemasonry, most often refers to the five points of fellowship that a man is raised on when he becomes a Master Mason. Here are the five points taken from the Master Masons Degree ceremony.
Hand to Hand, Foot to Foot, Knee to Knee Breast to Breast, and Hand over Back.
"Hand to hand, I greet you as a Brother. Foot to foot, I will support you in all your laudable undertakings. Knee to knee, the posture of my daily supplications shall remind me of your wants. Breast to breast, your lawful secrets, when entrusted to me as such, I will keep as my own. An Hand over back, I will support your character in your absence as in your presence".
There is no direct reference to the Owl in Freemasonry, although there once existed (I think it's defunct now) the "Order of the Owl"...some obscure side Degree which never lasted very long...concerned with "wisdom" as the owl is often associated with wisdom.
I absolutely promise you, that in Freemasonry, there is nothing that can be construed as "anti" any religion whatsoever.
More questions? Bring 'em on! Just please "like" this post..I don't get alerts of responses to my posts... only "likes" and that's the only way I'll know you have answered me.
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