A Simple Masons Thoughts

reply to post by Sacri

If you contact the MRF, they may know some in your area.

network dude
reply to post by JesusChristwins

 

I looked it up and the Euro to dollar conversion is 1.38 so a $300 US paycheck would be 414 euros.

It sounds like you live in a very poor area. Masonic dues are usually adjusted for the income in the area, so if I knew where you were, I could find out how much of your fortune you would have to spend to be a mason. But lucky for you, you aren't interested in joining.

God Bless you.

LOL

By your conversion you mean that the dollar is stronger than the Euro

1 Dollar is 0.720097933 Euros at the time i am posting this so 300 US Dollars would be 215 Euros.

Just sayin... :mathematics problem:


Anyway, about all the other posts

KSigMason
reply to post by JesusChristwins

 

Then you live in a poor country as from my research most developed European countries average around 2,000 Euros per month (this is mostly the Western ones while the Eastern ones drop).

Easy to say, hard to do. Not going to explain.

KSigMason
I'm familiar with the story, but there's nothing to suggest that we Freemasons are being fed or manipulated by shadows or false truths.

Masons, Freemasons, Templars ... no difference for me and the humanity. Their bosses always lived against the people, always acted for the interests of their small and closed team/society. They did something that was/is against the people => not going to approve it and certainly won't forget how many times it happened through history.

As soon as they prove me wrong in the near future, i am prepared to leave all of these in the past. But for now, still the same belief/opinion.


reply to post by Speculation


As for you OP, i regret for being so rude. Please accept my apologies for the angry and rude way of speaking. However, i am still not taking back what i said about Masonry in general.

KSigMason
reply to post by JesusChristwins

 

Much of our money does go to charity.

Like Bill Gates does with his medicines in Africa that cause more deaths than cures? They are supposed to be "charity" you know.



PS to mods and readers: I have read the TOS.

reply to post by JesusChristwins


I joined this forum expecting to hear all sides and points of view. I admit there are things I miss. Jokes, or negative comments give me information as much as anything else. I do not like to argue, but I like to know what people really think. Your post were fine, your entitled to your opinion.

Sacri
reply to post by Speculation

 

However reading this thread has left me somewhat nonchalant in my approach. While I understand and can appreciate the fellowship and brotherhood you would have formed over the years would be up lifting and positive, an aspect that is very attractive to me. I also seek answers, I am fascinated with topics such as geometry, physics, ancient history, I have been exploring these topics, and others quite keenly for some time now, and was under the impression to join Masonry I would be surrounding myself with like-minded men.

I suppose I only have one question for you, Knowing what you know now about your whole experience, Looking back would you do it again ? Was joining Masonry all those years ago worth it?


Namaste
~sacri~

Yes.

reply to post by emsed1


Thanks for answering that emsed1, Missed the main question some how. For my answer, Yes. I now know what goes on behind the closed doors and have met many of my good friends through the years.

reply to post by Speculation


Well op you have spent about the same as a washing machine or a tyre for a suv over the years but what you learned will last a lifetime and not end up in landfill after a while .

Made sober friend's and learned a thing or two on your travels and bit older and wiser to boot so it is not all bad

But you did shift about a bit over time like a teenager with a new hobby who run out of ritalin
as you have noticed the stone tells a tale especially at ROSLYN or CHARTRE'S

How they built back then 900 years ago is a mystery to some but the message is there for all to see 900 years later
digging under stables takes years of hard work as does lugging stone high and dressing it
back in the day apprenticeships were 21 years and that is not speculation
but it sounds good

patience and perserverance and a good maal is what you need in life

p.s you also found a great way to get away from the wife and kid's for a few hour's but shhhhhh it's a secret

reply to post by JesusChristwins

I was all excited when I saw my bill for my hotel until I did the conversion...but Italy was worth it.

As for the wages, it's quite easy to look up the average wages of nation. If you're in a developed industrial state then your average wage is not around 430 Euros per month. I do realize that there is a difference between what you're paid and what you actually take home after taxes.

Masons, Freemasons, Templars ... no difference for me and the humanity.

So now we Masons (or Freemasons) are outside of humanity? We're a different species are we? LOL Please spare me your "us vs them" crap because I don't buy into the words of dividers. You don't speak for all of humanity.

Mason and Freemason are pretty synonymous, but when talking about "Mason" one can mean two different things if he is talking about operative Masonry vs speculative Masonry; the Freemasons are the latter. The medieval Templars are no way connected to Freemasonry today. That is a romanticized theory that has taken on a life of it's own. There is a body within the York Rite that refers to itself as Knights Templar, but we say that we have no direct connection to the crusaders.

Their bosses always lived against the people, always acted for the interests of their small and closed team/society.

The leaders of Masonry have never acted in a way that is "against the people". What exactly do you think they did?

Like Bill Gates does with his medicines in Africa that cause more deaths than cures? They are supposed to be "charity" you know.

No we have results with our charities. If you know anyone that has had an angiogram or angioplasty where they used the star clamp to close the artery, that is a patent of the Cryptic Masons Medical Research Foundation. The most famous of charities is the Shriner's hospitals and I could keep listing the various charities that have done amazing medical advancements, but is kept quiet as it is not for publicity that we do our charities.

reply to post by 999zxcv

You make a good point, Becoming a Mason did not really cost that much and Blue lodge dues are not that bad. In my third Degree I was informed by men quoting the ritual that I was as much a Mason as I would ever be. Seeking even more light in Masonry I assumed there were deeper aspects. I joined the other orders and bought things that were needed to participate of my own free will and accord. This is when the money started to flow.

Order Of the Eastern Star, my wife and I both joined and paid initiation and dues x2, my wife had to have a certain dress to be initiated. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Scottish Rite, initiation, dues...Bought the Bellboy hat( my wife calls it that), also had to pay for a motel being the degrees took 2 days. Travel expenses, because the Scottish Rite bodies are not local to my area.

York Rite, initiation, dues and they wanted a tux to participate in certain functions and dinners and recommended I buy one. I did. Then the uniform with sword and hat(my wife still points that purchase out in a not so good way). Other than looking cool, it did not change the fact that everything beyond the blue lodge was actually less impressive.

The dues increased constantly after I joined because of the economy. Lodges struggled to pay their bills so it had to be done to survive. I do not regret doing it, if I had not I would have always been like the people that assume there is some mysterious things the old men sitting in lodges are plotting on.

It is rare that I have been in any lodge for any of the above orders and someone not “pass the hat” for some reason. A charity, member in distress, a fund for some cause…..All have merit, it’s hard to not put something in the collection bucket, so much easier to drop at least a dollar.

These groups need new members, join for the right reasons. I have never really read a thread anywhere before that actually mentioned initiation fees among other cost.

Members such as KSigMason have a pretty firm grasp on the hard core facts and are like many Masons I know in person. The fraternity is strict about the wording of the ritual and how to explain it. In most all lodges members are corrected on pronunciation constantly, they will stop you and make you start all over because you said “Tha lodge” ….it is “The Lodge.” The hard core guys keep the ritual intact. The men that do this are much needed or the traditions would truly be lost. Odd side note, the ritual is different in almost every state. The basics are the same, but the wording will throw you if you are in a unfamiliar lodge. Kentucky is said to have 3 different recognized rituals. They leave it up to the master of the lodge to decide which one they will use. Seems odd when it is a fundamental thing to keep the ritual pure.

Most people that join a lodge seldom understand the wording at first. Takes a bit of time and many questions before they have the "AH...I get it." moment. By accident, I was teaching the Entered Apprentice proficiency to a man that seemed unable to remember any of it when a thought occurred to me…”Do you understand what any of this means?’
His answer was, “No.”
After explaining the wording he was unsure about and why learning this was important… he picked it right up.
Taking the time to establish some basics saves more time than you can imagine. I taught several other people after that, first asking if there were any questions or things they did not understand. Worked much better for me.

reply to post by Speculation


BUT at the end of the day you would not have spent anymore than on a set of golf club's and the clothes and fee's that go with it ,Met some friend's for life and passed on some good habbit's to the next generation and supported other's on the road

I passed many chances to join owing to the fact i got in trouble for my belief's but many many of my friend's joined and are none the worse for wear from it .

But the ignorance shown to mason's stagger's me where do you ever hear of the evil golf club but we are scared of what we do not understand or blind to it

at least you were not disorientated in life and found a happy path and never went round in circles like me so it is all good

www.studiesincomparativereligion.com...

The original purpose of Freemasonry was to encode (and thereby preserve) knowledge passed down from the Knights Templar. The original purpose of the Knights Templar was to encode (and thereby preserve) knowledge passed down from the ancient elite caste.
The original purpose of the ancient elite caste was to encode (and thereby preserve) knowledge passed down from Atlantis.

This purpose is almost completely lost in modern Freemasonry but it will be discovered within masonic rituals by a generation in the distant future. We are like a cargo-cult playing out rituals many do not understand, that are however decipherable to the enlightened.

reply to post by Skyfloating


Could you give the author and title of the source for your Atlantis connection? Or link to the information on the web.
I have never seen any evidence directly linking Atlantis with any known Secret Society other than fiction. I would be interested to see where you made the connection.

Speculation
I have never seen any evidence directly linking Atlantis with any known Secret Society other than fiction. I would be interested to see where you made the connection.

I think he was referring to the resort in the Bahamas.

The water slide takes you to the underground bunker.

reply to post by Speculation


Its personal speculation, not to be found in any book or website. You first make the link of the Freemasons to the Knights Templar. Then of the Knights Templar to King Solomon. And then King Solomon to Ancient Egypt. And then Ancient Egypt to Atlantis. Its a nice game of "connect the dots".

AugustusMasonicus


I think he was referring to the resort in the Bahamas.

The water slide takes you to the underground bunker.

You know the slide on the Bahamas that goes to the center of the Earth and unveils a lost civilization full of lush vegetation, beautiful women, green rolling hills and the fountain of immortality? Wow. I`m impressed. First time I signed up for a vacation package on that resort, all-inclusive my expectations were far, far, far exceeded.

reply to post by Skyfloating


I also like to speculate and play with the notions of ancient connections. The post you made seemed to be stated as fact. I am a curious sort, if you had some reading material I had missed I was eager to give it a look. The point of this thread was to clear up a few things people speculate from facts.
Atlantis is still a Brain Candy to me, things my mind likes to roll around just because it is possible. Being possible and being fact are two very different things.

reply to post by Speculation


I would say it is a fact but backing it up would require me to write a few hundred pages of thread. As I`m not about to do that, I`ll say its speculation.

reply to post by Skyfloating

I have seen some Atlantis threads on this site and many others, I would enjoy reading your thoughts if you started a thread. Even if it is pure speculation, an "Atlantis Connection" thread sounds like fun.

This is all very nice. So you went into Masonry because you have an inquisitive historical mind and you were constantly coming to dead ends. I have a similar mind and I don't come to dead ends, what I find is that these dead ends exist because the actions of secret societies are omitted from historical records. This would only be possible if those writing the history were part of these secret societies. It's like mainstream media blaming 911 on Osama Bin Laden without mentioning that he was the leader of the Mujahideen, which was created by the CIA to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan during the Cold War. That's another story but my point is that by lack of association in the mainstream the CIA is obviously covering this up which proves the media is not independent and actually makes the CIA look very suspicious. Another example of missing history, this time Masonic, is the Japanese stance towards Freemasonry before and during WW2. They were very much against it, in fact that was their whole driving motivation for being at war but you won't read about that in the textbooks once again omitting some prudent facts about WW2. One could then draw the conclusion that Japan was hit with the only atomic bomb attacks in history on the behalf of Freemasonry which then raises the question just how influential are they in the American ruling class.
It's all very nice that you joined your local lodge and were just met with no answers but you have to bear in mind that the men that you mix with at that level are ignorant of Freemasonry's crimes and about as esoteric as a moth. I can see that this whole thread is just another transparent attempt to try and make Masonry look harmless but let's face it you were hardly rubbing shoulders with the Rothschilds were you. I used to play cricket when I was younger, I was quite good but no super-star. Eventually I gave up playing but that doesn't mean that the World Cup doesn't exist. Watch this get ignored!

a reply to: yhin999
Right off the bat, your post sounds very condescending.

Your argument on historical dead ends being the fault of secret societies is a non-sequitur.

It's like mainstream media blaming 911 on Osama Bin Laden without mentioning that he was the leader of the Mujahideen, which was created by the CIA to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan during the Cold War.

So the ignorance of journalists is somehow secret societies withholding info? LOL Personally I do my own research, not just relying on the media. How was it a cover up? This information you could freely find. Hell, my History teacher told us the history of Afghanistan the week after 9/11 happened. You seem to be blaming the ignorance of others on secret societies.

They were very much against it, in fact that was their whole driving motivation for being at war but you won't read about that in the textbooks once again omitting some prudent facts about WW2.

My History degree just threw up a little. No one with half a brain would be surprised to hear that a fascist government like Japan (and the other Axis powers) opposed Freemasonry since it is only fascists and tyrannical governments that ban the free assembly of men. To say though that it was because of Freemasonry that caused Japan to go to war is one of the most ignorant statements I have ever heard. Quit trying to revise history to suit your agenda.

One could then draw the conclusion that Japan was hit with the only atomic bomb attacks in history on the behalf of Freemasonry which then raises the question just how influential are they in the American ruling class.

You clearly know very little as to US foreign policy during the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, the mentality of the Japanese during the war, and the variables that led Truman to drop the atomic bomb (and sadly the second).

It's all very nice that you joined your local lodge and were just met with no answers but you have to bear in mind that the men that you mix with at that level are ignorant of Freemasonry's crimes and about as esoteric as a moth.

Versus a non-Mason who thinks he knows more about the fraternity than its own members.

I can see that this whole thread is just another transparent attempt to try and make Masonry look harmless but let's face it you were hardly rubbing shoulders with the Rothschilds were you.

Who cares? That's not what Freemasonry is about. But what if I had?

a reply to: KSigMason

Wow, hit a nerve did I. I didn't mean to be condescending, just voicing my opinion, could you have rushed to the defense of Freemasonry any faster? I can't even be bothered arguing with you because you guys, like you always do just try to attack my intelligence but yet I find myself addressing your retorts.

Your argument on historical dead ends being the fault of secret societies is a non-sequitur.

Ahh... OK... Whatever...

So the ignorance of journalists is somehow secret societies withholding info? LOL Personally I do my own research, not just relying on the media. How was it a cover up? This information you could freely find. Hell, my History teacher told us the history of Afghanistan the week after 9/11 happened. You seem to be blaming the ignorance of others on secret societies.

Wow, really? That was a charge I leveled at the CIA not Masonry. I'm glad to hear you have such an enlightened history teacher but your question "how was it a cover up?" ... are you joking? So the average American knows all about the Mujahideen and it's CIA links then? Really, common knowledge? Ahhh, OK mate whatever. I don't blame secret societies for people's ignorance. I never said that. You are drawing conclusions, I was just saying that mainstream media leaves them out of current affairs and history for that matter.

My History degree just threw up a little. No one with half a brain would be surprised to hear that a fascist government like Japan (and the other Axis powers) opposed Freemasonry since it is only fascists and tyrannical governments that ban the free assembly of men. To say though that it was because of Freemasonry that caused Japan to go to war is one of the most ignorant statements I have ever heard. Quit trying to revise history to suit your agenda.

Oh your history degree, I'm so sorry sir, don't you mean your Masonic degree. Japan was not fascist. Do you even know what fascist means? It means the state is owned by private interests. The US is fascist by definition. I love your Masonic argument that because Japan was anti-Masonic and they were apparently in the AXIS OF EVIL, oohh scary, that therefor Masonry must be OK then. Face it dude, the WHOLE WORLD hates America. And it's true, no matter what you think, Japan was at war with Masonry itself and why shouldn't it be.

You clearly know very little as to US foreign policy during the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, the mentality of the Japanese during the war, and the variables that led Truman to drop the atomic bomb (and sadly the second).

Wow, don't we have the watered down version. No comment.

Versus a non-Mason who thinks he knows more about the fraternity than its own members.

Evidently so. Case in point.

Who cares? That's not what Freemasonry is about. But what if I had?

Banking? Freemasonry? Oh sorry I must be crazy huh?