Pledging

Does freemasonry involve hazing, such as the hazing that occurs when joining college fraternities?

If you explain hazing, for those of us outside the US, you will get a better response.

I am not familar with the term myself and so I presume many others may not be.

In one short and brief answer, despite possible semantics given later on by others, no.

Ritual and ceremony does not equate to "hazing."


seekerof

Let me explain hazing. Hazing is basically beating on someone, making do things that will degrade themselves.

Originally posted by Ruffy
Let me explain hazing. Hazing is basically beating on someone, making do things that will degrade themselves.

There is no hazing in any form in Masonic initiation.

Oh! Sounds nice

I would have to agree with the previous post then, NO, there is no hazing.

I don't even think the most anti-freemasonry person could find the slightest occurance of such acts.

Is there particular reason for you enquiry?

curiosity...
heard it did...

No, there is NO hazing of any kind . . . in fact nothing even remotely approaching hazing.

Masonry is an ancient and hallowed institution, that claims some of history's greatest figures among its members. It would not debase itself with "hazing.'

I just wanted to know because after all it is a fraternity.

We may be a fraternity, but we don't have keggers either...

No,... No hazing.

I was in a Greek Letter Fraternity in college,... Now THERE, there was hazing...

Hazing goes against everything that Freemasonry stands for.
Perhaps the worst you ever see is the odd joke to a candidate regarding goats or the occult, before he takes a degree. These jokes are based upon the lies that opponents of masonry spout - of course, there are no goats in masonry.

But even this is now frowned upon and in the UK we have been asked to desist from making such comments as they may disturb the candidate and because our ceremonies are supposed to be taken seriously. That's not to say that you won't find mirthful banter within a Lodge. Any group of friends can find humour amongst themselves. But as Freemasons, we laugh together, not at each other.

Hazing does not exist within the Order at all. Freemasonry is not about making jokes about or causing distress to another - wether he be a mason of long standing or a new member.