Benjamin Franklin Reveals the Secrets of Freemasonry!

I found this quote on the web (www.phoenixmasonry.org...), and I think it says a lot:

THE SECRETS OF FREEMASONRY

THE ROYAL ARCH MASON
Spring, 1966

Freemasonry, I admit, has its secrets. It has secrets peculiar to itself, but of what do these principally consist? They consist of signs and tokens which serve as testimonials of character and qualifications, which are conferred after due instruction and examination.

These are of no small value. They speak a universal language and are a passport to the support and attention of the world. They cannot be lost so long as memory retains its power. Let the possessor of them be expatriated, shipwrecked or imprisoned; let him be stripped of everything he has in the world, still their credentials remain, and are available for use as circumstances require.

The good effects which they have produced are established by the incontestable facts of history. They have stayed the uplifted hand of the destroyer; they have subdued the rancor of malevolence and broken down the barriers of political animosity and sectarian alienation.

On the battlefield, in the solitudes of the uncultivated forest or in the busy haunts of the crowded city, they have made men, of the most hostile feelings and the most diversified conditions, rush to the aid of each other with special joy and satisfaction that they have been able to afford relief to a Brother Mason.

-Benjamin Franklin

What an amazing man... he wrote that when he was 260 years old!

JustMe: WONDERFUL quote you found! Gave me goose bumps

Originally posted by Cug
What an amazing man... he wrote that when he was 260 years old!

That was the year it was published in the magazine, The Royal Arch Mason.

Originally posted by wiggy

Originally posted by Cug
What an amazing man... he wrote that when he was 260 years old!

That was the year it was published in the magazine, The Royal Arch Mason.

I just wanted to ask, wiggy... Are you a Knight of Columbus?

No sir. The RCC and I dont always see eye to eye. I just finished my investigation tonight, and hope to be initiated in a little over 2 weeks as an Entered Apprintice Freemason.

If the question is in reguards to my Avatar, that is my familys crest/coat of arms.

This site has a few of the common variations. I modified my avatar from this site ( mainly changed the back ground, minimal shadowing.)
www.graycastle.com...

[edit on 2-8-2005 by wiggy]

Originally posted by wiggy

Originally posted by Cug
What an amazing man... he wrote that when he was 260 years old!

That was the year it was published in the magazine, The Royal Arch Mason.

OHHHHHHHHH!!!

Duh!!

Originally posted by Cug

Originally posted by wiggy

Originally posted by Cug
What an amazing man... he wrote that when he was 260 years old!

That was the year it was published in the magazine, The Royal Arch Mason.

OHHHHHHHHH!!!

Duh!!

Sorry, I did not know if you caught that or not. I thought you saw it as a typo.

Originally posted by wiggy
Sorry, I did not know if you caught that or not. I thought you saw it as a typo.

No reason to be sorry. I'm the idiot. That never crossed my mind.

Another secret attributed to ol' Ben...

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

The Masons do have their secrets. One they really don't like to talk about is how they had to kick Ol' Ben Franklin out because they could no longer justify to the public his sex parties with very young boys.

Seems ol' Ben should have been a priest.

Then again, Catholics can't be Masons.

Can you back up that statement regarding Franklin? Catholics can be Masons. I know one.

Then again, Catholics can't be Masons.

Being over here in Germany where pretty much everyone is Catholic, there are plenty of Catholic Masons. I do believe (and someone back me up on this) that the Catholic church (Vatican) has a problem with it.

Originally posted by mrwupy
The Masons do have their secrets. One they really don't like to talk about is how they had to kick Ol' Ben Franklin out because they could no longer justify to the public his sex parties with very young boys.

Seems ol' Ben should have been a priest.

Then again, Catholics can't be Masons.

Ben Franklin was never expelled from the fraternity. And I am both Catholic and a Freemason. Do you even know what you're talking about?

they have made men, of the most hostile feelings and the most diversified conditions, rush to the aid of each other with special joy and satisfaction

This particularly sounds like something he'd say, considering that he wanted the collegial and fraternally organized Turkey to be the national bird. Groups of men, normally working against each other as self-interested individuals, working together for a common good because of the group. Thats the fratry's of turkeys on their lek, thats the mason's in their lodges, and thats the indivdual state's in the Union.

wiggy
crest/coat of arms.

I notice that the top emblam on that page incorporates a garter. Were the grays inducted into the Order of the Garter?

Originally posted by mrwupy
The Masons do have their secrets. One they really don't like to talk about is how they had to kick Ol' Ben Franklin out because they could no longer justify to the public his sex parties with very young boys.

Uhmmmmm, cite?

[edit on 5-8-2005 by Nygdan]

Not that I know of, but it could be related to the Greys hoding the position of Duke of Kent from 1465(Edmond Grey) to 1740 (Henrey Grey). A frew of the Dukes used the garter in their coat of arms, but no on the Familys crest. This could be a misunderstanding on behalf of the Graycastles author.

But again, I dont know, I will have to look into it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, I totaly overlooked it ( I saw it as a buckle, and assumed it for marine use).

[edit on 5-8-2005 by wiggy]

Franklin had many parties, he was after all a member of the English aristocracy Hellfire Club at the same time he was supposed to be some part of the Republic, and when his London house was renovated a while ago they found bones of adults and children buried under the property

Originally posted by dh
Franklin had many parties, he was after all a member of the English aristocracy Hellfire Club at the same time he was supposed to be some part of the Republic, and when his London house was renovated a while ago they found bones of adults and children buried under the property

You know research won't physically or mentally hurt you. So it's OK to do it once and a while.

Franklin leased the house from someone who at one time ran a anatomy school in the house. Durring this time in history grave robbing was one of the most common ways for doctors to get such items. Thus they really didn't have a way to dispose of them when the school closed.

As far as the Hellfire club, Franklin was never a "member" but it is said he went to some meetings. Knowing his reputation as a ladies man, odds are he went there to get drunk and hang with some prostitutes.

In my mother Lodge the Lodge was created to give the Jewish community in Edinburgh a chance to join a Lodge which would allow them to enjoy the fellowship of their people. My mother Lodge is a Lodge that has a Kosher banquet. In my Lodge we have many Catholics. At the moment the Jewish brethren are in the minority. As a Lodge we enjoy the company of all the Brethren. We do not ask a man what his religion is we only want to know that he believes in God. To some of the Brethren he is know as Hashem , some call call him Allah and Others God.

Gerard

Originally posted by Cug
What an amazing man... he wrote that when he was 260 years old!

I think this was the source of the information, not when it was originally written.

THE ROYAL ARCH MASON
Spring, 1966