Freemason Roots, What to believe?

Im sure this has been posted before but i just wanted to let everyone know or remind you guys and gals of the series on the History Channel, Cities of the Underground. Some of the upcoming shows discuss the involvement of freemasonry in their construction and use. Im watching the one about Budapest now and its pretty amazing what they did during the cold war. Anyway, here is a link to the schedule.


www.history.com...


Now my beliefs Id like to throw out there.

I have read many of the threads on ATS relating to Freemasonry and I cannot help but feel sorry for those masons who have to deal with the ridicule. Some background: My father’s side of the family is well rooted in The Scottish rite of freemasonry. My grandfather and his father all attained 32-degree status and my father is 30th degree i think. My grand mother and all of her side were masons and so forth. I however did not embrace masonry, and my reasons are my own but what i can say is that never did they push it or steer me in anyway. I do know a lot about freemasonry however not enough to butt heads with you investigators. I have seen all the rhetoric that’s out there saying Freemasons are the illuminati, or the drivers of the NWO. I don’t buy it one second. In my experience, I have seen nothing but kind, loyal, Respectful people. My grandfather and Grandmother are gone now. But i remember going to see them at the Masonic Home in St. Pete. My grandmother suffering three strokes and the masons doing all they could to make her life as comfortable as possible. The Eastern Star and Scottish Rite Masons didn’t have to sell me on their desire to do good in society. My father is always taking children who can’t afford it to the Shriners Hospital for treatment. The child’s family isn’t Masonic so how can anyone be against all the good they do. Maybe humans need to blame someone for everything sinister, maybe because the masons are such an old movement that it’s an easy target. If the story of the templar being the guardians of the holy bloodline are correct then how can they be evil? Anyway, I don’t think the masons are in control. I have a renewed interest so please be kind.

Take Care


[edit on 23-6-2007 by geemony]

my friend is currently in the process of becoming a freemason. he assures me they are not scourge. the illuminati (assuming they exist/have power) are certainly not the freemasons, which is a common misconception.

the NWO was a great pro wrestling faction. should they ever become anything more, ill be the first to say i was wrong. however, untill that day comes hulk hogan is the leader of the NWO.

agreed with OP the freemasons are not the evil empire.

one of the biggest contraversies in theology is "is money the root of all evil or is the love of money the root of all evil?".

of all the speculation ive seen ive neve seen a shred of evidence that the freemasons were involved in the taking over of the world. they simply seem to manage their money better. (like making life comfortable for a stroke survivor).

JP,

I appreciate the back-up, I still am on the fence about whether i want to join or not. It is a life decision so it has to be well thought out. I would not betray my bloodline by going into it just for kicks. To be a mason is to accept the responsibility to help humanity anyway possible. This is what i see from those masons i have observed. My grandfather told me a story that sums up the Masons. There was this guy who was down on his luck, he asked a mason "brother can you spare a dime" the reply from the mason was "yes I can" and gave the man more than he asked for. This is the doctrine I was brought up to believe.

Thanks much

Well so do Christians help and Muslims are instructed to give 2.5% to the poor. If you are interested in esoteric and similar, also check this page with some free material manlyphall.org -- he wrote more than 150 books and a lot of articles.

Most important -- Masons are not evil as some would like you to believe. But it is true there are a lot of powerful and influential people inside and they do what they can do best.

Originally posted by sb2012
Well so do Christians help and Muslims are instructed to give 2.5% to the poor. If you are interested in esoteric and similar, also check this page with some free material manlyphall.org -- he wrote more than 150 books and a lot of articles.

SB2012, Thx for posting The reason for my post is that I have started to feel like i want to follow my family into masonry. However something keeps me from making the final jump.

Also Masonry is not a religion its an organization of many religions and races. So of course Christians, and Muslims and people of other religions help anyway they can. Masonic membership only requires that you have faith in a higher power. So Atheists are not allowed. (Stated to show that religion is required for membership in Freemasonry)

Its the "secretive nature" of the masons which plays to my fear. To be a Mason requires a lot of blind acceptance and thats hard for me to handle.

I understand the Nights Templar had to be very secretive throughout thier history. But is the secreitive nature just a hold over from those times, or do Masons have something to hide? I wont talk to my father about this out of respect. And he will not discuss it anyway. So im kinda on my own to find my answers. Thanks

[edit on 23-6-2007 by geemony]

I am going to hazard a guess: You have access to an extensive library of Masonic books.

My advice to you is to start reading in this library. Specialize in the writings of 33d Degree Freemasons.

Read the tedious drivel of Manly P. Hall. Going on about the Great Plan of the Ages, the Great Work, calculated to restore the Prince of This World to his rightful throne.

Read What the Ancient Wisdom Expects of its Disciples. Wherein MPH describes the process of acquiring a Spirit Guide. Said guide coming to you in the wee small hours of the night, and guiding you in your efforts to help the Great Plan of the Ages. He makes occasional reference to the Iluminati.

Read the blather of Foster Bailey. He describes the ongoing effort to bring about a New World Order, said effort spearheaded by the Illuminati. On behalf of The Great White Lodge on Sirius. This in a book named The Spirit of Masonry.

Read these books and wonder: Do the Masons only promote dingbats and crackpots to the 33d Degree, or does the process of achieving the 33d Degree make one a dingbat and crackpot?

XBO really can’t get into the sarcasm, what i know of Freemasonry is what is available on the net. I wouldn’t make an informed decision based on information obtained on the internet. Or from those who have an unproductive attitude about the subject. I need open minds and Critical thinkers. I have peaked at my dads Miselette (not sure of the spelling there) but that was long ago and i really don’t remember much of what it said. However, no i do not have access to a big library of freemason knowledge. I have never heard of the people you speak of so ill have to search the web for the readings you are citeing. The only person i have heard of is Hiram Abiff who was to have started the order or something like that. This thread is more a learning experience for me more than anything else so please try to be helpful if you can. I would like to get some info, which is creditable. Also, it is my understanding that Masonry has itself split into off shoots,,, is this correct? I am only interested in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

I know there are Masons on this site can you assist? If not i understand.

Thx much


[edit on 23-6-2007 by geemony]

Originally posted by xenu brings order
I am going to hazard a guess: You have access to an extensive library of Masonic books.

My advice to you is to start reading in this library. Specialize in the writings of 33d Degree Freemasons.

I agree that the curious should read Masonic books. However, I see no particular reason to "specialize" on the writings of 33rd's. I say this because holding the 33rd degree doesn't necessarily make one more knowledgable about Masonry than anyone else in the fraternity.

If one were to specialize, I would recommend that they specialize in those who have been active members for a long, long time, rather than who just happens to be a 33rd degree member of the Scottish Rite (which is only one of many branches of Masonry).

For example, one can be a 33rd degree Mason in the Scottish Rite, but not be a member of the York Rite, and therefore be completely ignorant of the Mark and Royal Arch degrees, as well as the Order of the Temple.

Read the tedious drivel of Manly P. Hall. Going on about the Great Plan of the Ages, the Great Work, calculated to restore the Prince of This World to his rightful throne.

I find no tediousness in Hall, although a lot of it comes from left field. Nevertheless, Hall never said anything about "restoring" the "Prince of this world to his rightful throne", as He never left it to begin with.

Read the blather of Foster Bailey. He describes the ongoing effort to bring about a New World Order, said effort spearheaded by the Illuminati. On behalf of The Great White Lodge on Sirius. This in a book named The Spirit of Masonry.

Why would you recommend such an absurd book to someone who honestky wants to learn about Masonry? I would say forget about Bailey, and read "A Comprehensive View of Freemasonry" by Henry Wilson Coil and "The Builders" and "The Mens House" by Joseph Fort Newton (you may be happy to know that both Coil and Newton were 33rd degree members of the Scottish Rite).

Read these books and wonder: Do the Masons only promote dingbats and crackpots to the 33d Degree, or does the process of achieving the 33d Degree make one a dingbat and crackpot?

I don't think Hall was a "dingbat". Sure, he thought outside the box, but there's no harm in that.

Bailey was a 32nd, not a 33rd. Also, it is generally believed that his wife Alice wrote the majority of "The Spirit of Masonry". I own the book, have read it, and certainly do not recommend it as a "serious" book on Masonry.

Well, you can find all sort of pages on internet, for example this one has a a bit different view than responses from masons.

Originally posted by geemony
Also, it is my understanding that Masonry has itself split into off shoots,,, is this correct?

Yes. Over the years, Masonry has developed different systems, known as "Rites".

I am only interested in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Allow me to recommend the following books:

"The History of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry" by Harold Van Buren Voorhis

"A Bridge To Light" by Dr. Rex Hutchens

"The Magnum Opus" by Albert Pike

"Vested In Glory: The Regalia of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite" by Dr. Jim Tresner

"Forms and Traditions of the Scottish Rite" by Fred Kleinknecht



[edit on 23-6-2007 by Masonic Light]

Originally posted by Masonic Light

If one were to specialize, I would recommend that they specialize in those who have been active members for a long, long time, rather than who just happens to be a 33rd degree member of the Scottish Rite (which is only one of many branches of Masonry).

Why would you recommend such an absurd book to someone who honestky wants to learn about Masonry? I would say forget about Bailey, and read "A Comprehensive View of Freemasonry" by Henry Wilson Coil and "The Builders" and "The Mens House" by Joseph Fort Newton (you may be happy to know that both Coil and Newton were 33rd degree members of the Scottish Rite).

Thx Light, This is the kind of discussion I was looking for. I have posted with you before about Masonry and really didnt know what i thought i did back then. I recently lost my grandfather and he did tell me once it would make his heart happy to see me continue the family tradition. So I guess this is where im at.

Thank you

Originally posted by Masonic Light

I am only interested in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Allow me to recommend the following books:

"The History of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry" by Harold Van Buren Voorhis

"A Bridge To Light" by Dr. Rex Hutchens

"The Magnum Opus" by Albert Pike

"Vested In Glory: The Regalia of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite" by Dr. Jim Tresner

"Forms and Traditions of the Scottish Rite" by Fred Kleinknecht

Now we are cooking, thank you for the info and i will read it all with an open mind.

Originally posted by geemony


Thank you

You are welcome, and my condolences for you and your family's loss.

Originally posted by Masonic Light

You are welcome, and my condolences for you and your family's loss.

Thank you back.... All i can say is that if it wasnt for the Masonic Home they would have suffered greatly. My grandmother had three strokes and was bed ridden and the sisters of the eastern star stood by her till the end. The care they both recieved was unmatched, it was very comforting to know they were a part of something special IMHO.

I think a casual reading of the list of well-known freemasons proves that freemasonry is not just beneficial to its own members but also to the world as a whole. While it is probably true that freemasonry has its bad apples just like any organization, it is hard to argue that when viewed as a whole it has had a negative effect.

geemony,

Welcome to the road to discovery. I would take Masonic Light's advise and read with an open mind. I began down this same road a few years ago and I have found it very satisfying. Coil's work is very interesting reading, I'm plowing through his Masonic Encyclopedia now, very interesting history and acurrately backed with solid research.

If it wasn't mentioned yet, you would have to become a member of the Blue Lodge, a Master Mason, before being allowed to join the Scottish Rite. That's the way it is in California anyway. I'm planning to join the Scottish Rite here in San Diego in the Fall.

Use your common sense when studying and searching for answers. Use good judgement and discernment when asking yourself questions. You will be inundated with all sorts of drivel that people will throw at you. Just trust your gut and the answers you seek will become self-evident.

Also remember that many folks have axes to grind, often times without any real evidence to back their positions. Alot of what you will read and hear is hype and hysteria.

Good Luck and a pleasant journey!



[edit on 24-6-2007 by sharkman]

[edit on 24-6-2007 by sharkman]

Originally posted by sharkman
geemony,

Welcome to the road to discovery. I would take Masonic Light's advise and read with an open mind. I began down this same road a few years ago and I have found it very satisfying.

I thank you and Light for discussing this with me. i am a pretty good judge of character IMHO. So i am confident i can make a good informed decision here. I did ask my grandfather some things years ago as he was willing to discuss things but made it clear that I had to decide. He did mention the first three degrees (blue) and that was where my studying would begin. he told me there was an initiation.( wouldnt discusss that with me) But back then i was not fully interested in follwoing the men in my line. But now its different and i feel im ready now to take on the responsibility that goes with being a fraternal order member.

Thank you guys and I look forward to discussing things with you both down the road and reading the material you both have suggested.

Take care