Freemasons - I have a few questions.

reply to post by getreadyalready


Wow, Masons believe in conspiracy theories?

I thought you were here to serve God and dismiss such nonense!!

I really don't know much about Masonry, evidently, but I have been inside the Temple and sat on the BIG chair. I only did this because a cleaner was showing me around and it looked so cool.

The reason for being in the hall in the first place was because I was playing in a band and we were the entertainment for the night.

Although I didn't appreciate the human sacrifice at the end of the evening!!!!

p.s only kidding about the human sacrificae.

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by Jamjar
...Therefore it is sometimes necessary to only share information with those that have the commitment to use that information for the benefit of others. (remember this is my opinion and I am sure I will be corrected).

I think it's more accurate to say that you can't force enlightenment on anyone. They have to seek it themselves and have a personal dedication to follow through on the teachings.

People often accuse Masons of hoarding the secrets of life, or saying "if it's just morality lessons, why not give them to everyone?" But in my opinion, if you aren't actively striving to better yourself, intellectually or spiritually, then you'll never take the lessons to heart.

Going through the ritual the way we've done it for hundreds of years is one way to make that journey.

And no Mason will ever tell you it's the only path to enlightenment. Again, the same principles are in most religions & philosophies. This is just one mode of instruction that works for some people. It's not for everyone, but likewise, the end result of the lessons have never been exclusive to Masonry.

Thanks again for the reply Josh. I understand that journey of obtaining anything is what gives it a greater value and meaning.
What would be the fun in reading only the last page in a book to understand only how it ends...?

Well, I petitioned my local lodge seven months ago, and just got initiated this week, but I'll answer what I can.

1. Why did you become a Freemason?

Knowledge. From what I understand I can expect to study and learn about a wide range of subjects. That was my ultimate motive.
I've had a lot of friends, both in real life and on the internet over the years who always seemed to be really level headed, had good morals, and were just all around great people. I would later find out that they were Masons, which at the time I assumed were just a bunch of old dudes talking about Matlock. And something about making a good man better just really appealed to me.

reply to post by Jamjar


Thanks for the reply! Your reasons for joining seem good ones to me - I hope you enjoy it and make a lot of friends there.

Originally posted by SecretSky
Well - now I am curious. Who are Freemasons enemies?

Most often fascists. In WWII the Masons were rounded up with the Jews. Even as recently as the reign of Saddam Hussein, Masonry was illegal and an executable offense. Some fundamentalist religions are also against Freemasonry, because we value tolerance and they preach that their way is the only way.

Also - I agree with you. Second hand information is no match for experience, however, sometimes deriving information would be a case of reinventing the wheel. (Imagine having to discover mathematics by experience, rather than from shared information in books etc...)

Well, my sig file has said this for me for a few years, but it bears quoting again...

“Now that I possess the secret, I could tell it a hundred different and even contradictory ways. I don’t know how to tell you this, but the secret is beautiful, and science, our science, seems mere frivolity to me now. And anyway, the secret is not as important as the paths that led me to it. Each person has to walk those paths himself.” — Jorge Luis Borges, “The Ethnographer”

Sure, reinventing the wheel might be unnecessary, but would your rather read about a Beethoven symphony or the concept of the color "blue", or would you rather hear that symphony and see that color with your own eyes?

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by raiders247
Heres my opinion from what I have found out:

Lower ranking free-masons usually get together for harmless fraternal activities and such, while the higher degree masons congregate in secrecy for World domination.

Of course, you have no actual proof of these mythical "higher degree Masons", can name no names, can list no criteria by which they should be judged "high level" over any other member... So basically "from what you have found out", you haven't found out anything...

Are you claiming there aren't different degrees of Masonry?

Are the 33 degrees of Scottish rite freemasonry a myth?

Pike received the 4th through the 32nd Degrees in March 1853 from Dr. Albert G. Mackey, in Charleston, S.C., and was appointed Deputy Inspector for Arkansas that same year.

Names of high degree freemasons I've found:
Estienne Morin
Albert Pike
Manly P. Hall
(Do some research for the rest)

SOURCE

reply to post by JoshNorton


I hadn't noticed your signature before, but it seems to match quite nicely with what I wrote in reply to you just above:

What would be the fun in reading only the last page in a book to understand only how it ends...?

Originally posted by raiders247
Are you claiming there aren't different degrees of Masonry?

I'm saying that a 33° member of the Scottish Rite has no influence over a 3° Mason who isn't in the Scottish Rite. I'm saying that a 33° member of the Scottish Rite in no way "outranks" a 32° Mason of the Scottish Rite, and I'm saying that a 3° Master Mason can get to the 32° in the Scottish Rite by paying about a hundred bucks and spending a weekend watching some plays.

Are the 33 degrees of Scottish rite freemasonry a myth?

No, but the idea that 33° Masons are ruling the world is a myth. I know more than 30 of them in my city, many are members of my own lodge. I've also met and had dinner with the head of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction Mother Superior Council of the World, a man who has a few hundred thousand Masons under his command, and he's just a lawyer from Baton Rogue, not a bloodline illuminatus...

Originally posted by SecretSky

Originally posted by mkkkay
A funny thing, you can name a secret society, but can some one name your society.
What is secret..... one you can name or one you can not.

I'm not sure I understand your question 100%. If you are asking what my society is - well, I'm not a member of any organized group or religion. I'm not very secret really - sorry to dissapoint

Sorry! but are you not part of scociety...
What is the name of everyones scociety...
My point is you live in a scociety that you can not name....
But then how can we say that freemasons are secret when you can talk about them and know the name of there
scociety. But not being able to name ours. My question is wich is the secret one.

reply to post by mkkkay


Well I didn't say I'm not a member of a society. Just that I'm not a member of any organized group.
I'd say that (human) society as a whole has secrets, but its secrets are only held back from other members of the same society. I'd define a secret society as a society which is keeping its secrets held back from other societies.

I wish I could make that paragraph a bit more eloquent. Feel free to disagree with my definitions though

Originally posted by raiders247
Names of high degree freemasons I've found:
Estienne Morin
Albert Pike
Manly P. Hall
(Do some research for the rest)

And how exactly did those three men plot in secrecy for world domination? And don't bring up the Pike/Mazzini "three world wars" hoax. It has been thoroughly and definitively debunked (by an anti-Mason, no less!) here.

reply to post by JoshNorton


So if a 3rd degree is no different in rank than a 32nd degree, then why the need for different degrees? Why not just be called masons with no rank or degree, there has to be some significance to moving up a degree. With how wise and knowledgeable you masons are, I believe everything the masonic system has in place is for a reason. Again, just my opinion..

Originally posted by raiders247


So if a 3rd degree is no different in rank than a 32nd degree, then why the need for different degrees?

Do the degrees on a Thermometer indicate different ranks or different experiences?

Originally posted by SecretSky
reply to post by mkkkay

 

Well I didn't say I'm not a member of a society. Just that I'm not a member of any organized group.

Then you should be able to name your scociety. or is it a secret you do not know.

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by raiders247
Names of high degree freemasons I've found:
Estienne Morin
Albert Pike
Manly P. Hall
(Do some research for the rest)

And how exactly did those three men plot in secrecy for world domination? And don't bring up the Pike/Mazzini "three world wars" hoax. It has been thoroughly and definitively debunked (by an anti-Mason, no less!) here.

Of course, you have no actual proof of these mythical "higher degree Masons", can name no names, can list no criteria by which they should be judged "high level" over any other member... So basically "from what you have found out", you haven't found out anything...

Not saying that those three alone conspired to bring the world to where it's at today, just giving you names because your post stated " I can name no names" and "offer no proof".

Do you really believe there isn't a secret group of people controlling the majority of what happens on earth? Maybe they're masons, maybe not, but the fact that a handful of very powerful people run everything, added to the secrecy and silence surrounding "Illuminati" and high rank free masons, well that makes me suspicious to say the least.

Originally posted by raiders247
Do you really believe there isn't a secret group of people controlling the majority of what happens on earth?

I believe there are people running the world.

But I think God runs the Universe.

Originally posted by SecretSky
I have to say, I'm impressed with the replies. Thank you to all the Freemasons replying so fast!

So far, I agree with the strong moral values and goals all of you have. I also appreciate the openness of a perceived 'secret' society. It seems obvious to me now that you all have the worst marketing team in the world

But - I have some more questions!

5. Since Freemasons are willing to share their knowledge, but not the form/wording of it, is there a WIKI type of project which shares the knowledge but not the wording?
6. What is the most valuable/important thing you have learned as a Freemason?

P.S. I believe there is only 1 lodge in the whole country where I live now (Poland). Pretty far from where I live.

Here are a couple site I visit sometimes that have decent inormation about masonry.

Masonic Info, This site will explain some of the lies about masonry

This site might list more lodges in Poland

This was one of my favorite sites as an EA

Originally posted by mkkkay

Originally posted by SecretSky
reply to post by mkkkay

 

Well I didn't say I'm not a member of a society. Just that I'm not a member of any organized group.

Then you should be able to name your scociety. or is it a secret you do not know.

I consider myself as just human - so the name of my 'society' would be the human race. If that does not constitute society, then I'd have to say 'I don't know'.

Not knowing something does not automatically make it a secret though. I don't know the value of Pi to 20 places (without checking) - is it secret?

Originally posted by Skyfloating

Originally posted by raiders247


So if a 3rd degree is no different in rank than a 32nd degree, then why the need for different degrees?

Do the degrees on a Thermometer indicate different ranks or different experiences?

I see where you are going with this, but I also see a world of a difference between Free Masons and Thermometers, I prefer comparing apples to apples. Nice analogy though, I do see your point.

Originally posted by Skyfloating

Originally posted by raiders247
Do you really believe there isn't a secret group of people controlling the majority of what happens on earth?

I believe there are people running the world.

But I think God runs the Universe.

Agreed in full.

My point is those "people" running the world, well some of them could very well be masons.