Freemasons - I have a few questions.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
That status is actually very important. It is one of the reasons we are NOT a "secret society." To keep our tax exempt status, we have to operate as a 501c (3) corporations with certain filings, and a regular account of our activities, funds generated, etc.

I believe in my state, we're classified as 501(c)10...

In its current form, IRC 501(c)(10) describes domestic fraternal societies,
orders, or associations that:

• Operate under the lodge system,
• Devote their net earnings exclusively to religious, charitable, scientific, literary, educational, and fraternal purposes, and
• Do not provide for the payment of life, sick, accident, or other
  benefits.

What role does the alter play? Is it symbolic or is actually used in ritual?

reply to post by JoshNorton


I looked it up and you are correct.

The Charities associated with it are each 501c(3), like the Masonic Home, the Masonic Angels, the MMRL, and the Shriner's Hospitals, but the actual lodge is a 501c(10) and contributions to the Lodge are not tax deductible.

Thanks for clarifying that.

Originally posted by kingstonp
reply to post by mkkkay

 

Which society? The general society or the Masonic one? The Masonic one is just some of the same people in the former who have an association separate from general society.

Does what you call general scociety have a name.... Every scociety should have a name to identify it.
why can we not identify by a name the general scociety. is that a secret...

Originally posted by jrstock
What role does the alter play? Is it symbolic or is actually used in ritual?

It always has a Bible on it.* Sometimes a Torah or Koran as well, depending on where in the world it is. During initiations the candidate kneels for prayer there, and part of the interchange between the head of the lodge and the candidate is conducted across it.

(*) Technically, I suppose a purely Muslim or Jewish lodge wouldn't have the Bible on it. The general rule is to have the "sacred volume of law" which best fits the collective religious beliefs of the members of that lodge.

We have a few Muslim members in my lodge, and have used the Koran during their initiations per their request, but otherwise, it's usually a regular King James Bible or equivalent.

Originally posted by mkkkay

Originally posted by kingstonp
reply to post by mkkkay

 

Which society? The general society or the Masonic one? The Masonic one is just some of the same people in the former who have an association separate from general society.

Does what you call general scociety have a name.... Every scociety should have a name to identify it.
why can we not identify by a name the general scociety. is that a secret...

I think 'society' IS the name for the general society. But because us humans love defining who we are so much by creating sub-classes, we rarely associate ourselves with 'society', we prefer to be known as our more defined sub-classes such as: 'Christian', 'Aetheist', 'White', 'Goth', 'Geek' etc.

That's my humble opinion on it. Feel free to disagree.

Originally posted by AntoniusBlock
Every member of the Catholic Church is strictly forbidden to become a Mason, under the penalty of excommunication due to the nature of the society.

If you disagree with the Church then that is fine, but my point is that, for Catholics, it's not just another brotherly group one can join. It is fundamentally at odds with Christianity.

As Pius VIII stated, "Lying is their rule, Satan is their God, and shameful deeds their sacrifice."

As stated by Freemasons on this thread many times; in order to join only a belief in a 'supreme being' is needed (and male genitalia ). Therefore, a Freemason could easily believe in the Christian god, Allah or any other supreme being.

In fact, one of the earlier Freemason posters on this thread contacted a site to change their wording of "God", to "Supreme Being" to make it more generic/inclusive of other religions.

Given that Freemasons are a mixture of religions, how could they all share 'Satan as their God'?

reply to post by SecretSky


The thinking is that "high-level" Freemasons learn of the actual function of Masonic ritual, which is somehow different.

There has been a lot of speculation that Freemasons of the 32nd degree (and higher?) are in possession of highly secret knowledge, or are Illuminati.

Are there any ATS Freemasons above 3rd degree willing to comment on this?

I also have another question for the people who believe that the Freemasons somehow control the governments, countries and power. As pointed out by several Freemasons in this thread, many lodges have problems with finance. (To the point that their new members are somewhat lacking in quality apparently...).

If Freemasons even have problems financing lodges, how could they hope to finance any political movements or exert any real control?

Answers on a postcard to SecretSky.

Originally posted by OnTheLevel213
reply to post by SecretSky

 

The thinking is that "high-level" Freemasons learn of the actual function of Masonic ritual, which is somehow different.

I suppose 'high-level' is referring to Freemasons of 32nd degree or above?
Can any Freemasons of 32nd degree or above please take a bow, announce yourselves and comment on the theories people are flashing around that you're all Illuminati?

If people are not willing to accept an answer 'straight from the horses mouth' so to speak, I suppose there is no pleasing them...

Originally posted by SecretSky
I suppose 'high-level' is referring to Freemasons of 32nd degree or above?

The ones who are actually willing to put forth a model of Masonic hierarchy (as opposed to just hiding behind "you're not high enough" without being able to say who is) usually start at the 33rd. As the highest degree is the 3rd, or Master Mason, the term is meaningless in Masonry, so you'll have to ask the conspiracy theorists themselves.

Can any Freemasons of 32nd degree or above please take a bow, announce yourselves and comment on the theories people are flashing around that you're all Illuminati?

Every Mason who enters the Scottish Rite is made a "32nd-degree Mason"; this usually happens over a weekend or so. It confers nothing other than membership in the Scottish Rite, and means nothing in the blue lodge, as is the case with any appendant body. Here on ATS, network dude, JoshNorton and Masonic Light have "attained" that degree; it's relatively common, which is why the 33rd is usually given as the "real" power.

The 33rd is given only by invitation, and given only to about 1% of Scottish Rite Masons, either for becoming an officer in the Supreme Council (multi-state governing body) or as an honorary award for service to Masonry or community. The late Appak was the only such Mason on ATS to date.

If people are not willing to accept an answer 'straight from the horses mouth' so to speak, I suppose there is no pleasing them...

They have so far proved completely unwilling.

Originally posted by santjime

@MasonicLight One of the requirements for freemasonry is to have a belief in a divine being. Just curious, what religion do you consider yourself a part of? Or what Divine Being do you worship??
I ask because I am simply curious

I am a Gnostic Christian.

Ecclesia Gnostica

Originally posted by SecretSky
There has been a lot of speculation that Freemasons of the 32nd degree (and higher?) are in possession of highly secret knowledge, or are Illuminati.

Are there any ATS Freemasons above 3rd degree willing to comment on this?

I am a 32° KCCH in the Scottish Rite. The degrees of the Scottish Rite contain a good deal of mystery, and are very beautiful presentations. However, it is plainly stated in the ritual of the 28th degree that "Freemasonry possesses no occult knowledge that is not available to the general public".

If Freemasons even have problems financing lodges, how could they hope to finance any political movements or exert any real control?

The people who make those claims often confuse "Freemasons" with "Freemasonry".

For example, let's say Joe at the age of 21 petitions a lodge, is accepted, and receives the three degrees, making him a Master Mason. Let's assume that after this, he opts not to attend meetings for whatever reason (too much time at work, school, etc.). After graduating he focuses on his career and loses contact with his lodge.

30 years later, Joe gets elected president of the United States. He's only been to three Masonic meetings in his life (his own three degrees), and hasn't been to any in over 30 years. But critics of the fraternity will use this as "proof" that the Masons control the world!

reply to post by Masonic Light

After graduating he focuses on his career and loses contact with his lodge.

30 years later, Joe gets elected president of the United States. He's only been to three Masonic meetings in his life (his iwn three degrees), and hasn't been to any in over 30 years. But critics of the fraternity will use this as "proof" that the Masons control the world!

Let's take it a step further, and say that Joe made that decision to focus on his education, career, and family after attending those 3 degrees. Even though he never attended Lodge in those 30 years, he always paid his dues, and rememberd the lessons learned. When he decided to run for president, he identified himself as a Mason, and his upright and moral character, work ethic, and clean record made him a great candidtate, so he won the election.

Now, Freemasonry is certainly a contributing factor in Joe's success and election, but there was no conspiracy, no master plan, no ulterior motive. Just a fraternity with good life lessons, and a good man that took those lessons to heart!

Originally posted by jrstock
Is there any (here responding) member's who are not from high background's? College, high finance, ect. Layman term Blue collar.

Yes.

Are the 'master' masons doctor, lawyer, banker ect? Does that have a bearing upon advancing?

No.

One's occupation in the profane world has no bearing on his status in the Lodge. As our ritual states, "it is the internal, and not the external, qualifications of a man that recommend him to be a Mason."

Originally posted by jrstock
What role does the alter play? Is it symbolic or is actually used in ritual?

Masonic Lodges in some countries have Altars, upon which are found the three great lights of Masonry: the Holy Bible, the Square, and Compass.

In other countries, the Lodges do not have Altars, and instead, the Square, Compass, and Holy Book are found upon the Master's pedestal.

Originally posted by OnTheLevel213
The 33rd is given only by invitation, and given only to about 1% of Scottish Rite Masons, either for becoming an officer in the Supreme Council (multi-state governing body) or as an honorary award for service to Masonry or community. The late Appak was the only such Mason on ATS to date.

Lost in the midwest received the 33° in 2009. To my knowledge, he is the only other 33° who's been on ATS, and he hasn't been around in a few months...

reply to post by JoshNorton


All the 33rd Degrees that I know, would be challenged to send an email, let alone navigate a site like this!

I don't expect to see very many on here for several more years.

Originally posted by mkkkay

Originally posted by kingstonp
reply to post by mkkkay

 

Which society? The general society or the Masonic one? The Masonic one is just some of the same people in the former who have an association separate from general society.

Does what you call general scociety have a name.... Every scociety should have a name to identify it.
why can we not identify by a name the general scociety. is that a secret...

Are we (the non member public) 'profane? Or as David Rockefeller put it "the unwashed masses".

reply to post by Masonic Light


Thankyou! I appreciate your feedback
But that only opened a whole new list of questions. :X I wouldnt want to molest you with.
BUT, "When you give a mouse a cookie...He's gonna ask for a glass of milk"
So how come you decided with Gnostic? As opposed to Traditional Christianity. And is it focused around the Bible?
I pretty much read that whole site, informative but only inticed more questions. Where did the belief oh Sophia come around, I was lead to believe that Sophia was a Hebrew word for Wisdom.
And last but not least, were you raised in a Gnostic household? If not When did you convert to Gnosis? and what brought you to it?
THANKYOU!