Occupy Freemasonry

In response to the "teachings" (which may or may not have been the best word choice.), I will only say the following. My conflict had to do with the pluralism aspect of the fraternity. I've discussed this ad nauseum on a Masonic research site and don't care to rehash it here as I don't believe it to be a fruitful discussion.

Botton line - I'm still in the fraternity and have come to grips with what I do and don't like about freemasonry (pun intended).

reply to post by HardToStarboard


So, you think it should be more restrictive to specific religions? I think some European Lodges are strictly Christian, but in the US it has always been more Deist.

God by any other name is still God, LOL!

Also, Deism brings science into it more seamlessly. Our Founding Fathers in the US identified themselves as very strict Christians, but what they actually practiced was more Deistic. I wouldn't call it Pluralism, because we only believe in a single ever-living God. We don't allow for multiple Gods, therefore it is only a matter of Semantics.

There is only one GetReadyAlready, but I am known by at least a dozen names. I am not pluralistic, I just have many incarnations. I have a professional one, a biker one, an online chatroom one, a single one, a married one, a husband one, a daddy one, and a son one just to name a few. Still, I am only a single entity, regardless of my many names, attitudes, actions, and incarnations.

reply to post by getreadyalready


As I said, I'm not really interested in discussing this. I merely wanted to demonstrate a point to the other poster that there are those of us who are masons that don't necessarily fit into the mold he was implying.

Originally posted by Masonic Light

Originally posted by HardToStarboard

I'd like to address your comment regarding "lodges teach[ing]...that all ex-Masons are liars." I think a good number of masons that walk away from (or in some cases run away from) the fraternity have legitimate beefs.

That may or may not be the case. But regardless, Lodges don't teach anything about "ex-Masons".

Apparently they teach that every ex-Mason who complains about Freemasonry must have joined for the wrong reasons.

reply to post by czqjtohypmdu


We don't "teach" anything. Ex-Masons that complain about Masonry did join for the wrong reasons. No body needs to teach that. Sure, some just get bored with it and stop going. Some get caught up in Lodge politics and get disgruntled, and that is understandable. But, for the ones that were expecting the Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce to make all their business connections and networking, they are sorely disappointed. For the ones expecting National Treasure and the keys to success, they are also sorely disappointed. The ones that are just bored or disgruntled with the politics don't typically go out Mason bashing. The ones that go out Mason bashing are the ones that were expecting the wrong things, and then when they don't get it, they leave on bad terms. In reality, they probably should have never become Masons.

Even when one is raised as a 3rd Degree Master Mason, they haven't really learned anything other than some grips and words and acquaintances. The real secrets come in just attending Lodge and enjoying time with your brother Masons and learning from the successes and failures. It takes years to realize any benefit from it, and it is only a spiritual benefit, nothing tangible like some desire, although tangible things often result from living a just and honest life.

Freakmasonry does "teach"

Masons are taught to keep secrets about their organization.
Masons are taught to "Obey orders even if they break owners"

Put THAT under the microscope and examine the underlying soils.

"god" or g-d is an anglicized representation of the hebrew word for LUCK.
Jacob Israel names his one son Gad ( the vowels of hebrew were not printed until the Masoretes therefore the confusion)

Anyway this LUCK is quite a bit different from Allah which is a moon deity and I have much more details on this.

These are not one supreme deity with different names because if all of the luck worshippers were wiped out.....the allah worshipers would still have allah.

Originally posted by partycrasher
Freakmasonry does "teach"

About ex-Masons (which is what getreadyalready was talking about)? No. About improving your morality and becoming a credit to society? Yes.

Originally posted by partycrasher
Masons are taught to keep secrets about their organization.

Really? Then I guess going to your local book retailer and purchasing "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry" or "Freemasonry for Dummies" isn't possible? Or are you talking about the 'true' secrets that only real Freemasons know in which case how is it that you come in possession of this knowledge if you aren't a Freemason?

Originally posted by partycrasher
Masons are taught to "Obey orders even if they break owners"

Really? I guess I must've missed that degree. Which Rite and Degree is it that teaches that?

Originally posted by partycrasher
Put THAT under the microscope and examine the underlying soils.

Done and done

Originally posted by partycrasher
"god" or g-d is an anglicized representation of the hebrew word for LUCK.
Jacob Israel names his one son Gad ( the vowels of hebrew were not printed until the Masoretes therefore the confusion)

Really? So it's just the English-speaking Christians and Jews that're pooched? The French, German, Italian, Greek and every other-language-in-the-world Christians and Jews are OK? Sucks to speak English then.

Originally posted by partycrasher
Freakmasonry does "teach"

Masons are taught to keep secrets about their organization.
Masons are taught to "Obey orders even if they break owners"

Put THAT under the microscope and examine the underlying soils.

That is absolutely FALSE.

We do take an obligation, "of our own free will and accord" to keep the secrets of our fraternity. The secrets amount to nothing more than a secret handshake and a few words to recognize one another. In practice, they are rarely used, the Dues Card reigns supreme. You can know the handshake and words but without a valid and current dues card, nobody is going to let you in, LOL!

We do not have any "orders" to "obey." I have no idea where you would get such a thing. This isn't a military outfit, nobody is giving anybody else any orders, and with the quality of men inside a Lodge room, it would not fly very well to try and order anyone around. Of course, during a meeting, we do have the typical meeting protocol where 1 speaker at a time is recognized and the Worshipful Master emcees the whole thing, and he has the power to make someone quiet down, but it is almost never needed.

I wonder why you think you know so much? You seem to be extremely misled or misguided.

Is not the WM the mason who sits in the G seat and all masons are under his command for the year that he has been "elected" to sit in that seat?

reply to post by partycrasher


He does sit in the East, and he is in charge of the Lodge that year. He isn't in charge of any people, but he is responsible for the Lodge. Masons attend meetings at their will, and anything they do is voluntary. Some don't show up for years, and then one day they drop in and say hello. Some only show up once a year to vote for officers. Some are there at every meeting, with ideas, and working to make the place better, and helping new members get started.

I've never seen a Worshipful Master give any order except to open and close a Lodge. They often ask for ideas, and conduct the meeting and the Secretary records the ideas in the Minutes, and people volunteer for certain tasks and then they report back at the next meeting. If they drop the ball, there is no penalty other than having to report back to the brethren that they didn't follow through as they planned to.

I conduct many meetings at work. At least 1 per day. They range in size from 4 people to 40 people, and I've conducted meetings with groups as large as 600. I was also a WM of my Lodge. It is really no different. You play the role and do what needs to be done to get the business taken care of.

reply to post by partycrasher

Freakmasonry?! Oh, I get it...I see what you did there...you clever dog you...

We are taught many things, but how is keeping secrets a bad thing? If a friend tells you something personal and in confidence, do you go telling every swinging dick that passes by your feet? Do you not keep private, or secret, your personal information?

"Obey orders even if they break owners"?? What does this mean?

reply to post by partycrasher

While the WM does sit in the Eastern chair, he is primarily in charge of the Lodge, the body, presiding over the meetings, but he is not some overbearing tyrant who controls the lives of the members and many of his decisions must be approved by the members of the Lodge.

Originally posted by KSigMason

"Obey orders even if they break owners"?? What does this mean?

It's a secret!

obey orders even if you break owners...could mean , if you as an individual are an opportunistic capitalist and your lodge is given a directive that "we masons support the League of Nations" ( for example ) then you mason are to support that even tho it may be opposite your own non socialist non globalist objectives.

Originally posted by partycrasher
obey orders even if you break owners...could mean

What it does mean is the question, given that it's your quote unless and until you can substantiate its presence in Masonic ritual.

if you as an individual are an opportunistic capitalist and your lodge is given a directive that "we masons support the League of Nations" ( for example )

As has been said numerous times, no regular lodge would do this.

reply to post by partycrasher

If the masons are in leadership positions then the public should be aware of all of their secret policies since they may affect us all.

Discriminating against one particular group is pointless. Anyone can become a crook! All public officials should be held under the same amount of scrutiny no matter what organizations they are affiliated with.

Greed is a human nature thing, and not necessarily a secret society thing.

reply to post by partycrasher


Sent you a PM back on the 16th. Don't know if you've had time to see it not (this system doesn't always seem to alert me when I have a new message).

Hard to Starboard...I have not seen your message but I will look for it.