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Free Masonry


Racoon

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Going through some of my Grandpa's belongings, I found his Masonic Introduction Booklet and Sash... dated around the early 50's, after he served in WWII.

 

I live less than 2 miles from the local Mason Lodge, and I've always wondered what they did there? The hours they keep are weird, as I judged by the parking lot and parked cars and hours of day as I ride or drive by...

 

Why Free Masonry?

I read its originates from the Carpentars who built the Temple of Soloman.

2/3 of US Presidents have been Masons.

 

Whats the catch? Whats the allure? What do they "actually" do?

 

The booklet from my grandfather, states a lot of generalized "Masterful worship" , mumbo-jumbo

 

Here are the 4 pre-req's paraphrased:

To be a FreeMason you must:

1. must be a man, free born, of reasonable intelligence, good rep, and lawful age

 

2. Must apply for admission of your own free will.

 

3. You must believe in a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul.

 

4. You bind yourselves to the solemn obligations, and preserve its secrtets, and follow its teachings...

 

Anybody know anything about all this stuff?

Is anyone here a Mason?

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A am not a Mason, but I have fascinted by sacred math and believe there is a relationship between ancient sacred math and Masons. Some of this is represented in the symbology on the US dollar. However, I doubt that many modern Masons pay much attention to the math.

 

As Zythryn said, my impression of them is Boys Scouts for adults. I attempted to get a job offered by a Mason group, and was rejected because I am female and the men didn't think a woman should be doing the caretaking chores. The main guy I spoke with flat out told me, the fellows didn't want a woman doing the job. Sexism has traditionally been a strong part of being a Mason.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nutron, like the name, btw. Masonry has been an all man organization since their roots, back when masonry was what they actually did. Since the beginning of civilization, women were not looked at as stone workers, builders, etc, masonry was a master to student skill passed over from mason to mason who were 99.9% men, and it was an elite skill at that, highly priced and thus not shared easily.

 

The European noblemen actually got wind of this "exclusive" society that had a hint of mysticism and uncertainty, which was perfect for bored middle-age English noblemen that wanted a little more adventure from church.

 

I disagree that Masonry is like Boy scouts for adults, in fact its Boy scouts that is like Masonry for kids, since masonry dates perhaps as far back as 1000BC...

 

I've investigated Freemasonry a little bit, i don't find it as fascinating as you nutron and z, partly because i don't agree with the bible, and partly because it's yet another control structure that i couldn't care less for. Yes most US presidents were a Masons, but it's a rather intellectual fraternity based in big expensive schools, large cities, etc, outside of most middle class people, so it does not surprise me that most presidents were masons.

 

I won't deny the symbology on the currency, although i think it's been a little bit too extrapolated on in certain movies and books, like the "National Treasure"...

 

Nutron, for you an exerpt of WIKI on masonry and women:

Freemasonry is sometimes criticised for not admitting women as members.[citation needed] Since the adoption of Anderson's constitution in 1723, it has been accepted as fact by regular Masons that only men can be made Masons. Most Grand Lodges do not admit women because they believe it would violate the ancient Landmarks. While a few women were initiated into speculative lodges prior to 1723, and on the continent after that date, officially regular Freemasonry remains exclusive to men.

 

While women cannot join regular lodges, there are (mainly within the borders of the United States) many female orders associated with regular Freemasonry and its appendant bodies, such as the Order of the Eastern Star, the Order of the Amaranth, the White Shrine of Jerusalem, the Social Order of Beauceant and the Daughters of the Nile. These have their own rituals and traditions, but are founded on the Masonic model.

 

In addition, there are many non-mainstream Masonic bodies that do admit both men and women or are exclusively for women. Co-Freemasonry admits both men and women, but it is held to be irregular because it admits women. The systematic admission of women into International Co-Freemasonry began in France in 1882. In more recent times, women have created and maintained separate Lodges, working the same rituals as the all male regular lodges. These Female Masons have founded lodges around the world, and these Lodges continue to gain membership.

 

Cheer up though, there are plenty of secret societies that are a lot more fun to join, you'll find the right secret society for you.

 

As for me, women are always welcome in my "secret society" :doh:

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  • 2 months later...

Wiston Churchill was a Druid. The modern Pythagorian Society comes from the one Pythagoras started. Both Druids and Pythagoras followers included women. Both are about the mysteries of life. When I said Masons is a Boy Scouts club for men, I didn't mean these organizations were the same, the nature of the males who join them is the same.

 

Rereading the original post, I want to say all these organizations have had a very important social purpose. They encourage self improvement and service to the community. It is unfortunate they have become less popular.

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