History of Freemasonry Help

a reply to: TerryDon79
Cutting Edge? Really? I don't know if there is a less reliable source. LOL Anti-Masons like to throw around words like proof, but hardly ever provide anything.

This link is one reason I wrote this: www.travelingtemplar.com...

a reply to: TerryDon79
There's nothing really out there pre-10th century on Freemasonry.

originally posted by: KSigMason
a reply to: TerryDon79
Cutting Edge? Really? I don't know if there is a less reliable source. LOL Anti-Masons like to throw around words like proof, but hardly ever provide anything.

This link is one reason I wrote this: www.travelingtemplar.com...

I know it's unreliable. That's the point of that post, to show how rediculous some of the claims are against Freemasonry and the total lack of proof of their claims.

a reply to: TerryDon79
There's nothing really out there pre-10th century on Freemasonry.

Thanks. I guess that's the same dead end everyone eventually gets to then?

originally posted by: TerryDon79
I would have joined, but unfortunately I'm an Atheist.

This was my biggest worry - I don't believe in religion or sentient, all powerful gods. So i wasn't sure how I could join. But I believe in life and energy, that we all come from that same energy and return to it. That was my 'higher power'.

And the guys I spoke to from the lodge I joined here in the UK were pretty much of the same mindset. (religion is not terribly popular over here). It was more a tick box exercise, which, could be depriving (or instilling) the institution of values, depending on your point of view (shrug).

But the main point was, people of a similar mindset; all good people, who enjoy helping others and wanting to be better men.

I just love the subject and diving into the history of how Freemasonry came to be.

And that was exactly the same thing for me. I love the stories, the rituals, the symbolism and how it came to be - or, how we believe it came to be.

originally posted by: noonebutme

originally posted by: TerryDon79
I would have joined, but unfortunately I'm an Atheist.

This was my biggest worry - I don't believe in religion or sentient, all powerful gods. So i wasn't sure how I could join. But I believe in life and energy, that we all come from that same energy and return to it. That was my 'higher power'.

And the guys I spoke to from the lodge I joined here in the UK were pretty much of the same mindset. (religion is not terribly popular over here). It was more a tick box exercise, which, could be depriving (or instilling) the institution of values, depending on your point of view (shrug).

But the main point was, people of a similar mindset; all good people, who enjoy helping others and wanting to be better men.

I've noticed quite a few Freemasons who don't believe in any of the mainstream religions and have very similar to philosophy of a "higher power/supreme being/God(s)".

I've got a lodge about 5 minutes from where I live (Panmure 299) and have spoken to 4 of the members. 1 was Christian and the other 3 were similar to what you said with a few variations.

My biggest problem is I don't have such a faith/feeling or anything. It is something I've been contemplating the last couple of months though. I just end up back at square one with "yeah, there might be, but there might not be". If I joined with that in mind, I feel it would be dishonest (even though everyone knows Freemasons are evil lol).

I just love the subject and diving into the history of how Freemasonry came to be.

And that was exactly the same thing for me. I love the stories, the rituals, the symbolism and how it came to be - or, how we believe it came to be.I'd love to be able to be a part of the history teams that I've heard of and seen online. Sounds boring to some, but going through texts and going to sites with possible leads would be my dream hobby lol.

Freemasonry has a type of genesis crisis. Our origin is hazy and although we have certain texts and pieces of work that show various evolutions of not only our ritual but the name "Freemasonry". The farthest we can go back is the Regius Poem (ca. 1390). What we must look to though is not the name "Freemasonry" but similar rites, rituals, customs, and practices that organizations and groups used prior to it being called Freemasonry.

Hey TerryDon!

Look what popped up on BBC news today in the Travel section no less!

BBCNews.com - The Lost History of the Freemasons.

The date back to 1599 but state, "by the 1500s there were 13 lodges across Scotland". It is a good read anyway. Figured you would want ANY information and there are some books mentioned that I have not seen or heard of before.

There’s an old saying that wherever Scots went in numbers, the first thing they did was build a kirk [church], then they would build a bank, then they would build a pub. And the fourth thing was always a lodge,” Cooper said, chuckling.

ETA quote, same source

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Thanks. I would love to look at the link. Unfortunately it's not accessible to people in the UK. I'll try on my laptop later with a proxy