Originally posted by sebatwerk
I'm not sure if scooter's answers were really as accurate as I would consider them to be. Scooter, are you a mason? or just speaking from what you know?
Here's my answers:
1. Your own personal God is perfectly good enough to get you in. The only requirements for joining are a belief in ANY supreme being, and a good reputation (ie, no felonies, etc. etc.)
2. Masons view ANYTHING that is against the law as something negative. All masons are sworn to uphold the law and therefore drugs cannot be accepted. Needless to say there are masons who abuse alcohol and such things, this is common in any organization.
3. It is a problem on YOUR behalf. Many catholics have been masons (including myself) even though the church bans catholics from joning the fraternity. If you have a personal problem with something about the Craft, then it is a problem for YOU, not the fraternity.
4. There's too many to name. "Making good men better" is a common slogan, brotherhood, relief, charity, fun, personal development, learning, knowledge, etc etc etc.
5. Absolutely not. Masonry does not care WHAT you believe in nor HOW you believe in it. The lessons that masonry teaches can be adapted into any belief system because they all follow a common theme (ie: truth, charity, virtue, love, morality).
6. Lodge officers are elected by all members for one-year terms. Any Master Mason can become an officer.
7. Like I stated in #5, all rules are common to all belief systems and therefore accomodates all brothers easily.
Hope this helps.
Yeah. I'm a Past Master and 32nd degree Mason. And my family has a rich history in Masonry. My answers were really not much different than yours. You just worded them different.
[edit on 8-3-2005 by scooter1369]
