Why do some people feel the need to post outright lies about Masons and Masonry?, page 1

Originally posted by ThehorrorofAtlantis
One might ask why the Masons seem to have such a need for secrecy and ritual in what they do. I mean from what I gather i is essentially a mens club. If you make something mysterious then people are bound to jump to all kinds of erroneous conclusions.

So can I turn this question around and ask why the Masons are so secretive and select?

Thats one I can answer. For the same reason many Wiccans, homosexuals, and others tend to be secretive.

Protection. When one reads all the diatribes, false info, ect, the fanatics write about Freemasons and others, its easier to understand why they tend to keep the nature of their lodges and rituals private.

When you look back in history, you see that many societies and govornments, such as the Communists, the Nazis, ect, all of which hated Freemasons and hunted them down and attempted to exterminate them. Many Christian zealots in times past also felt, since the Masons did not adhere to their strict dogma, would persecute them as well.

The same goes for people during the middle ages, who returned to the pagan faiths of their ancestors, were extremedly secretive and kept their beliefs, rituals, and membership secretive, as discovery by the Christ-Insane institutions of the times was a death sentance, usually a slow and horrid death.

Years and years of habits of secrecy still exibit themselves today. Though we no longer have state sanctioned inquisitions, we still have many religous zealots who still harrass and threaten people they do not agree with. When I lived in california's bible belt, a Wiccan woman and her husband opened up a metaphysical bookstore and pagan community center. They were greeted by the locals with death threats, primitive bombs in their trashcans, slashed tires and car vandalism, burning trasdh on their front yard, physical attacks and abuse. Their children, when it became known that their parents were witches, were brutally attacked and abused at school. One day, when a bunch of us were gathered in the back room, the store's temple, outside the local church's ladies group was outside noisily chanting and screaming we needed to be saved, that Satan was our god, ect.

So, with such attitudes being held by so many people, is it any wonder why many Wiccans choose to remain in the broom closet and are secretive about their faiths?

Freemasons also have rites and rituals that are misunderstood and labeled Satanic, and many things they do are feared by those ignorant of the symbolism. That is one reason they are secretive. Protection.

Another reason both Wiccans and Freemasons tend to be secretive is because their rituals, symbolism, and beliefs are considered most sacred and special, pearls of wisdom or knowldge that the general public really has no business knowing about. Sort of along the lines of pearls being thrown before swine. The majority of people on this planet are pretty much that: swine, base herd animals who live a narrow existance, carrying little beyond whats on their plate, whats on TV, when is the next sale at Wal Mart, or which friend is pregnant with who's kid. Thus, precious beliefs, symbols, and rites are not shared with those who have no real desire to move beyond a simple, base existance.

As to why Freemasons are very selective, as are Wiccans, see above. Unlike Christians or Muslims, niether Wiccans nor Masons are interesting in saving souls, or gathering large herds of sheeple and indoctrinating them. Niether system believes they are the one true way, and thus, both Masons and Wiccans are more interested in quality, not quantity. They are both spiritual systems that one is drawn to, that one desires. You have to be truly interested in them, to improve one's self and the world around them. They are not mass produced quick fix one size fit all systems. Only certain types of people were meant for them.

Though I was once leary of Masonry's all male club system, it was for different reasons than you think. I have no problem with all male societies, I think that in truly deep, powerful brotherhoods of men, you have wonderful transformations taking place. My suspicon was not that Masons were diabolical devil worshipers, but some sort of exclusive "old boys" net work of corrupt executives, politicans, ect. When I learned that Masonry was a very deep, beautiful society dedicated to making a person better, in mind, body, spirit, and community, I realized it was not different in principle from say, a coven.