posted on Feb, 12 2007 @ 07:37 PM
I prefer to say that Masonry is not a secret society, but a society with secrets. Most of those secrets (handshakes and what have you) don't have
anything to do with non-Masons, and in no way what so ever will ever pertain to you.
The ways of recognition is used to recognize others like your self of the same degree, so that when your in strange lands and you meet a fellow Mason,
you can be assured that he will neither take advantage of you or lead you astray.. because that is the oath of the lodge and the fraternity, to look
out for brothers like your self.
Taking over the world is impossible. It has never been done, is not being done, will never be done.
One group could not take over the world.
You could be the richest man in the world, and you cannot take over the world.. because money buys obedience, but not loyalty, and without loyalty you
command nothing. Armies and empires thrive on ideology, culture and innovation, not a pool of wealth. These are the things that conspiratress
don’t seem to understand, or fail to be able to comprehend. I see the usual people who decide that Masons of all groups that could, are taking over
the world.. are typically completely ignorant with the apparent education of a high schooler. It would be one thing to study the influence a
fraternity can have among men, but to say that a fraternity can completely dominate every aspect of the world is completely ridiculous. Many groups,
like say the Catholic Church or extreme Islam, or the country of America it's self may try and control aspects of society and international societies
but the population of devoted followers, nationalist and zealots is far outstanding compared to the mere membership of some 5 million Masons.
One would have to assume that Masons are all rich. I know several multi millionaires in our lodge. I also know I make in a year what other make in a
week. I know that there are far more middle class and lower middle class brothers then there are rich brothers.
Masonry was put on the radar by the religious extremist and ultra conservative Catholics and Protestants, subjected to ever lasting suspicion because
of the fear that a group of free thinking men could challenge the very foundation that the Church's of the world have built their power base upon -
the complete devotion of its members, and the fear that straying otherwise would lead to ever lasting damnation. Masonry, because we do not allow
strangers to walk into meetings, or because we care enough to keep traditions the same, and as pure as possible, with the up most respect for our
ancestry and our history, we have been subjected to speculation into our motives.
Many religions hold ceremonies and they hold rituals that go back thousands of years in nature, back to Pagan roots. Baptism is required in most
churches, including the Catholic Church. To dip your head in water blessed by a priest to wash away your mortal sins. That is no more odd then the
rituals that Masonry practice, the difference is that they are different, and because they are unknown they have an aura of mysticism around it that
lead to speculation into occult worshiping or ill intentions, when they are nothing like that at all. It is a simple misunderstanding, it is a
ignorance in not seeking to understand and it is not being able to accept that not every one conforms to the same kind of rituals or activities that
every one else would deem a norm. The way it is carried out, with the deepest respect to history and brotherhood, seems awkward and backwards, when
we really have just kept our origins alive instead of diluting them, destroying their brilliance and polluting their meaning by omitting and admitting
words and practices.
But I am glad that someone had the respect to truly try and read up on the history of the group he posts about. Many others will slander away with
out regards to the traditions that we live by. Masons do not come onto this board and defend their fraternity for no reason, it is not disinformation
but information, information that needs to be spread to stop the ever escalating hostilities that come from the ignorant masses against us. If no one
is to correct the wrongful lines of thought then our people could literally be endangered.. there is nothing more dangerous then ignorant people
massed together to fight an ideology in which they consider crude and different, wrong and satanic, because their thought processes can lead to
situations that could physically endanger the organization to which we belong. Never forget your past. Those who fear, who are paranoid about what
they cannot understand, those who hate out of spite, those who do not give others the chance to live a free life by their choosing have forever in
history been the assailant in mass murders, inquisitions, executions, crusades, theocratic despots, torture and murder in the name of God and the
right way of life.
We need to work to stop such Neolithic thought processes, to end discrimination against those who live differently or believe differently then the
general population. Those who speak out against not just Masonry, but any organization who practice a different way of life need to sit back and try
and understand, try and learn the history, try and accept. We can only truly be free men when everyone can at least respect the rights of their
fellow man to do as they wish, believe as they wish, practice as they wish. Ignorant hatred has only ever held our species back.