Originally posted by Mintwithahole.

I have to admit that freemasonry baffles me!

...

Freemasons gain knowledge the higher they climb up through the degrees so what do you do when you reach the third degree and find the secrets shared with you appear to be nonsense or uninteresting or alternatively, dangerous? It would seem to me that any really truely inspiring or world breaking truth wouldn't be shared with an ordinary mason who may find it all too far fetched and turn his back and walk away to spill his knowledge to the world press. So the secrets can't be that mind-blowing can they? And if they aren't, what does freemasonry really have to offer?

You are making an assumption here that Freemasons actually tell you a tangible "Secret" or "Truth." Your mindset is wrong...

Freemasonry teaches us to "explore the mysteries of Nature and Science, the better to know our Maker."

By means of the ritual, we are inspired and encouraged to think or contemplate on various things. No conclusion is ever given. Every Mason makes his own conclusion, and develops his own understanding of the Creator.

It is this personal understanding which is the secret of Freemasonry.

So I can never tell this secret to anybody else - not to a Mason, and not to a non-Mason. I can't, even if I want to, because faith is a personal thing. I cannot give someone else my Faith. The secret is my own, and every other Mason has his own secret.

So you asked the question:" So the secrets can't be that mind-blowing can they? And if they aren't, what does freemasonry really have to offer?"

The answer to your question is simply:
Your own secret.

Originally posted by MischeviousElf
Pike mentions the "Light" being an actual entity or "god" or center of worship that is not as sold to the lower levels as knowledge.

I cannot agree with your interpretation of Pike, although feel free to quote him in relation to your comment.

Which God or energy do you see :

1 Pikes interpretation of it as

2 When worshipping the light personally who do you think you are giving obedience and servitude to?

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. - I John 1:5

Dont you realise its a religion behind locked doors, very much like the old catholic Masses in latin the congregation couldnt understand and or read or right, and the priests and such like were behind screen and the "secret" ceremony took place their.

It all depends on how you define "religion". Obviously, if you ask a Freemason what his religion is, he probably isn't going to say "Freemasonry". On the other hand, if you define "religion" as St. James did, that "pure religion" consists in doing good deeds and keeping oneself "unspotted from the world", then Freemasonry probably qualifies.

If I promise you I have secrets, and hidden Knowledge, which in fact I do that I could never pass on as its orally transmitted anyhow, but If I was prepared to offer you the secrets to some Yiddams and Mantras NEVER published, would you come to my house and Bare your breast, put on a hood, and noose and do my housework and worship me?

lol, probably not. But I think you're comparing apples with oranges. Freemasonry does not condone worshipping people, nor does it claim to possess any hidden knowledge of that nature.

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.
Which brings me back to a question I once asked a mason on here which was- do you have passwords (key words) and hand shakes (grips) to show other masons that you secretly recognise them, and if this is the case, and I think it is, Isn't that proof that some masons see themselves above the law? Let's say you get pulled over for a traffic offence and the cop who pulls you is a freemason, a simple handshake or saying the right words, and you'll get off scot free. Meanwhile us ordinary people end up forever paying speeding/parking fines!
You have to admit the potential is there for freemasons to dodge the law, and if they can do it with minor offences like fines what else can you get away with? Do you see where I'm coming from?

Why would I need a silly grip or word to do that? I keep my Masonic dues card in my wallet along with all my other ID anyone would ever ask me to show...

But that doesn't mean someone is going to get off easy because they're a Mason. We're supposed to set examples in the community. That means a brother who is a copy would probably treat me more sternly than he might a non-brother.

Originally posted by letthereaderunderstand
Hello Gentlemen, Thank you for your patience with us. I can only imagine how it must be to have to take the abuse from people more worried about judging others than themselves.

We've been enduring it for centuries and we're quite used to it.

I've been skimming Morals and Dogma and it has some great stuff as well as different views on things I hadn't thought about before. To be quite honest, the organization sounds a lot like "Boy Scouts" for adults, I was wondering if there are any ties to the "Boy Scouts"?

Actually the Boy Scouts do have their Masonic links though indirectly. The founder of the Boy Scouts was a Freemason.

Also, I'm not sure if any of you would know this or not, but I see "Jay-Z", the artist, in a lot of threads lately around the net rumored to be a mason. Any truth behind that?

I dont think so......

I study the Hebrew and Greek direct translations. I have seen that many of the terms in there elude to masonry. I was wondering if Hiram is another name for Aaron. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but Hiram was the First Builder? Aaron was the first High priest. Is there any link between them.

There's no correlation between the two as far as I'm aware. There's a theory out there (esoterically) that Hiram King of Tyre and Hiram the builder are but the representation of the higher and lowers selves of Hiram.

And Last, Jesus said, "I am the chief cornerstone, (pyramid capstone) who the builders rejected". Through study I've come to see that the "Chief" is the last one in line and not the first. Eldest being the First, Chief being the last. Is his statement in any way speaking of the masons?

Interestingly, this same line "I am the chief cornerstone, who the builders rejected" is used to describe a certain part of the Royal Arch degree. Actually it describes THE Royal Arch not the capstone on the pyramid. Such is the importance of Jesus' ministry in the York Rite degrees. (whom you have to at least swear to defend the Christian faith to belong to). The Christian trinity is central to the rite and I can personally tell you that there is no darkness of devil worship involved. However, I will openly say there are some gnostic elements involved as well as some deeply esoteric Christian teachings. For gnosticism see the gospel of Judas, Thomas, Mary etc.

Thanks for your response and may the holy one bless you in your struggles. Peace

And you in your's as they are one and the same my friend.
[edit on 27-2-2009 by solomanskey]

[edit on 27-2-2009 by solomanskey]