Originally posted by strokker
Food for thought...To the initiates of the 33degree...Draw a circle...mark out 33degrees of the circle in red .That is you... now blacken the other
327degrees...That is the "dark part" you need to learn about to come "FULL CIRCLE" to realize the true meaning of your "benevolent fraternity"
HAPPY TRAILS..... DIRT
Listen..I understand the allure of believing there is some evil dark brotherhood that is out to rule the world. It makes life exciting. But before you
believe in stuff like this...would you please do some research? The "degrees" in freemasonry mark points of learning, much like a university degree
(although university degrees take far more work, the basic principle is the same). While the whole "OMG there are 360 degrees!!!!1111" is
entertaining its based off a complete misunderstanding of the word degree.
I know you think it sounds good because Freemasonry is about geometry and it fits well, but its really not what it represents.
I think I'm going to copy and paste this somewhere because I find myself saying this often, but once more:
There is no degree higher in freemasonry than the 3rd degree, or master mason. That is in fact the entire point of the fraternity - that all its
members meet on the same level. Degrees that are numerically higher than the 3rd are optional degrees from various side orders that do not confer
power, rank, or authority. A 33rd degree Scottish Rite mason has the same amount of power and rank as a 3rd degree master mason.
The obsession with the Scottish Rite degrees I suspect is mainly because it has higher numbers, and that makes people think those numbers must mean
higher power or authority. It is not.
All of the following people are of the same power/rank/authority within freemasonry:
Master Mason (highest degree of the blue lodge)
Inspector General Honorary (honorary degree of the Scottish Rite)
Knight Templar (highest degree of the York Rite)