My personal advice; do NOT become a mason. If you want to better yourself, charity starts at home...not some delusional, pretentious club.

My personal advice; do NOT become a mason. If you want to better yourself, charity starts at home...not some delusional, pretentious club.

First, it is not a club. It's a fraternity. Secondly, the Masons contribute more money to philanthropy than practically any other organization in the world.

As far as "pretentious", most Masons that I have met are ordinary working men with very humble attitudes. They aren't braggarts - They tend to be the quiet leaders in their community. They are family-oriented, tend to be churchgoers, and civic-minded. They are also men of good character.

As far as "delusional", there is nothing delusional about Freemasonry. The rituals for initiation follow the story line of the building of King Solomon's Temple, which is hardly delusional. (Perhaps your confusing Freemasonry with Scientology, who knows?)

I would encourage anyone to consider visiting their local Masonic Lodge and learning more about the fraternity. If you are seeking fraternal brotherhood, friendship, and an opportunity to better yourselves and your community, then Masonry might be a fit for you. You will meet men of good character who want to better themselves and their community. If you become active in the fraternity, you will make strong, long-term friendships that will last you a lifetime.

Fraternity? Is that why so many women and disabled people have been denied entry into this 'fraternity'?

Should you join Freemasonry you will find out that its about being a human being of integrity, uprightness and honesty. These are values that have gone out of fashion lately.

But once you learn what its really about, you will start questioning the motives and sanity of some of the so-called "conspiracy-theorists" here, because what they say about freemasonry is so wildly at odds with your experience.

Personally, I find much of the actual practice of Freemasonry somewhat boring, but I do like the value it gives to society.

Fraternity? Is that why so many women and disabled people have been denied entry into this 'fraternity'?

Yes, it is a fraternity, implying a men's organization. It is not a sorority, which would be a women's organization. It's no different from the countless other men's fraternal organizations - such as the Elks, Moose, K of C, Oddfellows, Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.

Women interested in Freemasonry can join the Eastern Star, a masonic organization for women. Young women can join Job's Daughters, a masonic group for young women. In most Lodges, the wives of the Masonic members are quite active in these masonic groups, and are very supportive of their husbands.

How is this any different from any other fraternity? College fraternities are men only. And sororities are women only. It's not discrimination if there are ancillary, commensurate bodies that women can attend as well as men.

My Lodge has a special handicapped entrance with an electronic elevator to take disabled individuals to the second floor. One of our Brothers, who has since passed, used to attend Lodge on a respirator.

Unless you can substantiate your totally false accusation that disabled people are denied entry into Masonry, I think you might want to retract your statement.

The only requirements for entry to the fraternity are: being a man of good report and well-recommended, a belief in a Supreme Being, ability to support one's family, of lawful age, and that you are entering Masonry of your own free will and accord.

There is no prohibition of membership based on disability.

[edit on 23-7-2009 by CookieMonster09]

I am not opposed to fraternities or sorieties (although I dislike them), however, when a group of people advertise themselves as philantrophic and spiritual beings, it just looks stupid and hypocritical to segregate the sexes based on the idiotic premise of mindless tradition...

The only requirements for entry to the fraternity are: being a man of good report and well-recommended, a belief in a Supreme Being, ability to support one's family, of lawful age, and that you are entering Masonry of your own free will and accord.

Wow...well, that confirms my opposition to such a group. It's clear to me that philantrophy and spiritual development are the secondary focus of the masons. What's a female atheist to do? Elitist pile of pseudo-spiritual gluck!

I've heard of disabled people being denied entry, though it probably doesn't apply to all your 'fraternities'.

[edit on 23-7-2009 by VergeofObscene]

I am not opposed to fraternities or sorieties (although I dislike them), however, when a group of people advertise themselves as philantrophic and spiritual beings, it just looks stupid and hypocritical to segregate the sexes based on the idiotic premise of mindless tradition...

First, Masons do not tend to advertise their philanthropy, except on the rare occasion that you might see a Shriners football game, or a Shriners commercial on television. Even then, Masonry is generally pretty low key.

Masons don't "advertise" that they are "spiritual beings". I am not sure where you heard that from. Perhaps you are confusing Masons with the Jehovah's Witnesses. Masonry is a fraternity, not a religion.

The Lodge has historically been open to men and women - just in the form of different groups. Men attend the Blue Lodge, and women attend the Eastern Star. This is more based on tradition than anything else. After all, Masonry is at least a few hundred years old, perhaps much older depending on which historian you read.

You could make the very same complaint against any number of "men's only" organizations, including the Catholic priesthood. Whoopee.

Wow...well, that confirms my opposition to such a group. It's clear to me that philantrophy and spiritual development are the secondary focus of the masons.

First, Masonry never purports to be about spiritual development. Building men of good moral character does not imply a religious overtone. That's like saying that the Boy Scouts is a religious group - It just doesn't make sense.

Secondly, I listed the requirements for entry into the Blue Lodge. How on earth does it follow that entrance requirements indicate an aversion to philanthropy? Quite the contrary is true. Masonry wants men of good character because it is a charitable and philanthropic fraternity. Masons are, by far, one of the world's largest - if not the largest - philanthropic organization in the entire world, devoting tens of millions of dollars to charitable causes every year.

We provide free dentistry services to the handicapped, free hospitals for burn victims, free tutoring to dyslexic children, hospital care to crippled children, scholarships to local high school students... and the list goes on and on.

At the same time, we generally keep to ourselves, yet we are viciously attacked by "conspiracy theorists" who come up with the most bizarre, twisted lies about our fraternity.

Originally posted by VergeofObscene
I've heard of disabled people being denied entry, though it probably doesn't apply to all your 'fraternities'.

There was a young man in the town where my lodge is located. He had petitoned to join but ending up defering as he was in the National Guard and was summoned to service. In the course of his deployment he was tragically wounded and lost most of right leg. Upon his discharge from Walter Reed and the completion of his prosthetic rehab he expressed a very strong urge to undertake his degrees. Needles to say we were more then happy to confer them. In my opinion he is anything but 'disabled'.

Originally posted by Skyfloating
Should you join Freemasonry you will find out that its about being a human being of integrity, uprightness and honesty. These are values that have gone out of fashion lately.

But once you learn what its really about, you will start questioning the motives and sanity of some of the so-called "conspiracy-theorists" here, because what they say about freemasonry is so wildly at odds with your experience.

Personally, I find much of the actual practice of Freemasonry somewhat boring, but I do like the value it gives to society.

Wow!
I was told that ATS is a freemason run site but I didn't really believe it until now. . . Aren't site moderators meant to be impartial and not declare their own private views?
Well, I guess thats me with another warning and point deduction.

Originally posted by CookieMonster09

The Lodge has historically been open to men and women - just in the form of different groups. Men attend the Blue Lodge, and women attend the Eastern Star. This is more based on tradition than anything else. After all, Masonry is at least a few hundred years old, perhaps much older depending on which historian you read.

It's STILL technichally a males only club, the female branches of masonry came long after the original male-only ones, I'm sure...

You could make the very same complaint against any number of "men's only" organizations, including the Catholic priesthood. Whoopee.

Indeed I could....and indeed I do. Priesthood is even worse than freemasory, imo, and I have been a devout antitheist for quite some time now. In my study of human nature, religion serves no purpose but to segregate and control the masses. Any useful spiritual function it once had (if it ever had one at all) exists no more. But that's a story for another time...

First, Masonry never purports to be about spiritual development. Building men of good moral character does not imply a religious overtone. That's like saying that the Boy Scouts is a religious group - It just doesn't make sense.

Ahh, but the boy scouts do not require one to believe in a higher spiritual being for them to join. Theres a thin line between religion and organization, and they are often the same thing...the 'super being' prerequisite for joing the masons sounds fishy, imo...

Secondly, I listed the requirements for entry into the Blue Lodge. How on earth does it follow that entrance requirements indicate an aversion to philanthropy?

Not an aversion to philantrophy per se. The acts of philantrophy done by the masons is to be commended...their claims on building moral integrity, on the other hand...

Quite the contrary is true. Masonry wants men of good character because it is a charitable and philanthropic fraternity. Masons are, by far, one of the world's largest - if not the largest - philanthropic organization in the entire world, devoting tens of millions of dollars to charitable causes every year.

Again, that's very nice. Too bad women and atheists aren't allowed to contribute. You would only increase your philantrophic endeavours...

We provide free dentistry services to the handicapped, free hospitals for burn victims, free tutoring to dyslexic children, hospital care to crippled children, scholarships to local high school students... and the list goes on and on.

At the same time, we generally keep to ourselves, yet we are viciously attacked by "conspiracy theorists" who come up with the most bizarre, twisted lies about our fraternity.

I don't know about the conspiracy theories, nor do I care. The fact that the masons claim to instil moral values in men, and then put particular prerequisites on that very morality just seems hypocritical to me. It sounds cliqued, pretentious and elitist. To deny access to atheists and women sends out the message that ''we are better than you''. Also, what's this business on having to be heavily reccommended to get it? Fyi, I'm not a woman, nor am I an 'atheist', (well, not exactly), and would also be in the right age bracket to qualify...so I'm not 'bitter', I merely see the masonry for what it is; benevolent, but self-indulgent and deceptive.

My advice to the thread starter remains the same; if you want to be a philantropist, or if you want to expand your moral compass, there are better ways to do that than joining the masonry. Again, all my opinion, but you can bet your eggs that's worth a lot.

Originally posted by VergeofObscene
Ahh, but the boy scouts do not require one to believe in a higher spiritual being for them to join. Theres a thin line between religion and organization, and they are often the same thing...the 'super being' prerequisite for joing the masons sounds fishy, imo...

Wrong, the Boy Scouts do require beleif in Diety to be a member.

Wrong, the Boy Scouts do require beleif in Diety to be a member.

Really? That's awful...in Irealnd, I was a member of the scouts (the closest irish equivalent), and even in my atheist ways, I was allowed to join. Not that they were nosey enough to ask about such things. In that case, the boy scouts deserves condemnation, too, but I admit I don't know much about how the 'United' States of Merica runs that charade...