Before you ask another pointless Freemason question...

Posting a question in an Internet forum is research.

I was searching through a bag of old photographs and documents which my great grandmother gave to my family after she had died in 2001, I didn't take much notice of it at that time.
I decided to go through it again when I was 16, and found an old certificate which was given to my great-grandfather back in the 60's to commemorate him becoming a member of the freemasons.

I find it fascinating that I have had a family member a part of this society. I had always wondered whether anymore of my ancestors where a part of it. My Grandparents had been studying our family tree for sixteen years, and they had found records and documents which prove most of the males on our side where knights and higher up members of society.

So I wonder....

Originally posted by rugbygurl89
I find it fascinating that I have had a family member a part of this society. I had always wondered whether anymore of my ancestors where a part of it. My Grandparents had been studying our family tree for sixteen years, and they had found records and documents which prove most of the males on our side where knights and higher up members of society.

So I wonder....

I stumbled onto a family connection to Masonry when my parents moved out their last house in favour of an apartment. Turns out my grandfather (who died when my Dad was a boy) had been a Mason and I came across a photo of my grandfather's funeral. There was a long double line of top-hatted Masons accompanying the hearse (my father, his sister and my grandmother were at sea when my grandfather died) and the brethren of my grandfather's lodge made all the funeral arrangements for their fallen brother. Spoke volumes to me about what Freemasonry's all about.

Joined the Masons about a year later and haven't regretted the decision for a moment.

Originally posted by alyosha1981
reply to post by Kaytagg

 

People often tend to fear that which they don't understand. It is easy to make outlandish claims and rediculous speculations about anything and everything. We could go on for days making up fairytales and rattling off about the Freemasons...or we can do some research and a bit of reading, maybe talk to some members and how about a really crazy idea? Maybe go to a lodge on a piblic dinner night and try to get a "feel" for the brotherhood.

These are Ideas I'm trying to pass off as reasonable alternatives to starting threads making fun of or worse...Masonry as a whole. Call me crazy.

[edit on 14-12-2009 by alyosha1981]

That's funny, I could have sworn that the Freemasons had a tradition of secrecy from outsiders. Meaning it is their intent to keep people from understanding what is going on inside the halls.

And then it is the individuals fault for being in the dark? Pretty arrogant, dont you think?

The thing is, I have been studying the rituals of masons for some time now, and you just cannot deny some of the underlying 'darkness' for lack of a better word.

Guarding the door with a sword, placement of different ranks coordinated with the compass, the swearing of secrecy at every meeting....these things are undeniable.

But I do agree, though, that people ought to do a little research before attaching themselves to theories that they cannot back up.

reply to post by captaintyinknots


Google is your friend (although add -freemasonrywatch to your search string). Freemasonry doesn't have any particular mysteries or secrets that haven't been available to the non-Mason for pushing three centuries.

Disbelief does not correlate with disinformation.

Originally posted by Fitzgibbon
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

Google is your friend (although add -freemasonrywatch to your search string). Freemasonry doesn't have any particular mysteries or secrets that haven't been available to the non-Mason for pushing three centuries.

Disbelief does not correlate with disinformation.

I dont trust the google-machine. Id prefer to read texts on the subject, of which I have read many.

I think that many freemasons assume they know all that is going on within their ranks, and think because some things are a certain way in their lodge, they must be in all. I just dont buy it.

Now, Im not a "freemasons are luciferians that kill children and drink blood" person or anything like that, but I HAVE read freemason manuals, I HAVE read histories of the group, and I HAVE READ much of the rituals.

I truly think that there are factions within freemasonry that are at the 'evil' (for lack of a better word) end of the sspectrum, and there are those that are at the 'good" end(again, for lack of a better word), as it usually is within any group.

What I dont think is fair, or true, is to say that freemasons are nothing but good, and thinking otherwise makes you a fool.

There are plenty of proofs that not all freemasons were out for the betterment of society, and even more that many lodges have the goal of infiltrating politics and business with their members.

Groups of people out to serve their own purpose on a grand scale is never a good thing

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
I dont trust the google-machine. Id prefer to read texts on the subject, of which I have read many.

Good. That's a start insofar as they're reliable texts.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
I think that many freemasons assume they know all that is going on within their ranks, and think because some things are a certain way in their lodge, they must be in all. I just dont buy it.

Is that mindset really that out there at least by comparison to some assertions? Certainly the work is the same or virtually so.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
Now, Im not a "freemasons are luciferians that kill children and drink blood" person or anything like that, but I HAVE read freemason manuals, I HAVE read histories of the group, and I HAVE READ much of the rituals.

Good. And have you found anything that'd disabuse you of the notion that Masonry exists for the general betterment of society?

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
I truly think that there are factions within freemasonry that are at the 'evil' (for lack of a better word) end of the sspectrum, and there are those that are at the 'good" end(again, for lack of a better word), as it usually is within any group.

Depends whether you're talking regular or clandestine Freemasonry. Given your reading, do you really believe that there's an 'evil' end to the pool of regular Freemasons? And if so, why? Based on what? And is that information reliable?

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
What I dont think is fair, or true, is to say that freemasons are nothing but good, and thinking otherwise makes you a fool.

I don't think you'll find any actual Mason here asserting otherwise. They will point out that men of low character can make their way into the fraternity and tarnish all with their behaviour. Paul Bernardo was emblematic of such an individual. However the exception doesn't prove the rule.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
There are plenty of proofs that not all freemasons were out for the betterment of society, and even more that many lodges have the goal of infiltrating politics and business with their members.

For example? Setting aside the hobby horse of P2 that is.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
Groups of people out to serve their own purpose on a grand scale is never a good thing

Granted. Oddly enough, they're to be found in virtually any association of men no matter what their professed intention. Does that make the other, non-partakers inherently bad by association?

I think not.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
The thing is, I have been studying the rituals of masons for some time now, and you just cannot deny some of the underlying 'darkness' for lack of a better word.

Guarding the door with a sword, placement of different ranks coordinated with the compass, the swearing of secrecy at every meeting....these things are undeniable.

You're right. We guard the door with a sword; different ranks are at different compass points; and the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction ends every meeting with a swearing of secrecy (there's no such vow at every meeting of my blue lodge, though it is part of the oath one takes upon joining...). Those things are, as you say, undeniable.

How though, does that equate with an "underlying darkness"? What's sinister about a guy with a dull ornamental sword? Or arranging the lodge so that it runs east to west? Is that evil? Or promising not to gossip about paying bills?

Just looking for that "underlying darkness" you speak of...

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
The thing is, I have been studying the rituals of masons for some time now, and you just cannot deny some of the underlying 'darkness' for lack of a better word.

Guarding the door with a sword, placement of different ranks coordinated with the compass, the swearing of secrecy at every meeting....these things are undeniable.

Why is it that many, many people confuse unfamiliarity with 'darkness?'

When a sword is used by the queen of England to knight a loyal subject, it is seen as normal because it is familiar. The guards outside the Palace of Buckingham and just about every other presidential/royal household guard the door with swords, but because this familiar, it is not considered 'dark.'

When the same customs are applied in an unfamiliar setting, so many see it as 'dark.' I don't get it...

reply to post by Saurus


I am not sure about anyone else's tyler here, but ours has been around the block a few times. he is in his late 60s. Real nice guy, but I doubt he could stave off an attack. And our sword is a Civil War relic with no edge. Nothing sinister about him.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots


Now, Im not a "freemasons are luciferians that kill children and drink blood" person or anything like that, but I HAVE read freemason manuals, I HAVE read histories of the group, and I HAVE READ much of the rituals.

I truly think that there are factions within freemasonry that are at the 'evil' (for lack of a better word) end of the sspectrum, and there are those that are at the 'good" end(again, for lack of a better word), as it usually is within any group.

since you said it, I am sure you won't mind telling us which "factions" these are?

What I dont think is fair, or true, is to say that freemasons are nothing but good, and thinking otherwise makes you a fool.

There are plenty of proofs that not all freemasons were out for the betterment of society, and even more that many lodges have the goal of infiltrating politics and business with their members.

besides the P2 scandal, please list a couple. I am always excited to learn new things.

Groups of people out to serve their own purpose on a grand scale is never a good thing

how so? Do you mean like the Red Cross?