Freemasonry FAQ

Originally posted by KIZZZY
Evasive! What is the name!

what do you call him?

or do you even believe in him?

reply to post by ashanu90

do you have to believe in god to join?

Yes.. but not any specific God .. you can believe in what ever God you want to, so long as it's not something like the God of Marshmallows .. you have to take it seriously.

The reason WHY you have to believe in God (aside from the spiritual aspects of Masonry) is that when you take an oath to Masonry, and to your self (to become a better person) you have to take it on something "bigger than yourself" .. swearing to your God of choice would, we hope, mean you take it very seriously since it's not something generally taken lightly.

can you join if you consider yourself a morale atheist?

I'm not sure what a "Moral Atheist" means?

do freemasons still build things anymore?

We only ever built Lodges. And even then, we hire construction companies to do it. Freemasonry and operative masonry are two different things.

ive heard that the "illuminati" are somehow related to the freemasons, if not does the illuminati exist?

No, they are not related. IMO only, I'd say that the Illuminati is a cover name for things people don't understand.. like complex international relations, politics, economics, science etc.. when something happens that people don't understand they shout things like NWO, conspiracy!, Illuminati!

Economically and politically, all things Illuminati can be summed up as: Globalism.

That scares people. (My self included actually)..

why are there freemason symbols on some public schools?

I'd imagine these are probably older buildings.. Freemasonry, especially back in the day, used to lay corner stones for public buildings.. Masonry in some towns is very important, and having them be apart of a ceremony like that is simply having part of the towns blessing so to speak. I hope to some day see one of those ceremonies, but they are much rarer than they were.

why is there a lodge in every town village or city?

Theres not.. though, there are a lot of them. All in all, I believe there is something like 5 or 6 million Freemasons throughout the entire World (someone correct me if thats wrong) .. in bigger cities there numerous lodges .. or in the building I was raised in there was something like 4 or 5 lodges in one building. Freemasonry will always have a following where ever you go, in every country.. sometimes more prevalent than others, sometimes not.. a Fraternity as old as us (we are the oldest) is going to bee in every corner of the World.

Originally posted by KIZZZY
Evasive! What is the name!

Christians call God well... God As they consider their God above all.

Muslims call their God Allah, though he has 99 and more names.

The Jewish people refer to their God as Yahweh.

The Sikh have a much less personal definition of God, God is everything.

The Hindu have Vishnu as their supreme god.

If we were to go into every religion, we could spend a lot of time discussing the different beliefs of religions eligible the join Masonry, but it would take awhile, and much of it would be unfairly brief.

reply to post by network dude


um...Did I start a thread saying I would answer questions regarding any belief system?

reply to post by RuneSpider


I am sure you do spend much time not answering the question!

Do Masons use Astrological symbols in their rituals?

Originally posted by KIZZZY
reply to post by network dude

 

um...Did I start a thread saying I would answer questions regarding any belief system?

Masonry's not a belief system. That's what religions are for. Masonry's not a religion. How many times do we have to keep repeating this before you'll get it?

Originally posted by KIZZZY
reply to post by RuneSpider

 

I am sure you do spend much time not answering the question!

Your question has been answered honestly and fully multiple times by multiple Masons (and an ex-Mason) in multiple countries. I'm sorry you're not getting the answer you want. Asking it repeatedly isn't going to change the answer.

Originally posted by KIZZZY
Do Masons use Astrological symbols in their rituals?

Sun and moon, yes. Other planets or zodiac signs? Not in the first 3 degrees, which are the topic of this thread.

Astronomy

Is that sublime science which inspires the contemplative mind to soar aloft and read the wisdom, strength and beauty of the great Creator in the heavens. [How nobly eloquent of the Deity is the celestial hemisphere!--spangled with the most magnificent heralds of His infinite glory! They speak to the whole universe; for there is neither speech so barbarous but their language is understood, nor nations so distant but their voices are heard among them.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God;
The firmament declareth the works of his hands."
Assisted by Astronomy, we ascertain the laws which govern the heavenly bodies, and by which their motions are directed; investigate the power by which they circulate in their orbs, discover their size, determine their distance, explain their various phenomena, and correct the fallacy of the senses by the light of truth.]*

Originally posted by KIZZZY
Do Masons use Astrological symbols in their rituals?

no. we use the sun, moon, and the stars in different times during our meetings and degrees. No zodiac symbols though.

And I am sorry you didn't get the answer you were looking for with the God question. I call him God. I call his Son Jesus Christ, and I call his spirit heart. That is where is resides. Not all masons, or people for that matter, think the same way.

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by KIZZZY
Do Masons use Astrological symbols in their rituals?

Sun and moon, yes. Other planets or zodiac signs? Not in the first 3 degrees, which are the topic of this thread.

Astronomy

Is that sublime science which inspires the contemplative mind to soar aloft and read the wisdom, strength and beauty of the great Creator in the heavens. [How nobly eloquent of the Deity is the celestial hemisphere!--spangled with the most magnificent heralds of His infinite glory! They speak to the whole universe; for there is neither speech so barbarous but their language is understood, nor nations so distant but their voices are heard among them.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God;
The firmament declareth the works of his hands."
Assisted by Astronomy, we ascertain the laws which govern the heavenly bodies, and by which their motions are directed; investigate the power by which they circulate in their orbs, discover their size, determine their distance, explain their various phenomena, and correct the fallacy of the senses by the light of truth.]*

Here is the opening of this thread and I quote:

"Thread Purpose

I want to invite folks to ask any and all questions about Freemasonry. It's easier to answer them if you confine it to one or two per post."


Once again I ask, Do Masons use Astrological symbols in their rituals?



btw I do not require a delineation of Astronomy!

[edit on 20-4-2010 by KIZZZY]

[edit on 20-4-2010 by KIZZZY]

i dont know what to say here. i understand what are you trying to say kizzy.
i know lot of people say high ranking masons learn about the god of light by the name of lucifer,but look at what "hidden hand" sayd,that its just a name of a group of souls,not the devil.
i want to do good,i want to help people and be around nice people.
im sick of living in a evil negative country where good people are CRUSHED.

anyway here is the questin,what can anyone tell me about the levels above 3rd.

Why do Masons use the hexogram (star) of Moloch to whom Solomon raised a temple to?

Originally posted by Stillalive
i dont know what to say here. i understand what are you trying to say kizzy.
i know lot of people say high ranking masons learn about the god of light by the name of lucifer,but look at what "hidden hand" sayd,that its just a name of a group of souls,not the devil.
i want to do good,i want to help people and be around nice people.
im sick of living in a evil negative country where good people are CRUSHED.

anyway here is the questin,what can anyone tell me about the levels above 3rd.

Lucifer is only the name of Venus. By your answer I ASSUME you do not know the name of the Mason's God of Light!

Originally posted by network dude

Originally posted by KIZZZY
Do Masons use Astrological symbols in their rituals?

no. we use the sun, moon, and the stars in different times during our meetings and degrees. No zodiac symbols though.

And I am sorry you didn't get the answer you were looking for with the God question. I call him God. I call his Son Jesus Christ, and I call his spirit heart. That is where is resides. Not all masons, or people for that matter, think the same way.

So you need the degrees for what? For configurations of aspect of fixed stars to the sun and moon? To what purpose does it affect your rituals?

Originally posted by KIZZZY
reply to post by RuneSpider

 

I am sure you do spend much time not answering the question!

The closest you would come to "God" in Freemasonry is the concept of the Grand Architect of the Universe, which really is left open for interpretation by the Mason.
Certainly, much in Masonry is based off of the Old Testament, but members join from other religions aside from the Judaic.

Freemasonry itself does not teach of a God, however, just that it's members have a concept of a creator God.

Originally posted by KIZZZY
Why do Masons use the hexogram (star) of Moloch to whom Solomon raised a temple to?

I have not see a hexagram used anywhere in the Blue Lodge degrees. Where exactly have you seen this employed?

I have seen 8-,10- and 12-sided stars, or glories, used above the Worshipful Master to illuminate the 'G' once lodge is open.

Originally posted by KIZZZY
So you need the degrees for what? For configurations of aspect of fixed stars to the sun and moon? To what purpose does it affect your rituals?

The Sun and Moon appear a few times in the ritual.

From the opening and Entered Apprentice Degree;

As the Sun rules the day and the Moon governs the night, so should the Worshipful Master, with equal regularity, endeavor to rule and govern the lodge

From the Master mason lecture;

...yet that All-Seeing Eye, whom the Sun, Moon and stars obey, and under who's watchful care even the comets perform their stupendous revolutions, will penetrate the inmost recesses of the human heart and judge us according to our merits.

There is no effect, it is merely an analogy to teach lessons.

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


"G" is the Gamma (star) of the constellation Gemini (laying down bricks) look for etymology

Originally posted by KIZZZY
"G" is the Gamma (star) of the constellation Gemini (laying down bricks) look for etymology

Then why is this not used by Masons in other parts of the world?

The 'G' typically appears only in United States jurisdictions as it refers to God and Geometry. God in most other countries does not begin with a 'G' hence the reason this letter is not frequently seen outside of the united States.