Lodge Was open, nobody cared....

Originally posted by dontreally
Freemasonry doesnt work that way!

There has to be a heirarchy, its in the very essence of the masonic brotherhood.

It goes Ignorant commoner

-> 3 lower degrees
-> 4 through 32

And the special people get the 33rd degree and get to join 'special' masonic bodies, some of which we probably dont even know of,

most groups that are invite only have only one requirement, that you be a 3rd degree master mason. Some groups wich stem from the Scottish Rite or York Rite reqire that you be a member of that particular group, but that only makes sense. The 33rd degree is invite only and has time limitations on it. It only goes to those who have given a lot of themselves to the fraternity. The ones I know are all part of the degree teams and run the Valley which I attend. They all volunteer their time and continue to give even after they get to the 33rd. Ask Ksig about invite only groups as he is part of quite a few of them.

reply to post by dontreally


No not a co-Mason or an Eastern Star - have just had a lot of friends that were. All good honest hard working people. I never ask any of them to tell me secrets as I felt it was not my business - I still feel that way. I attended many of their events, never once did I see anything to question regarding morals or character - never knew a Mason that had a criminal record. I didn't always agree with them on religion but then I don't agree with most other people on religion either. Just sayin ---

Originally posted by crazydaisy
I didn't always agree with them on religion but then I don't agree with most other people on religion either. Just sayin ---

You'd probably be hardpressed to find any two people who totally agreed on religion, Mason or not. And since Masonry welcomes men of all faiths, and religion isn't discussed in the lodge, such differences are generally a non-issue to us.

Originally posted by dontreally

And the special people get the 33rd degree and get to join 'special' masonic bodies, some of which we probably dont even know of,

Actually, almost all of the "special Masonic bodies" that are invite-only have membership requirements predicated on the York Rite, with Scottish Rite honors being completely irrelevant.

These include:

The Allied Masonic Degrees (one must be a Royal Arch Mason in the York Rite)
Soverign York Rite College (one must have all the York degrees)
Knights of the York Cross of Honour (one must be Past Master of all 4 York Rite bodies)
Red Cross of Constantine (must be York Rite Knight Templar)
Knight Masons (must be Royal Arch in York)
Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests (Past Commander in York Rite Commandery)
Royal or Scotland (York Knight Templar or 32° Scottish Rite)

and so on....

Originally posted by network dude
Ask Ksig about invite only groups as he is part of quite a few of them.

Masonic Light is also a member of a few invitation only bodies

reply to post by Masonic Light

And on it does go. I'd have to find it, but I did make a picture of the Masonic Tree with the appendant bodies. It was a very large file.

Originally posted by humbleseeker
Maybe a beer tent would have drawn a few people in.

LOL

reply to post by Take Out Cinema


Well I said that as a joke, because alcohol is strictly forbidden in most blue lodges, I know it is in Iowa. I realy do not know why, I have talked to more senior brothers of my lodge and they tell me there have been motions in Grand Lodge to change it in the past, but it never happened.

I know that other Masonic bodies allow alcohol, I peronally think that allowing beer at blue lodges would help membership and draw back unactive members.

I realy do not know why the Blue lodge is so adiment on saying No to beer?

Originally posted by humbleseeker
Well I said that as a joke, because alcohol is strictly forbidden in most blue lodges, I know it is in Iowa. I realy do not know why...

Because after a few cold ones Networkdude gets a very bad case of beer goggles, and at lodge there are only men and goats, best he sticks with the sweet tea. Keep the beer in New Jersey where farm animals are safe from depradations.

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


and there that is.

Silly Yankee, beer is for shriners.

at least that is what they keep telling us. GL vote next week. The alcohol thing will come up again, and it will fail, again. But it seems I am in the extreme minority with wanting beer. Too many baptists around here.

BTW do you know the difference between Catholics and Baptists? the Catholics will speak to you in the liquor store.
thank you, I will be here all day.

Originally posted by crazydaisy
reply to post by vcwxvwligen

 

Why can't a person/group/organization have a secret - bet you have few yourself - I know I do. As long as no one is getting hurt whats the big deal? Geeeeeeeee - BTW I am female so I am definitely not a Mason.

See, thing is, people are getting hurt.

For instance, a man was shot and killed during an initiation ritual (www.washingtontimes.com...). The shooter used the secrecy of Freemasonry as a cover for his own personal atrocities.

In another instance, a Masonic lodge had "charges" brought against it by its grand lodge for raising a black man to a Master Mason.
www.ajc.com...
www.guardian.co.uk...

The Freemasons has not yet reached a consensus involving racism. Maybe they haven't noticed that we're in the 21st century.
www.freemasoninformation.com...
burningtaper.blogspot.com...
ask.metafilter.com...
www.mikeadkins.com...-164183
www.freemasonrywatch.org...

A Turkish Grand Master and two officers were expelled on bogus charges
www.todayszaman.com...

Here's the story of a Jester who dodged prostitution charges
www.wivb.com...

Colonel Sanders has a secret recipe - try gettin that.

It must be a recipe for genocide.

reply to post by scooterstrats


Keeping secrets is not necessarily good or bad.

Originally posted by dontreally
you could be co-mason or sister of the eastern star

There are female Masons, just not in America.

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by oniongrass

 

That verse doesn't stop you from taking oaths, just swearing oaths to those things. My oaths were taken to God directly. By this logic, you could never join the military, take a public office, or get married.

It prohibits you from taking all oaths. What are "those things" ?
That's why many Christians don't engage in any of those activities. Why do you think sovereignty groups use Biblical law?

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

 

Opening the Lodge up doesn't mean we are going to break our Oaths. There is nothing that is in the Lodge building that would break our Oaths. Sitting as Tyler, I've had some people come up and while the Brethren were in meeting I would sit and talk with them. When the meeting was done, if they were still around, I would let them in to look around and talk with the Brothers. We're not anti-public, we're just pro-privacy. Everyone believes in privacy and holds something secret to themselves.

I never said that. An institution is an idea, not a physical building.
But in the case of Freemasonry, privacy extends even to membership rolls.

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

 

And they are ours to keep. We are a private organization that binds our members to keep their obligations. You may not believe in integrity, loyalty, and honor, but we still do.

... obligations that include keeping nefarious secrets.

That's a personal attack.

Freemasonry is not about hierarchy. We have a hierarchy for the mere fact of organization and order.

So why do members hold titles such as "grand master," "sovereign inspector," "supreme pontiff," "emperor" and "prince" ?

Scottish Rite doesn't represent the entire fraternity. It is one branch of the tree.

It's by far the biggest branch of the tree.

Originally posted by AugustusMasonicus

Originally posted by humbleseeker
Well I said that as a joke, because alcohol is strictly forbidden in most blue lodges, I know it is in Iowa. I realy do not know why...

Because after a few cold ones Networkdude gets a very bad case of beer goggles, and at lodge there are only men and goats, best he sticks with the sweet tea. Keep the beer in New Jersey where farm animals are safe from depradations.

That's interesting. I always thought the lodge was full of red-blooded males. Turns out, it's just a place to cement "brotherly affection"

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

The man that was killed wasn't killed during a Masonic ceremony. He was joining a social club, that was made up of Masons, but not a part of the Masonic tree. During this groups "initiation" they use a pistol with blanks, but the elderly man mistakenly used one with live rounds The man was killed and the man who shot the gun was arrested. How did he cover up anything? Real Masonic ceremonies don't use firearms.

Some Grand Lodge's still don't recognize black men. Its something I hate to see and slowly but surely the Grand Lodge's are coming around. But this isn't an evil of Freemasonry, but an evil of man. Freemasonry at its core views all men as equals. No one race above another. Also, FreemasonryWatch is a BS site and the editor pulls everything out of context and often lies.

Colonel Sanders committed genocide?

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

There are some in America, but are not recognized by the Grand Lodges.

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

Of course there is some privacy with the membership rolls. No one wants their personal information handed out to just anyone that comes asking.

What nefarious secrets? Our ceremonies are out there, what secrets of our are nefarious?

Actually, nowhere in Freemasonry is there a title of Supreme Pontiff (that was a lie made up by Leo Taxil). Nor is Emperor used. Grand Master, Inspector General, and those true Masonic titles are titles of the presiding officer. Each body has a different name for the president because of the ceremonies and history.

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

And how does that answer my comment about "honor" that you responded to? Remember, all of your posts are here and you are responsible for them .

And which exact nefarious secrets do you need revealed? Can you answer a direct question? A yes or no answer is sufficient. If English is your non-language, we can help.
And as for your mistakes that result from viewing admitted and or proven hoaxes, why still cite them or even refer to them? To what end?

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by vcwxvwligen

 

The man that was killed wasn't killed during a Masonic ceremony. He was joining a social club, that was made up of Masons, but not a part of the Masonic tree. During this groups "initiation" they use a pistol with blanks, but the elderly man mistakenly used one with live rounds The man was killed and the man who shot the gun was arrested. How did he cover up anything? Real Masonic ceremonies don't use firearms.

Why don't you give the name of the social club, and explain why it was held inside a Masonic lodge?

And real Masons shouldn't allow rituals involving firearms. They risk being accessory to whatever crime is committed inside their buildings.

Some Grand Lodge's still don't recognize black men. Its something I hate to see and slowly but surely the Grand Lodge's are coming around. But this isn't an evil of Freemasonry, but an evil of man. Freemasonry at its core views all men as equals. No one race above another. Also, FreemasonryWatch is a BS site and the editor pulls everything out of context and often lies.

Which lodges are "coming around" (Masonic phrase) ?

So men who practice Freemasonry have irreconcilable evils?

How does Freemasonry Watch pull "everything" out of context and lie?

Colonel Sanders committed genocide?

It's a well-established stereotype that African-Americans eat fried chicken.

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

 

There are some in America, but are not recognized by the Grand Lodges.

Why aren't women equal with men in the eyes of American Freemasonry?

reply to post by vcwxvwligen

 

Of course there is some privacy with the membership rolls. No one wants their personal information handed out to just anyone that comes asking.

What's so private about being a Freemason? No secrets, right? It's not like the lodge stores your medical history.

What nefarious secrets? Our ceremonies are out there, what secrets of our are nefarious?

Other things I mentioned, such as Jesters being accused of prostitution (and beating the case), and kicking out grand masters on trumped-up charges.

Actually, nowhere in Freemasonry is there a title of Supreme Pontiff (that was a lie made up by Leo Taxil). Nor is Emperor used. Grand Master, Inspector General, and those true Masonic titles are titles of the presiding officer. Each body has a different name for the president because of the ceremonies and history.

"Grand Pontiff" is the name of the 19th degree in the Scottish Rite.
The title of "emperor" has been used in Freemasonry in the past.

And as for your past mistakes that result from viewing admitted and or proven hoaxes, why still cite them or even refer to them? To what end? Tell me without reverting to admitted hoaxes or others opinions. Key word here is "others". Is there or is there not not any personal damage done by anything masonic to you personally?

reply to post by vcwxvwligen


That is the most awesome post ever!!

Colonel Sanders is responsible for genocide because black folks like fried chicken?


I like fried chicken too! I would have never known that I was a victim of such a masterfully disguised plan! In another 50 or 75 years I will just be a statistic on the nefarious colonels evil plan!

As for the "club" that was using the Masonic Hall and killed somebody. Lots of people use the Masonic Halls. We rent them out, sometimes we loan them out, sometimes we trade them out for services, but the Lodge is only in use by Masons for a few hours each month. The rest of the time they are available for use by other folks, or they just sit empty. We do not use "firearms" in any ceremony. As a matter of fact, all of our ceremonies are based of things from 1000's of years ago, and they predate firearms. It just wouldn't make any sense to include one in the ceremony.

As for the titles. "Worshipful" and "Most Worshipful" are the two most distinguished titles you can call another Mason. I earned the right to be called "Worshipful" instead of "Brother," and I have some friends that I am happy to call "Most Worshipful." It has nothing to do with the number of degrees they have participated in, but it has everything to do with the work they put into their Lodge and their Grand Lodge.

Women are not allowed in Masonry, by tradition only. We don't view them any less than Men. Black people are entirely welcome in any Lodge. If it were not so, we would lose our 501(c)-3 designation. We have to be "equal opportunity" or we cannot function as a not-for-profit entity. My Lodge is kind of prejudiced, the old fellas in there are not ready to concede just yet, but we have had black visitors and they get treated as equal brothers. I actually encouraged a couple of guys I know to visit, while I was Master, just to get the Lodge acclimated a little. It turned out well, no problems.