Love the Shrine... Hate Masonry?!

Has any other Mason noticed that while the banner waving anti-Mason will throw mud and spite all of Masonry, that there is always love for the Shriners? I thought it was a joke my mentor said, you know, some way to influance me to the Shrine or something, but it is in fact so very true.

Do they convieniently overlook the fact that you have to be a Master Mason in good standing to petition? How about the further mind-numbing fact that up until recently you had to be a Scottish Rite Mason to achieve this as well (all the 32 degree haters would love that one).

Are the ignorant THIS ignorant? Or is it solely that it's hard to hate someone who rides on small bikes in parades and has a clown who makes balloon animals? How could someone like that be hell bent on world domination....?

reply to post by Jkd Up


As you brought up the subject, would you care to elaborate on your personal understanding of the difference between masons and shriners?

On the contrary, Shriners have gotten some horrible press and in many ways can be and have been an embarrassment to Masonry as an establishment.

I think the OP's intent was to point out the irony of the many people who constantly demonize freemasonry and insist that there's some evil, driving force behind it. Many of these same poeple, when asked their opinion of Shriners, will tell you they're adorable old men, riding go-karts and small bicycles under a giant tent, having a good time.

The OP's point was to point out the irony therein, as in order to join the shriners, one must be a Master Mason in good standing with a Regular lodge.


So are the Shriners evil?
If so, what nefarious plot do circuses and childrens' hospitals serve?

Originally posted by JoshNorton
On the contrary, Shriners have gotten some horrible press and in many ways can be and have been an embarrassment to Masonry as an establishment.

Can you cite some examples please?

I'm not calling you a liar, I just couldn't find anything like this on a quick google search..I honestly can't imagine the Shriners bieing involved in anything more nefarious than public intoxication.. lol

Originally posted by faceoff85
reply to post by Jkd Up

 

As you brought up the subject, would you care to elaborate on your personal understanding of the difference between masons and shriners?

My personal understanding? Well, being both, I understand. But others misconception was the basis for my subject.

reply to post by nasdack24k


Thank you for picking up the ball I dropped... Absolutly my point.

reply to post by JoshNorton


Embarrasment to Masonry? Wow! This is indeed news to me. I would like to side with nasdak24k and ask for some sort of proof on a shot like that. Please, if you could.

reply to post by Jkd Up


You're very welcome.
I'm not a mason myself, but I am a memer of a private club, who have found ourselves at the nasty end of a rumor or two, although not as enduring as the rumors surrounding masonry. So I consider myself a friend of masons, as there can be found Solidarity in Persecution.

L.A.A.L.
aYh

reply to post by nasdack24k


Heck, even the Knights of Columbus have been accused... There is never a shortage of self-righteous, narrow-minded people looking to point the finger at someone other than themself. Never ceases to amaze me.

Originally posted by nasdack24k

Originally posted by JoshNorton
On the contrary, Shriners have gotten some horrible press and in many ways can be and have been an embarrassment to Masonry as an establishment.

Can you cite some examples please?

I'm not calling you a liar, I just couldn't find anything like this on a quick google search..I honestly can't imagine the Shriners bieing involved in anything more nefarious than public intoxication.. lol

It's there. Forgive me if I don't post links, because there's really no reason to fan the flames. But if you search for things like "Shriner embezzlement" or "Shriner prostitution" or "Shriner mismanagement" there are a number of articles. A journalist named Sandy Frost is one of the more vocal detractors.

Originally posted by Jkd Up
My personal understanding? Well, being both, I understand. But others misconception was the basis for my subject.

I wasn't asking IF you understand the difference, rather WHAT the difference is...
Especially, if its true that you are partaking in those circles, you can shed some light on this for many people here... Dont get me wrong, I didn't expect a truthfull answer but it was worth a shot

I think the reason shriners are targeted less, is because less people know about them. I have known about freemasons for quite some time now but I actually learned a tiny bit about shriners just today, about 3 hours before you posted this thread...

final edit: From what I have gathered so far, you being a shriner should have given you a unique understanding for the resentment against freemasons and the likes. I think you are most suited to answer your own question... Then again.. what do I know?
[edit on 29/8/2010 by faceoff85]

[edit on 29/8/2010 by faceoff85]

reply to post by faceoff85


The differance is the Masons as a orginization take care of themselves. Shriners as the "fun Masons". They go to parades and do things for the Shriner's Hospital. Fundraisers and such. In order to be a Shriner, you must be a Master Mason.


www.shrinershq.org...

freemasonry.org...

Those are good places to start...

reply to post by JoshNorton


Do you have evidence that this is limited to the Shriners? Are there not recorded cases of corruption in Regular lodges?

Keeping in mind that each Masonic lodge, shrine, court, etc. are ran as individual corporate entities, and that there are literally thousands of them, that some may be involved in embezzlement, doesn't seem like too big a surprise..

I'm going to use an analogy for you.

Let's compare masonry as a whole to the fast-food industry.

Like the fast food industry, Masonry doesn't have a governing body.
What I mean by this is that Masonic lodges are not owned or governed by one organization called "freemasonry."
Much like there is not one entity that owns all fast food called "Fast Food, Inc."

There are, in freemasonry, things like Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite, Shriners, Jesters, Eastern Star, Rainbow Girls, DeMolay, Amaranth, Templars, etc. and so forth. These would be comparable to your Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc. in the fast food industry.
All taco Bell's are decorated the same, have the same menu. Just like all Scottish Rite lodges have a similar layout and same rituals, or all shrines tend to have an arabian nights sort of theme... This is called franchising, which leads us to...

The individual lodges. These are independent corporate entities, with franchise affiliations to the above "governing bodies".
In order to be a Taco Bell, I have to have an agreement with Taco bell allowing me to use their image. But I still solely own my restaurant and have my own corporate registration with the state.

So If I embezzle money out of my solely-owned Taco bell location...

How is the fast food industry as a whole reflected badly upon by it?
Are you really going to judge a guy working at a McDonald's in Tokyo differently because you heard about me embezzling funds from my Taco Bell?

This is pretty much what you're saying...

[edit on 8/29/2010 by nasdack24k]

Or if I'm supplying prostitutes for my company parties, or if fnord I'm pimping out of the drive-thru, or if I'm "mismanaging" my Taco Bell...

Poor Tetsuo at Mcdonald's shouldn't have to be looked down on for it.

[edit on 8/29/2010 by nasdack24k]

Originally posted by nasdack24k
Or if I'm supplying prostitutes for my company parties, or if I'm pimping out of the drive-thru, or if I'm "mismanaging" my Taco Bell...

Poor Tetsuo at Mcdonald's shouldn't have to be looked down on for it.

WOW!!! i gotta go to THAT Taco Bell!!!

Originally posted by nasdack24k
How is the fast food industry as a whole reflected badly upon by it?
Are you really going to judge a guy working at a McDonald's in Tokyo differently because you heard about me embezzling funds from my Taco Bell?

This is pretty much what you're saying...

If someone, somewhere, finds a severed finger in their Wendy's chili, wouldn't it make you think twice about ordering chili at Wendy's, even if it were a different location, even a different state?

Bad PR doesn't make fine distinctions... it tarnishes the reputation of the parent organization. Nobody's going to remember that it was Wendys' #145 on Smith Street. They're just going to say it was Wendy's. For better or worse, that's the way things are.

reply to post by JoshNorton



Honestly?
No it wouldn't bother me.
And it definitely wouldn't stop me from eating a burger from Tetsuo.

Also, didn't it turn out the Wendy's chili/finger incident was a hoax?

not to get too off topic..

I think you need to re-read my analogy.


Also, i just re-read the article i posted about the Wendy's finger incident being a hoax, and noticed that nobody ever seemed to question who's finger it was to begin with...

[edit on 8/29/2010 by nasdack24k]

There all not to be trusted, the devil is deep in this world
and his minions are everywhere
trust god and yourself