Masonic Member Token

reply to post by Pinocchio


You may know more about the masonic journey than you recognize. Freemasonry only requires of its members a believe in a supreme being. The nature is not challenged or ever questioned.

In ritual the words "ought" and "should" are used a lot, IE a mason "should" practice charity, etc.

More than anything though Freemasonry is a method to discover one's own 'self'. It is said that about one-third of Masons come for the fellowship/social aspect, one-third to do charity work and one-third for spiritual development.

We force no belief on any man. The symbols are presented and the allegories related and it's up to each man to seek meaning.

The morality lessons are no different than the ones presented in the great books of all the world's religions. They culminate in the teaching, "Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love."

I can speak for no man or mason, but I don't think any would mind if I offered my view of the three degrees.

The first degree is about material man. We learn that our physical and temporal existence will inevitably end. We are taught to truly understand the truth and receive light we must first "know thyself", recognize our shortcomings and prejudices, and work to shed them through divestment of ego. The square and compasses in the first degree have the square (which points down, or earthward) above the compass (which points up or heavenward). Finally the first degree teaches the three principal rounds of the ladder stretched from earth to heaven are Faith, Hope and Charity. The Entered Apprentice is asked to have faith in the next degrees.

The second degree, Fellowcraft, (again in my opinion) represents not only the "work" that must be done, but also to me represents the 'mind' of man. One point of the compass is raised above the square to show how the mind begins to understand the lessons of morality and that it can be used to influence the material man toward good works. The fellowcraft is taught to have 'hope' that the next degree will add more light to this 'partial' light received.

The third degree, Master Mason, to me represents the spirit of man. The compass (which represents circumscribing ourselves and restricting our behavior and passions to inside the circle) is now raised above the square, which to me means the spirit of man should guide the mind and body. Once this happens a man will demonstrate love and 'charity' without thinking and without being forced, thereby serving as a light or lamp as an example to others, rather than a flashlight 'telling' them where to go and what to do.

Finally, the square and compasses have many meanings. My interpretation, even though it is never stated in ritual, is that the compass which creates an arrow pointing up, over the square pointing down, means "as above, so below", or that our material temporal existence is not the end, but that our lives will continue beyond death.

I have an interest in becoming involved with freemasonry. I know I must make the first move. All in all, how much do you think becoming a mason has helped in social and commercial setting for all that reply.

Originally posted by staple
I have an interest in becoming involved with freemasonry. I know I must make the first move. All in all, how much do you think becoming a mason has helped in social and commercial setting for all that reply.

Socially, I've met some good guys that I enjoy hanging out with from time to time. I don't see them outside of lodge that often though, but occasionally. Commercially? I may have gotten a couple of small contract gigs from brothers who needed my skill set, but I would say for every one that has paid me, I've done one as a favor as well, so really I haven't made as much money as I would have if I'd been trying hard to market my services elsewhere. Right now, it's a side-job/glorified hobby, and not my livelihood, so it really doesn't matter too much if or how much I get paid.

reply to post by Pinocchio


So watching a Catholic mass on television made you gay?

I hope the child this graven image belongs to does not become possessed.

Reply to post by W3RLIED2

Sometimes Masons drive me crazy. Around here they have a very proprietary attitude when it comes to certain things. It gets old.


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reply to post by rtyfx


Any examples?

We do tend to get chastised a lot for nothing other than our membership in a private organization. But I'm willing to address any concerns you have.

reply to post by W3RLIED2


I don't want to derail the thread more than I have. I have nothing against the Masons. I just wish they'd be less confrontational here. They get very defensive.

Originally posted by rtyfx
I don't want to derail the thread more than I have. I have nothing against the Masons. I just wish they'd be less confrontational here. They get very defensive.

To be fair, we do have posts calling for our deaths…

reply to post by Rockpuck


So, you are a 32 degree Mason member? What are you taught there?

reply to post by staple


Masons are planning to take over the world and hide in 1 kilometer deep bunkers when things will get awful on Earth while the rest of the humans die without help or protection.
No offense meant.

reply to post by emsed1


I'm glad to see that some Masons don't try to force their belief on humanity. I heard that there was an internal war in 1700, where appeared two group of Masons. One that kept their belief inside the membership and didn't bother those who didn't believed in them, and another one, becoming the Zionist, that want to force their belief on everyone and destroy every other belief system. Do you have information on this war?

Originally posted by starheart
I'm glad to see that some Masons don't try to force their belief on humanity. I heard that there was an internal war in 1700, where appeared two group of Masons. One that kept their belief inside the membership and didn't bother those who didn't believed in them, and another one, becoming the Zionist, that want to force their belief on everyone and destroy every other belief system. Do you have information on this war?

No war, just a schism—no lives were lost; no blood was shed. Here is a place to start.

You're wrong in your assessment that either side is trying to force their own beliefs or destroy any other systems though. The main thing is, continental Freemasonry now allows women; allows atheists; and actively practices politics in France. Most (but not all) Masonry in America is more in alliance with the United Grand Lodge of England, which was against those changes.

Reply to post by JoshNorton

Can you point them out? I haven't seen such threads.


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Originally posted by starheart
So, you are a 32 degree Mason member? What are you taught there?

The "Royal Secret" of the thirty-second degree is "equilibrium". From Albert Pike's Morals & Dogma

The ROYAL SECRET, of which you are Prince, if you are a true Adept, if knowledge seems to you advisable, and Philosophy is, for you, radiant with a divine beauty, is that which the Sohar terms The Mystery of the BALANCE. It is the Secret of the UNIVERSAL EQUILIBRIUM:--

—Of that Equilibrium in the Deity, between the Infinite Divine WISDOM and the Infinite Divine POWER, from which result the Stability of the Universe, the unchangeableness of the Divine Law, and the Principles of Truth, Justice, and Right which are a part of it; and the Supreme Obligation of the Divine Law upon all men, as superior to all other law, and forming a part of all the laws of men and nations.

—Of that Equilibrium also, between the Infinite Divine JUSTICE and the Infinite Divine MERCY, the result of which is the Infinite Divine EQUITY, and the Moral Harmony or Beauty of the Universe. By it the endurance of created and imperfect natures in the presence of a Perfect Deity is made possible; and for Him, also, as for us, to love is better than to hate, and Forgiveness is wiser than Revenge or Punishment.

—Of that Equilibrium between NECESSITY and LIBERTY, between the action of the DIVINE Omnipotence and the Free-will of man, by which vices and base actions, and ungenerous thoughts and words are crimes and wrongs, justly punished by the law of cause and consequence, though nothing in the Universe can happen or be done contrary to the will of God; and without which co-existence of Liberty and Necessity, of Free-will in the creature and Omnipotence in the Creator, there could be no religion, nor any law of right and wrong, or merit and demerit, nor any justice in human punishments or penal laws.

—Of that Equilibrium between Good and Evil, and Light and Darkness in the world, which assures us that all is the work of the Infinite Wisdom and of an Infinite Love; and that there is no rebellious demon of Evil, or Principle of Darkness co-existent and in eternal controversy with God, or the Principle of Light and of Good: by attaining to the knowledge of which equilibrium we can, through Faith, see that the existence of Evil, Sin, Suffering, and Sorrow in the world, is consistent with the Infinite Goodness as well as with the Infinite Wisdom of the Almighty.

Sympathy and Antipathy, Attraction and Repulsion, each a Force of nature, are contraries, in the souls of men and in the Universe of spheres and worlds; and from the action and opposition of each against the other, result Harmony, and that movement which is the Life of the Universe and the Soul alike. They are not antagonists of each other. The force that repels a Planet from the Sun is no more an evil force, than that which attracts the Planet toward the central Luminary; for each is created and exerted by the Deity, and the result is the harmonious movement of the obedient Planets in their elliptic orbits, and the mathematical accuracy and unvarying regularity of their movements.

—Of that Equilibrium between Authority and Individual Action which constitutes Free Government, by settling on immutable foundations Liberty with Obedience to Law, Equality with Subjection to Authority, and Fraternity with Subordination to the Wisest and the Best: and of that Equilibrium between the Active Energy of the Will of the Present, expressed by the Vote of the People, and the Passive Stability and Permanence of the Will of the Past, expressed in constitutions of government, written or unwritten, and in the laws and customs, gray with age and sanctified by time, as precedents and authority; which is represented by the arch resting on the two columns, Jachin and Boaz, that stand at the portals of the Temple builded by Wisdom, on one of which Masonry sets the celestial Globe, symbol of the spiritual part of our composite nature, and on the other the terrestrial Globe, symbol of the material part.

—And, finally, of that Equilibrium, possible in ourselves, and which Masonry incessantly labors to accomplish in its Initiates, and demands of its Adepts and Princes (else unworthy of their titles), between the Spiritual and Divine and the Material and Human in man; between the Intellect, Reason, and Moral Sense on one side, and the Appetites and Passions on the other, from which result the Harmony and Beauty of a well-regulated life.

Every time you guys start talking the talk, I think of Stevens' "Shriner's Convention".

I just cannot take you all seriously.

Originally posted by rtyfx
Can you point them out? I haven't seen such threads.

The most recent I recall was this one stating

Freemasonry is satanic period!! Freemasonry is at the heart of the NWO, when shtf masons will become targets of any patriot with a gun!. As a Christian and a patriot I will fight them till the end. Freemasons are nothing but Nwo scum, who hate the One true God and liberty.

But there have been others before which have said either explicitly or implied that "the only good Mason is a dead Mason". What's most scary is hearing that coming from Americans, because traditionally those are the words of tyrants—Hitler had tens of thousands of Masons rounded up and put in concentration camps; the punishment for men found to be Masons in Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein was beheading; etc.

reply to post by JoshNorton


I'm now very much aware that there are two different groups of Masons; cause there was a released message of a Grand Master of the Illuminati that he had sent to the Illuminati members, and the message was basically: Lets go hide, and let the unworthy human die like beast.
Very different from the message you preach.

reply to post by JoshNorton


I haven't heard this before. This is extremism. Ignore it.

People forget that the Masons basically founded the United States. Kind of ungrateful if you ask me. You'd think they'd want to know more about the organization instead of badmouthing it.

Originally posted by starheart
I'm now very much aware that there are two different groups of Masons; cause there was a released message of a Grand Master of the Illuminati that he had sent to the Illuminati members, and the message was basically: Lets go hide, and let the unworthy human die like beast.
Very different from the message you preach.

And, pray-tell, which "Grand Master of the Illuminati" was that? If it's anyone who's been alive after, say, 1830, you've been duped.

reply to post by JoshNorton


He didn't say. Go to ncnews.weebly.com... and click ''Is Vrillon message an attempt from the Illuminati to make us accept New Age Religion?', and finally click the ''Message from the Illuminati'' link.
Sorry, don't know the URL.