Leaving the Lodge - a newly former Freemason speaks out

reply to post by emsed1


There you ago again believing irrational things because they make you happy. In the end hes picking at the sliver in his brothers eye... but i understand...half of you religious folk will be dead when you can no longer justify your beliefs.

Originally posted by Wertdagf
reply to post by emsed1

 

There you ago again believing irrational things because they make you happy. In the end hes picking at the sliver in his brothers eye... but i understand...half of you religious folk will be dead when you can no longer justify your beliefs.

That's the POINT of mysticism. It is, by definition, irrational.

You cannot rationalize an *experience*. You can't calculate it, define it, touch it or smell it.

All misunderstanding of reality comes from man's attempt to rationalize it by using his limited abilities, knowledge and senses.

And of course they make me happy. Why would I want to be angry? I don't believe what I believe because it's in a book that I read, or a story I heard or a show I watched. I believe what I "know" because of experiences.

Justification, for me, anyway. Has already happened. Death will be no disappointment.

Death is irrational.

It's like research studies that say, "Eating red meat increases your chance of dying by 0.13%"

HOW CAN YOU INCREASE A 100% CHANCE OF DYING?

We will all die. None will be disappointed, though.

Indeed, when it comes to "reality", I say we are already dead. Perhaps it's "life" that happens next?



This is a great poem from the Book of Job:

Job 14

1 “Mortals, born of woman,
are of few days and full of trouble.
2 They spring up like flowers and wither away;
like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.
3 Do you fix your eye on them?
Will you bring them[a] before you for judgment?
4 Who can bring what is pure from the impure?
No one!
5 A person’s days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed.
6 So look away from him and let him alone,
till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.

7 “At least there is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground
and its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put forth shoots like a plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
he breathes his last and is no more.
11 As the water of a lake dries up
or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,
12 so he lies down and does not rise;
till the heavens are no more, people will not awake
or be roused from their sleep.

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave
and conceal me till your anger has passed!
If only you would set me a time
and then remember me!
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
All the days of my hard service
I will wait for my renewal to come.
15 You will call and I will answer you;
you will long for the creature your hands have made.
16 Surely then you will count my steps
but not keep track of my sin.
17 My offenses will be sealed up in a bag;
you will cover over my sin.

18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles
and as a rock is moved from its place,
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil,
so you destroy a person’s hope.
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;
you change their countenance and send them away.
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies
and mourn only for themselves.”

reply to post by HardToStarboard


I too am sorry to see you leave the fraternity. I completely understand your frustration with the hypocrisy of racism in masonry. But I will be in the East next year. I have been thinking of ways to at the very least, bring the hypocrisy to light, while trying to keep harmony in the lodge. It will be a difficult challenge, but then, anything worth doing, is usually hard. I have too much respect for what Freemasonry truly is, to just walk away. But again, I do understand your position. You will have much more on your plate than most with your studies and internship, and then practice. Good luck with everything you do. God will guide you as he has in the past and the world will still spin with or without us. Just know that there is at least one dumbass in the south that thinks he can make a difference.

One such as myself should do well to remain silent, yet in my hipocritical sense I find that I must compliment you.
That being said... I hope to find that you do not lose your interest in our ATS family herein.
I, and We, would be delighted to hear more from you in the near future. And afterwards moreso than often.
Til then... Travel.

Also: Afterlife! I always wondered that if everything I felt, and knew, and thought, and lived before I was concieved was the thing I would endure after I have passed. Surprises are in store, but I hope for the best to be lived. We should all know the Christ in the aftelife... He deserves it!

Hi there

Sorry to read that.

You need to understand that religions are bad for you. There are no real proof of christ been ever real. NONE.

How come you never understood that .

Will you give 10/cent of yours earnings to the fat wifeless shepherd s.

Good luck.

Originally posted by network dude
Just know that there is at least one dumbass in the south that thinks he can make a difference.

I too believe that getreadyalready can make a difference.

What lodge did you attend?

Retracted.

reply to post by HardToStarboard

Reason 1: racism

I suppose I can understand that.. I really fail to see how a national overseeing body within Masonry would prevent racism though? You'll find racism where ever people of any color congregate. I've never seen racism in a lodge before, but we are from very different parts of the country.

Reason 2: relativism.

Here is where you lose me.

Masonry.. through it's moral philosophical leanings, teaching and instruction better your relationship with your God. Then you say that because the verbage used in degrees is vauge that it no longer fits within your description of how your particular religion should in fact be. That which brought you closer to your God now .. what? Moves you further apart?

Then there is the issue with this odd bit. You don't like Racism .. it's an ignorant belief to exclude people. Then you say that no one can be saved but through "Christ" .. which is a relatively ignorant belief of exclusion.

I don't like bigotry.. I like bigotry.. I don't like bigotry..

bah..

Freemasonry is Deistic for a reason.. how you lasted as long as you did in the fraternity is beyond me. Perhaps you never really paid attention to what was being said or done?

Originally posted by OurSecretHouseCLUB33
What lodge did you attend?

What possible difference could that make?

The man bears no grudge. He isn't here to make Freemasonry look bad.

I believe all of us have admitted that there is unfortunately still a problem with racism in some places.

I am fortunate to attend a lodge in a diverse community. We have a large university here and we have men from many races and faiths sit in our lodge.

We also have an active Prince Hall lodge in our community. Prince Hall and AF&AM lodges are in full amity in my state. We try to attend each others' meetings, help with degrees and attend fellowship.

There is a theme of segregation, though. But segregation does not equal racism.

My AF&AM lodge is probably 60% 'white' and 40% 'non-white'. The local Prince Hall lodge is 100% African-American. Men are free to choose which lodge they attend and there is no prejudice either way.

The simple fact is that most people tend to socialize with people that have similar culture, backgrounds and interests. That's NOT racism.

I feel comfortable making the statement that in Freemasonry as a whole, the prevalence of racist belief is MUCH LOWER than the world at large, but unfortunately because we are all humans it still exists.

Very interesting comments here. Thank you for the kind ones. I should like to speak to at least one question - the one regarding why I authored the thread in the first place. I had let it be known on these boards that I was a mason and I'd also talked to and/or alluded to my problems with the fraternity on several threads. I'd recently mentioned that if I ever left the craft it would be because of those reasons stated. So, I simply wanted to follow up for anyone who might be mildly interested in knowing what I'd decided.

Thanks again for some nice comments and reflections.

Originally posted by HardToStarboard
Very interesting comments here. Thank you for the kind ones. I should like to speak to at least one question - the one regarding why I authored the thread in the first place. I had let it be known on these boards that I was a mason and I'd also talked to and/or alluded to my problems with the fraternity on several threads. I'd recently mentioned that if I ever left the craft it would be because of those reasons stated. So, I simply wanted to follow up for anyone who might be mildly interested in knowing what I'd decided.

Thanks again for some nice comments and reflections.

Asa I said earlier, it's a shame to lose a brother under circumstances such as you described. I've already detailed my concern about your latter rationale for leaving but as for the racism issue, is the case with all lodges/valleys in your area of the States? Also, if the racism issue you've experienced were curtailed would you still be demitting due to the challenges you feel Masonry presents to your faith?

Fitz

Originally posted by Fitzgibbon

Originally posted by HardToStarboard
Very interesting comments here. Thank you for the kind ones. I should like to speak to at least one question - the one regarding why I authored the thread in the first place. I had let it be known on these boards that I was a mason and I'd also talked to and/or alluded to my problems with the fraternity on several threads. I'd recently mentioned that if I ever left the craft it would be because of those reasons stated. So, I simply wanted to follow up for anyone who might be mildly interested in knowing what I'd decided.

Thanks again for some nice comments and reflections.

Asa I said earlier, it's a shame to lose a brother under circumstances such as you described. I've already detailed my concern about your latter rationale for leaving but as for the racism issue, is the case with all lodges/valleys in your area of the States? Also, if the racism issue you've experienced were curtailed would you still be demitting due to the challenges you feel Masonry presents to your faith?

Fitz

The issue presented to my faith was the leading point. I've never personally witnessed racism in any lodge or valley I attended, but I've read quite a bit about it in lodges throughout the country and even conversed with some here on these boards about it. Even if all race issues were eliminated from all lodges I would've still demitted though because the faith issue is the large and more pertinent to my personal journey.

reply to post by HardToStarboard


It sounds like you've given this much thought and discernment. I don't think anyone could fault you for following your convictions.

I have also read about issues in other states. The Grand Master of one state issued a proclamation that no 'regular' Masons could apply for a newly-created Master Mason license plate because the Prince Hall Grand Lodge had lobbied for the license plate. In that state PH lodges are not in amity.

It's not generally considered good form for a Mason to speak poorly of the fraternity. I believe both bodies in that state are filled with good men and my brothers, but it saddens me to see this lingering disease.

At the same time I hope non-masons would understand that we are not perfect, and don't claim to be.

I also hope that people will see that true Masons hold no grudges. Nobody is going to hang the OP from a bridge or drag him off in the middle of the night.

I'd go a step further and say that I would welcome HTS into my home or my church any time. If he or his family were in distress and needed help I would contribute to his relief in the same way I would a fellow Mason.

Great post brother!! Have a great life and don't be like some to reveal our ways of life.

Originally posted by Madjoker25
Great post brother!! Have a great life and don't be like some to reveal our ways of life.

Oh good lord.

Hy there! I glad that you came out to share with us. I have a question but it really need to be answered:

What is the link between Illuminati and Masonic lodges? We have crazy speculations aroud here that the head of the mason lodges are the servants of the Illuminati super-group.
Please enlighten me on that point.

Why does your avatar show the reptilian symbol?? (Lacerta Files: An Interview with a Reptilian).

Sincerly yours.

reply to post by swan001


His avitar shows the symbol for the medical field as he is a medical student.
The Illuminati was disbanded back in the late 1700's. I have seen nothing that would point to any other conclusion than they no longer exist. Other than the constant blame of all things not going right must be the fault of the "Illuminati". they were a fascinating group. If they were around today, I would guess that most of ATS would side with them as their tennents were close to the overlying theme here.

reply to post by swan001


Freemasons don't serve the illuminati, but we are bound to serve someone else.

Here is a quote from Duncan's Masonic Ritual of the Charge given to candidates. A similar charge is used in all masonic lodges:

There are three great duties, which, as a Mason, you are strictly to observe and inculcate--to God, your neighbor, and yourself.

To God, in never mentioning His name but with that reverential awe which is due from a creature to his Creator; to implore His aid in all your laudable undertakings, and to esteem Him as your chief good.

To your neighbor, in acting upon the square, and doing unto him as you would he should do unto you:

and to yourself, in avoiding all irregularity and intemperance, which may impair your facilities or debase the dignity of your profession. A zealous attachment to these duties will insure public and private esteem.

reply to post by emsed1


Thanks for clarifying this point. So, all our theories, on ATS, in which we say the Masons served the Illuminati are false?
Thanks again for clarifying.