Can Someone Explain This Photograph?

I suspect this is an exhibit in someone's museum of kinky stuff.

reply to post by holywar666


The third degree, Master Mason, is the highest degree in a Symbolic Lodge. There are other organizations such as York and Scottish Rite that have additional degrees. They may be higher in number but they have no authority over a Symbolic Lodge, but if a 32 or 33 degree SR Mason lost his status as a MM he would also be expelled from the AASR. However, losing your status as a SR Mason wouldn't cause you to lose your status as a MM.

reply to post by no1smootha

BTW Freemasonry isn't a religion.

Uhm, it's not? Care to give us insight, in your own words, what it is exactly? (I'm not going to be happy if you simply answer, "A Secret Society".)

After your response I'll counter with the definition of a "Religion". You go first.

Originally posted by holywar666
reply to post by Druid42

 

I would like to ask you a question. I just read this:

Originally posted by no1smoothaThere is no degree in Freemasonry higher than that of Master Mason, the Third Degree.[20] There are, however, a number of organisations that require being a Master Mason as a prerequisite for membership

What are these organizations? If the 3rd degree is the highest, how are you about to be a 32 degree?

What's taller: 3' or 33"? Which is hotter: 100° F or 100° C? Same idea.

The Master Mason Degree is the highest attainment but the York and Scottish Rite expand upon the morals and lessons talk within Craft Masonry.

HTH
Fitz

reply to post by no1smootha


How do you lose your status? Seems embarrassing, wouldn't want to mess that up. How do you join these other organizations, do you find them or do they find you?

Originally posted by no1smootha
reply to post by ChaoticOrder

 

Whether Capt Morgan paid for his treachery with his life or absconded to Canada, who knows but I don't see how it's relevant to Freemasonry in the modern era.

It's relevant because it's clear that Freemasonry only survived thanks to the most immoral Masons who didn't abandon their lodges. It was built back up by the worste people possible, because all the good people had left.

THE MURDER OF WILLIAM MORGAN – A CONFESSION

Henry L. Valance confessed in 1848 that Morgan was murdered by drowning. Rocks were tied to a rope around his waist. The total weight of the rocks was greater than his own body.

Morgan was then dumped into the Niagara River after crying and pleading with his captors for his life. This obvious Masonic murder ultimately caused the whole story to break open.

[Years later, ex-Masons working at the state government level created a substantial trust fund to help compensate Morgan’s wife and children for their loss.]

At the time of the attacks Breivik was a member of the Lodge of St. Olaf at the Three Columns in Oslo

Anders Breivik being the guy who killed 77 people in Norway recently. Could he have been part of some "other" organization or was he just a nut.

the graphics in the back are distinguished to a astronomy church emblem referred to a secret cult, thats why the mask, for the rest i can certainly say that who took this pic was a spy, or else cant say whet exactly this member was thinking!

reply to post by Fitzgibbon

What's taller: 3' or 33"? Which is hotter: 100° F or 100° C? Same idea. The Master Mason Degree is the highest attainment but the York and Scottish Rite expand upon the morals and lessons talk within Craft Masonry.

Huh?

3' is taller than 33", and 100 deg C is hotter. Am I reading wrong?

How about, What's taller, 3' or 36"? Which is heavier, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead? Is that what you meant?

reply to post by Druid42


All that's required to be in mason is a belief in a higher power I believe. You could be agnostic and still be a mason.

No religion or dogma is necessary to join that frat club. And dogma practically defines religion.

Originally posted by holywar666
reply to post by no1smootha

 

How do you lose your status? Seems embarrassing, wouldn't want to mess that up.

Quite mundane, really. Like other things in life, just forget to pay your bills (keep up your membership in Craft Lodge) and you too can be suspended.

Originally posted by holywar666
How do you join these other organizations, do you find them or do they find you?

When you get your Master Masons degree, usually one or more of the members in attendance will be a member of the side rites and will talk to you about joining. In my case, my life's busy enough without adding more meetings in a month/quarter/year and learning addition ritual. I make the most out of Craft lodge and am going through the officer's chairs (19 months left to the East) and may consider the York rite after that. However, there's no obligation to go beyond Craft lodge if you're not of a mind to.

HTH
Fitz

My first thought was that it's the National Museum of Freemasonry (or whatever they call it) in Washington D.C.

Remember that episode on Jesse Ventura's show when Jesse got a tour of the freemasonry museum by some guy who works there and claims he's a 33 degree?

But I could be wrong. Seems like the Freemasonry Museum in Jesse's show was more sparkly clean and seemingly harmless (not so creepy).

Originally posted by Druid42
reply to post by Fitzgibbon

 

What's taller: 3' or 33"? Which is hotter: 100° F or 100° C? Same idea. The Master Mason Degree is the highest attainment but the York and Scottish Rite expand upon the morals and lessons talk within Craft Masonry.

Huh?

3' is taller than 33", and 100 deg C is hotter. Am I reading wrong?

No. The point being that the 3° of Craft Masonry take you further overall (though in less depth) than the 33° Scottish / 14° York Rite while the side rites cover the ground covered in greater detail.

Originally posted by switching yard
My first thought was that it's the National Museum of Freemasonry (or whatever they call it) in Washington D.C.

If I'm not mistaken, that's the Scottish Rite Temple, you're referring to

HTH
Fitz

Reminds me of one of those cheezy cheap tourist museums for some reason. Maybe it's the overkill in symbolism.

You guys are all paranoid conspiracy theorists, this is clearly a lemonade stand

reply to post by MentalPriapism


Yup. See the skulls and bones? That's a warning: Lemonade may not be totally organic.

reply to post by micmerci

Esperanza also made me think of Mexico and they do have some irregular Masonic bodies...or even a Spanish body.


I will have to research this more.

Straight off the bat this is a museum room, probably staged by folk who don't appreciate the polish of a real lodge. Maybe it's from a Christian setup, the kind made around Halloween, to scare people out of joining the Masons.

No, the Esperanza in the lower right corner says enough to call it a latin lodge. The masks are to scare away overdosed robbers. The box in the front looks like either a camera or a projector, so I presume that when the lights go down and there is a spotlight on the center head, it does some talking for curious spectators. You know those old Chuck E Cheese animatronic bands? This is something like that. Seriously.

And what is that rusty thing on the floor in front of the camera/projector?

There are so many symbols in one place, it can't be a lodge. Where do the real people go? Where do they do their patty cakes and thumb wrestling? Where do they sit down, or march around with flags? Where does an initiate lay down on a big rug picture of a coffin symbol surrounded by spermy symbols while the rest of them surround him and point swords at him, to be reborn in another name?

For the way it is layed out, you'd think it belongs in a Ripleys Believe it or Not museum.

Looks like something from New Dawn of the Phoenix. We have rooms like this set up for ceremony. It's a small society that is pretty spread out. Nothing to worry about. Just fun and games ceremony stuff.