Can Someone Explain This Photograph?

Thanks again for all of your help guys. I wanted to add some input, but it seems like everything that needed to be said, has been said. Lol

However, what I fail to understand is, if this is just some sort of private club for "men (and in some places women) who voluntarily seek admission to a lodge, are accepted because they were tested and found to be of good moral character, with a belief in the divine, and uphold high moral, personal, and ethical standards", then why so much secrecy? If they are such moral figures, then why do we see photographs such as these? What is the ultimatum of the Masonic agenda? Why the strange symbolism and esoteric essence? I am not trying to pick a fight here, but good god, photographs such as the one above just makes you wonder what actually goes on in those lodges. What are the purpose of those rituals? The majority of Masons claim to be Christian, but some of your rituals and readings would probably frighten some of the radical Christian friends that I have.

I am not insulting or taking anything away from Masons. I am just drawn to things that I do not understand, and when I cannot make sense of something, I get frustrated. Yay me for being human.

reply to post by DUBACK

reply to post by Amaeus


Masonry uses allegorical symbols to illustrate the principals that help men become better. Our ritual initiations, degrees, are constructed and executed in such a way to highlight certain character traits, and virtues, that should be important in the way a Mason leads his life and conducts himself in society.

Faith, hope and beauty; brotherly love relief and truth, temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice.... These are examples of the virtues and tenets taut to Freemasons.

reply to post by W3RLIED2


I believe you, I think. It just seems like, there is just too much of a negative aura that surrounds you folks. It is just strange how it happens that pretty much all of the richest men all happen to be masons, and their wives happen to belong the Order of the Eastern Star. At least, that is just the way it is up here in New York. I am pretty familiar with everyone in my city, and many of the surrounding towns. In my city, and in all of the towns that I am familiar with, all of the richest families have backgrounds in Freemasonry. I am not trying to assume anything here, I just think that it is rather odd....

reply to post by easy12


This is a photo of an exhibit called "The Masonic Lodge" in Salamanca, Spain. The purpose of it is to show free-masonry's objects and symbols from an anti-masonic perspective, hence the symbol overkill and dark portrayal of the masons.

By the way FE is not Iron. It means Faith in spanish.

Hope it helps...

reply to post by dayve


Your avatar is gold.

Second line, second line, gotta love that second line.

reply to post by Amaeus


I understand. The only thing I could say about that is that in previous generations freemasonry was much more prevalent in society. It wasn't unheard of to have nearly all the men of a given community involved in a lodge. This is much more rare these days.

The eastern star is really an organization so wives don't feel left out. I have nothing in particular against the eastern star, there's just a lot of un necesry drama that happens when wives sit in lodge rooms with their hubby's just because they are masons. Yes they do make charitable donations... But, meh.

There are a lot more poor masons, like myself, than there are mega wealthy ones. And all walks of life in between.

reply to post by W3RLIED2


I sit in Lodge with my wife and haven't experienced the drama of which you speak, on the other hand there was a whole lot of drama with my ex when she was excluded from sitting in Lodge with me (even though she didn't really want to be a Freemason, it was a point of contention).

reply to post by FenderWolf


It looks like a candle snuffer.. I have one that looks like that...

reply to post by no1smootha


I've sat in on OES meeting a grand total of three times to see what it was all about.... I gotta tell you, Bro..... Caddiness was the rule of the day every time. In my personal experience I found OES functioning with a high degree of disharmony

I'm glad it's not like that everywhere, even though it sounds like you know what I'm talking about. I won't be attending any more though, lol.

First thing that came to my mind was a set for the aussie metal band Portal:



Some 7 & 8 string goodness with some sounds that may or may not be words! \m/

Derek

reply to post by Amaeus


All I can say is that the "people" in this photo are not real people, they appear to be dummies, there are no shoulders and the eyes on the hoods are just that "ON the hoods", not looking through them.

Why is this mason wearing this weird hat? Anyone know why. This is a supposedly grand master or something from my state.

reply to post by Amaeus


It looks like some type of joke, and if it's not, the joke's on the guy in the hood with the cartoon eyes.

reply to post by shamaniski


Emsed1 may have the answer to that, or maybe KSigmason, I believe they're both York rite. Judging by the chain around that mans neck, I think he's an officer in that particular rite. I'm not certain though.

As to the hat.... Well we kind of have a thing for funny hats. Reminds me of the Flintstones lodge hats.

reply to post by shamaniski

The horns represent male potency and the generative principal, harnessed. May also represent the divided middle, and most likely, both elements.

reply to post by shamaniski


I bet that Bro Ksig knows the story behind this hat as this Brother is from his home state. I am betting it was a gag gift from his Lodge.
Wait for it.

The red and black box in the center of the page is the balloting box and is used for voting on the applicants. The other side of the balloting box has a hole big enough for your hand to enter so that you can vote yes, which is a white ball, or no, which is a black cube.

reply to post by shamaniski


I had to laugh at that one. Every time I see man made religion express their practice thru the "symbols"
of their faith, I have to snicker. I am not fooled by any of the trappings that are supposed to represent something mystical or spiritual. The sure sign that that a religion is spent are the symbols they employ to reinforce a dead practice of worship of something forgotten a long time ago. The more complex, the loftier the ceiling, the more wordy their sentiments, the more I can see thru all that clap trap to a dead faith trying in a vain attempt to shore up a lost paradigm. Sorry for the iconoclastic tone, but not sorry really.

Religion is man made.