Freemasonry. The Brothers don't pay taxes.

reply to post by scientist

I would like to know where you are going with this thread now..

for example, yes - masonry helps out lots of charities and etc. but Masonry itself is NOT a charity, nor does masonry revolve around raising money for charity, or hospitals, etc.

Then they shouldn't be tax exempt.

Maybe you haven't read the thread, with the
masons bragging about Shriners and ALL the
charities they are good for. Pfft.

Oh please! Not the Shrine!
Our local Hospital 160 miles from me is very good and super expensive to operate. We actively search for children that need help, we dont wait for them to find us.
And we have helped children right in my town. At absolutely no cost, even paying transportation and lodging for the families.
I have heard of money problems in some areas of the country, like any other institution there is always going to be problems.
Excuse us if our mission is to help children!

Don Dyar


[edit on 19-5-2008 by HDFACTORYCERTIF]

reply to post by cutbothways


Why should they pay taxes? .. It has NOTHING to do with being a Charity. I advise you to re-read (actually I know you have never read it..) the Tax Code in regards to Tax Exempt status.

Freemasonry, even if they did not commit to charity, would still be a Tax Exempt organization because they would still be Not for Profit.

It's really clear as that.

Freemasonry does not have to donate ANYTHING to charity, and when we do it must be voted upon by the Lodge it's self.

Ah, but you knew that? Right? Cause' you know everything about Masonry?

IMO, I agree with Scientist's quote he posted. I don't think Masonry should give any money to anyone because it's a wasted PR program that died before it took off. I especially despise donating Masonic funds to any outside charitable organization where funds cannot be monitored the Freemasons themselves.

The only charities I would ever fully support regarding Masonry where localized public outreach programs that have our name and symbol plastered all over it. It would be far more effective to reach it's original designed purpose which was Masonic Name Recognition within the peoples homes.

But that is MY view. Not Freemasonry's or anyone else's on this board. Mine alone and I don't speak for Masonry. And my views almost always tend to be ... radical.

And the Shrine is the Shrine, it is not Freemasonry. Freemasons JOIN the Shrine, but the Shrine is not masonry.

It is.... it's own entity. I am not a Shriner, and will never be a Shriner for my own reasonings.

[edit on 5/19/2008 by Rockpuck]

reply to post by Rockpuck


So, now the Modus Operandi is to distance yourself from those bad shriners?

Better be careful, the Jester will be giving you a visit, and they won't be joking.

reply to post by cutbothways


..I don't distance my self from anyone. I have said this several times, I am not a Shriner nor a York Rite member for personal reasons.

I suppose by default not a Jester either.

But my point is, i can opt to not be a Shriner, however, I cannot opt not be a Master Mason if I want to be called such.

Shriners don't represent Masonry neither do the Jesters.

They are their own organization.

Just as the Scottish Rite is as well (of which I am a member).

If you get what I am saying, which I don't think you are lol...

perhaps it would be more useful if cutbothways explained why masonry should not be tax exempt, or why he thinks that tax-exempt status is a bad thing?

rockpuck I am going to jump you on Scottish Rite. As I said before, I attended a public Scottish Rite Officers installation. I clearly heard the officers swearing to uphold and protect the Blue lodge and the Grand Lodge.
All these bodies require membership in the Masons, and therefore are Masons there is no getting away from those facts.
More on that later.

Don Dyar

Originally posted by cutbothways
By the way, I wonder if it's in the tax code to allow this wonderful
non-profit organization to PURCHASE secret Vatican documents,
that the Vatican never had the right to sell in the first place.

by cutbothways]

I was going back thru the thread and I ran across this. Question, Why wouldn't the vatican have the right to sell these documents? Hell, they wrote them, they bought the paper and ink and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have a copywright on them.

reply to post by lost in the midwest


The Vatican. What a joke. The world biggest secret cesspool of pedophiles and satanic worship.

Who do you think the masons work for? The Holy See. And he answers to the See (Queen Elizabeth)

The Vatican. Another non-profit raking in the bucks institute of lost souls.

Sad really. Leading all those people into captivity.

There will be Hell to pay.

PS. almost 2000 views in 8 hrs. Consider the seed to be sown.

[edit on 19-5-2008 by cutbothways]

Originally posted by HDFACTORYCERTIF
rockpuck I am going to jump you on Scottish Rite. As I said before, I attended a public Scottish Rite Officers installation. I clearly heard the officers swearing to uphold and protect the Blue lodge and the Grand Lodge.
All these bodies require membership in the Masons, and therefore are Masons there is no getting away from those facts.
More on that later.

Don Dyar

Seriously what the hell are you smoking?

Scottish Rite Masons take no such Oath in the Northern Jurisdiction anyways.. which if your story holds true, you would be a member of.

We don't take an oath to protect the Blue Lodge, else I slept through that part.

All Scottish Rite members are Master Masons.

(hence my tag under my name you where to ignorant to figure out..)

And all Shriners are Masons, they used to be all 32º Masons at that.

However, both the Shriners and the Scottish Rite may accept only Masons, they are not apart of the Blue Lodge, and are thus separate entities.

Do a little reading before you make an arse of your self please.

Originally posted by cutbothways
The Brotherhood of Freemasonry is a tax exempt corporation, under code
501(c)(3) of the IRS code. The same as exempt status as churches.

Tax Information:

Masonic Brotherhood Foundation, Inc.
Tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code
Established May 1973

So, the largest secret society in the US, doesn't pay a dime in taxes, on any of their property holding, or income from membership, or sales from regalia.

by cutbothways]

Why do I bother, I have gone all the way back on this thread, just to see how dumb it is. How can you read about one org. being tax excempt and assume that all of freemasonry is tax excempt. They are talking about the library foundation only. The Masonic Brotherhood Foundation, Inc. is not the Brotherhood of Freemasonry. If you truly would take time and read what you write, you might not look so foolish. As I said in a earlier post not all lodges are tax excempt. If my lodge started to make a profit, you can damm well bet Unkle Sam would want a cut of it

reply to post by cutbothways


So ya hate Masons. You hate Catholics.

Now all I am waiting for is some Antisemitic remarks and you fight my definition of a Conspiracy Theorist quite well!

Originally posted by cutbothways
reply to post by Rockpuck

 

Favortism, favortism. Can't the mason just earn their own bread, like the rest of us, or do they need to have their boo boos fixed by their oath taking brothers in their aprons and fluffy hats.

CutBothWays - you seem to be quite anti-masonic. were you denied membership into a lodge expelled from a lodge or something? i'm not sure how comments like these contribute to this thread.

In regards to the Livingston Library's purchase of the secret documents you mention, so what? I've visited the facility there in NY. It's a small, but excellent library. They purchase small artifacts, books, memorabilia, etc. (and receive it as donations from lodges or deceased Brother's families). It is no different than any other Library. It is given a specific budget amount to spend on materials and upkeep each year. So they chose to buy a previously unavailable text? Big deal.

it's really sad that people like you come on here and question Masonic charities, the Orgs we support, and the good that is done. If you have been wronged by a Brother or a Lodge settle it with them, do not sit here blaming or accusing all of wrong-doing.

As a non-mason, I am forced to protect the freemasons from these allegations. They are absolutely preposterous. If anything the IRS is much more critical of freemasonry than most other organizations, including Churches. They are not tax exempt. In Long Island alone many Masonic Lodges have been closed due to big brother. Many were overwhelmingly in debt with the IRS and had to close down. So now you got over-population since many masons were forced to go from their local lodge to lodges in other areas. Not to Mention the average age in the fraternity is anywhere between 50-70, as membership is declining every year.

Oh do I have a surprise for you rockpuck, they do it that way here. We will work on that subject later.
RacerX and I have never used drugs, that is how we are honest businessmen.
What you throw at me is only what you know about your self.

Don Dyar


[edit on 19-5-2008 by HDFACTORYCERTIF]

reply to post by HDFACTORYCERTIF


lol. You are talking about an "officer installation" of the Scottish Rite? lol.. mmkay.

Still waiting to see evidence as to why no lodge claims you as their own?

Originally posted by Rockpuck
reply to post by cutbothways

 

Wrong, I don't hate the Masons, I hate the things they do, such as killing people for exposing their secrets, and bearing false witness.

Roman Catholics? The pedophile cesspool? Have you looked at their problems lately? Good grief, what kind of idiot would give money to those freaks.

The Jews. They are NOT favored by God. What a lie!



It's all about the the people who don't accept Jesus as a divine truth.

Welcome to "what else is new". The same people who condemned Jesus, are rotting in Hell. Follow them if you must, I can't MAKE you pay attention.

[edit on 19-5-2008 by cutbothways]

Oh a quick note, the Robert Livingston Library in the Grand Lodge of NY is available to the public : www.nymasoniclibrary.org...

The Library is open for research to Masons and non-Masons. The Library staff is available to provide some assistance for on-site visitors. While the stacks are closed, the staff will assist researchers in using the card catalog, computer database catalog, and finding aids to access whatever information may assist in answering the patron's questions.

If you have trouble getting there, the address is at the link above. Google Mpas "Street View" should help show you what the building looks like. They fly a giant blue flag out front that says Grand Lodge of NY. Real 'secret', huh?

What was the point of that ridiculous YouTube video posting? That there are weird people in the world? That Masons use symbols? That Jewish people own things. I'm sure I could search Google and Youtube as well for a video that says all our politicians are mind-robbed zombies with aliens living inside them. Does this thread have a point anymore, or can we close this one and move onto something else?

No matter how you boys try to skirt the issue,

The Shrine even took a vote, four years ago now, on whether it should separate itself from Blue Lodge Freemasonry! The vote failed, but not by much, which raises the question, why is Freemasonry still associated with this club? I mean, the Shrine is really no different from the Elks Lodge (which is little more than a bar with a Charity grafted on) or the Moose Lodge or, frankly, any one of a hundred other charities.

beaconofmasoniclight.blogspot.com...

your now deceased Shriners whistleblower posted some pretty damning statements.

Noticed a peaceful silence from His Worshipfulness AugustusMasonicus.

Can almost hear the bird a chirpn'