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Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
reply to post by Skyfloating
How will I be able to ask in a polite manner if they are more esoterically inclined?
Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
reply to post by Skyfloating
Is there any method to doing such a thing? How will I be able to ask in a polite manner if they are more esoterically inclined?
Originally posted by Skyfloating
So the consensus seems to be that Freemasonry is no longer in decline or that decline in quantity does not mean a decline in quality. Interesting thoughts to ponder.
Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
reply to post by Skyfloating
Is there any method to doing such a thing? How will I be able to ask in a polite manner if they are more esoterically inclined?
Originally posted by sharkman
reply to post by Sauron
Well Sauron,
I'm a little jealous on two counts. First, you are having a Robbie Burns Night, ours was cancelled due to not having enough support. Secondly, that your numbers on membership are climbing. That's welcome news and I'm glad to hear it.
In California we are still struggling with declining numbers in part due to the WWII generation still passing on. They were a very large part of the growth that we experienced in the 50's. During the 60's the Peace, Love and Rock and Roll crowd dropped out and we have suffered from declining membership up until about the late 1980's. The Grand Lodge in California has done several studies on the demographics and they show that we are just barely holding our own. But we still have a ways to go until we see real growth.
Competing for people's time and attention is difficult with all of the diversions that life has to offer. But historically after wartime conflicts the statistics show growth for the fraternity due to the fact that many active duty and former military are looking for commraderie and fellowship similar in many respcts to the kind they experienced during wartime.
We tend to attract men who are seeking solice and are interested in more than the dogma and structure of formalized religion, although many of us are devout followers of many faiths. We don't offer salvation and we are not out to convert believers of other faiths, as you know. We are like minded about the universality of fraternity and the brotherhood of man, free from the constraints of status, wealth, station, religion, race or creed.
For those of you that this critereon does not interest I counsel you not to apply for the degrees. Those of us who this does interest have found a comfortable and safe haven from the outside world and we enjoy each others company immeasurably.
Originally posted by threewisemonkeys
Hrmm, whats older? Christianity or Freemasonry?
Originally posted by threewisemonkeys
I ask this because, on the whole, religion is on the decline. Im not saying Freemasonry is a religion, or is it?
Originally posted by threewisemonkeys
Perhaps Freemasons are leaving in droves for Allah?
Originally posted by threewisemonkeys
Hrmm, whats older? Christianity or Freemasonry? I ask this because, on the whole, religion is on the decline. Im not saying Freemasonry is a religion, or is it? Religion, in essence, is a code on which ones life is based. This code may be the rhetoric of a single God, or many Gods or no Gods at all. Many religious congregations are on the decline. Perhaps with the exception of Islam, depending on who you believe. Perhaps Freemasons are leaving in droves for Allah? Or maybe it's just the simple fact that because all cliques are artificial, they are by nature, finite. And it is inevitable, that with the passage of time, they are all doomed to death.
edit on 9-2-2013 by threewisemonkeys because: Because my God told me to.
Originally posted by OnTheLevel213
Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
reply to post by Skyfloating
How will I be able to ask in a polite manner if they are more esoterically inclined?
"Can you tell me about your Masonic education program? One of the Masons I talked to suggested I'd be really interested in Masonic education."
You can read between the lines when you get an answer.