Let's clarify your statement....
I mean no offense, but your statements imply that as fact, when in truth you are stating what the Catholic Church believes.
I'm curious what the Episcopalians view is of Freemasonry.
Ask A Freemason
- Thread starter Methos
- Start date
Let's clarify your statement....
I mean no offense, but your statements imply that as fact, when in truth you are stating what the Catholic Church believes.
I'm curious what the Episcopalians view is of Freemasonry.
Berzerker
Deity
what numbers are sacred to freemasons and why?
Sure, well, the question makes sense as it is both the premise, and also your setting.
What you describe seems to me like a form of ataraxia; make an issue turn in a non-issue by the mental exercize of focusing in what isn't part of the problem. Not quite as enlightening as the setting of philosophical depth in which the term was coined - I'm an epicurist of sorts, though a secular one - but I guess this is a healthier attitude on religious viewpoints than that of most religion-based groups, so kudos to you guys.
Yeah, well, I'm not a fan of that scenario, and that is another reason why I would never be interested in becaming a freemason myself. See, your example is quite invalid, for though it's true that it's unlikely one would became a good lawyer except after extensive training, the law is not kept secret from those who just want a superficial look at it. In fact, law is not even binding before it's made utterly known by publication in official papers.
But to bring up examples I can identify, I am not a doctor, but have read a few about medicine, just to better understand punctual issues; I'd never became a physicist (I don't like math enough), but I love modern physics and read extensively about current research; both disciplines that from my perspective are probably deeper and more relevant than mansonary secrets - and yet, both made public by their practitioners.
That having been said, this is a "get to know freemasonry", not a "let's debate freemasonry" thread, so unless you signal that you wish to pursuit a debate on the legitimacy/wisdom of the "jewels to pigs" scenario, I'll drop my comment now.
Regards
.
Mr. Dictator
A Chain-Smoking Fox
Well, circumstance has separated me and this friend. Is it an important book?
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
How can you make an Ask A thread about a secretive organization? You can't answer our questions without breaking your own rules. On to a question: How do you know your group isn't hiding the truth from you and are using you as an innocent pawn in their game of world domination?
FredLC said:
Unless, of course, the law is secret
I'm thinking here specifically of the current outrageous claim by the Obama DOJ that the Awlaki assassination was legal, because his OLC says so in a memo, but it's too secret to tell anyone else about.
Question:
Now that you're a FreeMason, do you see signs / members everywhere? I remember when we got our first dog we suddenly discovered that there was a whole sub-population of dog-owners that we had never noticed before. But they were there all along, living amongst us, going about their business, attending their dog parks... and we didn't ever notice them. Same thing with Alcoholics Anonymous. They're everywhere, if you know what to look for.
Is it like that with the FreeMasons?
AL_DA_GREAT
amour absinthe révolution
If you are hiding something you usually do it for a reason.
What do you think about nepotism within your organisation? Is it possible that freemasons gain unfair advantages do to being freemasons (freemasons give jobs to other freemasons etc)
Is freemasonery globalist?
an intresting video where a former mason shows several rituals.
For those wondering about masoni rituals they can easily be found out.
What do you think about nepotism within your organisation? Is it possible that freemasons gain unfair advantages do to being freemasons (freemasons give jobs to other freemasons etc)
Is freemasonery globalist?
an intresting video where a former mason shows several rituals.
For those wondering about masoni rituals they can easily be found out.
_random_
Jewel Runner
So what do you talk about?
How much of a meeting is mystical stuff versus guys hanging out stuff?
Viewing Freemasonry as a system of ethics, what would you say its most basic tenets are?
Did you enjoy the Simpsons episode Homer the Great? What about National Treasure?
Can you think of any criticisms of Freemasonry that hold some validity?
GhostWriter16
Deity
Do you guys get offended by nonserious claims of conspiracy with freemasonry (Stuff like National Treasure and such.)
My apologies for taking so long. I got the iPhone 4S yesterday and the iPhone 4 for my wife, so I spent the morning geeking out getting them set up.
It all depends on how active you want to be, or are able. My wife and I work opposite shifts so that we take care of our kids, which means I work in the evening and can't attend meetings or most weeknight functions. I did join a Lodge that meets on the first Saturday night of the month, but its smaller, so not very active. I am the Lodge Education Officer, so I'm a little bit active researching for that, but not very. I'm not sure if that answer your question.
You have to believe in a Supreme Being, that's about it. Atheists are not accepted and I believe agnostics would be.
I was expecting different questions, but that could be more a lack of knowledge in Freemasonry. For instance, why Masons used to have meetings on the night of the full moon, or explain the goat issue, and other things that seem to raise eyebrows about Masonry. Granted, we've just started, so who knows.
I believe it gets a bad rep due to our secrecy. I've never received any negative attention due to me being a Mason. When I first joined I was expecting it, but now I realize either most don't care, or don't know enough about the conspiracy theories.
Three is an obvious one, for some obvious reasons. There are others that you could consider sacred, or symbolic, but I can't say as to why.
It depends on the person holding it. My question to you is do you want to understand it? Not just know what it says, but understand what it says? If not, then nope, it isn't important.
I would say are most basic tenets are similar to religious tenets.
No, though I often find them humorous.
Yes, but not necessarily other Masons. Part of what Freemasonry teaches is about symbols and that is something I notice more. For instance, tarot cards look very different then when I saw them as a teenager/early 20's.
It all depends on how active you want to be, or are able. My wife and I work opposite shifts so that we take care of our kids, which means I work in the evening and can't attend meetings or most weeknight functions. I did join a Lodge that meets on the first Saturday night of the month, but its smaller, so not very active. I am the Lodge Education Officer, so I'm a little bit active researching for that, but not very. I'm not sure if that answer your question.
You have to believe in a Supreme Being, that's about it. Atheists are not accepted and I believe agnostics would be.
I was expecting different questions, but that could be more a lack of knowledge in Freemasonry. For instance, why Masons used to have meetings on the night of the full moon, or explain the goat issue, and other things that seem to raise eyebrows about Masonry. Granted, we've just started, so who knows.
I believe it gets a bad rep due to our secrecy. I've never received any negative attention due to me being a Mason. When I first joined I was expecting it, but now I realize either most don't care, or don't know enough about the conspiracy theories.
Three is an obvious one, for some obvious reasons. There are others that you could consider sacred, or symbolic, but I can't say as to why.
It depends on the person holding it. My question to you is do you want to understand it? Not just know what it says, but understand what it says? If not, then nope, it isn't important.
So what do you talk about?
How much of a meeting is mystical stuff versus guys hanging out stuff?
Viewing Freemasonry as a system of ethics, what would you say its most basic tenets are?
Did you enjoy the Simpsons episode Homer the Great? What about National Treasure?
Can you think of any criticisms of Freemasonry that hold some validity?
I would say are most basic tenets are similar to religious tenets.
No, though I often find them humorous.
Yes, but not necessarily other Masons. Part of what Freemasonry teaches is about symbols and that is something I notice more. For instance, tarot cards look very different then when I saw them as a teenager/early 20's.
[img=right]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqfuf85zdSASCJVmskKl4JeyW6Pjxl72P0qoTCqD-xp2mYscgiUQ[/img]Let me try this another way. Have you ever seen the symbol a point within a circle? Many ancient civilizations considered this to be a symbol of deity. Yes, there are several symbols for deity. The point in the middle of the circle is the deity and the circle surrounding it is the world and its people. On that circle you can find the different religions; Christian, Jews, Muslims, etc. and would you agree that these religions teach to be God-like? In other words, each is attempting to become closer to God. If you were to draw lines of their journey from their place on the circle to the deity in the center (working on the internal), could we not agree that each is attempting to attain the same thing, only via a separate path? Tell me, if we're all trying to get to the same place, does the path really matter?
But it is out there available to everyone, people just don't see it, or care. Freemasonry has taught me how to view things differently, but Freemasonry isn't the only way to do so. Your friend the Rosicrucian is doing it. Those who study the Kaballah, or spiritual alchemy, among other things are also doing it. Anyone can find it on their own. I admit what Freemasonry is opening us Masons up to is much more difficult to understand then law, but it's still available to everyone. People just choose not to look. I believe it's in Psalms where it is said, He has eyes, yet does not see.
I also must apologize as pairing law with Masonry is rather foolish of me. Law is literal, whereas Masonry isn't. Opposite ends of each other.
That having been said, this is a "get to know freemasonry", not a "let's debate freemasonry" thread, so unless you signal that you wish to pursuit a debate on the legitimacy/wisdom of the "jewels to pigs" scenario, I'll drop my comment now.
Regards
I suck at debating, so the thought of attempting to debate with a lawyer... uh, no thank you.
7ronin
海軍少佐
With regard to a previous post, here is a list of Presidents of the U.S. who were Masons:
George Washington
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson
James Polk
James Buchanan
Andrew Johnson
James Garfield
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
Howard Taft
Warren Harding
Franklin Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Gerald Ford
George Washington
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson
James Polk
James Buchanan
Andrew Johnson
James Garfield
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
Howard Taft
Warren Harding
Franklin Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Gerald Ford
AL_DA_GREAT
amour absinthe révolution
Do you actually believe in it or do you see things metaphorically? Ie do you believe that tarot cards and astrology actually work?
MjM
Deity
I was reading somewhere women are barred entry into freemasonry. Is that true?
AL_DA_GREAT
amour absinthe révolution
ParadigmShifter
Random Nonsense Generator
That symbol looks like a boobie to me.
Also, it's kind of difficult to draw a circle without a compass (which leaves a dent in the centre).
My grandad was a mason, never talked about it. He was pretty racist though I also used to live opposite a masonic lodge in Southport. Cthulhu f'tagn!
Also, it's kind of difficult to draw a circle without a compass (which leaves a dent in the centre).
My grandad was a mason, never talked about it. He was pretty racist though
I also used to live opposite a masonic lodge in Southport. Cthulhu f'tagn!
I do not believe in tarot cards, or astrological readings. What's interesting is if you look up the history of tarot cards you'll find out that's not what tarot began as. Somewhere along the line people realized they could con others out of money with it (my opinion).
Tarot is not a divining tool, as many think it is. It is an illustrated textbook of the mind. The proper use of a tarot deck is the study of aspects of your own consciousness, as well as a meditational tool for changing or adapting those modes of consciousness. It's particularly suited as a guide to Hermetic Qabalah.
holy king
Deity
what income brackets do freemason come from statistically?
(if you dont know, in your local chapter, how many are working class, how many lower middle class, and so on?)
(if you dont know, in your local chapter, how many are working class, how many lower middle class, and so on?)
I honestly don't know. The idea of Freemasonry is meeting on the level with each other, or equality. Your rank in society doesn't matter. They don't keep track of class, wealth, or any of that in Lodge.
As an example, when Harry Truman was President, his gardner was the Worshipful Master (leader of the Lodge) at the time. There's another story that while on the re-election campaign trail President Truman heard of an old friend who was being raised, so he snuck away with only two Secret Service officers to attend. When he showed up he asked that he be recognized and introduced not as the current President, but as Right Worshipful Brother Harry Truman (he was former Grand Master of the state of Missouri). He was just another Brother Mason visiting. For those curious, the two Secret Service agents had to stay outside the Lodge.
holy king
Deity
so you dont talk about what people do in their "outside life" with other masons?
