Help from a Freemason

[flopsies]

I'm doing a report on Freemasons for school, and I was wondering if any members could enlighten me. Just a little history, that's all. (None of the secret stuff)

[Vanoi]

I'm doing a report on Freemasons for school, and I was wondering if any members could enlighten me. Just a little history, that's all. (None of the secret stuff)

I doubt any freemasons are on the TWC fourms. So its best you just look up info on them.

[flopsies]

There's a lot of Freemasons in the world. Anyone know any lodges in phoenix AZ?

[saglam2000]

I wouldnt be surprised if someone was a freemason on the forum

[Ancient Aliens]

I can help you. What do you need to know?

[flopsies]

Just some of the basic history

[Mr. Crow]

I suggest reading the flowing entry of Bierce's dictionary, he after all was a freemason :

FREEMASONS, n. An order with secret rites, grotesque ceremonies and fantastic costumes, which, originating in the reign of Charles II, among working artisans of London, has been joined successively by the dead of past centuries in unbroken retrogression until now it embraces all the generations of man on the hither side of Adam and is drumming up distinguished recruits among the pre-Creational inhabitants of Chaos and Formless Void. The order was founded at different times by Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, Cyrus, Solomon, Zoroaster, Confucious, Thothmes, and Buddha. Its emblems and symbols have been found in the Catacombs of Paris and Rome, on the stones of the Parthenon and the Chinese Great Wall, among the temples of Karnak and Palmyra and in the Egyptian Pyramids — always by a Freemason.


any way, there are lots and lots of masons, in my country all presidents were freemasons since 1840s to 1980s,

Basically the things one of them will tell you is that:

no politics or religion are dicusedd inside the workshop, (even thou they have their political parties and are mostly anti catholic)

you have to believe in some sort of supreme being (so atheists are not allowed)

it is a center of friendship

it is dedicated to charity and to the betterment of your human self.

some things you have to learn by yourself.



now, i know for a fact that some of the high ranking officers have cool mentalist style magical powers, i supose they teach them to you somewhere along the way.

[Manco]

no politics or religion are dicusedd inside the workshop, (even thou they have their political parties and are mostly anti catholic)

you have to believe in some sort of supreme being (so atheists are not allowed)
.

That's Anglo/American style, Continental lodges are in fact strictly secular and certainly do allow political discussion. They are even an active lobbyist group and strongly associated with classic liberalism and anti-catholicism/clericalism.

[Mr. Crow]

That's Anglo/American style, Continental lodges are in fact strictly secular and certainly do allow political discussion.

they discus religion and politics they however say they don't, in fact it is really easy to go around the rule, you can discuss economy, and history, thus sending implications about certain political issues, you support other members, some of which have their political allegiances, and after the session is over, well they often go to diner when they discuss whatever.

They are even an active lobbyist group and strongly associated with classic liberalism and

i said:

they have their political parties

so if they have their political parties in some places, it follows they are not above lobbyist, i agree 100% with you

anti-catholicism/clericalism.

again,

and are mostly anti catholic).

some times even manifesting by violent means, again I agree.

[Ancient Aliens]

Well, according to Mason mythology, the order started out with the builders of King Solomons temple. In fact, during the initiation, Masons perform a ritual that is representative of the trials of the architect of the Temple, Huram-Abi. This story is fictional, and is representative of the qualities that the Mason is to display.

In reality, the origins of Freemasonry are hazy, and are fraught with misinformation and pseudo-historical legend. What we do know is that they were associated with medieval architectural guilds (obviously). The term "free" alludes to their lack of serfdom; they were able to roam freely about the land, performing architectural tasks. Their first credible historical appearance dates from the late 14th century and is called the "Regius Poem". After this, we get numerous allusions to the Masons in various laws and manuscripts.

In the 18th century, Freemasonry begins to take off, and it begins to take on (historically, anyways) it's enigmatic nature. Freemasons are then speculated to have played a significant role in American and European history, particularly in the Enlightenment Era. Whether or not they specifically influenced American and French revolutionaries or 18th-19th century abolitionists is entirely speculatory. The Masonic records themselves are actually hazy on this period of history, as well.

I personally was offered membership, but I turned it down. It really is an overrated, enigmatic gentleman's club. I also happen to be an atheist who sticks to his principles (Masons believe in a "Cosmic Architect"), and I find the esoteric nature of the rituals that said movement perform to be both disturbing and childish.

[Mr. Crow]

In the 18th century, Freemasonry begins to take off, and it begins to take on (historically, anyways) it's enigmatic nature. Freemasons are then speculated to have played a significant role in American and European history, particularly in the Enlightenment Era. Whether or not they specifically influenced American and French revolutionaries or 18th-19th century abolitionists is entirely speculatory. The Masonic records themselves are actually hazy on this period of history, as well.

they began taking of with Cromwell´s revolution and his anty catholic laws,
most masonic groups in the 18th and 19th were quite violent and anarchistic.

I personally was offered membership, but I turned it down. It really is an overrated, enigmatic gentleman's club

yhea its true you can find valuable people there but now you are as likely to find idiots as in every other place.

the high ranking ones do have magical powers however

and I find the esoteric nature of the rituals that said movement perform to be both disturbing and childish.

those rituals mean something, and have certain proposes, of course it is disguised as silly superstitious crap, but they have a psychological reason.

[Manco]

What branch of Freemasons? The Continental lodges and the Anglo/American lodges are pretty different.

[Manco]

I'm kinda confused what relevance your post has. I wasn't talking about Anglo lodges or how they might bend the rules. I simply contrasted your summary with the Continental lodges where political discussion and action is actually promoted (without the need for rule beinding), and where faith in a higher being (or at least publicly professing it) is in fact likely to get you kicked out.

[Ancient Aliens]

I'm kinda confused what relevance your post has. I wasn't talking about Anglo lodges or how they might bend the rules. I simply contrasted your summary with the Continental lodges where political discussion and action is actually promoted (without the need for rule beinding), and where faith in a higher being (or at least publicly professing it) is in fact likely to get you kicked out.

Even continental lodges require the belief in a Divine Architect.

[Manco]

Even continental lodges require the belief in a Divine Architect.

No, it doesn't.
That's in fact one of the main causes for the split, that the Continental lodges (principally the GOdF and the GoB) accepted atheists in their ranks.

[Ancient Aliens]

No, it doesn't.
That's in fact one of the main causes for the split, that the Continental lodges accepted atheists in their ranks.

The French lodges adhere to the Andersen Constitutions which states that a Mason "will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine". You can't misinterpret that portion.

[Mr. Crow]

The French lodges adhere to the Andersen Constitutions which states that a Mason "will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine". You can't misinterpret that portion.

that is what i tough, but then again i never been to Europe, or the lodges there.

[Mr. Crow]

I'm kinda confused what relevance your post has. I wasn't talking about Anglo lodges or how they might bend the rules. I simply contrasted your summary with the Continental lodges where political discussion and action is actually promoted (without the need for rule beinding), and where faith in a higher being (or at least publicly professing it) is in fact likely to get you kicked out.

my post was in order to manifest my agreement

they do have to have certain faith, in the great architect of the universe whatever that is even if it is only pantheism, or deism,

[Ancient Aliens]

my post was in order to manifest my agreement

they do have to have certain faith, in the great architect of the universe whatever that is even if it is only pantheism, or deism,

Deism.

[Manco]

Except the GOdF and others of the Continental style (note the capital C, so I don't mean every lodge on the continent) have removed that requirement in 1877.