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Location: Democratic Peoples Republic of Redneckistan
11,078 posts, read 15,021,497 times
Reputation: 3936
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaseMan
They're basically another social group like the Kiwanis or Lion's Club these days.
That's about the gist of it today...used to be a very powerful outfit and especially in smaller communities...they can't even get a quorum to show up to open the Lodge for business in most districts these days.
I was asked to join the masons here in San Antonio. Years ago I was sitting in a bar and there was this older gentleman next to me. We struck up a conversation. I had recently been traveling to DC, and was fascinated by a building I was in that was built before the advent of modern elevators. I told him that I was able to ascertain that they had driven an elevator shaft through a series of broom closets that existed at the same place on every floor. As a geek and a failed architecture student, this was really cool to me.
He told me that the masons here at the main lodge downtown had looked into setting up a similar elevator shaft. The stairs that led up to the upper four stories of their building were slippery, and most of the Masons where old, and couldn't traverse the stairs. So all their meetings were held on the first floor. He told me they were having problems recruiting new blood, they couldn't get young recruits. I turned him down, but realized at that moment that any organization that can't utilize 2/3rds of their own building is not actively taking over the world. Epic Fail.
Great thread. Awesome replies, most of which are based on a complete lack of ignorance. That is, so pathetically uninformed that they could support the notion that 'ignorance is bliss'. But how could such a lack of thought recognize bliss?
#1 Is Freemasonry good or evil?
> The intent of Freemasonry is to be an organization of men whose goal is to help other men better themselves, and to benefit society at large.
#2 They are pretty useless now, their heyday was in the 20's.
> Freemasons are initiating new members and raising Master Masons daily - excepting Sunday. Freemasons work with their members to improve themselves daily - excepting Sunday.
As a part of the Freemason organization you might find The Scottish Rite and its hospitals. Probably the largest hospital organization on the planet with NO billing department, until late in 2012.
Also as a part of the organization you might find the York Rite Eye Bank, assisting other with no sight. The York Rite is the organization that includes the Knights Templar.
Probably the most amusing part of Freemasonry is the Shriners. Yeah, the circus and little car guys. And the Shriner's Hospital for Children.
Not to mention the efforts of the Eastern Star, Rainbow for Girls, and DeMolay for young men.
Oh yeah, and the regularly held blood banks throughout the nation.
So useless? A thought so uninformed it's not even qualified as intelligent.
#5 ...drinking massive amouths of beer...
> Really? In some countries the Freemasons are prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages. In the U.S. many Freemasons are Baptists, or of other religious affiliation that prohibits drinking. And if the wife is in the Eastern Star the guy better be ware.
#6 If any one incident sparked the growing resentment of Freemasonry into outright opposition...
> We see the same practices in modern politics. One group of people is opposed to some other group of people so they initiate efforts to slander the opposition. Happens in high schools also.
#8 It's a secret society for old men to socialize.
> The average age of a Freemason at initiation is something closer to early mid-40's. Hardly old and there's really not much time to reminisce. Not that a 40 year old has much to reminisce about.
#10 They're basically another social group like the Kiwanis or Lion's Club these days.
> Uuuuuhhhhhhh... NO
#11 Freemasonry's secrecy and chauvinism throughout the years probably haven't helped their social standing in recent years
> I suspect lack of knowledge on behalf of those not familiar with Freemasonry has done more to damange their social standing that secrecy and/or chauvinsim might have.
#15 the higher levels that few are privy to have a special agenda
> That would be for Freemasons to know by understood practices
#16 The quoted reference that Freemasonary worships - anything - is completely misguided.
> There is nothing in Masonic practice that worships anything living, dead, or in between.
#19 I think that I've read that George Washington himself was a member.
> Yes, George Washington was a Freemason and was Master of His Lodge, and as JimRom in post #21 states.
#20 I was just reading about this group and "the Illuminati" Coconut Grove
> Freemasonry has nothing to do with The Illuminati
#23 But how do you know unless you are a 33rd degree mason?
> See #15. A 32nd degree Mason would know or he wouldn't become a 33rd degree.
#26 There are severe penalties for breaking any of their rules.
> The better to ensure an initiate is serious about the work he is about to embark upon
#34 I was asked to join the masons here in San Antonio
> Really? Can you identify the Brother asking you to join?
My grandparents on back were Masons. My grandmother was a member of the Eastern Star. It was part of community life in the small town area of Iowa they lived in. When they came to California they continued to be active in masonry.
If there is or isn't a connection to upper class Englishmen it was of no importance to the Masons who saw it as a part of their own small communities in middle America, where it was a fixture of the very middle class/working class society.
My grandparents and all their ancestors were Masons too. They came from all walks of life, nothing elite about it. My Dad didn't join, he simply didn't have the time. My spouse's Dad was a member, we have all his Mason stuff. Every time I see something about how secret or scary they were/are, I have to laugh. What a crock.
I was asked to join the masons here in San Antonio. Years ago I was sitting in a bar and there was this older gentleman next to me. We struck up a conversation. I had recently been traveling to DC, and was fascinated by a building I was in that was built before the advent of modern elevators. I told him that I was able to ascertain that they had driven an elevator shaft through a series of broom closets that existed at the same place on every floor. As a geek and a failed architecture student, this was really cool to me.
He told me that the masons here at the main lodge downtown had looked into setting up a similar elevator shaft. The stairs that led up to the upper four stories of their building were slippery, and most of the Masons where old, and couldn't traverse the stairs. So all their meetings were held on the first floor. He told me they were having problems recruiting new blood, they couldn't get young recruits. I turned him down, but realized at that moment that any organization that can't utilize 2/3rds of their own building is not actively taking over the world. Epic Fail.
Masons are not allowed to ask someone to join. That is one strict rule. If this guy asked you to join, he was in the wrong. A Mason will not ask people to join.
Great thread. Awesome replies, most of which are based on a complete lack of ignorance. That is, so pathetically uninformed that they could support the notion that 'ignorance is bliss'. But how could such a lack of thought recognize bliss?
#1 Is Freemasonry good or evil?
> The intent of Freemasonry is to be an organization of men whose goal is to help other men better themselves, and to benefit society at large.
#2 They are pretty useless now, their heyday was in the 20's.
> Freemasons are initiating new members and raising Master Masons daily - excepting Sunday. Freemasons work with their members to improve themselves daily - excepting Sunday.
As a part of the Freemason organization you might find The Scottish Rite and its hospitals. Probably the largest hospital organization on the planet with NO billing department, until late in 2012.
Also as a part of the organization you might find the York Rite Eye Bank, assisting other with no sight. The York Rite is the organization that includes the Knights Templar.
Probably the most amusing part of Freemasonry is the Shriners. Yeah, the circus and little car guys. And the Shriner's Hospital for Children.
Not to mention the efforts of the Eastern Star, Rainbow for Girls, and DeMolay for young men.
Oh yeah, and the regularly held blood banks throughout the nation.
So useless? A thought so uninformed it's not even qualified as intelligent.
#5 ...drinking massive amouths of beer...
> Really? In some countries the Freemasons are prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages. In the U.S. many Freemasons are Baptists, or of other religious affiliation that prohibits drinking. And if the wife is in the Eastern Star the guy better be ware.
#6 If any one incident sparked the growing resentment of Freemasonry into outright opposition...
> We see the same practices in modern politics. One group of people is opposed to some other group of people so they initiate efforts to slander the opposition. Happens in high schools also.
#8 It's a secret society for old men to socialize.
> The average age of a Freemason at initiation is something closer to early mid-40's. Hardly old and there's really not much time to reminisce. Not that a 40 year old has much to reminisce about.
#10 They're basically another social group like the Kiwanis or Lion's Club these days.
> Uuuuuhhhhhhh... NO
#11 Freemasonry's secrecy and chauvinism throughout the years probably haven't helped their social standing in recent years
> I suspect lack of knowledge on behalf of those not familiar with Freemasonry has done more to damange their social standing that secrecy and/or chauvinsim might have.
#15 the higher levels that few are privy to have a special agenda
> That would be for Freemasons to know by understood practices
#16 The quoted reference that Freemasonary worships - anything - is completely misguided.
> There is nothing in Masonic practice that worships anything living, dead, or in between.
#19 I think that I've read that George Washington himself was a member.
> Yes, George Washington was a Freemason and was Master of His Lodge, and as JimRom in post #21 states.
#20 I was just reading about this group and "the Illuminati" Coconut Grove
> Freemasonry has nothing to do with The Illuminati
#23 But how do you know unless you are a 33rd degree mason?
> See #15. A 32nd degree Mason would know or he wouldn't become a 33rd degree.
#26 There are severe penalties for breaking any of their rules.
> The better to ensure an initiate is serious about the work he is about to embark upon
#34 I was asked to join the masons here in San Antonio
> Really? Can you identify the Brother asking you to join?
So true. Lots of grown women still belong to various sororities that have secret rituals, etc. ~ just like in college!
I did it both in college and as an adult and just didn't love the rituals - but I did like the people a whole lot.
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Lots of grown women still belong to various sororities that have secret rituals, etc. ~ just like in college!