The Freemasons

[No1tovote4]

You don't have one thing to worry about as far as the Freemasons are concerned, 5stringer. If you know one (then he is not a secret to you, correct?) ask him for a petition to join a lodge. If found worthy and acceptable your petition will be accepted and you can be a witness to all that I have witnessed insofar as Mason's are concerned. I have fought through this battle on left and right wing boards before.

I leave my blue (some are black books) book (the bible of Blue Lodge activities) on my coffee table for all to see and ask questions about. No secret in that!!!!!!!!!!! Ask for a petition to join!!!! If you can't afford the initiation fees (believe me, we will already know that) your fees will be paid by your recommender or waived altogether if you are indeed found worthy and acceptable.

I was raised a Mason in 1979 and I have never for one moment regretted it!!!!!!!!! I am also a member of the York Rite and a Knight Templar (someone else refered to them as Templar Knights in this thread) and through all of my degrees I have never seen one single thing that is contrary to any American, religious, citizen or personal value that I hold.

If you are indeed curious then I suggest you petition a lodge for membership. You, your family and your friends are all welcome to know about your membership and participation!!!!!!! All that "secret stuff" is about the internal workings of the lodge. You'll get it when you get it. Dig it?

I was master of my Lodge in the year 2005 and was raised in 1997.

[No1tovote4]

I saw the History Channel special and I believe that they do accept women now.

There are lodges that are both sexes, but they are not from the official lines from either Scotland or York. They would, in almost all cases, be called "clandestine" masons.

[No1tovote4]

Eastern Star?

The Eastern Star is an organization within the Masonic family that is run by a Worthy Matron and allows both men and women to join.

[No1tovote4]

I don't remember too much about this, but I do know that quite a few members of my family were freemasons. I did find it strange that at my uncle's funeral, when the masons arrived, we were all escorted to another room so that we couldn't watch their ritual. What I did notice when we returned was a sheepskin they had laid on his chest. And I do believe they are associated with the Eastern Star, as my grandmother's sister was a past grand mistress. I think most of their doings are rather secretive, but nothing evil.

As Master of the lodge I performed 23 Masonic funerals, we never once escorted anybody away from a funeral, we were there for those people.

[chesswarsnow]

Sorry bout that,

1. But a few years back I was sifting through an estate sale.
2. And what I came across was a pure white lamb skin, aprox. 12" x 12", with a red velvet strap on two corners, with a single drop of blood placed in the center of one side.
3. I wonder why the Mason didn't get to have this interred with him?

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

[nevadamedic]

As Master of the lodge I performed 23 Masonic funerals, we never once escorted anybody away from a funeral, we were there for those people.

DOn't you guys get banished or killed for telling your secrets?

[No1tovote4]

Sorry bout that,

1. But a few years back I was sifting through an estate sale.
2. And what I came across was a pure white lamb skin, aprox. 12" x 12", with a red velvet strap on two corners, with a single drop of blood placed in the center of one side.
3. I wonder why the Mason didn't get to have this interred with him?

Regards,
SirJamesofTexas

I have no idea what the blood was about, there is nothing in any ceremony that I know of that adds blood to the lambskin. In fact, allegorically, you are to keep it spotless and let no act of yours mar its surface, it is a symbol of innocence.

Anyway, often those doing the funeral will bring along a lambskin apron that will be interred with them. Often the family likes to keep little things like that.

[No1tovote4]

DOn't you guys get banished or killed for telling your secrets?

The obligations have allegorical punishments that describe some specific aspects of masonic 'history' (also allegorical). Though they sound horrific, they aren't there to be actual. Had they been many men would have been killed in this manner in the past, if any have it has been found to be those attempting to blame freemasonry that were not freemasons in almost every case.

However, I wouldn't tell the secrets. There are very few of them indeed. Some handshakes you are supposed to use to identify each other and some parts of the ceremonies, the description of which are also supposed to inform you whether the person is a freemason.

Of course, you can read articles from the 1700s laughing about the "secrets" of freemasonry, as they had already been 'discovered' by others.

I will answer honestly about the activities of freemasonry though.

[Hagbard Celine]

I see the masonic square and compass everywhere I go on people's cars. Are these the guys who wear red shriner hats and ask for money at intersections? Is being in the masons similar to being in the rotary club or something like that? What is it?

[glockmail]

It's a secret cult that controls the world by manipulation of humans through nano-electronic technology. When you're stopped at an intesection and you hand them a dollar, they have a special probe that injects a transponder-receiver under your skin. It controls your thoughts and emotions through hormone type chemicals, similar in strength to the sexual response of men in their late teens and 20's. If you don't pay the buck they leave a skin-boring nomad molecule on your door handle, so the next time you open your car door it attaches to your skin and self-borrows in. This nomad device is encoded with the information that YOU HAVE BEEN A CHEAPO, and you are remotely manipulated accordingly.

I've heard some of the Mason jokesters have had a CHEAPO strip down naked, walk into a gay bar, stand on the bar and wank in the bartender's face.

[Hagbard Celine]

It's a secret cult that controls the world by manipulation of humans through nano-electronic technology. When you're stopped at an intesection and you hand them a dollar, they have a special probe that injects a transponder-receiver under your skin. It controls your thoughts and emotions through hormone type chemicals, similar in strength to the sexual response of men in their late teens and 20's. If you don't pay the buck they leave a skin-boring nomad molecule on your door handle, so the next time you open your car door it attaches to your skin and self-borrows in. This nomad device is encoded with the information that YOU HAVE BEEN A CHEAPO, and you are remotely manipulated accordingly.

I've heard some of the Mason jokesters have had a CHEAPO strip down naked, walk into a gay bar, stand on the bar and wank in the bartender's face.

What just happended?

[Joan]

It's a secret cult that controls the world by manipulation of humans through nano-electronic technology. When you're stopped at an intesection and you hand them a dollar, they have a special probe that injects a transponder-receiver under your skin. It controls your thoughts and emotions through hormone type chemicals, similar in strength to the sexual response of men in their late teens and 20's. If you don't pay the buck they leave a skin-boring nomad molecule on your door handle, so the next time you open your car door it attaches to your skin and self-borrows in. This nomad device is encoded with the information that YOU HAVE BEEN A CHEAPO, and you are remotely manipulated accordingly.

I've heard some of the Mason jokesters have had a CHEAPO strip down naked, walk into a gay bar, stand on the bar and wank in the bartender's face

I had quite a few relatives who were freemasons, and I can vouch for the fact the they were all fine upstanding citizens! As for my uncle's funeral, this was way back in the '50's so perhaps things have changed since then. We were not escorted from the funeral, but just o another room, we could hear what was being said, but not see anything.

And as I also said, my great aunt who lived to 102 said one of her proudest moments was when she was elected Grand Matron of the Eastern Star.

[glockmail]

I had quite a few relatives who were freemasons, and I can vouch for the fact the they were all fine upstanding citizens! As for my uncle's funeral, this was way back in the '50's so perhaps things have changed since then. We were not escorted from the funeral, but just o another room, we could hear what was being said, but not see anything.

And as I also said, my great aunt who lived to 102 said one of her proudest moments was when she was elected Grand Matron of the Eastern Star.

That was before nano-technology. Back then they use to use two tin cans and a long length of fish line, stretched tight.

[nevadamedic]

The obligations have allegorical punishments that describe some specific aspects of masonic 'history' (also allegorical). Though they sound horrific, they aren't there to be actual. Had they been many men would have been killed in this manner in the past, if any have it has been found to be those attempting to blame freemasonry that were not freemasons in almost every case.

However, I wouldn't tell the secrets. There are very few of them indeed. Some handshakes you are supposed to use to identify each other and some parts of the ceremonies, the description of which are also supposed to inform you whether the person is a freemason.

Of course, you can read articles from the 1700s laughing about the "secrets" of freemasonry, as they had already been 'discovered' by others.

I will answer honestly about the activities of freemasonry though.

What about all the conspiracy theroies? I watched a things on the Biography channel and it brought out some good points. Especially between the Masons and the Templar's being you have to be a Mason for a certain period of time before you can become a Templar. Those guys are even more secretive.

[No1tovote4]

I see the masonic square and compass everywhere I go on people's cars. Are these the guys who wear red shriner hats and ask for money at intersections? Is being in the masons similar to being in the rotary club or something like that? What is it?

It is a fraternity that does charity. Those guys with the stickers on their cars are freemasons.

I wouldn't trust people with shriner's hats on corners, the shriners rarely collect in any such manner. People can buy funny hats without becoming a shriner.