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Secretary of Defense
As a Freemason of over 20 years I have found it very funny how others who are not Masons continue to declare what happens within an organization that they are not part of. This to me is akin to telling me what I am thinking without me talking to you and letting you know what I am thinking.
I was a Secretary of my Lodge for a few years and have been involved in most aspects of Masonry.
We Masons are as simply as we put it. An Organization to help good men become better. Our Rituals and Signs and forms are simply something we keep secret. We are no different in most ways than a Fraternity on Campus. When you are part of something that reinforces Trust of your fellow man it increases your self-esteem and strength of Character to be bold and try new things and be confident in yourself. Our Ritual and camaraderie enhances this. We have had our oopses as well but we just like everyone else are human and will make mistakes. You do not judge all people by a few who make mistakes.
This is why you will find many who are Masons who are also business leaders and political leaders.
When it comes to Conspiracies, that is the ultimate in hyperbole. Example, the idea that there is an inner circle. The statement that if you are a Mason and not part of the inner circle you will deny it and if you are part of the inner circle you will deny it but the person presenting the conspiracy knows that there is an inner circle.
Another is the how things are stretched way out of proportion. Any given city in the world you can find ways to connect streets and come up with symbols and meaning that is not there. On a side note it is funny that I myself am guilty of reading too much into what my wife says sometimes and here I am saying to not read too much into something. Anyways you can draw just about any symbol you want in order to a city street map.
The history of Masonry is founded in the Operative Masons of the past. We like to claim lineage back to Solomon's Temple. The reality is that back then the Masons could almost be considered the first Trade Union. By hoarding the knowledge of how to work with stone and properly fit it together even without mortar and make solid building was a closely held secret by Masons. It allowed the Operative Masons to charge a premium on their work and guarantee they would get the work. In the 1600s and beyond with new technology for building the need for Masons slowed and seeing a loss to their Unions/Lodges Masons opened up to non-operative Masons or Figurative Masons. With the idea of a Brotherhood that worked to help Good men become Better and be a philanthropy to those in need. The Rituals were created and Allegory and Symbolism was used to pass this on. The secrecy was simply to keep out those who would pervert what Masonry is. Additionally Masonry promotes Free Thinking, Liberty and Freedom.
In Reality, Masonry tends towards being boring. As Secretary of my Lodge for several years I could almost xerox each meeting every month. Secretary Report, Treasurer Report, hello everyone, who is doing meals to raise charity money and welcome to the visitors, close meeting. Really boring more often than not. Our meetings are no different than a corporate meeting in that they are behind closed doors and they are private.
There are many appendent bodies in our Fraternity. For the Women, Eastern Star for those Masons out there who have not been in an Eastern Star meeting, the women love pomp and circumstance and it reflects them. I am a member of Star but only because my wife joined. There is DeMolay and Rainbow for primarily teenagers. DeMolay for boys and Rainbow for girls, not much different than Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. There are the Rites, Scottish and York, just different roads to the same goal, the highest degree which is 32. There is a 33rd Degree but that is symbolic and only by invitation to a Mason that has done something significant for the Fraternity. Then there is Shrine.
Shrine deserves a separate paragraph here. Hopefully you have all heard of either the Shrine Circus or Shrine Hospitals which the Circus supports. Building, making and supporting Hospitals for Burns and Orthopedics for children and other miscellaneous. A group that helps children get 100% free health care for these issues, no insurance needed, and helps the Pareents be there for the Children. Shriners work closely with Ronald McDonald houses as well. Usually you can find both in close proximity.
I know there are lots of conspiracy theories and I wouldn't mind debating about them and finding out what others think about Freemasons as well.
Lets see if we can do this without getting heated.
My guns wont be illegal, they will only be undocumented.
I am male, white, straight, Christian, Conservative how else can I offend you today.
Moderator
Oh sure... that's what you WANT us to believe...
Secretary of Defense
Calling the Black Helicopters... oops did I say that out loud?Originally Posted by tsquare
Oh sure... that's what you WANT us to believe...
My guns wont be illegal, they will only be undocumented.
I am male, white, straight, Christian, Conservative how else can I offend you today.
Vice President
If you're not part of the inner circle, and you don't believe that there actually is one .... then they are keeping it just as secret as they should be!
Liberals fail to recognize that modern conservatives are direct evidence of the failure of the public education system.
Moderator
(see icon at the end of my sentence)
Administrator
The smiley one or the hidden one that only Masons can see?
Secretary of Defense
It's funny how so overly sensitive many Masons are to quite rare criticism of them and their deliberately secretive order.
My grandfather was a 33rd degree Mason, which is an honorary degree bestowed on only a few as Wiessard pointed out. And my brother is a Mason who was Worshipful Master of his lodge. I might have even thought about joining except for the requirement that you must believe in a supreme being.
Florida is the Mecca of rednecks. No offense to Mecca. Stephen Colbert
Administrator
I totally understand....much more pleasant to believe that you are at the top of the heap and that everyone else is trying to knock you off than to have to believe that you've still got a ways to go and that others are there to help you as long as you're willing to let them.
/s
Secretary of Defense
I am not overly sensitive to the critics of Masonry and those who believe the conspiracies it is the stupidity that many people do not think about what they are saying. When I was younger as a DeMolay and later I joined at 23, being Scottish as well I had a fast temper and would get upset over the stupidity of the conspiracies.
"You aren't a 33rd Degree Mason, therefore you wouldn't know about the inner circle"
My thought is with that criticism is this, If I am a Mason and on the inside wouldn't it be more likely that I might see something that you on the outside making these claims wouldn't see because you do not see the inside? To me that is utterly stupid position.
I do not think I will ever get the invite to the 33rd Degree. Everything after I took the 3rd Degree is on the same plane as that 3rd Degree. I am happy working the Sick and Distressed Brother committee and DeMolay. I am glad I got out of being a Secretary.
My guns wont be illegal, they will only be undocumented.
I am male, white, straight, Christian, Conservative how else can I offend you today.
Moderator
You forgot the 'I don't want to be judged part.'
President
So mote it be.
24 years
You are the one person in this world who will live according to the choices you make. Live life like there is a tomorrow.
Forum Administrator 2012 USPOL Most Valuable Poster (MVP)
I didn't think Freemason's were allowed to talk about it. "The first rule of fight club is ....."
U.S. Senator
I actually saw a pretty good documentary on Fox about this a few years ago. They had a pretty good clip from a meeting that gained notoriety on the internet a few years back. Part of me feels it is a hoax but at the same time YouTube deletes it almost immediately after it is uploaded. Maybe you could shed some light on it?
Last edited by Wagner; 02-10-2012 at 04:55 PM.
Vice President
I think the secret inner circle moved on to the IMF. They still practice their secret handshake.
“If we open up our borders … we could suppress wages of middle class jobs” – Alan GreenspanWe need to suppress the wage levels of the skilled. We need to suppress wages in comparison to the “lesser skilled ” - Alan Greenspan
Vice President
Skull and Bones has elected more members as President of the US than the Freemasons .... or have they!?
Liberals fail to recognize that modern conservatives are direct evidence of the failure of the public education system.
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