Free Masons

[chaotic]

What part of it is "Free"?

Couldn't I just have you come over and put up a nice brick facade on my fireplace, and pay me a couple bucks for the privilege? I'm kinda connected - I know a few people on this forum..

[kwillia (Premo)]

Originally Posted by sleuth

I started this tread hoping to get some opinions from current and former members. I've considered many pros and cons and I've read lots of differing opinions on the subject, so anything you have to add in that arena isn't really helpful.

Suit yourself... you don't appear to be too informed on the subject and I was simply stating my perspective...

Good luck.

[vraiblonde]

Sleuth, you have the right demonic look for the Masons, at least you did on your old website. I say go for it

[FromTexas (Premo)]

Sleuth, you can't ask to be in the Mason's... you must be invited.

Its not like something you sign up for.

[Triggerfish]

Originally Posted by sleuth

But Scientology, as I understand it... is a bit more of a religion.
The Masons claim to endorse no religion - they just don't allow atheists.

A very few lodges appear to accept Atheists and Agnostics.

[Railroad (Premo)]

Not sure how a Masonic thread belongs in the "Religion" forum, but that's just me. Sleuth, I would suggest pursuing other ways to successfully network with people. I understand that golf is a very popular way to do that, and you can control its influence on your finances. I've worked closely with a mason and have overheard his telephone conversations. My impression is that the investment of money is the tip of the iceberg. The investment of time and energy is huge. It seemed to me that this guy was involved with something just about every night, and some nights he drove some long distances to do things. Probably fine for a single guy or a married without children guy, but I don't think it would work well with a young family.

[Nickel]

Originally Posted by sleuth

I started this tread hoping to get some opinions from current and former members. I've considered many pros and cons and I've read lots of differing opinions on the subject, so anything you have to add in that arena isn't really helpful.

That's like asking cult members if it's a good idea to join. If you want to waste your time and money on contributing to what, in my opinion, amounts to a glorified high school clique, rather than building your family into a strong network, then you shouldn't need forum support for it.

[mAlice (Premo)]

Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. Its members are joined together by shared ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature, and, in most of its branches, by a common belief in a Supreme Being. Freemasonry is an esoteric art, in that certain aspects of its internal work are not generally revealed to the public. Masons give numerous reasons for this, one of which is that Freemasonry uses an initiatory system of degrees to explore ethical and philosophical issues, and this system is less effective if the observer knows beforehand what will happen. It often calls itself "a peculiar system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols."

more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_ma...al_and_symbols

[mAlice (Premo)]

http://www.themasonictrowel.com/Arti...reemasonry.htm

[willie]

Dan Brown is going to explain it all to us.....
Brown wrote that he's still "a little bit in shock" over how immensely successful "The Da Vinci Code" has been. "While I had hoped readers would find these topics as enthralling as I do, I never imagined that so many people would become so engrossed." After a whirl of publicity demands for the book, he said, as of this week he is "hiding away" to work on the sequel. "As for the topic, I'd rather not say too much... except that it focuses on the brotherhood of the Masons, deals with themes of mysticism, and is partially set in Washington, D.C."