Free Masons

[2ndAmendment]

Lot of interesting stuff here.

To play devils advocate here, if our founding fathers were full of free masons does that make the constituition wrong? Does that mean Nazi Germany was actually the good guys? What else have the freemasons infiltrated? If they can do what some claim they can couldn't they have "revised" the bible over the years to suit their needs and the true word was actually something different?

The texts of the Bible existed long before the U.S. or the Masons. Comparison of the current translations of the Bible to the ancient (1st century for New Testament and B.C. for Old Testament) texts reveals that the Bible has not been changed in the translations.

 

[2ndAmendment]

If you're not a mason, how would you know? Not trying to be rude, just curious. If it's not really a secret, what's the big deal about raising to the 33rd degree?

Dad was 32nd degree Mason. When he died, I had access to all his books. Also, there are books written by formaer 33rd degree Masons that became Christians and left the Masons.

Another interesting note is that Masons believe their oath to each other is above the law.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Oh my. Is the "star" solely the symbol of Satan? Damn our bad luck for using it so much if it is. Does one need to repent after saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag? Was Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Congress in 1777, a Freemason too as he stated that stars are symbolic of the "heavens and the divine goal which man has aspired to since time immemorial"?

Here is what the Congressional Medal of Honor Society says about the design. http://www.cmohs.org/medal/medal_symbolism.htm

There is a difference between a five point start which has the point up or when laid out as streets or symbol north and a pentagram which has the point down or south.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Jazz, I thought your hubby was a mason?

 

[2ndAmendment]

I've dealt with the Freemasons for many, many years and a better group of individuals I've never met. I've heard a lot of the gossip and rumors about their supposed ties to the occult but that's all it is. The Freemasons do a heck of a lot for charity (Shriner's Hospitals, anyone?) and I know firsthand about the work they do in DC.

So have I. I already posted that they do a lot of charity work. Doesn't change that they are polytheists.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Jazz, I thought your hubby was a mason?

Not to answer for Jazz, but I know that he is. We talked about the Masons and the relationship to Christianity when we were together one night. Not at length, but enough to know that he had been a Grand Master of his lodge. He later told me that he found our discussion very interesting.

A Mason that is active will not discuss the rites of Masonry. They are considered secret.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

So have I. I already posted that they do a lot of charity work. Doesn't change that they are polytheists.

And Catholics want your money to pay for their Cadillacs, Mercedes and BMW's.

 

[mAlice]

The symbols of the Great Seal, which are featured on the dollar bill, are clearly intended to embody the beliefs of those who founded the United States of America. The current design of the Great Seal was approved by Congress on 20 June 1782, and the seal was introduced to the dollar bill in 1935. The continued official use of Masonic symbols today indicates that these beliefs remain at the heart of the U.S. establishment.

http://www.theinsider.org/news/dollar_bill_symbols.asp

 

[2ndAmendment]

And Catholics want your money to pay for their Cadillacs, Mercedes and BMW's.

Lots of organizations that call or are Christian have problem areas. After all, Christians are human with all the human failings. We are just repentant sinners instead of non-repentant sinners.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Lots of organizations that call or are Christian have problem areas. After all, Christians are human with all the human failings. We are just repentant sinners instead of non-repentant sinners.

Agreed! I also worked with a gay priest (it was obvious, and the Archdiocese knew) as well as priests who were arrested for prostitution, convicted of DWI's, etc. The list goes on and on. It's hard to respect "any" religion when I've seen first-hand the hypocrisy of it all.

 

[jazz lady]

Not to answer for Jazz, but I know that he is. We talked about the Masons and the relationship to Christianity when we were together one night. Not at length, but enough to know that he had been a Grand Master of his lodge. He later told me that he found our discussion very interesting.

Yes, he is and was past Grand Master of his lodge in DC. I cannot speak for him and his entire thoughts on the "discussion" as we are no longer together, but I know for a fact he was being polite when he said he found it "interesting" because we discussed it afterwards. I was frankly disturbed and very uncomfortable with the whole conversation. You are entitled to your viewpoint but do not expect me to condone it nor agree with it. Please respect my wishes that we can agree to disagree on this.

A Mason that is active will not discuss the rites of Masonry. They are considered secret.

That is true and one of the codes they live by.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Agreed! I also worked with a gay priest (it was obvious, and the Archdiocese knew) as well as priests who were arrested for prostitution, convicted of DWI's, etc. The list goes on and on. It's hard to respect "any" religion when I've seen first-hand the hypocrisy of it all.

Some use Christianity as a label and some live Christianity as a way of life. There is a world of difference.

I read a study somewhere that only 7% of ministers are ministers because of their desire to do the work of God and the other 93% are ministers because they think it is an easy job. It isn't, but that was what the study said. Take it for what it is worth. I don't remember the source.

 

[2ndAmendment]

... Please respect my wishes that we can agree to disagree on this.

No problem.

 

[terbear1225]

I read a study somewhere that only 7% of ministers are ministers because of their desire to do the work of God and the other 93% are ministers because they think it is an easy job. It isn't, but that was what the study said. Take it for what it is worth. I don't remember the source.

I find those statistics very hard to believe. Granted I don't have much experience dealing with ministers of any faith but I definitely would not classify it as an easy job. I would be very curious as to the perameters of this "study" exactly who was surveyed? current ministers or former ministers. I would think that anyone who went into ministry thinking it was an "easy job" wouldn't last very long in the position.

 

[2ndAmendment]

I find those statistics very hard to believe. Granted I don't have much experience dealing with ministers of any faith but I definitely would not classify it as an easy job. I would be very curious as to the perameters of this "study" exactly who was surveyed? current ministers or former ministers. I would think that anyone who went into ministry thinking it was an "easy job" wouldn't last very long in the position.

Agreed. That is why I said it wasn't an easy job although I guess looking at my post that wasn't very clear. There is a lot of minister "burn out" as I understand it. Like I said, I don't remember where I read the study or its parameters. The numbers stuck because I thought they were really lopsided.

 

[czygvtwkr]

Well back thousands of years ago or even hundreds books were transcribed by hand. I don't think it is that far of a stretch to say someone could have made some very slight changes to books so nobody even noticed. Or even how do we know it wasn't a freemason that did the comparison of the "original" bible texts?

Seriously if they can fool the world like some claim why is this such a stretch? I think transcribing a book with a slight change would be easier to do than design an entire city to be a giant pentagram.

Unless a giant hand comes down from heaven and hands me a book then I know anything I may read has been printed/transcribed/or even written by man and thus has the possibility that man has "adjusted" it to read what they want it to.

 

[Triggerfish]

So where the hell does the 20.2 come into play?

yeah, where does it come from? Divide any number bigger than 666 by something and you'll get something with 666 in it eventually.


Or divide a number smaller than 666 by a fraction you'll eventually have a number with 666 in it too.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Well back thousands of years ago or even hundreds books were transcribed by hand. I don't think it is that far of a stretch to say someone could have made some very slight changes to books so nobody even noticed. Or even how do we know it wasn't a freemason that did the comparison of the "original" bible texts?

Seriously if they can fool the world like some claim why is this such a stretch? I think transcribing a book with a slight change would be easier to do than design an entire city to be a giant pentagram.

Unless a giant hand comes down from heaven and hands me a book then I know anything I may read has been printed/transcribed/or even written by man and thus has the possibility that man has "adjusted" it to read what they want it to.

This has been discussed before. The Jewish scribes were very meticulous. Depending on the manuscript, they were allowed no, one, or two mistakes. A mistake was not an error in a word or spelling; it was so much as a single drop of ink where it should not have been. Every page was compared to the original by a chief scribe and if the copy was not exact, it was destroyed.

 

[vraiblonde]

Hey Sleuth! You should join the Masons and do an expose - clue us in once and for all. Of course, if you did that, you'd probably meet with a mysterious accident. But at least we'd know for sure, right?


Actually all this stuff about Masons and the occult is silly - I just like to indulge my conspiracy theories. John Todd, who I referenced in another thread, is a complete nutjob so if he says they're Satan worshippers it would mean that they're the reincarnation of Jesus himself.

I know this because the nice men in the black suits sitting here next to me said so. :zztzzt:

 

[dn0121]

Anything ever come of this? Ever join?