The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers, which are cited to justify it.
President John F. Kennedy
Address to newspaper publishers
April 27, 1961
Are there any Masons on this forum?
by Brummie 42 Replies latest jw friends
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Bas
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Pleasuredome
i was asked to join by a mason friend of mine, but i turned it down.
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Freedom Fighter
In Scotland there is an added religious element - in general, the Masons are regarded to be an almost exclusively Protestant, whereas Catholics are supposed to join their equivalent organisation The Knights of Saint Columba.
I would say that there is a lot of cynicism regarding these types of orgs in Scotland, their members are perceived to join because of what they can gain personally.
Kay_Kay made a point about the Eastern Star - the female equivalent. Over here the Eastern Star is packed full of 50+ stalwarts who spend their time making jam and knitting. They wouldn't be any good for career enhancement, although you could end up being able to make a lighter than air sponge.
I often wonder if these types of organisations exist because men want to recreate the secret gangs and rituals of their boyhood?
FF
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link
I have never found it necessary to conceal the fact that I am proud to have been a Freemason for over 30 years. I have mentuoned it in previous posts but it always gets me into hot water. It seems that anyone who has ever had any connection with the Watchtower Society (except Freemasons) has an all consuming hatred for Freemasons founded completely on ignorance.
You cannot stop being a Freemason so any who join the dubs are still technically Fremasons.
Incidently, in my thirty years I have never heard of anyone being asked to become a Freemason.
That is the extent of my contribution to this thread (to avoid more personal attacks) but I just wanted to answer the question.
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peacefulpete
My uncle was a highly respected Shriner. He used to talk about the events and parades that raised funds for their charitable work with great pride. There is no real secret society in the Shriners, it was begun by two flamboyant men who wanted to stanrt a fraternity in the 1870s. Egyptology and Assyriology was all the rage, movies and populatr enterainment revolved around these new fads. One of the two founding members, who was an actor, was in Arabia where he picked up the idea of using the pagentry and mystical mumbo jumbo of a Muslim secret society as the premise of his new fraternity. It took off because it was fun and the "secrecy" around the ritual and symbolism worked to bond the adult "boys" into a tight club.
The early political party called Masons were democratic and believed in separation of Church and State therefore earnrd the hatred of then catholic Church. The Catholic church took it all too seriously and began this campain to "expose" the Masons as agents of the devil. Even excommunicating any one who became a Mason. In thje US in the mid 1800s a strong religious zeal ignited distrust of the Masons and as a result the group ceased to exist as an intellectual political movement. It carried on as a social club with no political ambitions other than community service. Ironically the Catholic fraternity "Knights of Columbus' have been connected to the masons by conspiracy addicts. The two groups as charitable organizations, naturally worked together in some projects and this has been fuel for conspiracy addicts to put the Catholic Church as part of the master plan to take over the world. Come on people, remember Dungeons and Dragons? It is a role playing fantasy that many find especially engrossing. Similarly, the Masons are adult good hearted boys that are doing charitable work and at the same time playing a harmless joke on the religious world.
This does not mean that there have not been some who misused the club or that other dangerous groups that have not tried to use the masons for their own ends. The masons are not the Illuminati they are not the political party called the Masons, they are not most of the things that conspiracy addicts want to connect them with.;Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?
edited to clarify
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Robert K Stock
HappyDad:
Why would anyone want me to qualify or censure my statements?
Why are you bothered by honest straight forward words?
I'll bet you have a sneaking suspicion that God does not exist and are afraid to admit it.
You are free to ignore everything I say.
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jaffacake
Does anyone know JW's opinions about Mason's?
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stillajwexelder
There was a WT a while back and sadi it was wrong for JWs to join secret societies - the masons were not actually mentioned directly
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Valis
Funny thing...my mom works for Shriner Hospital here in Dallas..I guess it is OK to work at a hospital run by them, but not to be one of them. Eh I told her to make sure and get the cool ring and learnt he secret hadnshakes...I would imagine though you might not find too many dubs working for the Southern Baptist Annuity Board or the offices of the Catholic Diocese..
Sincerely,
District Overbeer
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BONEZZ
They make great jars..I drink my ice tea out of them all the time.
-BONEZZ