I once frowned upon Masonry, but have been more sympathetic towards the Lodge ever since discovering that H.P. Blavatsky, one of my favourite authors, was a member of that society. Does anyone here know of any other women who have been Freemasons, besides Helena and Annie Besant?
__________________ You must take your place in the great circle of...stuff.
I once frowned upon Masonry, but have been more sympathetic towards the Lodge ever since discovering that H.P. Blavatsky, one of my favourite authors, was a member of that society. Does anyone here know of any other women who have been Freemasons, besides Helena and Annie Besant?
Only men can become Freemasons. Women can join a special group for women called Eastern Star. However, there are many non-mainstream Masonic bodies that do admit women, such as Co-Freemasonry. These are not considered part of regular Freemasonry.
I recently finished reading Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol, which deals mainly with Freemasonry and the ancient secrets it supposedly guards. So I was wondering, is anyone here a Freemason? Anyone thinking of joining? Does anyone see a direct conflict between their own beliefs and those of Freemasonry? And does anyone think that Freemasonry protects mystical secrets?
There are numerous conspiracy theories regarding Freemasonry, and a traditional Catholic friend of mine told me that most of the Catholic Church hierarchy are Freemasons. Hence the reason why the 1983 Code of Canon Law did not forbid a Catholic from being a Freemason. Whether that is true or not, I don't know.
Please, share your thoughts.
I got this from another site. Thought it might be relevant:
Dan Brown was asked to address the Scottish Rite-SJ's annual gathering in Washington DC this past week, but because of his schedule, could not be there. You might be interested in his letter.
It reads, in part:
In the past few weeks, as you might imagine, I have been repeatedly asked what attracted me to the Masons so strongly as to make it a central point of my book. My reply is always the same: “In a world where men do battle over whose definition of God is most accurate, I cannot adequately express the deep respect and admiration I feel toward an organization in which men of differing faiths are able to ‘break bread together’ in a bond of brotherhood, friendship, and camaraderie."
Please accept my humble thanks for the noble example you set for humankind. It is my sincere hope that the Masonic community recognizes The Lost Symbol for what it truly is…an earnest attempt to reverentially explore the history and beauty of Masonic Philosophy.
Yours sincerely,
Dan Brown
__________________ Not all those who wander are lost
If Dan Brown is serious about that statement, I'd suggest he had a complete makeover since he wrote the Da Vinci Code, and perhaps even since he wrote The Lost Symbol. The Da Vinci Code, I can't even begin to tell you how far off-base and flawed the whole premise of the book was. And although I have not read The Lost Symbol, I did read the first couple of chapters before my son found out I had it and nabbed it before I could continue. From what I saw of the start of it, someone had supposedly "infiltrated" Masonry for the purpose of gaining some kind of mystical power. He also supposedly "sought" the 33rd degree Scottish Rite, and was secretly beaming at having achieved it, because it was the conferring of this degree which was supposed to accomplish the desired effect for him.
Nobody "seeks" the 33rd degree, it is an honorary degree conferred only by invitation. So the main premise is already skewed even from the start. And there are no "magical" powers to be gained in Masonry, other than mastery of oneself. Even then, it depends on the individual, and does not come from some external source.
That's all I can say as relates to the OP for now. When my son finishes the book and lets me read it, I should be able to speak in a more informed manner. He's 16 and already bigger than me, and has fallen in love with Dan Brown's books, so I'm not sure I can take it away from him.
__________________ No one is more to be pitied than those dedicated to the ignorant persistence of persistent ignorance.
If Dan Brown is serious about that statement, I'd suggest he had a complete makeover since he wrote the Da Vinci Code, and perhaps even since he wrote The Lost Symbol. The Da Vinci Code, I can't even begin to tell you how far off-base and flawed the whole premise of the book was.
I wonder then, why the Scottish Rite would invite him to their annual convention. Do you think it was to rebut him, or is it possible there was something about his book they admired?
__________________ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
I wonder then, why the Scottish Rite would invite him to their annual convention. Do you think it was to rebut him, or is it possible there was something about his book they admired?
Perhaps not with the intent per se of rebuttal, so much as dialogue. They are certainly aware, I'm sure, of Brown's wandering from the truth. In fact, Art DeHoyos, their Grand Archivist and Grand Historian, clearly said so in the NBC interview:
One of the things that's wrong is on the very first page. We don't perform the 33rd Degree in this building. We don't confer it at night. The candidates to the members are dressed wrong. And the ceremony's wrong.
__________________ No one is more to be pitied than those dedicated to the ignorant persistence of persistent ignorance.
I was interested in the Masons for about thirty seconds.
After looking into it for a while, it seemed like a continuation of the "NO GIRLZ ALOWED" clubs that boys tend to make when they're younger.
No offense to the Masons themselves, but I saw little attraction in joining.
I tend to dislike being part of a structured group as a matter of course so the Masons and I probably would not have been a good fit for each other.
As far as conspiracies, I find it hard to believe. Human beings are good at a lot of things but keeping secrets is not one of them, especially if the number of people involved starts going up. Trust me, dudes will tell their girlfriends/wives ANYTHING: the withholding of booty is a POWERFUL motivation in the male world.
__________________
Even Now In Heaven There Are Angels Carrying Savage Weapons
Chairs thrown and tables toppled,
Hands armed with broken bottles,
Standing no chance to win but,
We're not running, we're not running.
Black eyes, broken fingers,
Blood drips and I let it run
down my lips into my swollen gums.
When hope is non-existent,
Our instincts all scream "Run",
We never turn our backs or even bite our tongues.
There are numerous conspiracy theories regarding Freemasonry
The reason that conspiracy theories spread is that they make the world a far more planned place than it actually is. Want to know why politicians do stupid things? It's the ILLUMINATI!
No, it can't just be voters unwisely voting for stupid candidates....that would be too unplanned. Everything must happen for a specific reason planned by somebody. (No, wait! It's the Illuminati who rig elections to put stupid people into office. Yes, it's all so clear now!)
Unfortunately, there is a market for conspiracy theories because there is a sizable portion of the population who have leanings towards paranoid personality disorder. Anyone can write a conspiracy book. It doesn't even have to be well-researched. Whoever bothers to check up on the details? The conspiracy book is taken to be the authority.
How brave these writers must be to take on such sinister organizations. They must disappear mysteriously in the night after publication. No, wait. They don't. But that's so clever of those organizations, to discredit conspiracy theorists by not retaliating! It's all so clear now!
I have little doubt that the Freemasons are a harmless group of people who have a few rituals, ideals, and beliefs, but who are primarily about making business contacts, drinking booze, and escaping from their wives for the evening. They have no more secrets than anybody else.
Of course, that's just what you'd expect someone who controls half of the planet to say.
fnord,
Mark
__________________ It's better to live as your own man than as a fool in someone else's dream.
-- Commander Koenig, Space: 1999
Last edited by Eudaimonist; 27th October 2009 at 05:11 AM.
He also supposedly "sought" the 33rd degree Scottish Rite, and was secretly beaming at having achieved it, because it was the conferring of this degree which was supposed to accomplish the desired effect for him.
Nobody "seeks" the 33rd degree, it is an honorary degree conferred only by invitation. So the main premise is already skewed even from the start. And there are no "magical" powers to be gained in Masonry, other than mastery of oneself. Even then, it depends on the individual, and does not come from some external source.
Yes. This is mentioned in the book. The man that you're talking about thanks Peter Solomon, one of the main characters, for his "invitation" to the 33rd Degree.
__________________
Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti
Truth is one; the wise perceive it in different ways.
Rig Veda 1.164.43
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me [God]. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
- Bhagavad-Gita 18:66
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