Questions and Answers about Masonry

[Albion]

Here's an opportunity for anyone who's ever wondered what being a Freemason is like--how one joins, who is eligible, what attending a meeting is like, what outside activities are sponsored, what you are expected to believe in as a Mason, and so on. Men who are currently members of a Masonic lodge will answer your questions about being a Mason.

There is another thread already running that has become a forum for mentioning whatever hearsay and myths you might have picked up about Masonry. Masons have posted on that forum but also opponents of Masonry. If you want to voice any philosophic concerns about the nature of Masonry, please continue to use that thread.

 

[keith99]

Did you guys really build a lot of the outlooks over the Grand Canyon?

Are there semi-secret ways of telling who is a Mason and who is not?

 

[Albion]

Did you guys really build a lot of the outlooks over the Grand Canyon?

Personally, I have no answer for that. Hopefully, someone else will be able to give you the answer.

Are there semi-secret ways of telling who is a Mason and who is not?

No. That is to say, there is no secret way or special way. Most Masons wear a ring with the Masonic emblem on it and expect other members as well as anyone else who might be interested in Masonry to recognize it.

 

[Simpleman25]

Here's an opportunity for anyone who's ever wondered what being a Freemason is like--how one joins, who is eligible, what attending a meeting is like, what outside activities are sponsored, what you are expected to believe in as a Mason, and so on. Men who are currently members of a Masonic lodge will answer your questions about being a Mason.

There is another thread already running that has become a forum for mentioning whatever hearsay and myths you might have picked up about Masonry. Masons have posted on that forum but also opponents of Masonry. If you want to voice any philosophic concerns about the nature of Masonry, please continue to use that thread.

Great start brother. Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[Simpleman25]

Did you guys really build a lot of the outlooks over the Grand Canyon?

Are there semi-secret ways of telling who is a Mason and who is not?

Keith,

Good questions. In all my years of research I've never come across anything that says masonry is responsible for the outlooks there. If memory serves me right, there are a few that were sponsored by local lodges.

The way I was taught about how to tell a brother mason from a non mason is to ask one simple question of them. If they are a mason they know the correct answer. Another thing we were taught was how to tell if a man was a mason in dark as well as light.

These are things that have been taught to masons since our beginning.

Thank you!

 

[Tigger45]

Not long ago I was using a financial broker to transfer some money. He mentioned that later that evening he was attending a Mason meeting. I thought it was lite conversation but then he mentioned it again. It made me think if he was indirectly asking me if I was a mason. If I was would that of helped me in my business transaction?

 

[Simpleman25]

Not long ago I was using a financial broker to transfer some money. He mentioned that later that evening he was attending a Mason meeting. I thought it was lite conversation but then he mentioned it again. It made me think if he was indirectly asking me if I was a mason. If I was would that of helped me in my business transaction?

Without knowing the man, it's impossible to know what his motives were. If you were also a mason he would've invited you to the meeting.

As far as helping you business wise, that is something that rarely happens anymore. In years past being a mason would give you preferential treatment in some businesses. Having the decals on your car could have gotten you out of a ticket. I've heard those rumors from older masons.

 

[variant]

So, if it isn't about religion, why do Freemasons have a problem with unbelievers?

 

[Skip Sampson]

Are there semi-secret ways of telling who is a Mason and who is not?

In the Master Mason degree, the Grand Hailing Sign of Distress is taught so that one Mason can signal for assistance from another. There is a verbal element to accomplish the same thing.

If a man suspects another might be a Freemason, he will often ask if he's done some traveling, or is he a traveling man. If a Mason, the other will answer that he is traveling from one place to another. He might also reference the widow's son in one way or another and see what that results in.

The handshakes, or grips, also show what degree of Freemasonry a man is in, though I would doubt a Mason would use such a grip if he were unsure of the other man's status. Mormons have a similar handshake, which was derived from Freemasonry.

The specific details of these are available in several places and need not be repeated here. I'm sure there are quite a few other, informal ways that Masons can identify each other by selected references to events in ritual. It would be an interesting study to gather them together. Cordially, Skip.

 

[Simpleman25]

So, if it isn't about religion, why do Freemasons have a problem with unbelievers?

What do you mean by unbelievers?

If you mean those that don't believe in God, then yes we don't allow unbelievers to become masons. Just because we believe in God, doesn't mean we are a religion.

 

[variant]

What do you mean by unbelievers?

If you mean those that don't believe in God, then yes we don't allow unbelievers to become masons. Just because we believe in God, doesn't mean we are a religion.

Clarity:

My question was intended: If it isn't a religious thing, then why is it important that people believe in God?

 

[Skip Sampson]

So, if it isn't about religion, why do Freemasons have a problem with unbelievers?

'Unbeliever' is a pretty broad term; 'atheist' is where the real prohibition lies. In the Masonic view, an atheist cannot be trusted to keep the required vows because they would lack the solemnity of one who believes in a higher power of some sort. Thus, such vows would not really be binding on the man, making him untrustworthy to protect the secrets of Freemasonry.

In general, a belief in any higher power is sufficient for membership, though some GL's officially state that it must be a monotheistic deity; however, I doubt if that's enforced. The 'official' view is that Masonry doesn't really care about a man's personal religious views beyond that, but I'd guess that some lodges do take that into consideration informally before voting on accepting an application. In late 2012, The Florida GL went somewhat beyond the common view when it determined that Paganism, Wicca, Odinism, Agnosticism and Gnosticism were incompatible with Masonry and that any members of those belief structures could not be FL Freemasons. The GM's justification of the ruling was that the beliefs of such groups violated the precepts laid down in the original GL documentation for membership. Cordially, Skip.

 

[Simpleman25]

Clarity:

My question was intended: If it isn't a religious thing, then why is it important that people believe in God?

Freemasonry clearly has overt Christian ideals and beliefs. The issue we have is when someone falsely accuses us of being a religion. Which we are not.

The first question they asked me is if I believed in God.

 

[Skip Sampson]

The issue we have is when someone falsely accuses us of being a religion. Which we are not.

Just what is a religion? What is your definition of one? Cordially, Skip.

 

[variant]

Freemasonry clearly has overt Christian ideals and beliefs. The issue we have is when someone falsely accuses us of being a religion. Which we are not.

The first question they asked me is if I believed in God.

Just what is a religion? What is your definition of one? Cordially, Skip

I didn't say it was a religion, I said asked if it was a "religious thing" or "about religion".

Religious - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Religious:

1: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity <a religious person> <religious attitudes>

2: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances <joined a religious order>

3a : scrupulously and conscientiously faithful

 

[variant]

'Unbeliever' is a pretty broad term; 'atheist' is where the real prohibition lies. In the Masonic view, an atheist cannot be trusted to keep the required vows because they would lack the solemnity of one who believes in a higher power of some sort. Thus, such vows would not really be binding on the man, making him untrustworthy to protect the secrets of Freemasonry.

My lack of belief in God makes me exactly the kind of unbeliever you would have a problem with.

We can't be trusted to keep our word? That's pretty insulting actually.

 

[Simpleman25]

My lack of belief in God makes me exactly the kind of unbeliever you would have a problem with.

We can't be trusted to keep our word? That's pretty insulting actually.

It's not about keeping your word. It speaks to who you are. That's what it says to us.

If it's not your thing, don't join. I've told numerous men that over the years. It's not for everyone.

 

[variant]

It's not about keeping your word. It speaks to who you are. That's what it says to us.

If it's not your thing, don't join. I've told numerous men that over the years. It's not for everyone.

I don't really have a problem with you guys but you obviously don't like people like me.

But good point, I'll take my "lack of solemnity" elsewhere.

 

[Albion]

Not long ago I was using a financial broker to transfer some money. He mentioned that later that evening he was attending a Mason meeting. I thought it was lite conversation but then he mentioned it again. It made me think if he was indirectly asking me if I was a mason. If I was would that of helped me in my business transaction?

Tigger, I doubt that he wanted to know if you were a Mason. If that were his intention, he would simply have asked you!

It sounds to me as though he might have thought well enough of you to think of you as a prospective Mason. We don't want just anyone, you know.

If you'd shown enough interest to ask a few questions or said you had always wondered about Masonry, or something like that, he might have said a little more. We don't favor actively recruiting people, but we want to be available as a contact for those who might have thought about becoming a Mason but who didn't know how it's done or whom to speak with about it.

 

[Albion]

So, if it isn't about religion, why do Freemasons have a problem with unbelievers?

It's not a religion, but it is indeed "about" religion and morality (and education, trust, fellowship, charity, community service, and much more).

And I wouldn't say that Masons "have a problem" with unbelievers. Masons don't spend any time criticizing or distancing themselves from unbelievers, and I've never heard any Mason saying that atheists or agnostics, etc. can't be trusted because of their belief system or shouldn't be considered for membership on this account.