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EXACTLY!!!I can't comment on FM specifically, but I recall that in Boyscouts, we keep pretty quiet about the OA because it ruins the fun of becoming a member if you already know everything about it.
A certain Masonic ceremony used during the process of initiation refers to the Scriptural triad of Ask-Seek-Knock; because every one that asketh with a sincere faith receiveth; he that diligently seeketh is sure to find; and to him that earnestly and with steady perseverance knocketh, without being discouraged because the first report or even the second remains unanswered, shall be admitted at the open door. Thus any one who wishes to participate in the secrets of the Craft must, as a preliminary preparation, seek in his mind, or in other words, examine himself carefully, that he may correctly ascertain whether his desire proceeds merely from some volatile and hastily-formed whim, which is likely to be evanescent and vanish at the first moment of trial, should any trifling difficulty intervene to cast a damp upon his hopes and expectations. If such be the slight and feeble grounds of his determination, he would act wisely to abandon it at once, for his admission under such circumstances would neither be gratifying to himself nor beneficial to the Order (Oliver, The Freemason’s Treasury, p. 116-17).
ASK, and ye shall receive;
SEEK, ye shall surely find;
KNOCK, ye shall no resistance meet,
If come with ready mind;
For all that ASK, and ask aright,
Are welcome to our Lodge to-night.
Lay down the bow and spear;
Resign the sword and shield:
Forget the arts of warfare here,
The arms of peace to wield;
For all that SEEK, and seek aright,
Are welcome to our Lodge to-night.
Bring hither thoughts of peace;
Bring hither words of love:
Diffuse the pure and holy joy,
That cometh from above;
For all that KNOCK, and knock aright,
Are welcome to our Lodge to-night.
ASK help of Him that 's high;
SEEK grace of Him that's true:
KNOCK patiently, the hand is nigh,
Will open unto you;
For all that ASK, SEEK, KNOCK aright,
Are welcome to our Lodge to-night. (p. 10)
Freemasonry contains another beautiful illustration of the number three, which ought not to be overlooked. It alludes to an ancient and venerable exhortation in the Sacred Scriptures — "Ask, and you shall have — Seek, and you shall find — Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." These words were uttered by Him who spake as never man spake; and as He has thus constituted a passport into an earthly Lodge, so also must He be our passport into a Lodge not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (Oliver, The Pythagorean Triangle, p. 90)
markesmen: You know they actually are, the info is all over the net about just such affliations. Your going have to try alot harder than that to prevent so many anti FM sentiments when there is so much anti FM material out there for public consumption.I for one dont believe all of it, however definately over 50% of it.There is simply too many diverse but agreed claims for FM not to be anti christ.
Even if you could turn the tide on public perceptions of FM the fact that it is so exclusive and elitist will always build suspicion against FM for the same reason the too common majority dont like any secret cliquey grouping.
Also is it still official FM membership policy to exlcude catholics and certain other categories thus getting their backs up.
wy: Above info is typical FM history however its all pretty stock standard nothing new, nothing I for one havent seen hundreds of times before in official history on FM. I think what these posters want here is your fraternal secrets. Will you divulge them to the profane I doubt it!.
However, there IS a restriction from the catholic church which prohibits catholics to be masons.
I have been told that this is no longer in the line of the Vatican - although individual priests may still find certain objections.
I think what these posters want here is your fraternal secrets. Will you divulge them to the profane I doubt it!.
Thank you for that - sounds more politics than anything else.
The catholic church playing politics?! Nooo.... never!
Think about it. Why would I say "two" masters?
Yes, one can be a Mason and a Christian.
You almost had it. Oh, and me not saying it... well, I had to go to bed, so all those posts after my last one on here... well, I was sleeping, and then I had to go to work. So now I'm back.I think what NavyGuy7 is not saying is something like - no one can serve two masters.
What he does not understand is that his assumption is that by belonging to a LOdge, or a club, or a political party, of the local football club, one is somehow therefore deemed as 'serving two masters' and one's loyalty to God is therefore compromised.
The primary method of accusation against Freemasonry is the unsubstantiated insinuendo:
IMHO, such claims are completely unsubstantiated and deserve to be ignored. There have been more than the usual share of them for several pages now. There seem to be a number of claims on this thread lately which repeat what they have heard, or what somebody else has heard and repeated, or what they have read somewhere and conveniently forgot to mention where. The whole approach on which the claims are based is devoid of merit, or logic, or truth.
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