Freemasonry. Separating myth from fiction.

[morningstar2651]

How do you know? By what process should one use to determine if a professed belief is a real one? Cordially, Skip.

If someone tells me that they're Christian, I'll take their word for it. They know their beliefs far better than I.

 

[Eudaimonist]

What are typical activities for masons? What do they do with their time as part of the group?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Skip Sampson]

What are typical activities for masons? What do they do with their time as part of the group?

Funny you should ask:
Police break up 'drug-fueled orgy' at Masonic Lodge after finding women dancing naked on stage and men filming sex acts | Mail Online

 

[Eudaimonist]

Funny you should ask:
Police break up 'drug-fueled orgy' at Masonic Lodge after finding women dancing naked on stage and men filming sex acts | Mail Online

Is that a typical mason activity?

Incidentally, the article says the following:

[The masons] said the party was not sponsored by their group at all.
Instead, they say, a party promoter paid $900 to rent the space for the night.

'Charlie' a Freemason spokesman, said the man renting the lodge told the Freemasons he would be hosting a dance party.

The Freemasons said they checked on the party about 1am on Sunday and found nothing suspicious.


It is not clear that this was a mason activity. It looks like you did a Google and only bothered to read the title of the article.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Albion]

What are typical activities for masons? What do they do with their time as part of the group?


eudaimonia,

Mark

Masons have monthly business meetings that are much like any other fraternity or club's. There is a lot of ceremony to some of this that is something like a reenactment of historical events, done to dramatize the importance of some quality of life like honesty, self-improvement, or courage. They have fellowship, dinners, and plan outings with their families. They also engage in numerous charitable projects in their communities. What Masons DO NOT do, but many people assume is the case, is to operate a bar so that members can drop by at their leisure in order to drink, play cards, etc. As a matter of fact, a lot of other fraternities that everyone has heard of were founded because some people felt that drinking should be allowed at Masonic events.

 

[Albion]

Is that a typical mason activity?

Incidentally, the article says the following:

[The masons] said the party was not sponsored by their group at all.
Instead, they say, a party promoter paid $900 to rent the space for the night.

'Charlie' a Freemason spokesman, said the man renting the lodge told the Freemasons he would be hosting a dance party.

The Freemasons said they checked on the party about 1am on Sunday and found nothing suspicious.[

Of course it was not. But in a time when many organizations, from Girl Scouts to Kiwanis, that once had plenty of members but now are facing budgetary squeezes, rent out their facilities. Masonic Centers have hosted operas, weddings, blood drives, etc., partly because some of these older Masonic buildings are well-equipped with ballrooms and kitchen facilities. It sounds like someone snookered the local Masons really badly in this particular instance.

 

[Skip Sampson]

Is that a typical mason activity?

Renting out their meeting halls to others? Yes, that's a typical Masonic activity. Occasionally Masonic lodges get used for other purposes which end up embarrassing Masonry in general. A few years ago, an extracurricular event featured a man accidentally shot to death by another Mason. Not part of the blue lodge ritual, fer shure, but these things do occur.

btw, another typical Masonic activity is memorization and practice of the various degrees and ceremonies in the lodge. From the start, the new Mason has memory work he must accomplish and demonstrate, and all officers, and many members, have long ritual sections to commit to memory. Each meeting involves quite a bit of recitation which must be in accordance with the ritual as promulgated by the GL. So the commitment of the ritual to memory takes up quite a bit of time.

It is not clear that this was a mason activity.

The article didn't state whether the renters were Masons or not. Wouldn't want to jump to conclusions, one way or another.

It looks like you did a Google and only bothered to read the title of the article.

Untrue. It appeared on Drudge, one of the many sites which I read every morning, and I indeed read the entire article, as usual. Had I wanted to deceive, I wouldn't have posted the link. Cordially, Skip.

 

[Albion]

It is not clear that this was a mason activity. It looks like you did a Google and only bothered to read the title of the article.

That's true.

There's no way the following reply cannot be understood as saying, wrongly, that Masons were the revelers:


Question:

What are typical activities for masons? What do they do with their time as part of the group?

Skip:

Funny you should ask:
Police break up 'drug-fueled orgy' at Masonic Lodge after finding women dancing naked on stage and men filming sex acts | Mail Online

 

[Skip Sampson]

What Masons DO NOT do, but many people assume is the case, is to operate a bar so that members can drop by at their leisure in order to drink, play cards, etc.

The practice of no alcohol in U.S. lodges is, I've heard it claimed, a leftover from Prohibition days, though others hold that in many cases it preceded that event.

Paul Bessel has a webpage on the issue here: Liquor
What seems clear is that some GL's allow the use of alcohol, but not in the lodgeroom and certainly not while the lodge is in labor. Anecdotal evidence notes the use of alcohol in lodges with those constraints.

The UGLE first met in the tavern, and full bars have always been a common practice in British lodges. It would appear that the U.S. practice is more of an innovation than anything else.

Still, it would be bad press to have a Mason featured in the local newspaper for a DUI offense after a lodge meeting. Much better to meet at Beef's afterwards and have a good time as part of the boys' night out. Cordially, Skip.

 

[duane washum]

Yo, Skip.

As many times as Christians have been accused of "just trying to make money", I wonder what renting out a Masonic hall to strippers and orgy enthusiasts is classified as? Commerce?

 

[Albion]

Yo, Skip.

As many times as Christians have been accused of "just trying to make money", I wonder what renting out a Masonic hall to strippers and orgy enthusiasts is classified as? Commerce?

Hmm. Another "expert" on Masonry who automatically assumes that this was planned by that lodge.

 

[Simpleman25]

Yo, Skip.

As many times as Christians have been accused of "just trying to make money", I wonder what renting out a Masonic hall to strippers and orgy enthusiasts is classified as? Commerce?

There are so many things wrong with you wrote, it's hard to know where to start.

If a Masonic lodge rents its facilities, it's not doing so by lying about a group of people in order to make a buck. We leave that to cult members like yourself.

My lodge was rented one time to a not so honest group. Or rental agreement clearly states that no alcohol is allowed in the building or parking lot. They actually lied to us! Go figure.

The fact that something bad happened in a lodge during a rental is unfortunate. To make it sound like this is commonplace is thuggish. Not something out of line for you or your other cult members.

 

[Simpleman25]

Hmm. Another "expert" on Masonry who automatically assumes that this was planned by that lodge.

Albion,

These two don't let little things like the truth or facts get in the way of their nonsense.

 

[Albion]

Funny you should mention clarity. Your attempt to muddy the thread with nonsense was soundly refuted.

When you claim you are a WM, please elaborate for the readers.

Whether your a part of e511 or emfj, you still answer to the same people. Your playbook had been used by those before you.

You're right that they're both off-topic. So while the welcome mat should still be out for anyone honestly interested in learning more about Masonry, there's no need to accommodate whoever may be here merely hoping to provoke a fight.

 

[Simpleman25]

btw, another typical Masonic activity is memorization and practice of the various degrees and ceremonies in the lodge. From the start, the new Mason has memory work he must accomplish and demonstrate, and all officers, and many members, have long ritual sections to commit to memory. Each meeting involves quite a bit of recitation which must be in accordance with the ritual as promulgated by the GL. So the commitment of the ritual to memory takes up quite a bit of time.



I wonder if you tire from being wrong so often? Some men come into masonry just to join the shrine. Those men go through a all the way in one day class. None of those men are required to memorize anything.

Those of us that assist in conferring of the degrees travel to other lodges to help.

 

[Simpleman25]

You're right that they're both off-topic. So while the welcome mat should still be out for anyone honestly interested in learning more about Masonry, there's no need to accommodate whoever may be here merely hoping to provoke a fight.

I agree brother.

My goal is to help those that don't know about masonry. Or those that refer to the internet for their education.

Most on here just want to ask specific questions. That's where I want to help.

 

[Albion]

I agree brother.

My goal is to help those that don't know about masonry. Or those that refer to the internet for their education.

Most on here just want to ask specific questions. That's where I want to help.

I understand. And you made that clear in the title of this thread. That's why I think it's unhelpful to allow a few who are here for the wrong reasons to divert the thread into something else. Ignoring them would be the best policy, even though taunts are hard to ignore, I realize.

 

[drjean]

Not sure what your knowledge is. I will disagree that it is not Christian. Would be interested to hear what you have to say. Either here or in pm.

Ankenberg is an interesting fellow. I've often wondered what his view would be if he wasn't making money on it.

Were you aware that Ankenbergs lead investigator joined freemasonry after doing ankenbergs leg work? I've always found that little nugget of information very valuable.

Re the latter, it doesn't surprise me that the Masons persuaded the guy, they are quite cunning and the benefits of belonging appeal to many egomaniacs, imo.

Well, there is just too much to bother to discuss. I will share that the idea that you cannot ask to join is bogus...everyone knows the person generally asks in some way, but it's done through a back door. Another myth is that is doesn't cost money to join. The final straw in my marriage was because my former husband had to become a mason so he could make rank in the US Coast Guard--rank and money we needed. After he was accepted he had to have $25,000. I refused to mortgage the house so he divorced me (among other reasons). But my father-in-law had been a mason for eons ...

 

[Albion]

btw, another typical Masonic activity is memorization and practice of the various degrees and ceremonies in the lodge. From the start, the new Mason has memory work he must accomplish and demonstrate, and all officers, and many members, have long ritual sections to commit to memory. Each meeting involves quite a bit of recitation which must be in accordance with the ritual as promulgated by the GL. So the commitment of the ritual to memory takes up quite a bit of time.

Some men come into masonry just to join the shrine. Those men go through a all the way in one day class. None of those men are required to memorize anything.

Those of us that assist in conferring of the degrees travel to other lodges to help.

You're quite right about that, and it is worth setting the record straight since this is the kind of information that sincere inquirers might want to know about. There are no memorization requirements in order to be initiated a Mason.

 

[Albion]

Re the latter, it doesn't surprise me that the Masons persuaded the guy, they are quite cunning and the benefits of belonging appeal to many egomaniacs, imo.

Well, there is just too much to bother to discuss. I will share that the idea that you cannot ask to join is bogus...everyone knows the person generally asks in some way, but it's done through a back door. Another myth is that is doesn't cost money to join. The final straw in my marriage was because my former husband had to become a mason so he could make rank in the US Coast Guard--rank and money we needed. After he was accepted he had to have $25,000. I refused to mortgage the house so he divorced me (among other reasons). But my father-in-law had been a mason for eons ...

Thank you for your questions. I'll try to answer and correct some misunderstandings you've expressed.

1. I don't know where you got the idea that "You cannot just ask to join." The longstanding Masonic rule is that you MUST ask to join and cannot be merely talked into it by your uncle who might happen to be a Mason or something like that. There is, in fact, a slogan about that among Masons: 2 B 1 ask 1. As for the "back door" you referred to, I don't know what you had in mind, but all that a person need do is send an email of interest to the contact given in the website and the process will be started.

2. I have never heard it said that it costs nothing to join. The usual figure is about $30 for the first degree and a total of about $100 for all three degrees that the Blue Lodge offers and which make you a full-fledged Master Mason. That $25,000 figure you stated is not only untrue but laughably so. Think about it. Most American Masons are middle class men. The membership would be approximately zero if anyone had to pay $25,000 in order to belong. But I can't really comment on what your ex-husband told you, why he fed you this line if he did, or what you might have believed.