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Journal leviramsey's Journal: Freemasonry Q&A 18

Journal by leviramsey

As some of you may know, I am a Master Mason in good standing, having been entered, passed, and raised and signed the bylaws of Hayden Lodge, AF&AM, a constituent lodge of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of AF&AM in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While Freemasonry is a lifelong journey (indeed, I interpret one critical point of the third degree to mean that we do not know the secrets of Freemasonry until we depart this mortal coil), I am available to answer questions from others.

DISCLAIMER: I will not violate any of the Constitutions and Regulations of my Grand Lodge in this JE, with particular attention being paid to not revealing anything which would allow one to gain illicit admission to a Lodge.

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Freemasonry Q&A More

Freemasonry Q&A

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  • 1. What is the mission of the FreeMasons?

    2. Why did you join?

    3. What is your favorite part of being a FreeMason?

    • What is the mission of the FreeMasons?

      We are banded together for mutual benefit, through character-strengthening by way of fellowship, charity, education, and leadership. In addition, we exist to encourage brotherly love, relief, and truth.

      Why did you join?

      I was a member of the Order of DeMolay [demolay.org], through which I gained a favorable impression of the Fraternity (and desired to continue with the fellowship found in DeMolay). In addition, there's been something of a Masonic tradition in my family, wh

      • Thanks...

        Continuing:

        4. Are you in the US? If so, what state?

        5. What are the membership requirements?

        6. What benefits have you received from your membership?
        a. Professional.
        b. Spiritual.
        c. Family.
        d. Friendship.

        • Are you in the US? If so, what state?

          Yes; Massachusetts (hence why I am under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts)

          What are the membership requirements?

          You must be a free-born man of lawful age (depending on the rules concerning the Grand Lodge within which jurisdiction you live; IIRC, you're out in Cali, so it's at least 18) who states a firm belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. You must petition of your own free will, by requesting a petition from a Mason and submitting i

  • My great-grandfather (whom I knew) was a Mason. I do not know the degree as he did not talk of it. My grandfather and father are not Masons. I'd like to be one. Suggestions?
  • are you in league with the illuminati?

    Will you help me get into the 'illuminatus' state of grand master of the illuminati?
  • Do you make your own white hoods or is there an online/brick&mortar retailer who supplies such things? I find them to be quite fashionable.

    Also, do you make the crosses that you burn on lawns for that event or is there a stockpile kept on hand and ready at all times for when the need arises? If this it is the second option, how large of a cache is kept?

    (all questions said in jest, I know its not the klan... or is it??)

    Who keeps the metric system down?

    Who made Steve Gutenburg... a star?

    Who rigs ev

    • Regrettably, there are likely Lodges in the South that are effectively Klan chapters (or whatever the hell they called them... kookaburras?). The Klan began as one of the clones of Masonry that cropped up in the late-19th century (Grange and Odd Fellows are others), and in many portions of the rural South, the Klan served the same fraternal function as the Masonic Lodge did elsewhere.

      When the Klan imploded by the 1960s and 70s, the Masons were basically the only game left as far as fraternal organization

  • Can you do somethig about my checking account since you run the whole world banking system?
  • Heliocentric beat me to it (the non-Klan questions, that is). Grandfather was a member. Father couldn't memorize enough stuff to get very far along at all. I've thought of petitioning for membership.

  • My grandfather and my father are members, only not very active or high ranking. My grandmother is in Eastern Star. My grandparents attend church regularly and tithe and I think they are fairly well grounded Christians. I have never really looked into Masonry, I've never had a desire to. I know some Christians are very adamant against Masons. I heard one guy ask someone if anyone in her family was a Mason, and she said yes. He told her to renounce it.

    Are you a Christian, and if so, what denomination

    • I think the numbers of clergy (one of the Southern Baptists on the committee investigating whether the Craft was compatible with Christianity derived such a favorable impression of the Fraternity through his research that he joined) and laity who have chosen to take their degrees (your family members included) indicates that it's not impossible to be a good Christian and be a Mason.

      At this point, I wouldn't call myself a Christian; I've found enough of a philosophical and ethical system in Masonry to keep

      • The closest I can say is that, if there's a conflict between an implication in say, a Scottish Rite degree and what I've taken from the first three degrees, then I would leave the Scottish Rite.
        That tells me a lot. I worry about anyone who is involved in an organization that they would stay in even if they disagreed with it's principles.

        • Regarding the Scottish and York Rites (and the Shrine and the other "higher degrees"), it's also important to remember that the Blue Lodge (the first 3 degrees) is supreme; if one of the "higher" bodies is found to be in conflict with Blue Lodge, the Grand Master of the appropriate Grand Lodge can immediately issue an absolutely binding edict declaring that body irregular or clandestine, which thus prohibits all Masons under that Grand Master's jurisdiction from belonging to that body.

  • I've been out of town for a while so I didn't see this sooner.

    My big question is to ask a "real" mason what you think of _The Hiram Key_? They sound like they make some sense, but I'm curious if they are considered "masonic heretics" or if they gave away too many secrets, or anything like that.

    • I like the Hiram Key... it's somewhat controversial within the Craft. As for the secrets issues, I'll say that their rendition of the Master's Word is a little fanciful (at least it doesn't jibe with the corresponding portion of the ritual of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts). Of course, rituals differ from Grand Lodge to Grand Lodge (their rendition of the Third Degree is somewhat different from MA's ritual, but I'm reliably told that is an accurate rendition of one of the English rituals).

      I find it pr

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This is clearly another case of too many mad scientists, and not enough hunchbacks.

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