# Ask the Freemason **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931 "2010-03-18T20:16:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/41 "2010-03-19T03:14:40Z")
You mention that you were initiated into a series of degrees of Masonry, and that there are more to come. Other than having different initiation ceremonies as you discuss, can you explain the both ceremonial and practical differences between the degrees. Are there reasons why one would get one or more of them and not the others? Do they entitle you to different things? Are there separate requirements for each? ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/42 "2010-03-19T03:26:49Z")
Q. How many Masons does it take to change a light bulb? A. After much research this tricky question can now be answered. It takes 20, as follows: 2 to complain that the light doesn’t work. 1 to pass the problem to either another committee, the Temple Board or the Master of the Lodge. 3 to do a study on light in the Lodge. 2 to check out the types of lights the Knights of Columbus use. 3 to argue about it. 5 to plan a fund-raising dinner to raise money for the bulb. 2 to complain that “that′s not the way we did it before.” 1 to borrow a ladder, donate the bulb and install it. 1 to order the brass memorial plate and have it inscribed. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/43 "2010-03-19T03:39:18Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > Yes, Eastern Star is for the ladies. There are definitely no women accepted as Masons. I believe there’s an organization called “Co-Masonry” that’s essentially Masonry that accepts both men and women. It’s not sanctioned by the Grand Lodge, though. As far as Eastern Star being “Masonry for ladies,” I’d say that’s probably not quite accurate. OES does have rituals, but it’s not really the same thing. My parents were in Masonry and Eastern Star for many years, and I definitely got the impression that OES was more of a Masonic support organization, concerned more with philanthropy and entertaining than with ritual. I know the Eastern Star has ritual (I used to help my mother learn hers) but…I dunno. It just never seemed the same to me. Plus the fact that you can’t be in the OES unless you have a close male relative who is/was a Mason, while any male who fulfills the requirements can be a Mason. Ever since I was a kid (I’m female) I wanted to be a Mason. I never wanted to be in the Eastern Star, because it always struck me as the “Masonic Ladies Auxiliary.” (No offense intended to OES Dopers…it’s just not the sort of thing that appeals to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/44 "2010-03-19T04:10:07Z")
Welcome to the club Brother **Winston Smith!** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/45 "2010-03-19T04:50:28Z")
Is it true that all the secrets are in books that anyone can buy at a Masonic bookstore or a public library. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/46 "2010-03-19T06:32:50Z")
Did you get to meet Steve Gutenberg? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/47 "2010-03-19T08:24:41Z")
In the famous Kipling story (“The Man Who Would Be King”). the newspaper man is relaying a message from Daniel Dravott, to Peachy Carnahan. He is asked to identify himself-and he replies “for the sake of the widow’s son”-is this a Masonic identification? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/48 "2010-03-19T10:04:41Z")
No; or perhaps not any more. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/49 "2010-03-19T12:30:28Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > But free-born is not the same as free. > > I would further argue that one’s time is always one’s own by natural right, regardless of legal status. > Probably. > > Out of curiosity, how do they feel about atheists? Indeed, I cannot argue with your reasoning. In any event, it’s mostly a symbolic requirement to remind us that we must invest our time to the fraternity. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/50 "2010-03-19T12:33:57Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Other then using the tools of the masons as symbols and the name, the two groups really have nothing to do with each other though, right? I don’t think so. However, I’m sure their are operative masons (tradesmen) that are also Masons (Fraternity). The Freemasons are not a labor union. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/51 "2010-03-19T13:35:56Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > I’m married, so I guess that rules me out, too. 😉 Yeah. SmithWife is jealous of my time away from the family, but all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/52 "2010-03-19T13:42:09Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > I’m married, so I guess that rules me out, too. 😉 > [@Billdo](#): > > You mention that you were initiated into a series of degrees of Masonry, and that there are more to come. > > Other than having different initiation ceremonies as you discuss, can you explain the both ceremonial and practical differences between the degrees. Are there reasons why one would get one or more of them and not the others? Do they entitle you to different things? Are there separate requirements for each? Master Mason is the highest degree one can attain as a Mason. The additional degrees are attained through the appendant bodies like the Shrine, York Rite and etc. I’ll answer in more detail in a couple hours when I’m in front of my PC. I’m on my iPhone at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/53 "2010-03-19T13:49:02Z")
How come a Catholic can not become a free mason? Do you need to be an athiest to belong? I have a friend who is a Christian that goes on and on about how evil free masonry is. That the Third Temple is being rebuilt by the masons and it will be the end of the world etc. I shut her off at this point. I always thought it was a mens club similiar to the Knights Of Columbus? A place for guys to do guy stuff. Secret rituals and rites and rings? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/54 "2010-03-19T13:51:00Z")
So what’s the average age in your lodge, or in your Order as a whole if you have some sense of it? I mostly know about the Elks, and they are worried about the fact that they’re trending older and older as time goes on. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/55 "2010-03-19T13:53:51Z")
OK, enough with the penny-ante questions, somethign we all want to know: Why the secrets? I doubt (though honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if I was wrong) that Masons, for example, have secret government access, or own all the world’s gold or something like that, but why do they even have secrets from us “normals” then? I would think that a lot of the bad rep that Masons get would be cleared up if they were just open about what the secrets were, especially if they don’t have any meaning to us. I’m sure that for most people, the word “Mason” = “secrets”, not “fraternity” or “philanthropy”, or “community involvement”, but “secrets”. (Interestingly, the Google ad that comes up for this thread is “Freemasony Warning: Do Not Join The Freemasons Until You’ve Seen This… www. SecretsofMasons. com” I like the humour in the Google ad placement on some of these threads, adds to my Dope enjoyment … ) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/56 "2010-03-19T14:24:53Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > How come a Catholic can not become a free mason? Do you need to be an athiest to belong? The Catholic Church has a long-standing grudge against Masonry. Masonry has no bone to pick with Rome. A Catholic can become a Mason, but might get in trouble with the Church. > [@Perciful](#): > > I have a friend who is a Christian that goes on and on about how evil free masonry is. That the Third Temple is being rebuilt by the masons and it will be the end of the world etc. I shut her off at this point. Being part of something some people do not like is part of the fun. > [@Perciful](#): > > I always thought it was a mens club similiar to the Knights Of Columbus? A place for guys to do guy stuff. Secret rituals and rites and rings? The Knights is (are?) a copy of Masonry designed to let good Catholic men do secret handshakes without endangering their souls. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/57 "2010-03-19T14:56:16Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > The Catholic Church has a long-standing grudge against Masonry. Masonry has no bone to pick with Rome. A Catholic can become a Mason, but might get in trouble with the Church. > > The Knights is (are?) a copy of Masonry designed to let good Catholic men do secret handshakes without endangering their souls. OK, so _why_ does the Vatican not like the Masons? Surely they don’t decreee they don’t like something for absolutely no reason and not based on facts? OK, I couldn’t type that with a straight face. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/58 "2010-03-19T15:45:59Z")
Are you familiar with the [Mormon temple ceremonies](http://home.teleport.com/~packham/temples.htm)? How much of this does it appear was stolen from Masonry? According to my research, Joseph Smith was a Mason, as were most of the original founders of the LDS church. Just curious if you were aware of the similarities… and does that mean anything to the Masons? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/59 "2010-03-19T15:56:29Z")
Also a lot of the ‘Work’ of the BPO Moose lodges were based on Masonry. At some point we asked them to find their own ritual. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931/60 "2010-03-19T16:25:59Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > Indeed, I cannot argue with your reasoning. In any event, it’s mostly a symbolic requirement to remind us that we must invest our time to the fraternity. “Mostly,” perhaps, but what about someone who _was_ born into slavery? Would he be denied membership? It does still happen in today’s world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-freemason/532931.md?page=4)