The third degree ritual deals with the subject of death, but within the context of the progression of degrees, it is not morbid or anything like that. The first degree deals with youth, and the second degree deals with middle age. The ceremony surprised me, but nothing I experienced was even remotely cringe-worthy, unethical or immoral. It would be very difficult to explain the context of the ceremony to the extent that you would fairly have the proper context by which to understand the actual events of the ceremony, but “Fear-factor lite” would not be an unfair characterization.
As a matter of fact, the tenets of the ceremony (and Masonry in general) are Morality and Ethics.
No human skulls or remains - that’s part of later degrees
Wait, free-born? Really? I know that’s just a relic, but Masonry is an international organization, and slavery and indentured servitude do still exist in the world. Would someone really be disqualified based on their legal status at birth? That’s pretty offensive.
Yes, Eastern Star is for the ladies. There are definitely no women accepted as Masons.
It’s more than “cermonial deism”, though. Masonic rituals and meetings include a lot of prayers, some hymns, and talk about the “Supreme Architect”; belief really is central to their teachings. Without belief, much of the meaning is lost.
Okay, stupid question, I know. Actually, two stupid questions. 1)Freemason and Mason, are the terms used interchangeably? 2)Do Freemasons/Masons have anything to do with brick and concrete workers that call themselves masons?
Yes, they still include “free-born” in the requirements. At it’s core, this means that in order to be a Mason, a man’s time must be his own. A slave or indentured servant cannot commit his time because it is not his to give.
It’s also symbolic of the fact that Masonry is something to which you must devote you time in order to benefit from it, and if you do not have the time to spend, you shouldn’t join. More or less.
Do you know of fraternal (or, well, comparable) organizations that accept female atheists? I’ve always been interested in them but there don’t seem to be any options for me. I’m okay with secrecy and ritualism, I just won’t vow that I believe in a Creator.
Yes, we use Freemason and Mason interchangably (to the best of my knowledge). The origins of our Fraternity are said to be in the Stone Masons guild of ancient times, and the rituals and teachings use the tools of operative masons (trowel, square, level, etc) in a symbolic manner.
What kind of time commitment does freemasonry involve? Are you required to attend a certain number of meetings or donate a certain amount of time to the charitable works? Does the ritual make the meetings long?
Also, what is the difference between Masons and Shriners? I talked to my uncle once years ago (he’s since passed on), and if I recall correctly, he was thirtieth degree, Scottish Rite. But he wouldn’t tell me anything.
Might you be thinking of the Elks? We’ve been admitting women for a while now, but people are just starting to notice. I’m just finishing up my term as Exalted Ruler in my Lodge, and three of my officers are women. Next year, we’re adding another.
Maybe the National Organization for Women? I dunno. I reckon the Eastern Star has the same requirement for belief that the Masons do.
My best friend is an athiest, and when I told him I was joining he said pretty much what has been expressed here - he’d like to join, but the whole requirement for belief in a higher power thing just didn’t work for him.
What about an agnostic Jew? Are the hymns/prayers/rituals Christ-based? What about a very open-minded Buddhist? Is the belief in a higher power similar to, say, the loose belief in a HP as thought necessary by AA?
What did you mean by “gotten together after our studies”? Does your time in the lodge require a fair amount of history/lore learning? What else do you do in a lodge between blood-donating and charity setting-up? Drink? Play mumbleypeg?
Do you know anything about the Rotarians, Lions Cubs, Knights o’ Columbas, etc? Is there any way to compare organizatons?
Meetings are once a month, except in July & August (when the Lodge goes dark). As far as how much time it takes, that’s really up to the individual. Technically, now that I’ve got my dues card I’ll be a Moson as long as I keep current on my dues. I could probably spend the rest of my life as a member in good standing and never set foot in a Lodge again. Obviously, that’s not the point of it, though. You can go once a month to the meetings, or join the line and go twice a month, or visit other Lodges, join charitable committees, etc. As much or as little time as you want, really.
The Shrine runs the Shriners Hospital, and their association with the Masons is that membership in the Masons is a pre-requisite to joining the Shrine. And they wear the funny hats and get to drive tine fire engines. Scottish and York Rite are also appendant bodies that are seperate from Masonry, but require members to be Masons. They all have specif charities they operate and specific teachings and methods of teaching.
The officers at my Lodge wear tuxedos with vestments to signify their rank in the Lodge. I heard they get all decked out like you describe in other Lodges, but not mine. The funky jewelery is kind of cool though, yeah.
I wear dockers and a sports coat to Lodge. Most of the guys wear suits.
Not to hijack Winston’s thread, but you might be happy with Rotary. (I’m no longer a member. I just didn’t have the time I felt I should commit to it.) We had a lot of women (including me) in our chapter.
As far as atheism goes, you certainly won’t be quizzed about your beliefs to qualify for membership. Our chapter meetings always began with the singing of The Star Spangled Banner and a non-denominational invocation. If a 30-second vague prayer is too much religion, then Rotary might not be for you. (I’m guessing chapters may vary widely in the degree of religiosity, though.)
