# Scottish Rite Masonry **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997 "2013-03-04T14:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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 4, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/1 "2013-03-04T14:53:39Z")
This almost certainly won’t interest anyone but my Masonic bretheren here on the boards, but I wanted to share that I went to the Scottish Rite Masonry one day class in Boston on Saturday, and had a great time. Experienced 5 degrees and made some new friends. And so yet another Masonic journey begins. It’s only 1 night a month, right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/2 "2013-03-04T22:07:21Z")
The only reason I’d know Scottish-Rite masonry exists is the National Heritage Museum in Lexington. I have to ask: what makes your masonry Scottish? Is it the caber toss? ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/3 "2013-03-05T01:31:34Z")
Congratulations. My dad is a Scottish rite mason, (and other things too, I can’t remember them all) and I seem to recall that is one of the meetings he really enjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/4 "2013-03-05T02:18:07Z")
I’m not a Mason, but I am a local historian. I also run the Town of Fairhaven, MA, Office of Tourism. Our visitors center, and my office, are in the 1798 [Fairhaven Academy building](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgmwvWKfFMw/S-Lu0_fKo2I/AAAAAAAAAHE/P9o4N5GYuQo/s1600/Academy.jpg), originally a private secondary school. One of the teachers here was [Albert Pike](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pike), who created most of the Scottish Rite rituals. One of the two original classrooms in the building is preserved. There’s a bit of Masonic (and Fairhaven, MA) history. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/5 "2013-03-05T02:53:33Z")
Not a Mason myself, and could never become one in good conscience due to the Supreme Being requirement (unless I was to rules-lawyer it and say that God is man, which I more or less believe, but which I also understand definitely ain’t following the spirit of the law), but my Dad is, and I was quite fascinated for a while w/ the secret societies of that type (e.g., OTO, Golden Dawn). So anyway, my question: Y’alls got a lot of degrees. Do you actually “work” all of them? By which I mean, do you actually have a ritual/initiation for each and every degree, from 1 to 32? No worries if this is confidential, by the way. ---
**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 5, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/6 "2013-03-05T14:28:47Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > The only reason I’d know Scottish-Rite masonry exists is the National Heritage Museum in Lexington. I have to ask: what makes your masonry Scottish? Is it the caber toss? As near as I can tell, it’s because we drink Scotch afterwards. ---
**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 5, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/7 "2013-03-05T14:49:03Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Not a Mason myself, and could never become one in good conscience due to the Supreme Being requirement (unless I was to rules-lawyer it and say that God is man, which I more or less believe, but which I also understand definitely ain’t following the spirit of the law), but my Dad is, and I was quite fascinated for a while w/ the secret societies of that type (e.g., OTO, Golden Dawn). > > So anyway, my question: Y’alls got a lot of degrees. Do you actually “work” all of them? By which I mean, do you actually have a ritual/initiation for each and every degree, from 1 to 32? No worries if this is confidential, by the way. The degrees of Scottish Rite are more or less experienced as a series of plays, with the candidates sitting in the audience while the acts are performed on stage. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/8 "2013-03-05T18:01:53Z")
**Winston** , am I remembering correctly that you are here in Indiana? Will you now be able to attend meetings at the (absolutely gorgeous) [Scottish Rite Cathedral](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Rite_Cathedral_(Indianapolis,_Indiana))? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/9 "2013-03-05T18:38:53Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > The degrees of Scottish Rite are more or less experienced as a series of plays, with the candidates sitting in the audience while the acts are performed on stage. Yeah… plays… 😉 I’ve seen the Flintstones, bud. I’m on to you. Frantic City!.. Doctor’s a plumber! plays… w/e… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/10 "2013-03-06T05:22:32Z")
Do any of the plays involve Satan and/or one’s “immortal soul”? Jumping off a platform while blindfolded? ---
**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 8, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/11 "2013-03-08T17:56:42Z")
> [@Indyellen](#): > > **Winston** , am I remembering correctly that you are here in Indiana? Will you now be able to attend meetings at the (absolutely gorgeous) [Scottish Rite Cathedral](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Rite_Cathedral_(Indianapolis,_Indiana))? I’m in Boston. I’d like to see that some time, though. ---
**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 8, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/12 "2013-03-08T18:00:17Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Yeah… plays… 😉 > > I’ve seen the Flintstones, bud. I’m on to you. > > Frantic City!.. Doctor’s a plumber! > > plays… w/e… 😛 I didn’t tell you what we do _after_ the plays… ETA: I guess I _did_ tell you what we do afterwards. Oh well. ---
**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 8, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/13 "2013-03-08T18:02:35Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Do any of the plays involve Satan and/or one’s “immortal soul”? > > Jumping off a platform while blindfolded? The plays focus morality, personal integrity and faith (in God). Masonry is not about devil worship, Satanism or anything else like that. Nobody jumps off any platforms, blindfolded or not. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/14 "2013-03-08T18:27:07Z")
So how many babies did you have to eat? ---
**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 8, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/15 "2013-03-08T18:38:13Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > So how many babies did you have to eat? As many as we want! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/16 "2013-03-08T23:39:40Z")
Is Scottish better than York? I always thought that “York Rite” had something to do with York Peppermint Patties…true? ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2013, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/17 "2013-03-09T08:16:08Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > The plays focus morality, personal integrity and faith (in God). Masonry is not about devil worship, Satanism or anything else like that. Nobody jumps off any platforms, blindfolded or not. My Q re satan and the jumping are 2 characteristics reputed to Mormon induction. I have never been privy to Mormon rituals; this is hearsay. Wondering if the allegation that Smith et al. drew many of the Mormon rituals from those of the Masonic Lodge could be collaborated on either of those points My father was somehow a member of the Masonic Lodge - he never attended (was too drunk to do anything but pass out by 21:00) and was buried in a paper apron. ---
**Author:** ![Brittsimm44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@Brittsimm44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brittsimm44)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/18 "2013-03-09T11:28:10Z")
So, my dad used to be a mason and now is not in the group anymore and my sister is obsessed with this illuminati crap and has it made up in her mind mansons are part of it and that’s the reason dad got out (he won’t tell us why)…?? I dont kno, its all really confusing, but he tells her shes nuts lol and I think she is too. Do you have any advice on how to handle this with her? If so I’d gladly appreciate it if not, thank you anyway. 🙂 ---
**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 9, 2013, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/19 "2013-03-09T12:39:56Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > My Q re satan and the jumping are 2 characteristics reputed to Mormon induction. I have never been privy to Mormon rituals; this is hearsay. > Wondering if the allegation that Smith et al. drew many of the Mormon rituals from those of the Masonic Lodge could be collaborated on either of those points > My father was somehow a member of the Masonic Lodge - he never attended (was too drunk to do anything but pass out by 21:00) and was buried in a paper apron. From what little I know about the subject, I believe he borrowed heavily from Masonic ritual to create Mormon ritual. From a Masonic standpoint, I don’t think that’s meaningful. Aside from the similarities in the ritual, I don’t think Masonry and Mormonism have anything to do with each other. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997/20 "2013-03-10T06:30:48Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > From what little I know about the subject, I believe he borrowed heavily from Masonic ritual to create Mormon ritual. From a Masonic standpoint, I don’t think that’s meaningful. Aside from the similarities in the ritual, I don’t think Masonry and Mormonism have anything to do with each other. Actually, I’d be **very** surprised if they had ANYthing in common… The (Mormon) Satan ritual had a self-described “Protestant Minister” making a deal with Satan to deliver the Souls of all the Minister’s flock to Satan. It’s my understanding they dropped that part of the morality play years ago, for some reason. One source stated that the skit with Satan was to be performed by having a Member dress as Satan. In the event that there was no member willing to dress as Satan, there was a 16mm film of the ritual available to be shown in place of the play. Would love to get a copy of that film [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-rite-masonry/651997.md?page=2)