I understand they are an organisation who have some loose ideas about certain things you need to do in order to become a member, but who or what are they exactly?
The freemasons originated as a group of actual masons who wanted to “network” as it were. Over time, they developed a secretive, quasireligious set of rituals. The group morphed into a sort of gentleman’s club; masons often would only do business with fellow masons. Membership in the freemasons came to be regarded as vital for a businessman.
George Washington was a member, as were most prominent men of his day. Freemasonry reached its peak, I believe, in the late 1700s. The secrecy that cloaked its rituals was so great that when a disillusioned member, whose name I cannot now remember, threatened to publish a tell-all book, he was abducted one night & murdered by his fellow masons. My memory also fails me as to whether or not anyone was convicted for this murder, but I do not think anyone was. Despite this, it was well known that the masons were responsible, & this precipitated the decline of the influence & power of the masons. Today, the masons are just another club like the Knights of Columbus or the Jaycees, & confine their activities for the most part to charitable causes.
I see, so what does being in the Freemasons entail?
flowers: I must’ve missed the link you posted proving your assertion in your posting just above.
I don’t agree that the Masons are like the Knights of Columbus – nor are the Jaycees like the Knights of Columbus.
The thread is about the Masons, though, so I’ll leave my disagreement there.
- Rick, PGK, PFN, FDD
Knight of Columbus
The Freemasons are a “social club”, much like the (probably) thousands of others in the US. They’re one of the better known ones, and while they’re known for being secretive, many of these fraternal clubs have initiation rites, secret handshakes, and the like. The others that spring to mind offhand are the Elks, the Moose, the Knights of Columbus, VFW, the Grange, the Optimists, the Jaycees, the Rotary Club…the list goes on and on. Some aren’t secretive in the least, but they’re all social clubs. Most tend to be middle-aged and older men, and they do a lot of charity and community work.
What flowers refers to is the William Morgan murder case of 1826 in New York state. It’s hard to find an unbiased account, and I don’t suggest that this is one, but it does seem fairly factual:
http://www.freemasonwatch.freepress-freespeech.com/party.html
The Morgan murder helped precipitate the Anti-Masonic party of the 1830’s and 40’s.
As already observed, the masons of today are just another service club. I had a great uncle, who was basically a silly old duck, and a 33rd degree mason. He was so involved with the masons that it was essentially his entire life - he earned his living administering an educational fund for them. To suspect my great uncle of having been a part of any vast conspiracy, or indeed of having been in much control of anything, borders on ludicrous.
Our founding fathers were masons because it was a movement that appealed to the progressives of the 18th century, and many leading intellectuals of that era belonged to it.
Cecil’s column on the subject: What’s the story on Freemasonry?
The Grange is decended from a 19th century radical/Populist group involved in anti-corporate terrorist acts. They were opposed to the Railroads’ influence in State & National government. Went non-violent & legit later.
I once read something theorizing, based on some of their rituals, practices, and origin stories, that the story about being descended from medieval cathedral mason’s guilds was actually just a front. The article posited that the freemasons were a front for the Knights Templar created after many were forced to go into hiding to escape King Philip IV and Pope Clement V.
Unfortunately, I’m speaking from memory and I don’t have a cite. So I’m not a credible source of information; Masons, don’t come kill me.
Anybody able to shed any light on this?
… the Odd Fellows, the Eagles, the Shriners, Kiwanis, the Lions Club, the Knights of Pythias …
I don’t know that I’d call either the Grange of Farmer’s Alliance very terroristic. They mainly used legal methods.
The dynamite railroade trestles, ripped-up tracks, destroyed engines & rolling stock, burned station buildings, assaulted company employees, & killed one company vice-president in a bungled kidnap attempt.
And, oh yeah…they did the lawyer thing too, as you said.
They dynamited railroad trestles, ripped-up tracks, destroyed engines & rolling stock, burned station buildings, assaulted company employees, & killed one company vice-president in a bungled kidnap attempt.
And, oh yeah…they did the lawyer thing too, as you said.
Hi, Monty. To which assertion were you referring? Unfortunately, I don’t have a link. Most of what I put in my post was dredged up from my memories of what I have read & seen about freemasons on The History Channel–on a History’s Mysteries episode.
While I consider myself well read, my memory is not what it used to be because of electroconvulsive therapy I underwent for severe chronic depression. I would strongly advise against ECT for anyone considering it.
I apologize for not including any links or an extensive bibliography of my sources. :o
flowers: The assertion about the murder. Someone else posted a link to an obviously anti-mason website, so that’s not even in the realm of believable evidence.
Thank you, all.
To join the Freemasons, you must file a petition with a lodge. The reqs. are that you be male, at least 18 years of age, and generally an all-around good fellow.
They are a public fraternity with secret rituals. That’s all.
Forgot a req.–you must also profess a faith in a “Higher Power.”
Interestingly, the founder of the Mormon Church (LDS Church) “borrowed” much of the Freemason’s ritual and used it in the Mormon temple ritual. The Mormon leadership has altered it many times through the years to avoid criticism; the most recent and drastic was around 1989.
Dr. Strangemind