I'm a Freemason AMA

[FreemasonAMA]

I will not go into some details, but I will try to answer as many questions as I can.

A freemason told me the Olympic Opening ceremonies where some kind of masonic ritual - going into various details and symbology here and there.

I haven't seen many Olympic opening ceremonies but I don't remember recognising one as a Masonic ritual. Now that I think about it, there is one aspect that is like a Masonic ritual, but that can be said for many unrelated events. It could be that particular ceremony you watched that year had some Masonic symbols in it.

I have recognised Masonic symbols and rituals in everyday life as well as art, though - Corporate symbols, US dollar (not surprisingly, since its founders included Freemasons), and even operas. Mozart's The Magic Flute is particularly laden with Masonic symbolism and rituals.

Thanks for the thread, op - very illuminating

I've known a few masons most of whom are in their 60s-70s. Can I ask how old you are, roughly?

I am 47. There are women in their late 20s and early 30s in our lodge. There are also women in their 50s and 60s. When I joined, I was the youngest for a couple of years.

, you say there is 'no woo' involved. I briefly house shared with a mason who left his book which had the wording to rituals in it lying around, so of course I used to read it! Firstly would it be frowned upon for a non-mason to have easy access to this book?

We are not expected to hide those ritual books, if that's what you mean. I keep mine among my books so DP could read them if he wanted to, but as you probably found out for yourself, it's impossible to understand if you're not there. It's like reading the script of a play without knowing the story or the characters, I suppose.

Secondly it seemed pretty woo to me. I know you said that it wasn't once you know what the symbolism means, but the same could be said of a pagan ritual or a reiki guide, both of which I would put in the woo category. So not a question as such but an observation/point of discussion.

I've never seen a pagan ritual but I believe it's about belief in Earth deities and magic, both of which I would say are woo. I have seen Reiki and heard its practitioners explain what it supposedly is, and that definitely is woo. It's not the rituals that make these practices woo, it's what they actually believe in and claim to do. Freemasonry isn't woo because it doesn't claim to do supernatural things. As I said above, even a belief in God is not a prerequisite in Grand Orient. (It is expected in Grand Lodge, the other major branch of Freemasonry).

On rituals, I would also add:

Karate also has rituals and even degrees, but you would not say it's woo. It is perhaps to be expected that a centuries-old discipline based on an apprenticeship model would have rituals woven into it.

I am not saying that Karate is entirely comparable to Freemasonry, but just wanted to point out the ritual aspect.

I've come across some not so nice Freemasons here in Scotland. Seems that it's somewhere you can get 'help' to advance your career from fellow Freemasons. The fact that it is secret could aid the less than honest Freemason.

GeorgeIII it’s not secret though. Everyone’s heard of freemasonry, Freemasons don’t hide where they’re going or that they’re members

Every time I hear about a court case where the obviously guilty party gets off someone attributes it to masons.

I know about the insinuations but I don't know of such a case in reality.

Is there a clause where you promise to help one another to that extent. Getting fellow masons off criminal charges if you are in a position to do so?

We promise to help each other but not to thwart justice! I have helped other Freemasons like I would help a good friend or a family member. I gave advice about my area of professional expertise, helped one move house, helped another organise her mother's funeral. That sort of thing.

If I were hiring and knew that one of the candidates was a Freemason, I would favour him/her if all other factors were equal but that is because it shows certain personal and intellectual qualities in a person, not blind favouritism.

Seems that it's somewhere you can get 'help' to advance your career from fellow Freemasons.

You could get introduced to the right people but you will not be promoted at work because you are a Freemason. Those who come to Freemasonry with expectations of financial gain are quickly disappointed and they soon leave.

Bringing someone in as a candidate to one's lodge is serious business, and people are careful not to invite that kind of person into Freemasonry.

The fact that it is secret could aid the less than honest Freemason.

It's not secret We try to recruit people with strong moral fibre, although there are no guarantees, of course. However, the process discourages those who are there only for networking and personal gain.

I have seen even the least worthy candidates invited out of friendship benefit from Freemasonry and grow as a person over a couple of years.

So so so interesting!!!!

I'll come back to the thread later to see if there are other questions.

Oh I feel quite sad that nepotism might come into play during job recruitment. Disappointing.

I can’t believe you’d use being a Mason as your deciding factor in hiring, assuming 2 candidates were otherwise equal. To me - based on all the ppl I know who’ve been masons - this would be a reason not to hire them, given that all of them have been sexist, racist, self centered buffoons.

I can’t believe you’d use being a Mason as your deciding factor in hiring, assuming 2 candidates were otherwise equal.

If you read the thread, you will see why I would assume better morals, tolerance, stronger mind, and a wish to better oneself in a Freemason than the average person.

all of them have been sexist, racist, self centered buffoons

Well, I'm not a sexist, racist, self centered buffoon and neither is anyone I have come in contact with in a Masonic context. In fact, there is the phrase "people regardless of their religion, race..." in our rituals.

Freemasons you know sound like they are from Grand Lodge where religion is an issue and also from an earlier era when such views were perhaps more mainstream in society.

There is also a self-selecting bias at work: Freemasons who boast about it are probably self centered to start with. It is probable that you know many other Freemasons but are not aware of it because they are not self centred buffoons. My parents and DP know that I am a Freemason and I have mentioned it to two close friends. I have not told about it to anyone else.

So if you say you are a Freemason on your job application you will have an advantage over non Freemasons,
I have met Australian Freemasons who told me they were Freemasons. In 50+ years I have never met a Freemason in Scotland who openly stated they were a Freemason. What are we supposed to do skulk around the meeting halls trying to identify them? So that when I or a member of the family are applying for a job we can give the nod to the right boss to imply we are Freemasons.

It’s all very well saying you are an open society but you restrict membership and don’t tell people you are Freemasons when you meet them, where I would happily discuss my past times and interests.
Up until recently you were men only. And the fms were rife in the police. Freemasonry secrecy was implied to be contributing to corruption in past decades, due to the secrecy surrounding it, we’ll never know if that was the case. Perhaps it is rife now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone’s online info include this info, not on the wiki info I’ve read over the years.

Thanks for answering my 'woo' questions thoroughly.

The comparison with karate is useful. I know some people who feel that karate is 'too woo' and is at odds with their religious beliefs so won't let their children practice it and others of the same faith who have no issues with it. I think it is the same with the masons. And yoga!

How come there are two branches of Freemasons? Does the Grand Lodge consider itself the ‘real’ masons?

Thanks for the thread, op - very illuminating

Or very Illuminati

Lol thanks OP, degrees it is.

Why are satanism and freemasonry so intertwined? If it is a misconception, what is it about either one that you think would lead to that confusion would you say?

The knights templars, skull n bones, illuminati- are these all branches of freemasonry?

When you say rituals, could you give an example of one. Also, do you understand the significance behind each and everyone?

Thank you for this thread OP, my dad is a Freemason and it frustrates me when they all get tarred with the same brush. “Oh I know a Freemason who’s an arse, ergo all Freemasons are arses”.
Also people think that Freemasons are a secretive group, well, not very good at being secret are they! Our local Freemasons just donated two Blood Bikes. Their charity work is outstanding.

Thank you very much for answering my questions, I realise they were quite blunt.

Has the organisation changed, say, in the last 50 years, greatly?

I know women weren't allowed back then, but I wonder how much it has evolved?
I ask because my father was one. He was obsessed with it, from what he let slip. I remember finding his brown briefcase under the bed and going through all the sashes, medals, bumf in there and he was absolutely furious. Because of the secrecy I suppose.

Is it right that Freemasonry influences Police enormously? I heard about this decades ago... people getting off of charges, officers being passed over for promotion because they weren't a mason, etc.

Why would you want to join an organisation which is, in effect, just paying lip service to females?

What are you views on the ever growing conspiracy theories on you tube about the illuminati and freemasonary connections with regards to human sacrifice, sex slavery,

I wonder which of our MPs are Freemasons, if they are across the board or one party? can someone point me to that info please - there’s no secrecy you know . Come to that senior civil servants, the ones with TMays ear, are they Freemasons?
And if FMs are likely to recruit other FMs someone who finds themselves in a senior post could have recruited many FMs on the way up. So a large organisation could be very FM biased. And then each of the recruits is probably also recruiting other FMs. Did someone mention the police? Well you can see how it might happen. But of course FMs are all fine upstanding members of society, DEFINITELY NOT in it for themselves ....... so nothing to worry about having a majority in high places. ........ and there’s NO secrecy, not a bit......

Yes Georgell I mentioned the Police. It's a big thing but hopefully a lot of the senior ones have retired so it's not so common now, but of course I don't know