Freemasons and Shriners

[Jeremy8419]

It's basically like a Catholicism addendum for non-Catholic males. You know, the whole symbolic habits and such tied with ability to form an organization, with servitude as a moral obligation. As a Catholic male, I get along better with Masons than most other non-mason non-catholic males. That's my opinion of it, though.

 

[Lark]

It's basically like a Catholicism addendum for non-Catholic males. You know, the whole symbolic habits and such tied with ability to form an organization, with servitude as a moral obligation. As a Catholic male, I get along better with Masons than most other non-mason non-catholic males. That's my opinion of it, though.

Seeing as Masonry is anathema I dont see it that way.

 

[Jeremy8419]

Seeing as Masonry is anathema I dont see it that way.

Yeah, which is why I called it an addendum. You take whatever non-symbolic, non-structured, non-service-oriented belief system you are a part of, then you slap the symbolism, structure, and service-orientedness of Catholicism onto it. Get to keep your core beliefs, and basically be an adult religious boy scout. May not be entirely accurate, but that's genuinely how it comes across. Not everyone wants to abandon their beliefs nor heritage, but still want those aspects of Catholicism in their lives.

 

[93JC]

It's basically like a Catholicism addendum for non-Catholic males. You know, the whole symbolic habits and such tied with ability to form an organization, with servitude as a moral obligation. As a Catholic male, I get along better with Masons than most other non-mason non-catholic males. That's my opinion of it, though.

As a non-Catholic male, then what are the Knights of Columbus for if not to be the Catholic 'addendum' for freemasonry?

 

[Jeremy8419]

As a non-Catholic male, then what are the Knights of Columbus for if not to be the Catholic 'addendum' for freemasonry?

Tbh, I don't think they really do anything lol

 

[Coriolis]

As a non-Catholic male, then what are the Knights of Columbus for if not to be the Catholic 'addendum' for freemasonry?

That's about the size of it. They seem to do service activities for the church and the broader community, and have social events as well. My father belonged to this for awhile when I was a kid.

 

[Jeremy8419]

Knights of Columbus is a typical fraternal order, and is more in-line with standard ones. A large tenant of Masonry is teaching Discipline to men, and discipline in relation to others to men.

 

[Numbly Aware]

My grandad was a mason as is our next-door neighbour who was in the same lodge with him I think.

Apart from that I never enquired into the specifics of what it was they did in their 'rituals'. In fact my belief as a child was that it was to do with being old, possessing lots of ear hair and smoking a pipe, since that's what my grandad and next-door neighbour did/do.

I was never really that interested. It's secrecy for boys and toys.

But if you read up on it, due to each lodge supposedly having an independent jurisdiction of how they operate, it's hard to pinpoint an overall aim.

It's possible there isn't one, except a kind of maintainence that appeals to a certain sense of tradition for tradition's sake.

The Simpsons episode about the Stone cutters is an obvious parody of masonic orders and secret orders in general.

Some of my family's friends are ex-freemasons.
It's all fun and games until you hit the 33rd degree. Then, it's extremely dark. I know one of my mom's friend's parent was 32nd Degree... She is still recovering.

 

[Kanra Jest]

Some of my family's friends are ex-freemasons.
It's all fun and games until you hit the 33rd degree. Then, it's extremely dark. I know one of my mom's friend's parent was 32nd Degree... She is still recovering.

I'd love to talk to them and learn about that .. too bad they must be silent. It's like scientology in it's threatening secrecies and whatnot.

 

[S16M4]

Still waiting on an application that I requested from my dad's business partner/master mason.

The Philippines has a huge Masonic presence. There's a joke in the Navy about the Filipino mafia and how they all hook each other up.

As far as I've discussed with the Master Mason, there is no real "secrecy" to speak of. No "secret knowledge."

The illusion of secrecy comes from the ignorance of the rules, meaning: When a non-Mason asks a Mason what they do/believe, the Mason usually is ignorant of what he is allowed to talk about, so they just say it's a secret when it's really not.

From my understanding it's a fraternal order dedicated to self improvement, and brotherhood. It's one of the last remaining male only orgs.

The one stipulation is that you HAVE to believe in a Higher Power. Doesn't have to be Abrahamic. It could be Pantheist if you like.

You must be of good, moral character.

The apron is from the old days of actual stone cutting to prevent mortar from getting onto your clothes.