Difference between revisions of "Freemason"
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According to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry Wikipedia] "Freemasonry is a fraternal organization whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals and—in most of its branches—by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being". | According to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry Wikipedia] "Freemasonry is a fraternal organization whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals and—in most of its branches—by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being". | ||
| − | [http://www. | + | Freemasonry is [http://www.grandlodge-england.org/masonry/A2L-religion.htm not a religion]. As a matter of fact, [http://www.mqmagazine.co.uk/issue-13/p-46.php discussion of religion] is not permitted in masonic lodges. What freemasonry does attempt to do is concentrate on those morals and ideals that inspire all men to spirituality: morals and character that are universal among religions. Freemasonry does not attempt to make all members one religion, but rather attempts to make all men good religious people, whatever their religion may be. |
| − | + | Technically, the lodge is the people, not the building. A lodge's meeting place may itself be called a lodge, temple, meeting hall, or whatever the preference for the local lodge may be. Historically, the lodges met in a private room at a pub or other public place. Some lodges incline to call their meeting place a Masonic Hall or Masonic Center so as to not confuse it with a place of religious worship. | |
| − | + | Inside the lodge, you will normally find a table with the Volume of Sacred Law (VSL) placed upon it. The VSL is not a masonic book, but instead the primary religious book that the lodge members follow within their own religion. For instance, for a hindu it might be the Bhagavad Gita, for a muslim the Koran, for a Hebrew the Torah, for a Christian the Bible. In addition, if a person in the lodge is not a member of the majority religion of the lodge, his religious book may be included on the table alongside the book of the majority religion. So, it would not be totally unheard of to have a Bible, Koran, Torah, and Book of the Law side by side, all of them as Volumes of Sacred Law. | |
| − | + | Freemasonry works upon a degree system. Through successive degrees, a person is lead from a state of total cluelessness through initiations which operate as plays, illustrating morals and aspects of character which are considered desirable in many of the world's major religions as well as society in general. After the initiation, the individual is presented with study material by which he can identify the symbolism of the initiation and decide for himself what life lessons are communicated to him through the ritual. | |
| − | + | Freemasonry does not advance a proper name for God. Nor does it attempt to define the religion of the individual. Rather, religion is seen as an aspect of the individual that is his own personal business. What freemasonry does is work with universal ideas of good conduct and morality, striving to make better and more religious men from its membership, whatever their own personal religion may be. | |
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonic_conspiracy_theories According to Wikipedia], "Due to its secretive nature Freemasonry has long been a target of conspiracy theories in which it is either bent on world domination or already secretly in control of world politics. Subjects of such conspiracies often involve linked symbols and numbers associated with Freemasonry, however coincidental. Freemasons claim most conspiracies lack proper evidence or provide unfounded claims.' | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonic_conspiracy_theories According to Wikipedia], "Due to its secretive nature Freemasonry has long been a target of conspiracy theories in which it is either bent on world domination or already secretly in control of world politics. Subjects of such conspiracies often involve linked symbols and numbers associated with Freemasonry, however coincidental. Freemasons claim most conspiracies lack proper evidence or provide unfounded claims.' | ||
Revision as of 21:54, 3 December 2006
According to Wikipedia "Freemasonry is a fraternal organization whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals and—in most of its branches—by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being".
Freemasonry is not a religion. As a matter of fact, discussion of religion is not permitted in masonic lodges. What freemasonry does attempt to do is concentrate on those morals and ideals that inspire all men to spirituality: morals and character that are universal among religions. Freemasonry does not attempt to make all members one religion, but rather attempts to make all men good religious people, whatever their religion may be.
Technically, the lodge is the people, not the building. A lodge's meeting place may itself be called a lodge, temple, meeting hall, or whatever the preference for the local lodge may be. Historically, the lodges met in a private room at a pub or other public place. Some lodges incline to call their meeting place a Masonic Hall or Masonic Center so as to not confuse it with a place of religious worship.
Inside the lodge, you will normally find a table with the Volume of Sacred Law (VSL) placed upon it. The VSL is not a masonic book, but instead the primary religious book that the lodge members follow within their own religion. For instance, for a hindu it might be the Bhagavad Gita, for a muslim the Koran, for a Hebrew the Torah, for a Christian the Bible. In addition, if a person in the lodge is not a member of the majority religion of the lodge, his religious book may be included on the table alongside the book of the majority religion. So, it would not be totally unheard of to have a Bible, Koran, Torah, and Book of the Law side by side, all of them as Volumes of Sacred Law.
Freemasonry works upon a degree system. Through successive degrees, a person is lead from a state of total cluelessness through initiations which operate as plays, illustrating morals and aspects of character which are considered desirable in many of the world's major religions as well as society in general. After the initiation, the individual is presented with study material by which he can identify the symbolism of the initiation and decide for himself what life lessons are communicated to him through the ritual.
Freemasonry does not advance a proper name for God. Nor does it attempt to define the religion of the individual. Rather, religion is seen as an aspect of the individual that is his own personal business. What freemasonry does is work with universal ideas of good conduct and morality, striving to make better and more religious men from its membership, whatever their own personal religion may be.
According to Wikipedia, "Due to its secretive nature Freemasonry has long been a target of conspiracy theories in which it is either bent on world domination or already secretly in control of world politics. Subjects of such conspiracies often involve linked symbols and numbers associated with Freemasonry, however coincidental. Freemasons claim most conspiracies lack proper evidence or provide unfounded claims.'
