I'm thinking about joining the Freemasons.?

I am 40 years old & have been a mason for 10 years. best thing I could have done. But freemasonry is like any other group or organization: you get out what you put in.

A few questions I might ask is: Who do you know & why do you want join? Make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. FYI, there is no secret treasure, etc. That may seem silly to say out loud but people have strange notions. Join because you want to make a positive change in the world around you. Freemasonry requires nothing of you except an honest motivation to help your fellow mankind. Typically, we do this by becoming involved in our community thru government, church, or other civic services. This is why we are "everywhere".

Religion & Politics are expressly forbidden from being discussed in open lodge. These are YOUR views & each man's are his own & respected as such. These are two topics that history has proven to upset the balance of peace & harmony. Note: Not only will I respect another man's religious opinion, but I would fight to protect his right to his belief, not just be tolerant. A belief in a Supreme Being is required in all regular Blue, or Craft, Lodges. You cannot be held responsible for anything you do in this life if there is nothing in the here-after. Whether you call that Being God, Allah, Jesus, Buddha or the all-powerful force is up to you. I have sat in open lodge with the Christian Bible, Jewish Torah, & Muslim Koran open side-by-side on the altar. If someone truly wanted to make the world a better place, name me one group today where you will find that?

Other than your annual dues (typically $75-125), there is NO financial requirement. Obviously, we do solicit members for various reasons b ut each man is encouraged to give according to his means. We obligate ourselves to help eachother as best as our personal means allows but not to injure ourselves or deprive our families.

Our Rituals in the Blue Lodge (3 degrees) represent, in a simple format, Birth, Life/education, & finally Death. REMEMBER: there is NO higher degree than a 3rd degree Master Mason. A 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason CANNOT walk in to a lodge & tell the Master of the lodge what to do. The highest "ranking" mason in Grand Lodge (typically in the US follows state lines) is the Grand Master of that Grand Lodge. There are appendant or "higher" degrees in the Scottish Rite or York Rite. these simply explore the lessons masonry has to teach in a broader setting. Having said that, these brethren are entitled to courtesy & respect given the time they have "put in". Also, the "33rd" often mentioned is purely honorary & is only given to those who have given exceptional time & effort to the craft. IT CANNOT BE ASKED FOR OR BOUGHT. This would be almost a guarntee you would NEVER receive it.

Finally, to be a Mason, YOU must ASK. It is expressly forbidden in virtually all Grand Lodges for members to openly solicit. Many good men have gone away because they thought they had to be invited. Don't wait! Find your local lodge & knock on the door. Don't be surprised if they do invite you to dinner afew times before they allow you petition for membership. Here in Colorado, you need to be known by someone for at least 6 months. Be patient & dont give up. Masonry is seeing a surge in interest not seen since the 50's. Some lodges arent quite used to the interest & attention!

Hope this helps a little. Check out some Grand Lodge websites (states), especially your own! California is good, too. You'll be presently suprised how easy going most are

There are basically five reasons why people are drawn to Freemasonry, 1. prestige 2. networking 3. community service 4. fellowship 5. esoteric lore. First it is the world's oldest secular fraternity and many join because of a family member that was a Mason. Many great people were Freemasons including astronauts, judges, actors and musicians...our founding fathers, famous influential individuals as well as ordinary folk. Not a bad legacy to follow even if here and there we did have a few 'bad apples' in the bunch. Some join to make business contacts which is discouraged by the fraternity. We want no part in those that join desiring personal gain HOWEVER if some manage to join with this intention a positive aspect of this practice is that the fraternity brings men from all walks of life together. People that might have never mingled find themselves interacting with one another calling each other 'brother' and more importantly BELIEVING it. It is NO SECRET the fraternity gives plenty of money to charity and the work Masons engage in beyond self-improvement involves helping the less fortunate. This sense of compassion and responsibility to humanity are essential elements of Freemasonry. Others enjoy the company of like-minded individuals, the fellowship with men of honor they can trust, regardless of individual differences in race, creed, economic status, or even educational background. Indeed efforts are made to include family and spouses whenever possible. Diversity is no stranger to the Craft as Freemasonry is non-partisan and non-sectarian. ALL ARE WELCOME. And finally there is that esoteric side to the Craft we can't deny, but we DO NOT apologize for it either, after all men have been seeking Light and Knowledge since the dawn of time. The so-called mystery schools of antiquity carefully guarded their teachings from those that would ridicule or abuse the gift. These truths were 'secret' to those that could not comprehend their value or significance. They were 'hidden' by virtue of the inability by some to understand the essence and scope of certain teachings. Does this sound like a sinister plot to hold back information or the wisdom of some to pass on their information to only their most sincere and

promising students. Freemasonry is rich in history, symbolism, and ideals so anyone interested in the Craft for this element will find their fill. I'm sure you fall into one of these five categories and if you don't, honestly, i think you'll turn away soon enough and merely drop it. Only you can decide whether it's a good or bad idea. ( Excuse my writing but I'm tired and typing this late at night )

Answers: 1. Freemasonry is not called a secret society. It's a social fraternity. If you hear it being called a 'secret society' the chances are good that you're reading or talking to someone who doesn't know anything at all about the fraternity. 2. The rituals of Freemasonry are private. Freemasonry is a social fraternity; they don't 'practice' anything - certainly not any type of religion of mysticism. 3. There's not really any charge on has to bear, but there are yearly dues. It's a fraternity. You pay dues to be a member of it. 4. Freemasonry is a charitable organization, not a charity organization. There's no charity work you're 'supposed to do' as a Mason ... but, as a human, you should always be looking out for your fellow creatures REGARDLESS of whether you're a member of a fraternity, a church or anything else; look out for others. It's a duty incumbent upon all humans. 5. Girls cannot join. Why? Because Freemasonry is a FRATERNITY not a SORORITY. No one says "everything is revealed at 33rd degree." Why? Because there's no 33rd degree in Freemasonry, there are only three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. NOTES: - Freemasonry isn't a secret society, nor is it the idiotic answer of a "society with secrets." It's a fraternity, pure and simple.

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To add to Meat and James answers: 1) the only people who call it a secret society are those who are ignorant of what Freemasonry is or it's detractors. 2)The rituals are allegorical in nature and have meaning to Freemasons. There is no Mysticism or any such malarkey. Each member comes to Freemasonry with his own faith and he is encouraged to be steadfast to the faith of his choice. 3)Like has been said, the dues of the Lodge are about it really. they can rang from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars a year depending on the Lodge as each sets it's own dues. 4) Freemasonry is not a charity. Although Freemasons are taught to be giving and as Meat said look after all members of the human family especially worthy Brothers. 5) Freemasonry is a Fraternity...enough said. To repeat what Meat said there is no 33rd degree of Freemasonry. There only 3 no more no less. Any other 'degrees' are part of associated or appendant bodies to Freemasonry and they are not higher. Does any of us hold some 'Ancient Wisdom' well maybe but that is for each Freemasonry to discover. One may be a Freemason for 50 years and go through all the appendant bodies and never discover the that wisdom.

Joining Freemasons

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I'm thinking about joining the Freemasons.?

I'm thinking about joining the Freemasons. Does anyone think this is a good or bad idea?

definition of a Freemason:

The real Freemason is distinguished from the rest of Mankind by the uniform unrestrained rectitude of his conduct.

Other men are honest in fear of punishment which the law might inflect they are religious in expectation of being rewarded, or in dread of the devil, in the next world.

A Freemason would be just if there were no laws, human or divine except those written in his heart by the finger of his Creator. In every climate, under every system of religion, he is the same.

He kneels before the Universal Throne of God in gratitude for the blessings he has received and humble solicitation for his future protection.

He venerates the good men of all religions. He disturbs not the religion of others.

He restrains his passions, because they cannot be indulged without injuring his neighbor or himself. He gives no offense, because he does not choose to be offended.

He contracts no debts which he is certain he cannot discharge. because he is honest upon principal.

Another good source of information - read actual book, please do not rely on the Internet as too many kooks and conspiracy nuts have a say and will confuse with so called facts and unprovable, yet plausible statements.

If you insist on browsing the Internet for info see: http://www.masonicinfo.com/ to at least are yourself as to who are the nutters and the tactic they use.

Use this as a guide to 'check' the validity of anyone who make outrageous claims about Freemasonry.

Next talk to a Freemason(s). Check with your local Lodge or the Grand Lodge in your State. Most have some kind of 'open house' of alike to introduce Freemasonry to men who may have an interest. Also you can attend one of their many open events and then you can get to know the members of that lodge to see if you are truly interested. Once that get to know you, just as for a petition and fill it in and return it. That begin the process. Good Luck.

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I think all of those good things the other guy said is true, except that he forgot to mention the part about who the masons really are? Simple answer, the Mason are a secret organization; this is the very definition of a cult. In a cult, even the members are not told everything except for the few at the top, that everyone claims to know, but don't. Well, Masons are not really bad, they are just members who funnel money to the top of their chain, so that a few lucky bastards can live very wealth lives. Being a mason might actually be good for some people, but ultimately, they are organizational pawns. All cults needs lots of pawns for funding. Masons do some charity, why not, it makes them look innocent right. Nothing wrong with joining masons though. Just be aware that your are going to give them some of your money. Personally, I think masons are the same as any gang: crips bloods, masons, hells angels, whatever. They all operate on the premise of brotherhood. They offer consumers connections in exchange for money. (not unlike many online social networks such as facebook, linkedin,etc.) But remember the golden rule, someone always gets rich....

Don t do it. They worship lucifer the fallen angel.