Freemasons?

currythis

Did any posters on here ever try to join the freemason's?
Had a look at their Irish website and they want a fair amount of personal info off you just to express an interest in joining..

PirateShampoo

Only ever knew 1 person who was genuinely in the Freemasons. Hardly anybody in his family even knew he was a member until he died and a few of them showed up at the funeral.

Hellm0

I have been into the lodge on Molesworth street, interesting building. There's an unconsecrated chapel in the upstairs area!

Son Of A Vidic

Be careful, everything is not what it seems with them. The symbolism of joining, the oath ceremony etc. The blindfolding of the initiate, does it mean to blindly follow? or does in mean you are being hoodwinked by the controlling powers of freemasonry? The genius of their oaths, ceremonies etc, is the varying interpretation by members. Many good decent Freemasons genuinely believe they are a brotherhood and a force for good, but the true power and meaning is only known to the higher echelons. The 'Grand Architect' is not God - the very opposite. I could go on and on, I also considered joining them in the past and thanks to some close relatives who left them, I was put wise.
So I would strongly advise you to stay clear.

Kernel

Did Devore ever join them in the end?

humanji

I've never seen them as anything more than a type of gentleman's club. Something like a golf club without the standing in the rain smacking balls with sticks (though I'm not too familiar with Mason ceremonies!). Like any club they'll have members who take the traditions with a grain of salt and others who take them deathly seriously.

I can't really blame them for their secrecy since they get a fair amount of abuse and lots of "a friend of a friend told me..." stories being told about them. Plus the secrecy also gives the illusion of them actually having power since people seem to assume the worst.

If anything we should feel sorry for them for having the ultimate indignity of having Dan Brown write about them.

imme

humanji wrote: »

I've never seen them as anything more than a type of gentleman's club. Something like a golf club without the standing in the rain smacking balls with sticks (though I'm not too familiar with Mason ceremonies!). Like any club they'll have members who take the traditions with a grain of salt and others who take them deathly seriously.

I can't really blame them for their secrecy since they get a fair amount of abuse and lots of "a friend of a friend told me..." stories being told about them. Plus the secrecy also gives the illusion of them actually having power since people seem to assume the worst.

If anything we should feel sorry for them for having the ultimate indignity of having Dan Brown write about them.

don't know that I'd regard them as a gentleman's club exactly. Some ascribe all sorts of power to them, I don't know that they're that powerful, not in Ireland anyway. I also think they're membership has fallen in recent years, no new blood methinks. In England for some it's byword for secret society that can lead to cover ups, there was a thing a few years ago that so many senior police officers were members and that promotion was based on membership.
In Ireland and England they seem to carry out a lot of charitable works.
I was in their building in Molesworth Street, Dublin a few years back (for something unrelated to the Masons) and I was coming out of the building. There was a big gang of brothers (or whatever they call each other) from Northern Ireland coming into the building. I stood back to let some of them enter, they acknowledged my action as if I was a member. I notice none offered to move aside for me. I also noticed that a lot of them sported moustaches, now there's another one for your conspiracy theories.

humanji

Sorry, I should of expanded that a little. By gentlemans club I kind of meant that they gather together regularly to just sit and have a natter, but by knowing each other they benefit from the talents and services of the other members. That's why I compared it with a golf club. There's lots of people from different walks of life that are drawn together by their love of the game. And if they can help out a fellow golfer they will. An example would be my Dad, who plays golf with a guy who works with security systems. So when my Dad's company needed a new security system, he got his golf buddy to install it. It may not seem fair to any other security companies in the area who needed the work, but my Dad had someone he knew he could trust do the work for him.

That's kind of the way I see the Mason's promoting their own. Like with the policeforce you mentioned. It's not simply a case of promoting someone because they're a Mason, but because they know that it's a person who can be trusted (though that's not to say the person won't turn out to be a rotten apple anyway).

Dancor

My manager has told us he was approached a number of times to become a member, back home in Scotland. I would give him a slagging about satanic worshiping, owls etc, but he says its just a gentlemans club who do a lot of charity.

getz

Dancor wrote: »

My manager has told us he was approached a number of times to become a member, back home in Scotland. I would give him a slagging about satanic worshiping, owls etc, but he says its just a gentlemans club who do a lot of charity.

thats the image they try to promote

humanji

Dancor wrote: »

My manager has told us he was approached a number of times to become a member, back home in Scotland. I would give him a slagging about satanic worshiping, owls etc, but he says its just a gentlemans club who do a lot of charity.

I thought one of the principles was that they don't approach people to become members?

ballsymchugh

i got asked to join when i was living in the uk. they guy who asked me was having his initiation later that day, so don't know how serious he was. i was kinda surprised that he told me but i asked him about it anyway. basically, it's a group of people who look after each other to get on better in life so that they can afford to give more to charity. so if a freemason comes up in court in front of a freemason judge, there's more chance that leniancy will be given. i think that was the case with the police in the uk a few years ago that someone mentioned. it involved a judge and police who were all freemasons but i can't remember the outcome.

mysterious

humanji wrote: »

I thought one of the principles was that they don't approach people to become members?

If you have a lot of power, you will be approached. It's how the system goes. Anyone who has a lot of power will be sucked into it. If they don't then they are a instant threat in many ways. An example would be Bill Gates. But in general if your a bloodline, you will be included automatically. like princess Diana. But she later threatened the bloodline after the divorce, so it was bye bye time!.

Bigdeadlydave

Kernel wrote: »

Did Devore ever join them in the end?

No idea, wanna know though!

Stainless_Steel

I was approached on two seperate occassions. 99% of them are genuine guys.

nullzero

I don't think that all mason's are hell bent on world domination. Most of them are normal people, who it has to be said to a lot of fantastic charity work.
The reason Conspiracy thoeries abound about Masonary goes back to how the ancient Mason's guilds changed from being simple guilds of stone workers due to a fall off in membership which was in turn down to a fall off in the need for actual mason's (stone workers). I'm probably preaching to the choir in some respects here, but what the hell. Seemingly the Templar's became quite important in the new version of the Free Mason's and I'm sure we all know how much the line's of truth are blurred with the Templars.
I think the compartmentalised power structure in the free mason's is the main factor in how they become fodder for conspiracy theories.
The popular conspiracy theorist's main belief seems to be that the first three degree's in masonry (Entered apprentice, fellow craft and master mason) are the extent of what the average mason will achieve in the order. The supposed higher degree's being reserved for the more "important" people, who would therefore be the starting point of any conspiratoral group that you may care to mention.

In Ireland one of the larger masonic type groups would be the Knight of Columbanus, which is Catholic group based on the Masonic traditions.
I'm sure you're all aware of how they arrange their Christmas Day dinner for the homeless/disadvantaged.

How you read into groups like the Mason's is down to personal interpretation. While it's certainly a bit far fetched to think that you're average entered apprentice to pops down to his local lodge once a week for dinner and a few jars with his buddies is in cahoots with the reptilians to take over the world, it's always worth while to even consider the theories put forward about the Mason's, albeit the more well reseached one's as oppossed to the, "My mate knew someone who heard this" type that get splashed around most of the time.

Just thought I'd post the links to the Irish Freemason's and Knights of Columbanus sites in case anyone's interested and hasn't already seen them.
http://www.irish-freemasons.org/
http://www.knightsofstcolumbanus.ie/home.php

Bruce2008

The way it was explained to me in the UK was:

Think of a bunch of lads who know each other... one of them want something done and one of the lads can do it!!!

That could be anything from giving you mate a contract for a job or letting him off with murder... thats not what my mate said but thats the way it could be...

Basically they look after their mates... or their mates mates.... the house you are invited to usually reflects the level of society you are in...ie.. workers join a house with workers.. big bosses join a house with big bosses and top judges/police/politicians etc...

The higher up the ladder the house is... the more you may be expected to raise for charities from hosting fundraisering parties/dinners etc

I suppose its the same as if you mates brother was employing someone and you applied for the job????

If your mate is a guard and he stops a car you are driving for speeding???

If you want planning permission and you know a county councillor who....... woops better stop now before my death becomes a subject of the conspiracy theory posts...:rolleyes:

getz

Bruce2008 wrote: »

The way it was explained to me in the UK was:

Think of a bunch of lads who know each other... one of them want something done and one of the lads can do it!!!

That could be anything from giving you mate a contract for a job or letting him off with murder... thats not what my mate said but thats the way it could be...

Basically they look after their mates... or their mates mates.... the house you are invited to usually reflects the level of society you are in...ie.. workers join a house with workers.. big bosses join a house with big bosses and top judges/police/politicians etc...

The higher up the ladder the house is... the more you may be expected to raise for charities from hosting fundraisering parties/dinners etc

I suppose its the same as if you mates brother was employing someone and you applied for the job????

If your mate is a guard and he stops a car you are driving for speeding???

If you want planning permission and you know a county councillor who....... woops better stop now before my death becomes a subject of the conspiracy theory posts...:rolleyes:

there is plenty of proof around that freemasons ,those who are in the public service [police,goverment,ect]have had a conflict of interest,there are many cases of this for example,the apparent coverup and report of the shoot to kill policy in northern ireland,both the british and italian goverments,wanted to make it compulsory that freemasons in public service,have to register ,but the powerfull lobby of masonary took it all the way to the european court of justice[all freemasons] who said it was against the freedom of human rights,masons are at the very top of goverments,it is believed that at least 16 american presidents have bee freemasons,barack obama is 32 degree prince hall mason,the queens consort[prince philip] is a free mason,now tell me they only joined to make money for charity.when watching famous leaders waving to the crowd ,check out their hands,if the two index fingers are bent over with the thumb, and only the little finger and the finger nearest the thumb are raised,with he palm facing towards the crowd,you know then thats a mason sign. there are many others as well ,that i wont go into as yet

Bigdeadlydave

Getz you seem to be into this sort of thing, can you tell me mor about the Knights of Saint Columbanus? Do they have rites n stuff as well?

Owen

getz wrote: »

,if the two index fingers are bent over with the thumb, and only the little finger and the finger nearest the thumb are raised,with he palm facing towards the crowd,you know then thats a mason sign.

That's not a masonic sign at all. In fact, the only time I've done that sign, is at a Metallica gig.

ballsymchugh

getz wrote: »

when watching famous leaders waving to the crowd ,check out their hands,if the two index fingers are bent over with the thumb, and only the little finger and the finger nearest the thumb are raised,with he palm facing towards the crowd,you know then thats a mason sign. there are many others as well ,that i wont go into as yet

i'm trying to figure this out but i think the masons must have a load more secret fingers. either that or i just can't compute that!
as for the knights of columbanus, my da was one. back in the 60s they used to club together to send some poor kids to the local secondary school. i don't think he got any real benefit out of it work wise himself though.

ballsymchugh

PaintDoctor wrote: »

That's not a masonic sign at all. In fact, the only time I've done that sign, is at a Metallica gig.

that's what i came up with! but 2 index fingers, as well as the one nearest the thumb? 3 fingers in 1...

copacetic

PaintDoctor wrote: »

That's not a masonic sign at all. In fact, the only time I've done that sign, is at a Metallica gig.

or when stoked to have caught a big wave.

Owen

At this stage, the nonsense getz is posting is becoming quite funny. Apart from making up stories about people who don't exist to support stories with more holes in them than a sieve, the amount of 'facts' being thrown about that have no bearing on any reality would make me wonder what his real problem is.

I think he tried to join, and was told no, and has been sitting at home since rocking backwards and forwards talking gibberish, and now the gibberish has gone online

humanji

PaintDoctor wrote: »

At this stage, the nonsense getz is posting is becoming quite funny. Apart from making up stories about people who don't exist to support stories with more holes in them than a sieve, the amount of 'facts' being thrown about that have no bearing on any reality would make me wonder what his real problem is.

I think he tried to join, and was told no, and has been sitting at home since rocking backwards and forwards talking gibberish, and now the gibberish has gone online

PaintDoctor infracted. Play nice or don't play here.

Bigdeadlydave

humanji wrote: »

PaintDoctor infracted. Play nice or don't play here.

Emmm that was a bit harsh?

Bigdeadlydave

Bigdeadlydave wrote: »

Emmm that was a bit harsh?

Please don't question mod decisions on thread. If PaintDoctor believes it to be harsh, it's up to him/her to discuss it with the mods. So, no discussion of it here, thanks.

Bigdeadlydave

-JammyDodger- wrote: »

Please don't question mod decisions on thread. If PaintDoctor believes it to be harsh, it's up to him/her to discuss it with the mods. So, no discussion of it here, thanks.

Sorry my bad......

King Mob

copacetic wrote: »

or when stoked to have caught a big wave.

Or when you're swinging around on your webs.

humanji

King Mob wrote: »

Or when you're swinging around on your webs.

I heard a story a while back about the orgins of that. Steve Ditko, the spiderman artist is rumoured to be a mason. Stan Lee is a bit of a hippy. They both decided on the hand gesture, Ditko thinking it was a sign of the masons and Lee thinking it was a sign of the surfing counter-culture. It's probably a load of nonsense, but you never know where these things might of come from.

King Mob

humanji wrote: »

I heard a story a while back about the orgins of that. Steve Ditko, the spiderman artist is rumoured to be a mason. Stan Lee is a bit of a hippy. They both decided on the hand gesture, Ditko thinking it was a sign of the masons and Lee thinking it was a sign of the surfing counter-culture. It's probably a load of nonsense, but you never know where these things might of come from.

I always figured that just how he fires his web shooters.

Well Ditko also came up with Dr. Strange who often does the same gesture.


But it''s more likely he just wanted the character to make some mystical gesture and there's only so many combinations of fingers.