Freemasons, any members on the forum?

HellFireClub

Recently I got talking to a business client of mine who happened to mention that he was a Freemason. It being a male only organisation I thought it's appropriate that I post here in this forum for Gentlemen as I'm hoping to be able to discuss it with guys who are or are not Freemasons. He was happy to chat about Freemasonry what he enjoys about it, some aspects of it that annoy him, while all the time obviously he wasn't getting into the rituals, protocols, etc... He is a member of a Dublin lodge and although he wasn't trying at all to sign me up, he did make me aware of the procedure for applying, etc (because I had asked him)...

In my head, Freemason's were typically older gentlemen of the quieter and more conservative personality types, this lad however was my own age, very much living in the modern times and what stuck me was that he was the kind of guy who could be out in a nightclub any night of the week and very successfully chasing women, which didn't really tie in with my (I accept flawed!), assumptions about the kind of folks who might join the masonic order...

So anyway, just wondering have we any Freemason's on the forum and if we do, what they might have to say about joining, etc... Just looking for a general (non conspiracy theory based) chat about the subject really, around the topic of membership, etc...

18AD

I tried to join them a few years ago. They're pretty open about the whole thing. You can just call into the lodge on Moleworth St. in Dublin and they'll put you in contact with someone.

I hear their musuem is amazing, but I haven't had a look yet.

I never joined in the end.

HellFireClub

18AD wrote: »

I tried to join them a few years ago. They're pretty open about the whole thing. You can just call into the lodge on Moleworth St. in Dublin and they'll put you in contact with someone.

I hear their museum is amazing, but I haven't had a look yet.

I never joined in the end.

I did the same, the subject for me came up when researching my family tree, I called into the office on Molesworth Street and was given a tour of the building, the museum, etc. In the end, like yourself, I didn't join, I wasn't really canvassed for joining or even asked if I would consider joining, they seem to have a policy that prohibits that, in that you have to contact them to join, but I found the visit there to be very warm and welcoming. It's been on my mind ever since, I suppose I'm still unclear as to why men actually join.

18AD

I think all the lodges are different. So there's no specific reason to join in general.

The guy I was talking to was saying that some other lodges were pretty much gentlemens clubs or tightly nit groups of lawyers and high rollers etc. to the more esoteric aspects of ritual and personal development.

I think the Irish one is probably a mix of personal development and becoming involved with a group of successful individuals. A kind of mutual support group with plenty of mystery.

But I never joined so I'm probably way off.

What was your impression of it?

Ted_YNWA

always thought the first rule of Freesmasons was ...

Didnt know about museum, worth a look ?

Caseywhale

ITs not as sinister as most people think.
And the poster who says its more like a gentlemans club is bang on.
You do have to be nominated and seconded.

HellFireClub

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

always thought the first rule of Freesmasons was ...

Didnt know about museum, worth a look ?

The whole building in Molesworth Street is actually like a museum in itself, although there is a dedicated Masonic museum within the building... It's a beautiful place if you are into that kind of thing, really old period buildings, big ancient portraits, etc...

HellFireClub

18AD wrote: »

I think all the lodges are different. So there's no specific reason to join in general.

The guy I was talking to was saying that some other lodges were pretty much gentlemens clubs or tightly nit groups of lawyers and high rollers etc. to the more esoteric aspects of ritual and personal development.

I think the Irish one is probably a mix of personal development and becoming involved with a group of successful individuals. A kind of mutual support group with plenty of mystery.

But I never joined so I'm probably way off.

What was your impression of it?

I happened to be down in the Four Courts all this week and I was looking at a lot of the barristers and solicitors floating around down there, these guys seem to be big into their Freemasonry, and just looking at the hack of some of the folks in the Four Courts that I saw the other day, I wouldn't want to be in a social scene with them under any circumstances! That would put me off joining Freemasonry but that could be down to nothing but ignorance on my part!

Mickey Dazzler

I was asked to join a few months ago by a very drunk colleague. I said I though that Catholics were banned. Apparently not.

I did a bit of research and you do have have a belief in a God...any God but a God all the same. That perquisite counted me out. God is pants.

HellFireClub

Mickey Dazzler wrote: »

I was asked to join a few months ago by a very drunk colleague. I said I though that Catholics were banned. Apparently not.

I did a bit of research and you do have have a belief in a God...any God but a God all the same. That perquisite counted me out. God is pants.

Catholics are welcome into Freemasonry but you risk excommunication as a Catholic if they find out that you joined the Freemasons!

silverharp

HellFireClub wrote: »

Catholics are welcome into Freemasonry but you risk excommunication as a Catholic if they find out that you joined the Freemasons!

thats not a bad reason to join the Freemasons given that the btards wont let you leave these days

krudler

HellFireClub wrote: »

Catholics are welcome into Freemasonry but you risk excommunication as a Catholic if they find out that you joined the Freemasons!

excellent, join freemasons, kicked out of RCC, remember I dont believe in god, kicked out of Freemasons, home free.

eire12

I got an invite, would love to join but I'm an agnostic so. And I would never lie to join, would defeat the point of being in a brotherhood if you start off with a lie.

Sonics2k

silverharp wrote: »

thats not a bad reason to join the Freemasons given that the btards wont let you leave these days

Uh just so you know, even if you're excommunicated, you're still considered a Catholic and they keep you on the register.

All it means is that you can't take Mass. Which let's face it, is a pretty crap punishment.

I'm also amazed Run_to_da_hills hasn't shown up in this thread yet, he usually has a lot to say about Freemasons.

Galvasean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HtZUaMKsiI

Fenian Army

Why on earth would you want to join?

minidazzler

silverharp wrote: »

thats not a bad reason to join the Freemasons given that the btards wont let you leave these days

krudler wrote: »

excellent, join freemasons, kicked out of RCC, remember I dont believe in god, kicked out of Freemasons, home free.

I actually looked into this a few months ago given I wanna end all formal affiliation with the Catholic Church. But being excommunicated isn't being kicked out. You are actually still expected to attend services but they deny you communion.

Fenian Army wrote: »

Why on earth would you want to join?

In a similar vein, why would you NOT want to join?

Pawwed Rig

Fenian Army wrote: »

Why on earth would you want to join?

I suppose for the same reason you would join any social club ie the social aspects.

and to find out if Aliens exist. Those guys have the answers

eire12 wrote: »

I got an invite, would love to join but I'm an agnostic so. And I would never lie to join, would defeat the point of being in a brotherhood if you start off with a lie.

But you would not be starting off with a lie. Even if you are certain there is no God then that just means the Supreme Deity is you
Conscience clear

TrailerBob

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

and to find out if Aliens exist. Those guys have the answers

The Corinthian

Firstly, I'm not a Freemason. However I am sympathetic to Freemasonry.

Principally I would be so because it draws most if its principles from the Enlightenment; rationalism, humanism and Deism, to name a few.

Even from a spiritual viewpoint it is deistic in outlook, demanding only in the belief of a 'God' or 'Supreme Being' and rejecting 'revealed truth' as an invention of Man. The origins of this are clearly from the Enlightenment, including the language used which refers to the Great Architect of the Universe; all very reminiscent of the clockwork universe of Newtonian science.

Roman Catholic hostility against Freemasonry is, of course, understandable on this basis as it presented a 'rational' rejection of the Church's monopoly on religious dogma. However, historically Catholic policy was probably shaped more by the anti-clericalism of Italian Freemasonry, which being nationalist (another product of the Enlightenment) saw the Papacy as an impediment to Italian unification in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Meanwhile in Ireland, it is more commonly associated with protestant and unionist politics and thus viewed with hostility by nationalists, despite it ironically having been the breeding ground of nationalists such as Henry Joy McCracken, Archibald Hamilton Rowan and Daniel O'Connell.

As to conspiracy theories and accusations of elitism; Freemasonry originally attracted the wealthy and educated, so it's hardly surprising that influential 'old boys networks' grew out of this. Such networks do this all the time - even modern womens' business associations do so.

Given this, many of its original principles are a bit dated. Quantum physics dealt a serious blow to deism and socially it's had difficulty keeping up socially with the times, like all former gentlemen's clubs.

Would I join? I would have no major objections, although not living in Ireland, I can't see much point. Also, while I have no problem with men, or women, only associations, I could see it irking me if I knew a woman someone who would make a good member but was barred from joining on the basis of her gender.

Absolam

I am... ask away
There is a drive to get a specific forum on the subject at the moment, as discussion has generally been relegated to Conspiracy Theories (shudder), and Humanities.

Freemasonry Forum Request

delad

Absolam wrote: »

I am... ask away

so what do you's do exactly?

HellFireClub

The Corinthian wrote: »

Firstly, I'm not a Freemason. However I am sympathetic to Freemasonry.

Principally I would be so because it draws most if its principles from the Enlightenment; rationalism, humanism and Deism, to name a few.

Even from a spiritual viewpoint it is deistic in outlook, demanding only in the belief of a 'God' or 'Supreme Being' and rejecting 'revealed truth' as an invention of Man. The origins of this are clearly from the Enlightenment, including the language used which refers to the Great Architect of the Universe; all very reminiscent of the clockwork universe of Newtonian science.

In theory, (and I imagine in practice as well), you are free to argue that you are a Satanist and that this ticks the box for the "belief in a supreme being" in relation to the entry requirements to Freemasonry.

I know a Freemason who told me recently that he knows a Mason in his lodge who believes in "Nature" as the supreme being, and that this has been deemed to have ticked the Masonic box, as in that he believes that on the highest level, the planet earth is literally one complete organism (made up of obviously countless sub species), which manages all of us in terms of sustainability, etc.

BigDuffman

HellFireClub wrote: »

In theory, (and I imagine in practice as well), you are free to argue that you are a Satanist and that this ticks the box for the "belief in a supreme being" in relation to the entry requirements to Freemasonry.

You are not / will not be questioned on the nature of your belief in order to become a mason. It's enough that you have belief in a "supreme being".

I don't see why a satanist would want to join the ranks of an organization that historically has very close ties to religious matters, despit the opinions and actions of Rome many many moons ago.

Duggys Housemate

The whole point of joining is networking. It's an old boys club. However you may not get nominated or seconded if you are not an old boy yourself.

So - good luck proles.

BigDuffman

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

The whole point of joining is networking. It's an old boys club. However you may not get nominated or seconded if you are not an old boy yourself.

So - good luck proles.

Not true, there are unemployed masons, there are students, artists and CEOs. It's nothing to do with how much you earn. Or what your social standing is.

mrduffy

the royal family are at the top of the freemasons

delad

Sean Quinn is high up the ranks in the freemasons

BigDuffman

delad wrote: »

Sean Quinn is high up the ranks in the freemasons

I heard he's also a catholic?

Dr Strange

BigDuffman wrote: »

I heard he's also a catholic?

You can be Catholic and a Freemason.

BigDuffman

Preusse wrote: »

You can be Catholic and a Freemason.

Preuss, I'm aware of that. I was alluding to the fact that it means nothing.

He could also have been a pastafarian, or a jedi. But him being (or not being as this could merely be lies / speculation) a mason has no reflection on anything.