Hello, my name is Michael, aka HiramRanger, and I am a Master Mason.

I am also a Roman Catholic and cleared it woth the local Bishop before petitioning for membership.  There is so long and deep seated animosity between the Brotherhood and the Holy See, but that is in the past.  I will discuss the roots of this animosity later in this post.  Let me state for the record, there is no prohibition against a Catholic becoming a Mason.  Any priest who tells you otherwise is either mistaken or misleading you.  As I said, I confirmed this with the Bishop of the Albany Diocese.

Masonry is not at odds with Judeo-Christian teachings.  It is not a religion.  By definition a religion must recognize a presecribed deity or deities, Masonry does not.  Instead Masonry recognizes, and requires one to acknowledge that there is a higher benevolent power which created man.  It does not presecribe what that deity is...  God, Yahweh, Allah...  It judges man on his character and seeks to provide a support structure of equally moral men to serve our fellow man.  It does not presecribe how one should worship, what faith they must embrace, nor does it pass judgement on individual choices.

Some fundamentalist Christians denounce Masonry since it does NOT declare itself morally superior to other belief sets.  In other words, because we do not declare that our view of the world is the only correct view and those who disagree will suffer accordingly, we are alienated by some who consider themselves to be morally superior.  As Masons we respectively disagree, but believe it is there right to practice their faith as they see fit.  As we do not consider Masonry a religion, many of us look upon their criticism as misplaced and ill-informed.

Masonry and Catholicism were at odds long before the institution of Freemasonry ever came into existance.  The roots of Freemasonry are found in the Knights Templar, a religious and military order of the Roman Catholic Church during the Crusades.  The KT assembled great power, wealth and influence as well as respect for their defense of the downtrodden and their pious lives.  The Vatican at the time did not enjoy such a sterling reputation and grew envious of the reknown of the KT, and coveted their wealth at a time when the Vatican's coffers were exhausted from waging war and other pursuits.  The less than honorable Pontiff at the time conspired with the King of France to discredit Jean Jaques DeMolay - the Grand Master of the Templars - and sieze their wealth and holdings while eliminating the moral threat it posed.

This was accomplished via the Inquisition.  Under torture DeMolay and his followers confessed to crimes and hereasy they never committed.  On DeMolay's deathbed he recanted his testimony and the remaining Templars escaped to Scotland where Robert the Bruce granted them sanctuary.  The Templars went underground but were still active in the world, creating the first international banking system in the nordic countries as well as founding the freemasons as a way to function publicly while still maintaining the secrecy and security they needed to survive the Vatican's purgings.  This was hardly the end to the animosity between the Brotherhood and the Church, in fact it was the beginning.  As stated, until recently one could be excommunicated simply for being a Mason.

It is a misconception that one can not attain the highest levels of Masonry unless they are Christian.  In fact, such assertions fly in the face to those who claim that good Christians can not be Masons.  The fact is, there are no religious requirements for any level of Masonry.  There is a concordant body known as the York Rite which follows in the tradition of the Templars and specifically recognizes the role of Christ.  As such, many Jews are clearly not interested in pursuing this path, but they are not barred.  Furthermore, this is a concordant body and seperate from Blue Lodge - the main and only Masonic body that all Masons share in common.  My lodge is equally split between Christians and Jews and several Jews have served as the Master of the Lodge.

As for the allegation that titles such as Worshipful indicate we are a religion, one should take note that these titles have their root in English society in which the term Worshipful is more akin to our designation Honorable and is a sign of respect, not of religious devotion.

As for Albert Pike one need consider the following.  Masonry is nique to each man, their is no set belief othern than a belief in a higher benevolent power.  As such no individual speaks with absolute authority as to what Masonry means.  It is not a homogenous institution like the Catholic Church where there is a Pope who speaks with infalability.  It is a democratic institution where its leadership is elected and turns over every couple of years, as such philosophy and policy can shift from time to time.  Masonry today is not what it was 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 years ago.  Our values stay the same, but as an organization we grow and adapt.

If you have specific questions, please feel free to email me and I'll help as I can.

Papafish, I'm trying to temper my words here...  BS!

I AM part of the "higher levels" of Masonry and there is nothing Satanic whatsoever involved and certainly not sodomy!

Beyond that, your pablum isn't even worth recognizing.

I remember when this topic went in to detail back on the old board, and as before, the same thing holds true; HiramRanger is doing an excellent job of explaining FreeMasonry, (from a Masons point of view).

If you are truly interested in Masonry, or the truths of what it means to be a Mason, take him up on his offer about emailing him. All I know about him is from his postings, and from that alone, I can assure you, he has done his homework.

"A Pilgrim's Path, Freemasonry & the Religious Right" & "Born in Blood, The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry" are two books, written by John J. Robinson, that can shed a great deal of light on the subject as well. Again, if you're sincerely interested, these are great sources.


OdT,
MAJOR Lurker & 32nd degree Master Mason

First off Golgo, if you are going to reference ethnic slurs, at least do so correctly.  As an Italian, I am a Deigo, not a Dago.  Sheeeeesh.

As for the gentleman who claims he participated in a satanic ritual and seen the Mason's satanic bible I simply say again BS!  How is it that only the highest orders know of this supposed aspect of Masonry, yet you who have supposedly partaken in a single ritual experienced it first hand?  Seems to me you would need to rise at least to the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite to be part of such a select group to know these "truths."  From your description you at most went through the Entered Apprentice degree.  Curious...

Secondly, anybody going through the Scottish Rite will attain the 32 degree.  The 33rd degree is by election only from the existing 33 degrees and is in recognition of steadfast philanthropy.  Yes, Ernest Borgnine, evil man!  We all know how his efforts to help children are really just a ruse to further the goals of the dark one...  PUHLEAZE!

As for President Washington he did more than attend a few meetings.  In fact, you could not be a senior officer in his army unless you were a Mason.  The reason being there were too many turncoats and an oath to God made within a lodge was seen by him as the most binding obligation a man could make.  President Washington was also the first and ONLY Grand Master of Masons of America.  Since that time each state has its own governing body and Grand Master.  President Washington also sat in the East in my Lodge, which dates to the 1750s and was originally a lodge of a Dutch regiment garissoned in New York.  Thus the contention that he only attended a few meetings is historically inaccurate.  But then again, when has accuracy concerned those spreading the bile and lies slandering Masonry?

Seriously, if you have questions email me and I will answer them as fully as my knowledge and oaths allow.  No, I will not reveal the ritual to you, but I will answer questions on what we as an organization believe in and strive for.

MinuteMan3,

The "violation" you received from your pappy and grandpappy, had nothing to do with Masonry, you can bet on it.

(sarcasm on)

But if you are sure of yourself, I or probably even H.R., would sure like to know more about it. Our meetings can get a little dull sometimes, and this is just the type of activity that could liven things up for us, (I cant believe the other bretheren have kept this from us all this time). Also, this type of thing can NOT go unpunished. Please notify your local police department of the crime(s) immediately. But be careful who you tell, A Mason may be watching!

(sarcasm off)

Gimme a break! Go get some real knowoledge about the subject before you attempt to influence others, OK?

OdT