Tell me about Freemasonry?

Question

I want to know if there is someone who will be able to give me information about Freemasonry.
What are their believes?
Who/What do they believe in?
Is there different levels of Freemasonry?

Any info please....

Do you think there is a link between Freemasonry and DaVinci Code, the Catholic Church, the Judas "gospel", American presidents George Bush Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and so forth?

Answer 1

I am a Freemason, and a very active one. Freemasonry is a fraternity, and the oldest/largest one known to exist. Our existence is somewhat of a mystery, not to mention our origins.
We are a charitable organization founded on many benevolent principals. Brotherly love, relief, and truth amoung them.

The theory of our origins are somewhat vague, but here are the two most common theories. We are believed to be an outgrowth of the once practicing stonemasons of the middle ages. They operated in Lodges or Guilds and created systems of recognition that one might affirm the master mason about the quality of his work. Once stonemasonry was no longer needed or lucrative, speculative or accepted Masons were permitted into the guild as members but did not require them to be stonemasons by trade.

The Second theory is also during this time of Guild to Fraternity transition that sometime in the 14th-15th century the Knights Templar (A Band of tortured, excommunicated knights from the crusades) sought refuge from being arrested by the Catholic Church, and the French King (Phillip Le belle). While finding refuge with the stonemasons in scotland, they helped develope the stonemasons guild into a fraternity. Many argue that the initiation rituals exeplified my the Freemasons today are the rituals introduced by the Knights Templar to the local mason guilds in Northern Europe. This theory is perpetuated farther since many Masonic appendant organizations (Scottish Rite, York Rite, etc) touch on the legend of the Knights Templar in some of thier degrees or teachings.

What we believe, well freedom of thought, charity, and good works. Membership in the fraternity today only requires that one be of sound morale character, and believe in a god or supreme being (I have been in lodges with Jews, Muslims, and Christians all meeting together in the same room). Make no mistake we are NOT a religion, but are very accepting of any and all religions.However in the United States, and some other nations atheists are not permitted into the fraternity.

As far as our beliefs, as the result of endorsing no one religion we leave the question of God to the individual member. We do not permit theological or political discussion in the lodge.
Many members are very active in their respective churchs or places of worship, as most of our membership have a tendancy to be very active in thier community and to help thier fellow man(a fundamental teaching in Freemasonry).

Levels? yes the big numbers after our name or the titles they give us for holding an elected office in the fraternity. The different levels in the fraternity are not a particualr form of highrarchy. There is not higher degree than that of Master Mason or the 3rd degree. 32nd or 33rd degree members of what is known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite are members of a particular body of Freemasonry where the principals of the fraterntiy are taught through as system of 29 degrees, these degrees are lessons not a particular form of rank, and are more appropriately defined as a level of understanding or enlightenment hence the term DEGREE. York Rite Masonry is a similar system, starting from the Royal Arch Chapter to the Commandery of Knights Templar.

The titles of our elected officals like Grand Master or Worshipful Master are not titles by which we worship a specific individual. Rather its titles that harken back to the fraternities Scot / Anglo origins similar to the titles given to members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords in England. I once witnessed the offical opening of parliment on BBC and thought I was seeing the opening of a Grand Lodge (Yes its that similar). These titles are given to those people with a certain type of leadership responsibility, like a president of the local Lions Club, or the records keeper, or the door check. We just end up giving them titles that were used in the 15th -18th century.

I hope you have found it informative, I will be happy to answer any more questions you might have. I am active in the following aspects of the fraternity, my credentials include;

Past Master ( Past President) of my Local Lodge
32nd Degree Scottish Rite of Harrisburg PA
Lancaster Lodge of Perfection
Royal Arch Chapter 43 Lancaster PA
Lancaster Commandery #13 Knights Templar
Zembo Shrine of Harrisburg
Lancaster Forest Tall Cedars of Lebanon
Pennsylvania Shield and Square Club
Order of the Amaranth

Answer 2

There are 33 levels of masons who meet every two weeks at a lodge. The lower level masons are misguided and the higher masons worship an ancient hebrew cult that is satanic.
Look up a freemason called Pike in America.
Pike started the southern branch of the KKK.

Answer 3

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.[1]

The fraternity uses the metaphor of operative stonemasonry, and the tools and implements of that craft, to convey its ideals.

Freemasonry is described in its ritual as: A peculiar (some say particular or beautiful) system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols, articulated in the 1991 English Emulation Ritual.[

Answer 4

Christian and Jewish. Each has a different "direction", so to speak as both believe in the same God. "Believe in"? the same.
Yes from first degree up to Shriners.
First masons were workers under King Soloman in construction of his temple. They were trusted and loyal.

Anyone believing in one God can become a member, but not without a petition by an existing member.

Answer 5

Freemasonry is a religion disguised as a social club.

They teach that it is Masonry, not the Bible, that brings one into the light. In fact, while they typically use a Bible in their rituals in the USA, they see nothing wrong with using the Koran if they met in Arabia, the Bhagivad Ghita if they met in India, or the writings of Buddha if they met in the Orient.

It is not the same as, nor is it compatible with, Christianty.

Answer 6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry



My dad and his uncle are Freemasons. I am currently going through a "trial' phase to becoming one. We just do stuff to help out in the community. Yes, it is God oriented.However we take an oath to not talk to outsiders about anything else in detail. There is really no big bad secret we keep so I don't get it. No its not a cult, lol.

Answer 7

For an overview of Freemasonry, you should read: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm

Answer 8

Check out this web site. There is to much to type

http://www.co-masonry.org/

Answer 9

It's a boys club.

Answer 10

it's a secret society that takes it's orders from the elitist Illuminati, which is Luciferian.....beware!!!!....check out infowars.com