What is freemasonry?

Question

I have **NO IDEA** what freemasonry is. Could someone tell me?

Answer 1

It is a fraternal order started during the time of King Solomons temple building.
It is for men to get together, like a club, except it is much more strict and organized. You must petition the order and three members who know you have to sign the petition. Then you are investigated before you are voted on. Your records are checked and you cannot have been arrested or a bad person. Once accepted, you must attend meetings and go through an initiation and three steps of instructions called degrees. A third degree mason is called a Master Mason.
They are a very charitable organization and many famous men have belonged, including George Washington and many other Presidents. There are a total of 33 degrees and all members have a opportunity to receive the 32 degrees.
The 33 degree is honorary and is voted on.
There are two ways to receive the other degrees. The Scottish Right and the York Right. There are different branches, like the Shriners and the Tall Cedars
Young people can become members. There are the Demoley and for the girls, they have The Rainbow Girls
For women there is a branch called The Eastern Star.
Women are not permitted to become Master Masons or attend lodge. It is just for men. People say it is secret.
Only the initiation and instructions are kept confidential, like most any Fraternity.
Rev. TomCat

Answer 2

freemasonry is a social fraternity that studies morality through symbol, ritual and allegory. its main beliefs are faith, hope, charity and brotherhood. the provide several billion dollars a year in charity through free hospitals, schools, youth and retirement homes, etc...

it has not had "secrets" for over 300 years and before then secrets were only relative to operative masons --- that is, if you believe that freemasons descended from operative masonic guilds... there has never been secrets in freemasonry - everything was published from a few years after the "official" formation of the grand lodges and when everything was written down.

to some other responses:

* they are neither satanists nor pagans
* it is not tied with "one world government", Brown and Knight's books are more fiction than fact.

Answer 3

It is a fraternal organization that encourages good men to be better. It is the oldest fraternity, and one of the oldest that recognizes anti-discrimination, and tolerance for differences - not that it has always held up this noble standard, but it was the first to profess it. It encourages free thinking and develops the moral sciences.

Edit: It hasn't been a secret society since 1726, when it publicly declared it's existence. It has championed public education and contributes heavily to several charities like the Shriner children hospitals (a masonic run charity).

Answer 4

It is a social club kind of like the Moose Lodge, Lions Club, Shriners, etc., except it is not as open, in fact it is quite secretive. It is described as a fraternity, because it is a men's club. They have roots in some odd practices of antiquity, which has gotten them the reputation for being involved in the occult and so on. Actually, that is more just to add to the mystique and make it seem like a special exclusive club.

Answer 5

freemasonry is paganistic & of the devil & is tied in w/ one wold govt.

it is often called a secret society, and in fact is considered by many to be the very prototype for such societies. many Masons say that it is more accurately described as a "society with secrets".

much of the landscape of Washington D.C. is thought by many to be inspired by, or directly designed by, freemasons, including the layout of national buildings, the mapping of streets and roadways, and the placement of national monuments. this has caused some people to speculate that some of the esoteric practices and symbolism in freemasonry, seen as "occult", have embedded themselves within the structure of several governments - in this case, the United States.

U.S. Presidents who were Freemasons....
George Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln (inducted postmortem by the lodge that he had petitioned for, and was denied, membership in while running for the U.S. Senate), Andrew Johnson, James Garfield, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, Warren Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, and Gerald Ford.

Famous early Americans who were Freemasons ...
Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Benedict Arnold, Stephen Austin, Jim Bowie, David Crockett, and Sam Houston.

Dan Brown's bestselling books Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code draw heavily on Masonic lore and symbolism.

Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion was a Freemason, as were the first five presidents of the Mormon Church ....
Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow. When the Mormons first settled Utah, the entire church hierarchy was composed of Freemasons.
Many Mormon symbols and rituals bear a striking similarity to Masonic ceremonies.

Answer 6

I don't know what is freemasonry and i never worship God but something i know is we should take care of ourselves and enjoy our lives i have seen masons eat blood and always are angry with everything so set yourself free from everything .

Answer 7

A fraternal organization, a club, a lodge. They do their own thing. It's not as difficult today for a man to get in as it was years ago.

Answer 8

it used to be a secret orginization helped build this country, ominous for its stories of running the goverment but in modern days its become less secretive and more open

Answer 9

A "Fraternity" for grown MEN.

Answer 10

thats when someone builds you a brick wall for free. lol.