What's the deal with the masons? What do they do... secret society sounds cultish?

Question

Please inform me, why would someone want to join such a thing?

Answer 1

It's not a secret society. Masonic Lodges are identified with signs and in the phonebook, meeting times are published, etc. Members often wear a Masonic ring to signify their membership. Secret societies don't want you to know they exist or what they do. Every secrect Freemasonry has (passwords, handshakes, etc.) have been published in various books. Not very secret if you ask me.

Their meetings are closed - but most private organizations meetings are closed - try walking into a Microsoft Board Meeting. Unless the meeting is a "degree" ceremony, the meeting consists of the usual business items that most organizations deal with: read correspondence, listen to the Treasurer's Report, pay the bills, plan socials, plan charity events, donate money to worthy causes, recognize distinguished citizens, vote on new candidates (people who want to join), etc. Nothing sinister going on here.

The things Masons do are very public - mostly charity - but what they don't do, is brag about their works. What one man can't do, several men can. It's worth joining if you want to be part of a group of men who want to do good works for their community. They also help each other and other Masons in times of need - whether or not you're a member of the local lodge. They don't care what your community status is, rich or poor, black or white, or what religion/political party you belong to. To join a man must simply believe in a supreme being.

Answer 2

Oddly enough, its mainly only a few misinformed anti-masons that say freemasonry is secretive...

Freemasons study morality through ritual, symbol and allegory, their main tenets are faith, hope and charity - and they provide over $2 billion per year in charity; more than any other group, including the Catholic Church...

During the dark ages, when the church was torturing and killing people for believing the Earth revolved around the sun (boy did they miss that one, huh???) freemason lodges were safe havens for people to pursue knowledge freely.

to some other responses:

* are you going to take psychiatric advice from someone who names himself after star wars???? freemasons are hardly children, they are the oldest fraternity in the world, they are not a secret soceity and without them there would be no USA, we would all be goose-stepping with Hitler and the world would pretty much suck. darth is wrong on so many points... $2 billion per year is hardly occiasional...no other group does this.

Answer 3

people like to think themselves different from others.

Having a secret society is one way of doing it. It's quite common in children, but some just never grow up.

Activities of typical mason group include:
- dressing up and speaking in fancy words
- enjoying fine food and drinks
- talking business interests with other members (kinda like at golf)
- occasional charity drive or volunteer project for community

Answer 4

It's a brotherhood and it has a lot of history. Let me find a link for you to read some about them.

[edit]
http://www.freemasonry.org/

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