Any Free Masons on INGO?

[Timjoebillybob]

Hmm. So I will only give to God what is the min amount possible, that is the highest level of dedication you will get from me, nothing more. And I will give the extra to a secret society, that claims to be Biblical but draws a clear line between its male members and the rest of the bride of Christ.

Your uncle has a point.

I usually agree with what you post, but you insult my uncle who was for the most part a good man. He gave the min amount possible? He donated a tenth of his income (pre-tax) at least to the church, along with being a deacon, and doing other work for the church. Hell about the only time he cooked was for the church bake sale. He did more than the minimum. Does your church only allow people who tithe to it? Or do they accept all? He could of at the "min amount" contributed jack sh1t to the church and still been welcome. Is it the same at your church?

To give you and example of what my uncle was like, he quit his job because of one of their policies. They instituted a ban on smoking until there employees were around the corner, not just off the property but down the block. He knew when he was hired on that they didn't allow smoking on the property and he had no problem with that. When they decided to extend that ban to off their property he did. His discussion with his manager went like this, Him I'm giving you my two weeks notice because of this policy Manager why it's only a block? Him the company has no say in what I do off of it's property Manager you could just light up when you leave the gate it's not going to be enforced Him It doesn't matter if it's going to be enforced or not, It's your rule and I will abide by it, but I disagree with your rule so I quit.

So this group is also putting secrets between a husband and his wife, that is also not Biblical. As when a man and woman marry, they become one.

Sorry folks, but its a front. The mason may claim to be a religious organization. And some men might even find God through the group, but there is nothing good that comes from a place that tries to hide so many aspects of their interworkings. And talking Christ-like and Acting Christ- are two different concepts.

I'm not a mason hater... I'm just not biting, on Biblical principals.

What do you consider a secret? There are some things I won't tell my wife, I won't lie to her but I will refuse to answer. For the most part they are things regarding my son. There are some things that I have discovered about him that would embarrass him if his smother knew about them. While I won't lie to my wife about it, I won't tell her about those things. There are also some things that I have done in the past I won't tell her about, they don't effect her or our relationship.

And nothing good comes from them? Click here. And that is just one example. Look around there are a lot more. I'm not a Mason but have thought about trying to join and from what I've read and heard about they are a good organization.

 

[Andre46996]

I could really use a Free Mason I have a bunch of brick work I need done.

 

[paddling_man]

Walking into this late but VERY well answered, Doug.

 

[sjstill]

"Stonecutters" is my favorite Simpson's episode.

My neighbor is a Mason, been inviting me for years to come take a look. I'm too busy (or lazy) though. Was it Mark Twain who said I'd never join a club that would have me for a member??

 

[Doug]

Was it Mark Twain who said I'd never join a club that would have me for a member??

No, that was Groucho Marx.

Mark Twain said, "Suppose you were a congressman. Now, suppose you were an idiot. But, I repeat myself."

Doug

 

[sjstill]

Thanks Doug!

 

[Timjoebillybob]

This is what Redneckmedic left as a comment on a positive rep
"Sorry you feel the way you do, it saddens me that anger and revenge are you first two responses. Who is talking about your wife or your uncle... you should re-read both of my posts along with the ones before them."

Hmm. So I will only give to God what is the min amount possible, that is the highest level of dedication you will get from me, nothing more. And I will give the extra to a secret society, that claims to be Biblical but draws a clear line between its male members and the rest of the bride of Christ.

Your uncle has a point.

Who is talking about my uncle? Both of us. But you are the one putting him down. See the post you made. I reread your posts before I responded, I wanted to make sure my uncle was being attacked before I replied. And it saddens you that anger is one of my first responses when you attack a member of my family? How would you respond? Actually I don't care. If you attack someone I care about I will respond with anger, hell it will be like the fist of an angry god. I would hope you would defend your loved ones the same way. And for the "revenge" I'm assuming your talking about the neg rep I gave you, that was not for revenge but because I disagreed vehemently with what you posted. Would you care to answer my previous post here about my uncle and your church? Does your church demand that everyone that attends tithe? Or donate more than that? How much time do they have to put in? Are they required to donate everything that they have extra to the church? Or are they allowed to donate it elsewhere as they see fit?

 

[spirit390]

You can go to any library and check out the many books written about Free Masons and their rituals so it is really only a secret to lazy or illiterate people. Here in Flat Rock Illinois lodge 348 the meetings are the first and third Thursday of every month so I don't see how any rational person can say it is a "secret society" with members car parked in front of the lodge. But most of all remember this one fact you have to be a Free Mason to become a Shiner. Now with that fact look into the Shiners Hospital for children and all the wonderful work they do for seriously ill children at no charge. And you don't have to be a Free Mason to be helped by the Shiners Children's Hospital. Proud Free Mason for 22 years.

 

[BIG TIM]

There are many Masons on this board. I am one and I have known many men of excellent character that are Masonic brothers. Here is a short list of Masons from the past that played an important part in your life today:
GEORGE WASHINGTON
THOMAS JEFFERSON
JAMES MADISON
JAMES MONROE
ANDREW JACKSON
JAMES BUCHANAN
JAMES GARFIELD
WILLIAM MCKINLEY
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
WARREN HARDING
FRANKLIN DELEANO ROOSEVELT
HARRY S TRUMAN
GERALD FORD
MANY OTHERS

 

[paddling_man]

You forgot Davy Crockett, J Edgar Hoover, the Marquis de Lafayette (can almost guarantee that he sat in lodge with George Washington, given their mutual respect,) General Douglas Macarthur, Dr Charles Mayo (Mayo Clinic,) & Audie Murphy.

Oh, and these signers of the Declaration of Independence:
William Ellery, RI
Benjamin Franklin, PA
John Hancock, MA
Joseph Hewes, NC
William Hooper, NC
Robert Treat Paine, MA
Richard Stockton, NJ
George Walton, GA
William Whipple, NH



These Brothers did more in their lives than I'm likely to but I'm proud to be counted in the same ranks as those folks.


The only thing "secret" about Freemasonry are the points of recognition to determine whether someone speaks the truth about being a Freemason to be admitted into Lodge.

Just as INGO is a place for folks of differing backgrounds to meet and discuss a mutual passion, gain assistance and further knowledge of firearms, a Masonic Lodge is a social fellowship and Brotherhood designed for the sole purpose of "making good men better" thru mutual support and shared wisdom/experience. Just as folks in INGO can be banned, a masonic Brother can be stripped of membership for certain transgressions involving actions demeaning to himself and the Brotherhood. My experiences have been only positive, being a Mason for the last 5 years.

The focus is being a good man, husband, father and citizen.

The part that causes such controversy amid non-Masons? Secrets.

I share many things with you guys but all details of my personal life are not out there for public viewing. My sex life with my wife? No one else's business. My income level? Again, noneya. Voting? Nope. Folks share what they want and honorable men respect those limits.

"So, what about secrets between a husband and wife?"

I'll share enough to say that my wife and I respect one another. If her female friend shares the details of a rape experience with my wife, I'll respect that my wife tells me what they were talking about was very personal and her friend didn't want it discussed. No sweat.

By the same unit of measure, my wife respects me enough not to insist that I share these very minor "secrets" regarding Lodge since that knowledge was passed to me in confidence. To be honest, I respect her enough to have asked her about her comfort level with this very thing if I became a Freemason. She was quite comfortable with it.

Now, your personal beliefs may not allow you that level of (fill in the blank... privacy, respect, etc.) between yourself and your spouse. Some folks don't let their kids Trick-Or-Treat at Halloween and their wife can wear only skirts to the exclusion of pants. Hey... your call. It is... what? Say it with me... a personal decision. Personal between yourself and God. It is certainly no one else's business. It isn't mine.

Pressing for information that one is not privileged to know, whether it is about the bedroom habits of my spouse and I or details of the Lodge, is simple base voyeurism.

There are guys on here who I think are honorable. Guys whom I would feel comfortable vouching for as an honorable man who I would advocate for membership. There are also those I wouldn't. Again, as it was impressed on me, Freemasonry isn't about building "good men." It is about making "good men better."

So, let this not be an argument or defense but an attempt to spread some light on the view of at least this one Freemason.




No goats were harmed in the making of this post. We're not without some sense of humor.

 

[redneckmedic]

Would you care to answer my previous post here about my uncle and your church? Not really, I made my satire post about min possible based on your post about some conversation btwn him and someone else. However if your going to take my comment as some kind of shot at your family's honor, I will simplify this. "He gave the min amount asked...." Do you not see my point about what that sentence means. I could care less about everything else you wrote about anything, I was simply making a point about that one phrase.... PERIOD.

Does your church demand that everyone that attends tithe?
No... God does.

Or donate more than that?
Yes, actually, have you never read the parable about the povert woman? She only gave change but it was all she had... vs the rich man that gave thousands and it was less than 1%.

How much time do they have to put in?
?????

Are they required to donate everything that they have extra to the church? ???????

Or are they allowed to donate it elsewhere as they see fit?
Of course... who said otherwise, I surely didn't.

I can't believe this has turned into a pissing match over your families honor. WOW. If you can't see that your uncle might at some point have left room for improvement in that convo, than this discussion is a lost cause. You are making complete blanket statements trying to trap the discussion.

Get over the fact that I did some horrible thing to your family. I simply disagreed with the logic pattern you used to defend your uncle in a convo he had with his spiritual leader while being advised Biblical council.

It does sadden me that you are not willing to see anything other than direct attack on this. But if that is where you are emotionally, than you have my direct apologies. That was never my attempt. For taking our discussion out of the private and try to embarrass me on this board, shame on you.

I am done here, clearly its impossible for those to see that this thread could possibly have an opinion other than "The Mason's are the greatest thing ever".

If you wish to discuss this further... I am completely open to PM's.

 

[electra]

Welcome Bro. Lonnie . . . hope you enjoy INGO!

 

[Lonnie]

Hello brothern!
Lonnie

 

[Goosepond Monster]

I've thought about joining, but I can never really make a decision. Is it possible to go check out a meeting to see if you're really interested?

 

[electra]

Stated Meetings (where business is transacted) and degree conferals are generally restricted to members, however, lodge officer installations (usually around end of year) are often open to the general public . . . Masonic memorial services at the passing of a brother are obviously so; as well as the occasional 'cornerstone laying' (akin to a groundbreaking ceremony) also, every once in a while there are 'presentation nights' where the various lodge afiliated organizations invite interested folks to attend and find out what they are all about; will try and advise if i hear of any in the near future. I think there's a public-ish easter service (Feast of the Paschal Lamb) at the Scottish Rite - Indy tomorrow at 3PM (open to members and their guests) Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite

 

[Lonnie]

To be one ask one

PM Pickard #690 here

 

[silverspoon]

Shhhhhhhhh promise not to tell anyone and I'll tell you the biggest secret of Freemasonry.... y'all got to really promise not to tell a soul ,.,,,,, ready???

It's all about the food!!

 

[j706]

Free and Accepted Mason here.

And here too.

 

[JBusch8899]

Past Master, 1995-96, formally of Master Builder Lodge No. 911, F & A.M.

However, my favorite station, was that of Senior Deacon.

 

[paddling_man]

It's all about the food!!

You *KNOW* the consequence for that transgression, right Brother??