I was surprised when a close friend several years ago on Facebook sent out an article defaming the Masons. I responded to her article explaining the ignorance behind the concept but she has gone deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. We are a confused society. Are we ready for Truth? We must individually be receptive and the hysterical notions of these theories are intentional to keep humanity confused. Self awareness is our refuge to higher Truths and few people have that experience. Best wishes to all Godly Masons from a mystic who has come to know Truth.
Freemasonry has always suffered from weird conspiracy theories. But it's been so long since Masons were murdered for the simple fact that they were Masons, we tend, I think, to forget that it can happen when conspiracy theories are combined with a desire for violence.
I fear that our society could be headed that way. It seems as if more and more people are open to believing things that are clearly untrue today than in past decades, and the demonization of political opponents seems widespread and growing.
The only antidotes are reason and civility. I hope that our society can find them both soon.
Yes. We are glorifying war to the end that all conflict must include an act of knee jerk violence. Our whole society has become a haven of “war on” crime, cancer, drugs, etc. this confusion produces tragic results.
Very good article. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about Freemasonry.
There are, of course, cases when it is an unintentional misrepresentation. From time to time I come across cases where even a poorly worded sentence leads to a misunderstanding. After that, others are able to build a complete conspiracy theory on this one sentence, as a single quote.
Perhaps the best thing we can do is try to refute those who spread such delusions. Of course, the process cannot be prevented, but if we are able to reduce it, that is also a great success.
Your observation is certainly correct about huge conspiracies being drawn from single lines or quotes. We certainly see that with Bro. Pike's book Morals and Dogma, as just one example. I don't think we can ever stop things like that from happening, but we can, as you say, refute them when they do.
Sorry, but I didn't spend all these years working hard in Freemasonry to be excluded from weird sex rituals.
Seriously, though, the old advice not to engage people over this is part of the reason people believe it. Sure, some will deny it MORE if we say it isn't so, but not saying anything, ever, has gone on far too long. Fortunately, Masons have taken to the web in huge numbers and can't be gagged so easily by dusty, unwritten edicts.
I agree wholeheartedly that we have to tell our story. As one of our Grand Masters here put it some years ago, Freemasonry needs to reclaim its own narrative.
I spent most of my life as a deputy sheriff and police officer in a large city, a city that hates its police. I chose to not live in that city because of that. For many of years and since I have retired I have been very discrete in announcing that I am or was a policeman. Now, having been a mason for over 35 years I am very discrete in showing off that I am one. No vehicle stickers, no masonic jewlery, not clothing that has masonic emblems on them. I am truly one of the secret society members who is very secret about it. And now more than ever because of the nutters out there who might just see my masonic baseball cap and attack me.
I still wear all the stuff, but I agree, there seems to be some risk in doing so.
Ultimately, I think we need to take Lodge security seriously (much more seriously than we do) and in our personal lives, watch out for signs that we might have popped up on the radar of some nut or another.
Obviously, that doesn't start until the new moon. Already got my black nike shoes!
Goddess of victory, well done! All hail Nike in the New World Order!
Lol
I was surprised when a close friend several years ago on Facebook sent out an article defaming the Masons. I responded to her article explaining the ignorance behind the concept but she has gone deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. We are a confused society. Are we ready for Truth? We must individually be receptive and the hysterical notions of these theories are intentional to keep humanity confused. Self awareness is our refuge to higher Truths and few people have that experience. Best wishes to all Godly Masons from a mystic who has come to know Truth.
Freemasonry has always suffered from weird conspiracy theories. But it's been so long since Masons were murdered for the simple fact that they were Masons, we tend, I think, to forget that it can happen when conspiracy theories are combined with a desire for violence.
I fear that our society could be headed that way. It seems as if more and more people are open to believing things that are clearly untrue today than in past decades, and the demonization of political opponents seems widespread and growing.
The only antidotes are reason and civility. I hope that our society can find them both soon.
Yes. We are glorifying war to the end that all conflict must include an act of knee jerk violence. Our whole society has become a haven of “war on” crime, cancer, drugs, etc. this confusion produces tragic results.
Agreed, the rhetoric glorifying war desensitizes people to it, and its horrors.
Very good article. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about Freemasonry.
There are, of course, cases when it is an unintentional misrepresentation. From time to time I come across cases where even a poorly worded sentence leads to a misunderstanding. After that, others are able to build a complete conspiracy theory on this one sentence, as a single quote.
Perhaps the best thing we can do is try to refute those who spread such delusions. Of course, the process cannot be prevented, but if we are able to reduce it, that is also a great success.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Your observation is certainly correct about huge conspiracies being drawn from single lines or quotes. We certainly see that with Bro. Pike's book Morals and Dogma, as just one example. I don't think we can ever stop things like that from happening, but we can, as you say, refute them when they do.
Sorry, but I didn't spend all these years working hard in Freemasonry to be excluded from weird sex rituals.
I wonder if your weird sex rituals in New York are the same as ours in Washington?
Perhaps maybe next time we open a Lodge of 442nd Degree Masons we can discuss that.
Sorry, but I didn't spend all these years working hard in Freemasonry to be excluded from weird sex rituals.
Seriously, though, the old advice not to engage people over this is part of the reason people believe it. Sure, some will deny it MORE if we say it isn't so, but not saying anything, ever, has gone on far too long. Fortunately, Masons have taken to the web in huge numbers and can't be gagged so easily by dusty, unwritten edicts.
I agree wholeheartedly that we have to tell our story. As one of our Grand Masters here put it some years ago, Freemasonry needs to reclaim its own narrative.
I spent most of my life as a deputy sheriff and police officer in a large city, a city that hates its police. I chose to not live in that city because of that. For many of years and since I have retired I have been very discrete in announcing that I am or was a policeman. Now, having been a mason for over 35 years I am very discrete in showing off that I am one. No vehicle stickers, no masonic jewlery, not clothing that has masonic emblems on them. I am truly one of the secret society members who is very secret about it. And now more than ever because of the nutters out there who might just see my masonic baseball cap and attack me.
I still wear all the stuff, but I agree, there seems to be some risk in doing so.
Ultimately, I think we need to take Lodge security seriously (much more seriously than we do) and in our personal lives, watch out for signs that we might have popped up on the radar of some nut or another.