Freemasonry is a fraternal order that began as a secret society out of necessity. The main purpose of the order is for “free men of high moral standing” from any race or creed to come together to share ideas and learn from each other in order to seek self-awareness and improvement, and in doing so become better equipped to contribute to society as a whole, both through example and philanthropy. It was necessary to maintain secrecy during a time when co-mingling of both religions and races was not only frowned upon, but had potentially deadly consecuences. People accused of heresy, among other things, were put to death. Any deviation from accepted christian norms could result in persecution on many levels. So any acceptance of ideas stemming from different cultures or religions was not well received.
Now, being a more enlightened society (for the most part, at least), freemasonry is a DISCRETE society. People know about it, can read about it, and (as a previous poster mentioned) even participate in certain ceremonies. What kind of secret society allows outsiders to participate?
Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest and largest non-religious, non-political, fraternal and charitable organisations. It teaches self-knowledge through participation in a progression of ceremonies. Members are expected to be of high moral standing and are encouraged to speak openly about Freemasonry.
Freemasonry is a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values. Its members are taught its principles (moral lessons and self-knowledge) by a series of ritual dramas – a progression of allegorical two-part plays which are learnt by heart and performed within each Lodge – which follow ancient forms, and use stonemasons’ customs and tools as allegorical guides.
Freemasonry instils in its members a moral and ethical approach to life: its values are based on integrity, kindness, honesty and fairness. Members are urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount but, importantly, Freemasonry also teaches concern for people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need.
For many years Freemasons have followed three great principles. Freemasons believe that these principles represent a way of achieving higher standards in life.
Every true Freemason will show tolerance and respect for the opinions of others and behave with kindness and understanding to his fellow creatures.
Freemasons are taught to practise charity and to care, not only for their own, but also for the community as a whole, both by charitable giving and by voluntary efforts and works as individuals.
Freemasons strive for truth, requiring high morals standards and aiming to achieve them in their own lives.
As is the case with any organization, there are a few bad apples who may take advantage of certain relationships to get ahead, but this is not the norm. The easiest way for an organization like the freemasons to hide in plain sight is not to dispel the mythology that has grown around the name. It’s ridiculous to the point of being comical if you know about freemasonry, but it also helps weed out those who truly want to know about it from those who just have a morbid curiosity because of what they’ve heard.
The simplest answer to “what is freemasonry?” happens to be a commonly used slogan among freemasons. If you want to know about freemasonry (or want to be a freemason), ask a freemason. We don’t bite. We like to share, and there are no more secrets.
One more thing. People sometimes mention the dramatic quality of some of the “rituals”, erroneously taking them at face value. They are allegories. They represent something else and are never, ever to be taken literally. It’s a simplification tool that serves the double purpose of creating a standard “protocol” to follow during meetings, and it’s a way of pacing the learning process within the order.
/rant.
Composing members:
0
Composing members:
0
