atheism & freemasonry - can they coexist?

[Duffy]

Of course, if you lie and say your not an atheist, as Kid's hubby did, sure you can sneak in, but it's a requirement of freemasonry that you believe in a supreme being

Kid, did your husband withhold his atheism to get in? It would seem you would have too. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Only supposing here.

Personally I wouldn't like to be a part of a group that I had to hide something like that.

[Kid]

The belief in the 'supreme being' thing is just a part of the long and ancient rituals of Freemasonry. Yes, a Muslim can join, if their religion lets them! And Jews. 'The Great architect', 'supreme power', it's a part of it yes, but as the rituals are so ancient, because of their antiquity, they retain their 'god' belief. There is a huge 'G' hanging from the roof of a masonic temple. I can't tell you anymore or my hubby will have to take me out and kill me and cut me up into lots of bits and distribute my body parts all over the bloody place.

If you think of it as men partaking of ancient rituals that are metaphors and symbolic acts from the past, the god thing really isn't so huge a deal. My husband joined because his father is a mason and it is a part of his family tradition. (Hubby says the Catholics don't like Freemasonry cos the mason don't believe in Jesus Christ as God; he says some of the ritual is based on the OT, some on the NT... and religion has very little to do with it).
Fun, isn't it?

[Duffy]

I can't tell you anymore or my hubby will have to take me out and kill me and cut me up into lots of bits and distribute my body parts all over the bloody place.

Oh dear...if you don't log on tomorrow Kid, I'm contacting the authorities ok?

[Sharpie44]

No at least at my lodge they only ask if you believe in a supreme power past that it's really not any of there business.

If you wrote atheist they would probably just scratch their head and ask you to re read the requirements to join.

O yes there are many Muslims but Freemasonry is banned in most Muslim countrys. They don't like free speech and freedom or religion is that region.

Hi Sharpie, excuse my assumption but there would be a membership application right? Does it ask you to nominate a religious faith? Can you be muslim for example? What would happen if you wrote atheist? Would you be denied membership?

Ok that's enough questions this isn't an inquisition Duffy *hand slap*

[Sharpie44]

It is true that religion actually has a lot less to do with it than people think and yes Catholics and Freemasons are oil and water.

If you think of it as men partaking of ancient rituals that are metaphors and symbolic acts from the past, the god thing really isn't so huge a deal. My husband joined because his father is a mason and it is a part of his family tradition. (Hubby says the Catholics don't like Freemasonry cos the mason don't believe in Jesus Christ as God; he says some of the ritual is based on the OT, some on the NT... and religion has very little to do with it).
Fun, isn't it?[/quote]

[Sharpie44]

lol those punishments you hear about are only symbolic but we will be very cross with you.

Yes, that's what I thought. Considering the oaths one has to take, I would not want to be in the position of fibbing.

[Sharpie44]

Well that's fine but it's going to be difficult to understand the meaning behind anything deeper than a child's pop up book without symbolism.

Sharpie, I hope the craft makes you and your brothers happy, but I may not be the sort of chap who joins things, especially where symbology stands in place of actuality, any more.

I've probably overdosed on communion, and now I'm allergic.

[Kid]

I'm here! alive! didn't get chopped up....

Mr Black...hi...the symbolism in Freemasonry is just that, and it is known as that; you can't take it literally and possibly confuse it for real life; as you know beforehand that it is symbolism and nothing else, unlike the church that teaches its symbolism as 'literal truth'. Freemasonry is not a religion and it doesn't require that you give over your entire thought to it, that is, your independent thought like the church does. The rituals are known as rituals and no one confuses them for actuality. They are too obviously symbolic for those who have been initiated. The Freemasonry rituals are actually highly fascinating, ancient and require a lot of memory skills to go through the different degrees. Overall, there's nothing sinister going on, like a lot of journalistic investigators have tried to imply in the past (lots of conspiracy books about them by very spurious authors); symbols and understanding their meaning are a part of all our lives, only the Masons have enshrined it to an art form, I believe, from what I've seen of my husband's books.
He didn't lie to get into his lodge in England, he well...just bullshitted them a little...to quote Elwood from the Blues Brothers...

in fact, just a few years ago the local masons in my area donated a cheque for 20,000 dollars to our children's hospital. I've yet to see the catholic church, who hates them so much, make out a cheque like that in donation. I don't think the masons are in any way discriminatory, and I don't care, as a woman, that I can't join. I believe everyone is entitled to their own clubs and associations etc... they're a good bunch of blokes!

[davo]

god goatse!

[GUDLUSS]

OMG that is SO wrong