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Sub Rosa posted:I'm not in York Rite but the historical Templar had non-Christian members. Saladin himself in fact. Yeah, I joined the York Rite justifying it to myself as "well, yeah of course I'll defend the Christian faith, I'll defend anyone's right to practice their religion". And the lessons of the degrees and orders in the York Rite are really good (I mean, I literally wrote the book on it for North Carolina, and was a district inspector instructor for the KT). So I don't want it to come off like I'm trying to dissuade anyone from joining if they feel it's right for them. Just don't be surprised if you join and meet a lot of brothers who are like "FINALLY a space where I can be as unabashedly anti-Muslim as I want!"
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Oct 8, 2019 20:47
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COOL CORN posted:Yeah, I joined the York Rite justifying it to myself as "well, yeah of course I'll defend the Christian faith, I'll defend anyone's right to practice their religion". And the lessons of the degrees and orders in the York Rite are really good (I mean, I literally wrote the book on it for North Carolina, and was a district inspector instructor for the KT). So I don't want it to come off like I'm trying to dissuade anyone from joining if they feel it's right for them. Yeah, I thought I would be down to try presiding in all York bodies, but Commandery is easily where I see the most overt anti-Islam sentiment, to the point where I’m going to ask for a dimit and most likely never come back. Chapter and Council work fine for me, thanks.
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Oct 8, 2019 21:09
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Other templar bodies, like the one I'm in, require explicit Christianity. Technically I qualify even as a christopagan since I uphold the Christian god, follow Yeshua ben Yusuf's teachings, and believe in the Trinity but I'm definitely an edge case.
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Oct 9, 2019 03:50
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What about Royal Arch? Does anyone have experience with that? What I really like most about masonry is the history and symbolism. Royal Arch sounds to me like the furthest extension of that idea.
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Oct 9, 2019 04:39
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BONESAWWWWWW posted:What about Royal Arch? Does anyone have experience with that? Yeah, the Royal Arch is, in many ways, the "completion" of the basic Masonic degrees. I think both the capitular degrees and the cryptic degrees are magnificent.
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Oct 9, 2019 13:26
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BONESAWWWWWW posted:What about Royal Arch? Does anyone have experience with that? I’m very involved in my Chapter (the body that confers RA), and I really like it. My chapter does a cool thing of getting special dispensation to perform the Mark Master degree in a local cavern each year, which rules, and I recently have begun performing a lecture in the RA degree called The Journey that is one of my favorite pieces of Masonic ritual. It is in no way affected by the religious requirements of Templary. It’s more like a sequel to the blue lodge degrees. Council is the prequel.
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Oct 9, 2019 15:18
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On the way to visit my first lodge, here goes!
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Oct 17, 2019 10:49
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I've noticed references to Freemasonry in comic book author Alan Moore's stuff. And that guy claims to be a wizard. I don't think he's joking. Is wizardry acceptable in Masonry or is that sort of thing frowned upon?
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Nov 15, 2019 05:11
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Esoteric Masonry is out of vogue but it's certainly still a thing. Aleister Crowley's original stuff included the first three degrees until UGLE told him to knock it off. They're pretty sympatico, but it's by no means a focus of modern Masonry.
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Nov 15, 2019 05:22
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Animal-Mother posted:I've noticed references to Freemasonry in comic book author Alan Moore's stuff. And that guy claims to be a wizard. I don't think he's joking. Is wizardry acceptable in Masonry or is that sort of thing frowned upon? Invoc/evoc, enchantment/charm, necromancy: Situational All others: No Caprimancy: Mandatory I believe that Alan Moore is in one of those weird chaos-magician situations where he doesn't not believe in magic, even when he is performing occult rites. Some people have said they would have issues accepting a Mason whose religious belief was rooted in Thelema (Crowley's religious framework). I don't think interest in occult stuff would be a big issue...
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Nov 15, 2019 06:54
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Animal-Mother posted:I've noticed references to Freemasonry in comic book author Alan Moore's stuff. And that guy claims to be a wizard. I don't think he's joking. Is wizardry acceptable in Masonry or is that sort of thing frowned upon? This depends on your local lodge's attitudes and your local Grand Lodge's constitutions and directives. Mine, for instance, prohibits discussing the hermetica, the kabbalah, and the occult at Masonic events - even in the context of exploring the connections between the two historically. However, there are plenty of us out there who are both wizardy types and Masons - indeed, most of the prominent hermetic and thelemic authors who can be are or were, as Masonry provides an initiatic spark and framework of veiling suitable for esoteric purposes. My lodge of old, conservative men are quite entirely untroubled by my open esoteric interests and mysticism - even to the extent that they invited me to join the Templar, which here is a seperate organization entirely from the American style lumping-in with the York.
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Nov 15, 2019 12:06
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Yep, my old blue lodge is absolutely full of conservative Christians, and their eyes all glazed over when I tried to present a paper I wrote on the kabbalistic themes of Freemasonry, but there's a Traditional Observance lodge in NC that's much more interested in the esoteric/hermetic/ritualistic history of it all, and was super into the paper. So... it's definitely still a "thing", you just have to find the right crowd.
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Nov 15, 2019 14:39
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Loomer posted:the Templar, which here is a seperate organization entirely from the American style lumping-in with the York. This perks my ears. Not that I'm very sure of the difference, but is that org concordant, appendant, or in amity with your Grand Lodge?
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Nov 15, 2019 16:04
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Sub Rosa posted:This perks my ears. Not that I'm very sure of the difference, but is that org concordant, appendant, or in amity with your Grand Lodge? Appendant, I believe, would be the correct term - at least in the sense that we must remain members of a Blue Lodge to retain our membership in the Priory. Our actual terminology is fraternal agreement. Recently it also became a regulation that we must have been admitted to the Royal Arch prior to becoming a Templar, bringing us closer to the American style while retaining distinct identities between orders, but for those of us who joined in the interim years that's waived. We also have a distinct body in the Scottish Great Priory, alongside a Scottish Rite Templar degree, neither of which I am involved with but which are both also in fraternal agreement.
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Nov 16, 2019 04:07
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Last night I sat in lodge for the first time in 3 years - in a new state (PA), in a new part of the country, with about 30 other brothers who welcomed me as if I'd been a member there all my life. Immediately, I remembered why I had joined in the first place, and what I loved about the craft. Also I found out that next year, they're doing a 3rd degree in Washington's headquarters on the Brandywine battlefield, and they're using Washington's bible that he was entered/passed/raised on. THAT is cool.
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Nov 21, 2019 16:14
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I actually also sat in lodge for the first time in about the same amount of time. I can't say I was welcomed quite that warmly, but it was the most warmly since I moved away from my mother lodge.
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Nov 21, 2019 17:10
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I just wrapped up my second year in the east on Monday. Happy to say I was not elected or installed as WM again. I did, however, start a term as a district education officer, which is a GL appointed office in my jurisdiction that helps train lodge officers and provide education resources for the district.
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Nov 21, 2019 18:04
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I've been following this thread for a while and I'm goat-curious. I was wondering a few things: What's the situation for Mason-ing like in Ohio? Specifically the Columbus area. I've heard some jurisdictions are better than others. (I've heard bad things about Georgia specifically) and Im under the impression the big head hooty toots in Ohio might not recognize the Albert Hall Masons, which I think would be a deal breaker. A lot of guys in Masonry seem like very good guys dedicated to some excellent ideals, but it seems like it can also have some issues with race, but very dependent on jurisdiction. My spiritual leanings are pretty Hermetic with a Thelemic leaning and I understand that probably wouldn't be an issue, but I'd be very interested to meet some Kabbalah study buddies. How much would Masonry facilitate that vs independent study or say the A:.A:.? Do I have to know a local Mason irl to sit in or get inducted, or do Masons on the Wired count for a recommendation? Is there room in Masonry for someone a little on the scumfucc side of things, or is it pretty buttoned up? How long will it take me before I get to gently caress the goat?
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Nov 22, 2019 11:13
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Robotnik Nudes posted:I've been following this thread for a while and I'm goat-curious. I was wondering a few things: Robotnik Nudes posted:My spiritual leanings are pretty Hermetic with a Thelemic leaning and I understand that probably wouldn't be an issue, but I'd be very interested to meet some Kabbalah study buddies. How much would Masonry facilitate that vs independent study or say the A:.A:.?  Robotnik Nudes posted:Do I have to know a local Mason irl to sit in or get inducted, or do Masons on the Wired count for a recommendation? Robotnik Nudes posted:Is there room in Masonry for someone a little on the scumfucc side of things, or is it pretty buttoned up? Robotnik Nudes posted:How long will it take me before I get to gently caress the goat? 
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Nov 22, 2019 15:05
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Robotnik Nudes posted:I've been following this thread for a while and I'm goat-curious. I was wondering a few things: PM me.
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Nov 22, 2019 15:28
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I'm JW now, does anyone have any forms for estimating quantities of food for events or useful large group recipes? Also any advice on coordinating groups of contributors would be appreciated.
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Dec 9, 2019 05:29
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At a Christmas party for a lodge in Melbourne, they’re some of the kindest and most welcoming people I’ve ever met. Apparently my name was read out in lodge for the first time last month, and if all goes well I’m looking at possibly doing my first degree in April next year. This lodge has had a sudden influx of younger guys joining and it’s great to see.
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Dec 9, 2019 10:47
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COOL CORN posted:Yeah, exactly. And even if you justify it to yourself, you're going to be publicly defending the Christian religion, praying to Jesus during meeting, wearing crosses all over your garb. It's not like blue lodge masonry where a nebulous belief in a higher power is good enough. Eh, if everyone is cool with me I'm cool with it. We do all that at church, too. Same deal there, really. They're cool with me, I'm cool with it.
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Dec 23, 2019 01:00
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Huh, so I kinda got voted in as Junior Warden, which was not how I was told the election of officers was going to go. That's pretty fun.
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Jan 4, 2020 20:23
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Anyone here know how regular the Grand Lodge of China is? I am moving to Taiwan and would be interested in connecting with them but information in English is patchy. I'm not a brother but have been interested for a few years now.
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Jan 6, 2020 17:27
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Appears to be regular, but also requires you to have been living in their jurisdiction for a year to join.
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Jan 6, 2020 18:31
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Anyone from Portugal? I'm thinking about joining, but from some small probing that I made with some friends (ex-politicians, artists) it seems that over here it's by invitation only and a hush hush matter. As far as I can see on the web, there are two main lodges, one seems to be the "normal one" and the other is a lodge with the old and primitive rites of Memphis Misraim (both sites are in Portuguese) They seem both to be regular, and I'm guessing that your answers will be that it depends of what I want of it.
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Jan 15, 2020 15:07
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Memphis Misraim is something I think is really cool, but it would be news to me if it was regular rather than clandestine in any jurisdiction.
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Jan 15, 2020 16:58
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Yeah, after researching a bit it seems that theres a fight between the regular and the Memphis Misraim lodges, because the Memphis Misraim lodge has the letter of acceptance(?) from the French lodges and the regular one has that letter from England. That's my understanding from an outsider and a quick search. Found an article speaking about the GMs from both lodges trading blows about the acceptance of the Memphis Misraim in the regular masonry. 🤨
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Jan 15, 2020 20:56
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The lodges in the US trace their lineage back to the United Grand Lodge of England, so if you're looking for something that us US Masons would consider "regular", that would be the answer.
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Jan 15, 2020 21:36
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Am I insane for considering writing to the grand lodges of guys who I see putting up stuff like this on social 
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Jan 17, 2020 17:09
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Uh, nah, not at all. Hell I'll write them too
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Jan 17, 2020 17:53
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Emron posted:Am I insane for considering writing to the grand lodges of guys who I see putting up stuff like this on social That's gross. Write away, I don't think you're crazy. I just hope their GL actually cares about that stuff.
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Jan 17, 2020 18:04
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Totally unsurprised that is the town that previously hosted the KKK museum and gift shop
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Jan 17, 2020 18:07
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Yeah, I'm an admitted pessimist, after trying to talk some sense into people down in NC. It was right after the Parkland school shooting I think and the GL wanted to start hosting gun raffles to benefit the children's home. Unrelated, but I thought it was tasteless timing. Also I thought it went against the whole philosophy behind "bringing nothing offensive or defensive into the lodge" by having a contest to give guns to your brethren. But I was shot down and called a liberal snowflake so what do I know Anyway, I'll always fight the good fight, and you all should too. Count Thrashula fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jan 17, 2020 |
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Jan 17, 2020 18:09
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Quote is not edit!
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Jan 17, 2020 18:11
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I see a ton of horrible poo poo from masons on social regarding Islam, but I think it's pretty cut and dry for a GL to deal with when they specifically portray their lodge and the fraternity overall as backing it.
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Jan 17, 2020 18:14
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Forget social media, the really terrible stuff was the stuff I heard in person since after all, amongst your brothers sworn to secrecy is a safe place to say all the racial slurs, right?
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Jan 17, 2020 21:17
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Sub Rosa posted:Forget social media, the really terrible stuff was the stuff I heard in person since after all, amongst your brothers sworn to secrecy is a safe place to say all the racial slurs, right? Yeah very same experience here.
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Jan 17, 2020 21:22
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Emron posted:I see a ton of horrible poo poo from masons on social regarding Islam, but I think it's pretty cut and dry for a GL to deal with when they specifically portray their lodge and the fraternity overall as backing it. I remember reading somewhere, ages ago, that the architecture of Islam's golden age had a significant influence on Freemasonry.
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Jan 18, 2020 01:14
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