the_snowpooch
New Blood
- Joined
- May 31, 2007
- Messages
- 9
I am both a skeptic (avid, attend a group etc) and a long time Mason (Past Master). I'll address how I rationalize these two seemingly incongruous affiliations at the end of this post.
One thing I have noticed is that some skeptics downplay the Masonic significance of the back of the US one dollar bill. The all seeing eye thing is a well established masonic symbol. We come across this symbol in various degrees (3rd "blue lodge" degree and here and there in the Scottish Rite degrees). It is referenced many times in Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry as being a principle symbol of the craft - basically symbolizing something called "Divine Omniscience".
Freemasonry has more symbols than a Neil Peart drumkit (yeah, groan). The all- seeing eye is one of perhaps fifty that I can identify at a moment's notice. Many have no doubt been co-opted (or in post-modernist terms: appropriated), throughout time. Given the fact that Masons have a long history of involvement in US politics and government, is it so unbelievable that one can find Masonic symbolism on the back of a slip of paper which bears the likeness of an actual Freemason on the front? I know this organization well and I've met more than a few Masons with enough (perhaps too much) zealous love for the fraternity that given the chance, they'd spray paint a square and compasses on Buckingham Palace, if given the chance. Knowing that, it's not a big deal for me to say the eye and the word "Mason" in the star of David could probably be the work of a Mason, even if the creator of the symbol was not a Mason himself. Does it hint at a conspiracy of Zionist "international bankers" bent on establishing a new world order? No. Could it be the work of an overzealous Mason? In my opinion, definitely possible. More possible in fact than that of coincidence.
I appreciate any intelligent thoughts on this.
There's a lot of pseudohistory in Masonry (duh) and I like being prepared whenever I encounter and provide a brother with the truth (or the next, best thing).
OK - now for a TL;DR description of how one can be both a Mason and a skeptic. Excuse my slipping from third to second to first person POV.
When a guy goes through the first two degrees, he is asked to take certain oaths and obligations. Most of these oaths and obligations are very attractive and agreeable to any male who desires the friendship of other men without having to resort to debasing himself in displays of machismo or oneupmanship ("cock-blocking", in the parlance of our times). Basically, it works well for nice guys who don't want to finish last. You meet nice guys who are there to help you out and you get to help others as well. It's all good. Then at the final stage of the game, in the third degree - you are asked to avow to never be present at the making of a Mason who is either an atheist or what they call an "irreligious libertine" (a horribly irksome phrase). Bear in mind that this is something like the tenth of fifteen obligations you've been asked to take in the 3rd degree. At that point, you're already fully invested and it seems like absolutely nothing for an atheist to answer in the affirmative, at the time, ignoring or perhaps ironically aware that all the others are actually breaking their vows by watching you being made a Mason.
The organization is rife with mysticism and pseudo-history. Sometimes the pseudo-history is raised to a meta level. For instance, they take historical accounts from the Bible and change them to fit the Masonic outlook. But, ultimately when confronting a long standing Mason about the discrepancies, they tend to reply something to the effect that "it's all ********, all of it".
After a while, it's just a bunch of guys drinking and doing their best to keep a live a tradition for it's own sake - almost indistinguishable from any family tradition. The secret work, available on any of a hundred websites, gets handed down, word for word, from memory, from adept to novice. I suppose this is what creates and strengthens the bonds - fraternity, fealty and charity.
That, and the booze and no-limit poker games.
I wonder how many Mason-skeptics exist out there? If you are one, let me know. Maybe we can visit and have a few laughs?
One thing I have noticed is that some skeptics downplay the Masonic significance of the back of the US one dollar bill. The all seeing eye thing is a well established masonic symbol. We come across this symbol in various degrees (3rd "blue lodge" degree and here and there in the Scottish Rite degrees). It is referenced many times in Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry as being a principle symbol of the craft - basically symbolizing something called "Divine Omniscience".
Freemasonry has more symbols than a Neil Peart drumkit (yeah, groan). The all- seeing eye is one of perhaps fifty that I can identify at a moment's notice. Many have no doubt been co-opted (or in post-modernist terms: appropriated), throughout time. Given the fact that Masons have a long history of involvement in US politics and government, is it so unbelievable that one can find Masonic symbolism on the back of a slip of paper which bears the likeness of an actual Freemason on the front? I know this organization well and I've met more than a few Masons with enough (perhaps too much) zealous love for the fraternity that given the chance, they'd spray paint a square and compasses on Buckingham Palace, if given the chance. Knowing that, it's not a big deal for me to say the eye and the word "Mason" in the star of David could probably be the work of a Mason, even if the creator of the symbol was not a Mason himself. Does it hint at a conspiracy of Zionist "international bankers" bent on establishing a new world order? No. Could it be the work of an overzealous Mason? In my opinion, definitely possible. More possible in fact than that of coincidence.
I appreciate any intelligent thoughts on this.
There's a lot of pseudohistory in Masonry (duh) and I like being prepared whenever I encounter and provide a brother with the truth (or the next, best thing).
OK - now for a TL;DR description of how one can be both a Mason and a skeptic. Excuse my slipping from third to second to first person POV.
When a guy goes through the first two degrees, he is asked to take certain oaths and obligations. Most of these oaths and obligations are very attractive and agreeable to any male who desires the friendship of other men without having to resort to debasing himself in displays of machismo or oneupmanship ("cock-blocking", in the parlance of our times). Basically, it works well for nice guys who don't want to finish last. You meet nice guys who are there to help you out and you get to help others as well. It's all good. Then at the final stage of the game, in the third degree - you are asked to avow to never be present at the making of a Mason who is either an atheist or what they call an "irreligious libertine" (a horribly irksome phrase). Bear in mind that this is something like the tenth of fifteen obligations you've been asked to take in the 3rd degree. At that point, you're already fully invested and it seems like absolutely nothing for an atheist to answer in the affirmative, at the time, ignoring or perhaps ironically aware that all the others are actually breaking their vows by watching you being made a Mason.
The organization is rife with mysticism and pseudo-history. Sometimes the pseudo-history is raised to a meta level. For instance, they take historical accounts from the Bible and change them to fit the Masonic outlook. But, ultimately when confronting a long standing Mason about the discrepancies, they tend to reply something to the effect that "it's all ********, all of it".
After a while, it's just a bunch of guys drinking and doing their best to keep a live a tradition for it's own sake - almost indistinguishable from any family tradition. The secret work, available on any of a hundred websites, gets handed down, word for word, from memory, from adept to novice. I suppose this is what creates and strengthens the bonds - fraternity, fealty and charity.
That, and the booze and no-limit poker games.
I wonder how many Mason-skeptics exist out there? If you are one, let me know. Maybe we can visit and have a few laughs?
I like your style. 
