Freemasons

[Japher]

Also, Brigham Young was a Mason...

[Japher]

Why the secrecy? Why all the codes and symbols? What's to hide?

[Kitschum]

The secrecy is in order not ruin the personal development of each member.

I think the codes and rituals are there so the "work" appears/becomes more important and more significant than otherwise, and they are probably more fun than a sermon.

[duke o' york]

I once asked someone who was a Mason if it was cult, you'd thought I just killed his first born the way he reacted... that also got me suspicious.

Now be honest Japher.... Had you?

[Japher]

Yeah, I did. The guy would come to work with his little red book that was all written in silly writing that he had to learn. So, jokingly, I asked him if it was cult and he got really mad.

[Finvola]

When I was younger I didn't now what they were really, other than the guys who drove funny cars and wore silly hats in parades.

[Japher]

That's the Shriners

[Kitschum]

666

[Japher]

eeeeeeek

[Finvola]

Yeah but the Shiners are masons..or the ones that were in my marching band were. I had a friend about my age who was all excited. He had to pay his dues and all that and he was going to be a first level Mason or something. I don't remember all that much about it, I'm talking like 10 years back.

[Finvola]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shriners

[Darius871]

Old but nice people. In this country you are required to be a Christian of any denomination.

no

I had to check to be sure, and you are right, although I suspect it was by accident.

There is one non-irregular exception that closed down in 2006, but apparently they started up again in spring of this year.

I change my mind again, I was right all along. These guys are irregular.

I don't know what "irregular"/"noniirregular" lodge you're blathering on about, but every scholarly, wiki-ly, and internal description of admission requirements are limited to belief in some Supreme Being, i.e. deism, not necessarily Christianity. FFS, as early as the 1723 Constitution there was explicit reference "that religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves." As such, there are some Jewish, Muslim, deist, and other Freemasons, in this country and others.

Where on earth are you getting your information from?

[Kitschum]

I am talking about this country, you moron. Not your pagan banana republic.

Edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Rite

[Darius871]

I am talking about this country, you moron. Not your pagan banana republic.

A) You've been saying "this" country the entire time without anything in your posts or profile to suggest what country that is.
B) Even assuming you mean the U.S., I AM talking about the U.S., you moron. If you think only Christians get into American lodges, then there are apparently numerous brothers that should get booted immediately, because Christians they ain't.
C) Eat **** and die.

[Kitschum]

You are an imbecile for assuming I am an American.