a secret sect but basically harmless with silly rituals, or a sinister organisation that has people in high office making important decision,based on who knows who, and not what you know. If you know what I mean.

 

George Washington was a mason, and so were 13 other Presidents, most recently Gerald Ford.

In Europe at least, Freemasonry is a mystery of secret rites and occult power, the stuff of a million conspiracy theories.

 

 

Well, I think that when you have top judges, civil servants, police officers and MPs (ie PUBLIC SERVANTS...) who are giving their loyalty to a secret society which is based upon Sectarianism - which the Masonic lodges are, one cannot join a Masonic lodge if one is a Catholic, Jew or Muslim, or indeed a woman - then it really has to raise suspicions. And there have been some very high profile examples of Freemasons receiving leniency..

Well, I think that when you have top judges, civil servants, police officers and MPs (ie PUBLIC SERVANTS...) who are giving their loyalty to a secret society which is based upon Sectarianism - which the Masonic lodges are, one cannot join a Masonic lodge if one is a Catholic, Jew or Muslim, or indeed a woman - then it really has to raise suspicions. And there have been some very high profile examples of Freemasons receiving leniency..

 

That is not true, I have known loads of masons that are catholic, and I suppose it´s catholics who cannot be masons and not the other way round, they make no restrictions for religion. But they don´t accept women. When asked about that a mason told me they don´t accept woman because being a mason is seeking the perfection, and woman are already perfect so they don´t need it, but I find that a cheap excuse and perhaps he must think woman are too "dumb" to join the club, or maybe they think the institution won´t be serious enough if there are women among it.

 

From what I know masons seem to be very influent, but they NEVER tell anyone what´s about... Well, maybe that´s the reason they don´t accept woman because they can´t hold a secret!

 

I have always heard stuff about things that "happened" to men who decided to left masonry, and about the "rituals" they make and more conservative people have a very bad idea about them and usually link them to satanism and stuff. More lunatic people think they have conections with aliens. I think these are only legends, but it makes a good fun reading about. Anyway, if it was such a good think they woudln´t want to hide it from the public... Or maybe it´s just an organization that wants to cause curiosity about themselves but they just reunite to drink tea...

That is not true, I have known loads of masons that are catholic,

 

Really?? I've always thought the Freemasons had links to the Orange Order. I used to live about 10 minutes away from an Orange Lodge and it had the symbol of the Freemasons on the door... :unsure: Whereabouts did you know Catholic Freemasons....?

Whereabouts did you know Catholic Freemasons....?

 

Society in general. They use to adopt the majoritary religion in each country, so as I live in a mainly catholic country most, if not all, masons I know are catholic and practicing. I´m almost sure they must have some type of religious/mystic meaning tough, but I don´t know if that´s the main point on being mason.