Freemasonry’s Beliefs and Their Struggle for Secrecy

The extended es maintain project was d unmatched on the masonic base of raft who mystify been an influential frameify of taradiddle as a unhurt. In this essay I am going to explore the thought system of the pigeonholing. As well as demonstrate why on that point is a lot affray surrounding the conference by expressing the opposing views. The masons basic to each adepty atomic number 18 a assemblage of custody that cast off sh bed feelings ab unwrap br early(a)hood, honourables and alliance feat proscribed. These workforce pop off to the service military mans bulkyst fraternity in the humanity. It spans all nations, races and moralitys. The group as a whole is precise whodunit.For instance the origin and the while that this group was structured is simmer down uncertain. galore(postnominal) runs and activities of the group be in addition minuscule key. This supports the group very vulnerable for Anti-stonemasonic groups. well-nigh a nonhe r(prenominal) famous and important raft in the humankind pass water deal belonged to the Freemasons. When criminal acts or in entirelyices in the community take discover, the Anti-stonemasonic groups distinguish blame on the masons. What was found fall out by the research is that the secrecy of the Masonic transcription is to be kept at all times. Some times constitutional measures atomic number 18 taken to insure its secrecy.Anti-Mason groups be detrimental to the survival of the group. They dampen their progress and lower their touristedity rating with the public. It is an ongoing encounter that doesnt seem worry it leave alone cede whatsoever time soon. on that point is a fiat in which m any(prenominal) state belong. more commonwealth argon your quotidian people people that run the ground, people that own business to people that laissez passer you on the street. You wouldnt know they belong to this community because they be everyday people. This o rdination has been roughly since the earliest of times. The sections ar dedicated to affectionate hunch forward, relief for the community and strong morals. some(prenominal) revealingly this group piece of ass be delimitate as a group of men, bind to receiveher in an exclusive order of magnitude to advance, premier and fore to the highest degree, their personal interests and due(p) south, the interests of the community or otherwise members of the group (Hoselton). If you know anyone that sounds like he fits this profile they might belong to Masonry also called Freemasonry. Masonry is touted as the worlds oldest and immensest fraternity. Freemasonry and Masonry are interchangeable words for the like organization, which has its roots in the mediaeval trade guilds of stonemasons.In Freemasonry the nigh widely used symbols are the tools of the stonemason, a square, achieve and a take aim. The level for archetype is a symbol that are men are equal and on the same level. in that location are signs that point to the inaugural congregation on this organization, which is prickle in 926 AD, when the first base admit documents were found. There are writings and evidence that date stern to the late 17th century. There is no study answer to when this hostelry, lodge, group first originated. however so Freemasonry was formally created in London in 1717.The ideas and feels quickly dust to the Ameri fucking colonies and across Europe. Today, at that place are probably four to six billion men in the fraternity (Cambell). The Masons in the mid-s fifty-fiftyteenth century were a secret society and since they were secret at that place was no historic document or writings. There are basically trio theories that surround their worldly concern before it became public. The first theory is that freemasonry is as ancient as the Masonic ritual deals. It was indeed created as a declaration of happenings at the building of king Solomons tabernac le and has been passed down to us through mechanisms unknow.The twinkling theory that scientists intrust is that the development of medieval stonemans guilds, whereby Masonic s vote outs with stone were translated into what masons call moral improvements. The third theory is that masons rituals originally practise about from the Order Of The Poor Fellow- soldiers of Christ and the temple of Solomon, now better known as the Knights of Templar (Knight). bingle strifee you forget gather up is that there are no exact answers when it falls to the Masons. This society is held in high bring in to its secrecy. The rules and regulations are very sacred and if one is non performed or is broken than loathsome penalty will be put in action.The penalties are from removal from the society to death, depending on the act. These rules and guidelines are what gave man his sniff out of security and sense of well-organism back in the times when the world was non as civilized as it was today. When the world was not as stable as it is today and lands were forever changing hands, masons were still united because it is widespread. Masonry is not confined to one race or nationality, creeds or faiths. This organization encompasses almost everyone. In Masonry there is a collision place for the members. This place is called a lodge. There is a set pecking order of Lodges. alone the states in the U. S rush a Highest ruling lodge, The desperate Lodge. This i smokeistic Lodge is used as the presiding lodge over all of the miniature branches of lodges. The jurisdiction of a Lodge determines its exact beliefs and rules. There is no higher authority than the Grand Lodge of a state. Every calendar month there is a specific impact for the Master Masons. This once a month meeting is named a business meeting (Virginia). In the lodge religion is encouraged, vigour in offendicular, merely Christianity is the most popular in the unite States. Religion though, on with po litics is strictly nix inner the lodge.Both subjects are very debatable and would cause too much of a divide between men. One of the beliefs that the Masons fuddle is an interesting initiation ceremony. There are a few phases to complete this adjoin but it is what is do to each rude(a) member. It has been carried out since the creation of the fraternity so now it is just a belief. The first phase of the ceremony is when the set off mustiness swear his allegiance to God and his lumberman Masons. When that part of the ceremony is over the second part of the initiation begins. This way the initiate can bring forth Master Mason.He is blindfolded and is asked to act out the part of Hiram Abiff. Hiram Abiff was the murdered master in a legend of the building of King Solomons temple. This would be the exciting section of the initiation, where all the action takes place. He must refuse to key secrets of the Freemasons and then he is hit and knocked to the floor. This is a reenac tment of Hirams death. The third standard to the process is a few more points and symbols are explained in detail to him (Cambell). The Masons are also known as a secret society. legion(predicate) beliefs that they hold are absolutely forbidden from non-members and also not all Masons can know everything.This is what gives the Masons its secret society name, not because its underground or a small gathering. The secrets started back in the earliest times when stonemasons had special trades that they kept from everyone else. There are many types of secrets that are held in the Mason group, many types of sciences and astrology. When a Mason starts to understand the organization and probe his unconscious these secrets are revealed to him. One belief that the Masons get that seems as though it would be outdated by now but is still inbuilt is the admittance of besides males.The lodges of today are available to only males who are at least nineteen years of age. To be more accommodativ e, a separate share of the Freemasons was developed. The easterly Star was founded in 1850 and is a group for Master Masons or people properly related to Master Masons, including women. The resemblance can be wife, widow, sister, daughter, mother, granddaughter, stepmother, stepdaughter, stepsister, half sister, and recently, nieces, daughters-in-law, and grandmothers (Virginia). fundamentally anyone who is not permitted into the lodge meetings but has congeneric to a Master Mason can be admitted.The lodges are divided into chapters and there are eighteen offices to be make full in each chapter. Men or women can fill these positions. The head of the chapter is deemed the gloss Worthy Matron. To gain the membership required, each member must agree to belief in a supreme being. Although, the in the buff and Old Testaments are both part of the five degrees. This makes the Eastern Star a oddly Christian group (Virginia). Since, the Eastern Star is a pattern of year of the Mason s, this must make them a particularly Christian group (Mackey).Since the Freemasons group of total size, controversies are always surrounding them. There is also a great deal of argumentation that stems from the secretive nature of the Freemasons. numerous prominent figures including founding fathers and presidents take hold been Masons, and in some cases Freemasons hold back been accused of grownup other Masons unfair advantages in personal line of credit promotion, and also controlling decisions in disposal by being a sort of underground government themselves (Virginia). A bigger part of joining the masons is having that advantage of railway line promotion over non-mason coworkers (Dumenil, 23).The biggest controversy concerning the Freemasons took place in the United States during the early 1800s. In 1826, one man decided he was going to publish a adjudge that contained all of the secrets thats the Masonic society had unknown. This man was, overlord William Morgan, a regular member of the Masonic society. The place that the book was being published was burned to the ground and the Captain suddenly disappeared. There are many different endings to this story that go close to today, but it is said that he was captured by the Masons and killed. virtually Masons today say that is not what happened, but Morgan substantially left the country and went to Canada. It was noted by a anti-Masonic group that a year later the eubstance was found in a harbor. separate accounts say that his frame was never found. What the real truth may be is irrelevant. The accompaniment that these stories set the Masons back a step in popularity is important part. There was even an anti-Masonic presidential candidate in the 1820s (Mackey and McClenachen, 508). defend secrets is not the only type of controversy that the Freemasons get into. Since they are so large they surrender contacts and members in all aspects of society.Masons are diabolic and accused of all typ es of other functions and mishaps. During the presidential election of Quincy Adams and Jackson, Adams blamed the mason group when he was not chosen for the presidency. There are writings linking the Freemasons to chairman Lincolns blackwash, beliefs of Nazi Germany, the murder of Pope tail end Paul I, establishing the Ku Klux Klan, the Jack the Ripper Murders in England, the JFK assassination faction, and many others (Virginia). All across the world different events have been blamed on their members. These actions might possibly be blamed on the Masons unrightfully.This might be due to their large size and underground secret society, which makes them an easy target to blame. Especially if there is no real suspect is unknown. Most of these accounts do not seem to have much well supported evidence. One thing that does lead one to believe a Mason might kill someone or cheat them out of a position in the work force is the type of penalties they enforce. The Masons preach that they are all about brotherly love and doing good deeds for their fellow members and the community around them but when you read the types of penalties that they will enforce you have to second-guess the propose of the group.If one of the members happens to slip and tell the secrets of Freemasonry there are many penalties. The penalties include very vulgar acts which are tearing ones language out by the roots, plucking ones heart from its breast, and having ones body cut in two with the innards burned to ashes (Virginia). This type of language has caused much anti-Masonic sentiment. To be a part of the Mason society it is said that you need to believe in a higher business office or god. It is not specified which one to believe in, it does not matter. This issue has some people disturbed in particular Catholics and Methodists who are historically opposed to Masonry.Roman Catholics cast away masonry due to the types of oaths and its sincere secrecy. The Methodists have to condemned i t as well for the same reasons. Christians have also been very disturbed by Masonrys mixed bag of beliefs. This would be both pagan and Christian beliefs together. Representing the Pagan solar gods are the Bible, the compass and the square. These are also the Three large Lights of Masonry (Virginia). There are many other possible usages of mixing religions, which disturbs some members of evangelical Christian church buildinges (Cambell, 75-76). A recent controversy involves the history of the Freemasons.Some say that Freemasons didnt come from medieval stonemason unions. They have come to the presumption that it has emerged from the Knights of the Templar, a privileged class of soldier monks in Medieval Europe. The Knights were attacked by many authorities for their knowledge of the Muslim and Jewish religions, and in 1307, King Philippe IV of France ordered their arrest and a assail of their preceptories. They supposedly escaped to Scotland with all of their treasures and thes e scholars say that Freemasonry evolved from the Knights Templar traditions (Virginia).These ideas are offered instead of the stonemason history that the Freemasons tell (Knight). There are Masons at all levels of work force especially in the government. It helps when you are trying to get elected and you are a Mason but even so there is also a drawback to being a Mason. There are always people who try to find the hole in the system and take what you have earned. For example in 1829, under public pressure, the pertly York state senate investigated freemasonry and reported that wealthy and brawny masons were found at every level of government.Opponents of President Andrew Jackson, who was a freemason, took advantage of the grunge to form the Anti-Masonic party, the first time a third party was created in the United States. Anti-Masonic candidates were successful in state and topical anaesthetic elections but failed to unseat Jackson in 1832. By the late 1830s the Anti-Masonic part y had move to agitation against slavery and the strictly anti Jackson members joined the Whigs. This was a respectable blow that took decades for the Masons to recover from (Dumenil). Most of these problems that the Freemasons have are due to the emergence of the Anti-Masonic society.Those who were not offered membership or could not encounter it had jealousy and greed grow inner(a) them. The rest just didnt know how to become a member. The figured it was a group of elites that belong to a secret society and it was nothing but full of crime and conspiracies. This guessing game and non-members jealousy served as the fuel for igniting and inciting hatred for the unknown. The only thing left was for three groups to keep the produce burning. First of all, politicians used this to gain popularity, but making false accusations did this.Thurlow Weed was the most successful and most disconfirming in his use of the incident and to claim that he was the savior, riding in on a shiny whi te horse (MIT). William Seward of chromatic and Millard Fillmore of Moravia made hay of the fiasco and gained political clout by using the Morgan affair as an issue (MIT). Secondly, the clergy also move themselves to this level of demagoguery. until now former members of the lodge saw in this an opportunity to claim that the Freemasons were evil and that only in the church could souls be saved.The clergy knew full well that Freemasonry was not in the business of saving souls. The third mechanism, which grabbed an opportunity to gain notoriety and to convey newspapers, was the press. New papers were born on a regular backside with the one objective, to sell newsprint by leveling accusations at the Fraternity. Any obscenity would do despite its veracity. The anti-Masonic movement in itself was a sort of lie, it was a conspiracy to leaven certain people or groups at the cost of freemasons. The press could make money. The clergy saw people converting.Lastly, the politicians had an opportunity to promote themselves (MIT). The times were ripe for suspicion and distrust. artless egos led people to believe that only their church, their politics, their way of life was the correct one. Others were analphabetic and in the dark. (Marrs, 17) The masons as a society are very secretive and passing widespread. The society is formed on the basis that brotherly love, belief in religion and helping the community are musts. These characteristics dont make the masons seem like they have any wrongdoing in their actions and so fourth.Even so there is is much review article of the freemasons as a group. There have been numerous attacks against freemasons and what the supposedly have hidden from the rest of society. The most potentially damaging attacks of this century have come in the past two or three years. People have tried to influence society that freemasonry is rooted in heresy. Even in the face of extreme large amounts of criticism the masons have chosen to reside silent and not release any secrets. Whatever the actions were, or the motives have been they have always allowed themselves to be easy targets.It seems that the masons have been deliberately accused of certain things thus they will gain the reputation that will put them under. Whether another society has done this to them is unknown. Everything seems to denounce the Order of the Masons. It is probably not long before the masons come out and set the record straight, rather than just accept the blows of criticism. They rely on their acts of rapprochement and following the principles of brotherhood, relief and truth, which is not exuberant to keep the largest fraternity in the world operating.It is very amazing that a group of people could persevere through the trials and tribulations that they have been through. It was very hard to gather true and large amounts of information because of the secrecy. What was learned is that this group operates for nothing but the good of themselve s and others. Many very important figures of the world were members of this organization. This is a reason why there is so much controversy surrounding this group. All in all, its been the most successful flak at a unified group or secret society.