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Freemasons
- Thread starter fatboy
- Start date
Gazwag
5 millionth post poster
Full of bent coppers and crooks in high places
Interesting thought: Is Dick Knight one - I bet he is not as falmer would have been built by now if he was
Interesting thought: Is Dick Knight one - I bet he is not as falmer would have been built by now if he was
Uncle Buck
Ghost Writer
- Jul 7, 2003
- 28,077
Hope this helps taken from the Guardian, kind of sums it up;
Freemasons
The United Grand Lodge of England has appointed a PR agency to improve the image of freemasonry. Here's our guide to the secretive society on the web
Sean Clarke
Wednesday March 21, 2001
1. Boaz! No, not another Ali G skit. It's the name of the secret handshake an apprentice needs in order to enter the Freemasons.
2. Not so secret now. The masons are trying to improve their image, and have shown the Guardian round their stylish Grand Lodge, in London's fashionable Covent Garden.
3. They say (through their new PR man) that it's time all this conspiracy nonsense about secret handshakes was put to bed. But do they have secret handshakes? Er, yes.
4. What's odd is that the origin of the conspiracy theory is almost as veiled as the origin of the masons themselves.
5. It seems to have started in 1798 with a book by John Robison, Proofs of a Conspiracy Against All the Religions and Governments of Europe, carried on in the secret meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati, and Reading Societies, collected from good authorities.
6. He accused them of being Godless adherents of "Cosmo-politism" (take that, Bridget Jones), supporters of the French Revolution, and friends of the Illuminati.
7. Republican, cosmopolitan, egalitarian, and elitist? Count me in! It's the good old liberal elite.
8. Disappointingly, though, most notable Freemasons in the past few centuries have been upstanding pillars of the community. Like Mozart (drunk), Substitute Nelson (adulterer) and Churchill (journalist).
9. Sorry, but it says here that even that old chestnut about masonic symbols on the dollar bill may not be true. That's according to the US state department (probably masons to a man).
10. If you're looking for an immensely powerful association of like-minded citizens, occupying important posts in politics and the judiciary, with strange, outlandish symbols and harsh penalties for disloyalty, try this one.
Freemasons
The United Grand Lodge of England has appointed a PR agency to improve the image of freemasonry. Here's our guide to the secretive society on the web
Sean Clarke
Wednesday March 21, 2001
1. Boaz! No, not another Ali G skit. It's the name of the secret handshake an apprentice needs in order to enter the Freemasons.
2. Not so secret now. The masons are trying to improve their image, and have shown the Guardian round their stylish Grand Lodge, in London's fashionable Covent Garden.
3. They say (through their new PR man) that it's time all this conspiracy nonsense about secret handshakes was put to bed. But do they have secret handshakes? Er, yes.
4. What's odd is that the origin of the conspiracy theory is almost as veiled as the origin of the masons themselves.
5. It seems to have started in 1798 with a book by John Robison, Proofs of a Conspiracy Against All the Religions and Governments of Europe, carried on in the secret meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati, and Reading Societies, collected from good authorities.
6. He accused them of being Godless adherents of "Cosmo-politism" (take that, Bridget Jones), supporters of the French Revolution, and friends of the Illuminati.
7. Republican, cosmopolitan, egalitarian, and elitist? Count me in! It's the good old liberal elite.
8. Disappointingly, though, most notable Freemasons in the past few centuries have been upstanding pillars of the community. Like Mozart (drunk), Substitute Nelson (adulterer) and Churchill (journalist).
9. Sorry, but it says here that even that old chestnut about masonic symbols on the dollar bill may not be true. That's according to the US state department (probably masons to a man).
10. If you're looking for an immensely powerful association of like-minded citizens, occupying important posts in politics and the judiciary, with strange, outlandish symbols and harsh penalties for disloyalty, try this one.
Soton Seagull
Well-known member
My mates Dad is one. Jobs for the boys society from what I can gather.
I know a few masons - who ask me to join whilst saying that's not how they normally recruit!
I also drink in a pub that is used by freemasons (well it it between my office and the Grand Lodge in Covent Garden). Strangely, they don't seem to use the Freemasons Arms just round the corner!
Yes they wear frilly aprons (not in public) and have some strange rituals, but they're generally decent sorts who raise an enormous amount of money for themselves, er, sorry charity.
I also drink in a pub that is used by freemasons (well it it between my office and the Grand Lodge in Covent Garden). Strangely, they don't seem to use the Freemasons Arms just round the corner!
Yes they wear frilly aprons (not in public) and have some strange rituals, but they're generally decent sorts who raise an enormous amount of money for themselves, er, sorry charity.
Gully
Monkey in a seagull suit.
Know a little about freemasonry, I understand that they all believe in a supreme being (ie:God), its men only but there is a womans lodge somewhere (splinter group from the Womens Institute Probably), they are a bit of an upmarket version of the buffs, silly aprons instead of hoofs and horns.
As someone pointed out they do raise money for charity but do not brag about this, their donations tend to be anonymous or under a pseudonym. The bit about funny handshakes is totally correct, it is a way of identifying each other and allegedly displaying their position within the organisation, when they shake hands they do so with their feet at 90 degrees to each other, forming a square, hence freemasons talk about being on the square.
As for the bit about bent coppers, allegedly the Sussex force was riddled with freemasons but a former Chief Constable who had possibly been rejected by the organisation went on a crusade to either out masons or drive them from the force, not sure how successful he was. I was asked to join the freemasons some years ago but politeley declined, being an atheist was a fundamental flaw in possible membership but the whole image of the organisation and the corruption allegations made me want to avoid it like the plague.
As someone pointed out they do raise money for charity but do not brag about this, their donations tend to be anonymous or under a pseudonym. The bit about funny handshakes is totally correct, it is a way of identifying each other and allegedly displaying their position within the organisation, when they shake hands they do so with their feet at 90 degrees to each other, forming a square, hence freemasons talk about being on the square.
As for the bit about bent coppers, allegedly the Sussex force was riddled with freemasons but a former Chief Constable who had possibly been rejected by the organisation went on a crusade to either out masons or drive them from the force, not sure how successful he was. I was asked to join the freemasons some years ago but politeley declined, being an atheist was a fundamental flaw in possible membership but the whole image of the organisation and the corruption allegations made me want to avoid it like the plague.
chip
Well-known member
In a way, their behaviour is no more strange than that of your average football supporter. I.e. they dress in a slightly different way on certain days, engage in behaviour that would make be odd under other circumstances and help each other out from time to time. They have to believe in a form of god, The Great Architect of the Universe. Originally comes from stonemasons and the secret handshake is similar to that of the Christian fish in allowing masons to identify each other. Lots of variations around the world and a big involvement in the crusades with the Knights Templar and other fraternities.
BTW I'm not one, I know quite a few and they seem pretty normal people. Some of their events are very entertaining
BTW I'm not one, I know quite a few and they seem pretty normal people. Some of their events are very entertaining
the full harris
New member
- Feb 14, 2004
- 3,212
don't trust them one little bit.
Robot Chicken
Seriously?
the full harris said:
Some very famous people are or were freemasons and you wouldn't trust any of them...
Several kings of England
Several presidents of the USA
the Duke of Wellington
Lord Nelson
Sir Michael Caine
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Harry Houdini
Clark Gable
Louis Armstrong
Lord Mountbatten
Roald Amundsen
Davey Crockett
John Wayne
Buzz Aldrin
Al Gore
Bill Clinton
Prince Phillip
The Duke of Kent
the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers
Walt Disney
George Bush Senior
Methinks your prejudices are clearly showing.
Last edited:
the full harris
New member
- Feb 14, 2004
- 3,212
Downloaded Penguin said:
no i wouldn't.
it is basically dressed up corruption.
Robot Chicken
Seriously?
May I suggest that until you know what you're talking about you shouldn't express your ill informed opinion?
the full harris
New member
- Feb 14, 2004
- 3,212
Downloaded Penguin said:
may i suggest you f*** off?
Robot Chicken
Seriously?
RoyalAli said:
That's pretty much the case. It's all about bettering oneself. It's open to men of all faiths and races, whether black, white, Indian, Chinese or Eskimo. All are welcome and all are treated equally.
Robot Chicken
Seriously?
the full harris said:
This is an adult discussion, why must you ruin it?
the full harris
New member
- Feb 14, 2004
- 3,212
Downloaded Penguin said:
coming from you?
you wrote the book on how to be childish at the age of 28 or whatever you are.
Lord Bracknell
On fire
Time was (certainly in the 1970s) that local government was riddled with freemasonry.
I remember a former manager of mine telling me that he was the ONLY senior manager in the history of the department we worked in who hadn't been a freemason. A lot of senior councillors were also freemasons. This no doubt gave them all access to a rather "inward looking" way of making important decisions.
Thankfully, local government has now cleaned its act up. They even allow women to play important roles these days.
Incidentally, there's a lot of evidence that Jack the Ripper was a freemason and that this ensured that his identity was never revealed.
I remember a former manager of mine telling me that he was the ONLY senior manager in the history of the department we worked in who hadn't been a freemason. A lot of senior councillors were also freemasons. This no doubt gave them all access to a rather "inward looking" way of making important decisions.
Thankfully, local government has now cleaned its act up. They even allow women to play important roles these days.
Incidentally, there's a lot of evidence that Jack the Ripper was a freemason and that this ensured that his identity was never revealed.