what do you know about masones and shrines ??? what's the secret about it??
449079
Masons are a Secret Society originally developed in Europe in the late middle ages. They required secrecy and ritual in order to ensure their secrets were not divulged to the authorities (ie. The Roman Catholic Church) who would persecute them. They are also the foundation for most modern University Fraternities.
944084
Almost everything.  I have studied them much.\n\nI would need a more precise question to answer in less than about six thousand pages.\n\nThat is almost the name of the French translation of the organization that is known as the Knights Templar from roughly the 12th and 14th century.\n\nI have been studying them for more than 36 years, because of my affiliation with DeMolay, a youth organization named after the last Grand Master of the Templars.\n\n\nNamaste.\n\nEdit: I had a typo, and I left out a couple of centuries deliberately, because they didn't really come into power until the 12th century, and continued long after Philip suppressed them in the 14th century, only in France.  Some of them were absorbed into different orders.  There is a Catholic Order, roughly the Order of Malta, which invented Doctors without Borders which also known as Medicins Sans Frontieres, and a Protestant Order based in The Netherlands.  Legally, both Orders are independent countries today.\n\nBut be careful if you wish to chase this rabbithole, because there are a number of Orders, and some had similar names.  Also, literature has muddied the waters quite a bit.
763842
Nice to know there is another Wiccan on here nice to meet you or I guess I should say Blessed Be.    Well I found a pretty good site this site talks about the left hand path and such but is pretty good on why is devil worship about the gothic cant help you there Ok and for the goth here is one from religious tolerence.com  Well I hope this helps and Merry meet marry part and merry meet again.
863835
Okay, you can't just join up and find out.  That's not even how it works.  You have to be sponsored and voted in by the elder members.\n\nSome of our Nation's most respected President's were Freemasons.  They believe first in God, Country and Family and then their beliefs.  I am a girl so I don't know a whole lot, except that they have some pretty strong beliefs that are pretty secretive. \n\nPeople are nosy and make up things about everyone who has secrets, and say that they are automatically a cult or something.  This is absolutely not the case.   You could learn alot by reading a book sold at the book store, called Freemasons for dummies. \n\nThey are grouped with the shriners and do many many fine works for the public and for the children in our communities.  They have hospitals and burn units all over the country, always non-profit, and usually at no cost to the patients.  \n\nFrom what I understand, they are all (Masons, Shriners etc.) an offspring of the Knights Templers.  They, in ancient times were the Knights who were put in power by the Pope to protect Jerusalem at all costs.  Later they recieved special permission from the Pope to take charge of Banking.  They had the Great International Bank of the middle ages.  They were executed by the King of France (Phillip IV), who luckily was unable to kill them all before all the KING's HELPERS kidnapped the Pope.\n\nI think they have a fascinating and outstanding history.  Many freemasons were involved in the signing of our Declaration of Independence.  That was not a joke made for Hollywood. There were actually several who signed it.
398922
I actually helped build one last year as part of a ritual. We did the whole thing in one day. It was a LOT of work. You need many people to help you.\nWe went out into the woods and cut down straight 20-25' saplings that didn't fork. I think 24 trees total were cut. At the base of each an offering was left.  The saplings were then peeled (that was my job and it took forever).\nThere had already been a Temascal in that location so there was already a fire pit dug inside and another larger bonfire outside (for heating rocks). (We set the old Temascal on fire and used it to heat the rocks for the first sweat in the new one.)\nThe saplings have to reach from one side of the circle, up about 4 feet in the center and then back down.  It took two or three big guys to bend and hold each sapling while another held it against the opposite tree at the other end and yet another tied it in place.  This was just repeated until all the saplings were tied. A few of them were also woven a bit to make the structure stronger.\nA couple of smaller saplings were bent over to make the archway for the entrance.\nThe rounded structure was then piled with tarps and blankets until completely covered and no light could get in.  Whatever dragged on the ground was held down with rocks along the edges--old rocks that were "dead" from already being used in the fire.  \nWhew. I'm tired just remembering it.\nI probably left something out. Contact me through my 360 page, my email or my IM for more info.  I can also put you in touch with the gentleman whose house I was at building it.  He has Aztec and native elders there a couple of times a year for rituals and learning and he also travels the world with these elders and goes to Mexico for the Sun Dance every July. So he knows way more than me (and I'm no slouch).\nI think I might have some photos too, somewhere on my hard drive, of us building it.\nSpellcheck not working, sorry for any errors.
151039
the templar knights were the ones that protected and found holy relics.  i know somewhere a few of the disbanded templars' familys later formed the free masons, but ive never heard of the bilterburgers.
5318
You do have to be recommended by another Mason. And they do NOT worship Satan. Check out a local chapter to ask some questions.
973192
Masons have a role in society.  I don't know what it is but they must be a worthwhile organization.
1048501
All of the previous answers are incorrect, and are obviously not answered by Masons.  Let me give you the real answer:\n\nTo become a Mason you must:\nBe a man over 18 years old (21 in some places).\nBelieve in a higher power (whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish, etc.)\nYou must ask to join.  We do not ask people to join.  You must ask us.\n\nSo if you are interested in becoming a Mason, just contact the Masonic lodge in your area and tell them you want to know more about them.  They will be happy to talk to you.  \n\nIf you have any other questions, please learn from real Freemasons such as myself.  Feel free to contact me.
970821
WOW,  it looks like nobody on here has any clue what they are talking about.  As a Mason, I should be able to answer this question for you.\n\nTo become a Mason, you must merely be a good man who believes in a higher power.  Then you should ask a member of your local lodge to meet and discuss joining.  They will be happy to talk to you and get you started.\n\nWhen I joined, I had no idea what to expect.  I have since met many wonderful people and have learned a great deal about myself and others.  You really learn how to work well and serve your community through charity.  It is a great fraternal organization. \n\nThere will always be those who accuse Masons of being Satanic, or of being evil at the higher levels, but let me assure you that the higher degrees of Freemasonry are only a continuation of the first three, which recounts a legend that takes place during the building of King Solomon's temple.  As a 32nd degree Mason myself, I have never seen or heard anything to lead me to believe that anyone in our midst is a Satanist.  In fact, there are members of my lodge who are Christian ministers, Muslims, and Jews.\n\nContrary to what some may say about the higher degrees, those of us who are 32nd degree Masons are often the ones with more opportunity to do good work in the community.\n\nIf you take away nothing else from my writings here, know this....you will always learn more about Freemasonry from Masons than you will from people who are guessing about the fraternity or regurgitating opinions about what they have read.  Find out for yourself.  We are a noble institution that strives to make good men better.
381547
I am a mason. But i dont understand the question? add more in the details "g number"?????
646120
Although Masons do some good works, they are a group with lots of secret oaths, names for God, etc and as such they are incompatible with Christianity. Better to join a Christian church group or if you want to join a civic group, one without a lot of bizarre oaths, ceremonies and beliefs. A lot of the masons oaths, etc, such as slitting ones throat ceremonially, were incorporated into the bizarre Mormon church. The Mormon church founder, Joseph Smith, was a Mason.\n\nhttp://www.gotquestions.org/free-masonry.html\n\nhttp://www.4truth.net/site/c.hiKXLbPNLrF/b.784543/k.384A/Freemasonry/apps/nl/newsletter3.asp\n\nHere's another site, ex-masons for Jesus.\n\nhttp://www.emfj.org/
874948
The whole thing is rife with Freemason symbols.\nWhat's with the pyramid, this isn't Egypt!\nit also says novus ordo seclorum which I have heard means new world order.\nThe eye is supposed to be the all seeing eye of Horus from the egyptian mystery religions.\nAh, the masons and their ilk- is there really a sinister shadow fraternity within an apparently benign lodge? Is there a sinister shadow government that really controls?\nIf you read Morals and Dogma, a book of masonic literature you will be exploring an "occult" realm of philosopy and theosophy.\nBut I don't know for sure most of them aren't just members of a club that does community service.\nTripping on Illuminat conspiracies while interesting, doesn't seem to really lead anywhere productive!
28342
The website isn't much to look at, but here is the official website for the school:\n\nhttp://www.sandi.net/comm/schools/elem/mason.htm
83385
Here's a website outlining the Masonic degree system.\n\nhttp://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/masonic_degrees.html
720284
shrines, posters, dedications etc.
1187928
WOW.  Ahhh, just so you know, most Masons are NOT Mormons.  I  am a Mason and have been for years.  I have met many Masons, and none of them are Mormons.  I have met Christian Masons, Jewish Masons, and Muslim Masons.\n\nJoseph Smith WAS a Mason, and I believe he "borrowed" quite a bit of his "prophecy" from Masonic ritual.  We Masons do not adopt any religion as part of the fraternity, because each member is to worship in his own faith.  We are not a religious organization.\n\nIf you have any more questions about Freemasonry, and want the answer from a real Freemason, please feel free to contact me.