FAQ
1- What is freemason society?
The freemason society is an international humanitarian society whose members help each other to advance in life's intellectual, moral and social aspect as well as employment.
2-Who is the head of the Masons?
No one. Each Grand Lodge has its own jurisdiction and is supreme authority within that jurisdiction. Obviously, many Grand Lodges have regular communication with each other, but official policy in one has no effect in another.
3-Is it political?
It is not a political party and it does not get involved in politics from a narrow perspective. But it does stand by social justice and human values.
4-Is it a new religion?
It is not a new religion. It respects all religions and it does not dictate any beliefs on its members. While it holds religion in high esteem it rejects all kinds of sectarians and religion fanaticism.
Without interfering in religious practice, Masonry expects each member to follow his own faith and to place above all other duties his duty to God by whatever name He is known. Masonry itself makes only a simple religious demand on a man –he must believe that he has an immortal soul and he must believe in God.
5-Why is it secretive?
Because awareness in life is unveiled in stages and those who do not have early experiences can not understand the more complicated matters. Therefore, it is secretive for the sake of preserving the scale of knowledge among its members.
6-Is it true it is Zionist?
Freemason is against all kinds of racism. Zionism is racist. Therefore, Freemasons are against it.
7-Is it true that its ritual are Jewish?
Rituals are expressions of perceptions carried over from one civilization to another. The fact that the Bible, the Old Testament, was the first book to reach the cultural class so the Christian and Islamic cultures consumed it. It was only normal that the rituals contain some of the accumulations of the earlier cultures. As an example, the laws of Hammurabi could be compared with those of Moses.
8-Why are the symbols Jewish?
A lot of Christian symbols can be traced back to Judaism. For example, the book of Mathew,and the revelation of John are enough to realize the symbolic relationship between Christianity and Judaism. In addition, stories of the prophets in the Holy Koran echo the tales of the prophets in the Old Testament.
And to assert that, the symbols are not solely Jewish but they are older than Judaism: the triangle is Phitagorus, the column is Assyrian and Eil is Canaanite.
9-Why does it stand against Christianity and Islam?
It respects Christianity and Islam as a personal belief and as human values it has no problem with both religions.
10-Why does the church oppose it?
The church as a group of believers does not oppose it. It is the church authority which is against the Freemasons because each authority would like to have an absolute control over its followers. Moreover, there are other
points of difference between the Freemason society and the church authority, primarily:
The Freemason society allows its members to have free religious affiliation while the church authority rejects any affiliation other than Catholicism.
In the church many matters are reported to the bishop while in the Masonic lodge it resolves its own problems by itself.
The fact that the prime Masonic lodge was in the English city of York and the fact that England was Anglican, not Catholic, so Catholicism considers Freemasons to be linked to the Anglican church and therefore Anti- Catholic. The facts that the Masonic lodges have full freedom and are not linked to any religious authority.
11-Why is Islam against Freemasons?
The Catholic circles have circulated that the Freemasonry is Zionist and Jewish and that's what earned it the hatred of Muslims. It should be noted that the Ottoman Islamic authority was that of brotherhood so were the Islamic reformers such as Afghani and Abdo.
12-What is the doctrine?
Humans are the center of the universe. God created them to continue his work. Therefore, the goal of humans in life is to continue the work so that the universe remains in an organized manner. Any interruption in the mechanism of the universe and its system means pain and suffering for the people.
A sick person is sick because his body's mechanism has been disturbed .
A medical doctor is like an engineer who restores the body to the way it was.
A poor person is deprived of his share of nutrition because someone else is taking his share.
A social reformer is the one who redistributes those shares so that the balance is back to normal.
A revolution is a blending of the basic ingredients to rework a new system when the old one becomes incapable of continuing.
A human's ideal work is to arrive at a perfect system that is compatible with the greatest perfect creator, that is God.
13-Is it true that absolute obedience is required?
To believe in something means to abide by it. A freemason cannot be a member if he does not believe in its doctrine and acts according to it. Therefore violation of the rules means lack of faith and consequently lack of credibility to join. That's why a request to be a member is considered extensively.
14-Is it true that money should be paid to be a member of the freemason society?
Money is not a condition to join but it could be considered as a sign of the seriousness and the responsibility of the person wanting to be a member.
The only condition is to believe in its doctrine which is the respect for all humans and humanity.
Yes. Like all organizations, Lodges must be able to pay their light bills. Typically, there is a one-time fee for the degrees of Masonry, as well as regular annual dues.
15-Why doesn't the freemason society publicize its goals?
Freemasons have declared their goals continuously and that is to lift the human life's value and end any oppression against people. When it participated in the French Revolution it was in order to publicize its principles. The charter of Human Rights is the greatest evidence about the declaration of the principles of the Freemasons.
16-Is it true that whoever quits is killed or harmed?
Freemasons respect the wishes of the individual to quit and hold no responsibility as to what happens to him. If its goal is the respect of humans how can it harm them?
17-There is a lot of rumors that Freemasons have assassinated personalities?
The enemies of Freemasons are the enemies of humanity. Therefore hostile propaganda makes many incorrect things.
18-Did Masons suffer at the hands of the Nazis?
Yes. The exact number is unknown. Lt. Col. David Boyd wrote that the Nazis killed 85,000 German Masons, though other research has been found that this number may be off by as a third. This does not include any nations the Nazis occupied. Regardless of the actual number killed, it is clear that Hitler viewed Masonry, which exalts truth, toleration, brotherly love, and free thought, to be dangerous and a treat to his regime. Ironically, in his last days in his bunker in Berlin, Hitler had a painting of Frederick the Great in his chamber. Frederick the Great was a Mason
19-Do Masonic rituals have satanic elements?
No. Again, consider that Masons are Christians, Jews, Muslims, and members of other faiths who view Satan as the ultimate evil agent, anathema to their relationship with God. Would members of these faiths, not to mention religious leaders, knowingly take part in satanic worship? Of course not, nor would they remain within an organization that had even the slightest hint of Satanic worship.
No documentation has been provided to back up the charge that Masonic are Satanic in character, nor has any part of any Masonic ritual been cited showing Satanic worship. It simply does not exist.
20-Do Masons have to swear terrible oaths? Are people killed when they break them?
Yes and no. Masons swear an oath of secrecy concerning Masonic secrets, which are things such as the modes of recognition, the rituals, etc…
These oaths, which are very old, are phrased in colorful and symbolic language designed to impress upon the candidate the seriousness of these oaths. The oath itself is very real – it is sworn with the candidate's hand on the holy book of his faith (e.g. the Bible, the Koran, etc.) and is morally binding on the candidate.
However, the "PENALTIES" involved in these oaths are symbolic. No Mason ever need fear harm from the hand of a brother, even if he were to break ties with Masonry, but this, doesn't mean that the candidate won't be harmed if he reveals the Masonic secrets.
21-What famous people have been Masons? (A sample)
From the American Revolution: (other than presidents): Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Lafayette, James Otis, and Paul Revere…
Political leaders: Winston Churchill, Simon Bolivar, Edmond Burke, Benito Juarez, Georges VI, Edward VII, jose de San Martin, Francisco de Paula Santander, Jose'Rizal,…
Fine Arts: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Jean Sibelius, Franz Von Liszt, josef hayden, George M. Cohen,…
Actors: John Wayne, Red Skelton, Clark Gable, Will rogers, Burl Ives, Roy Rogers, Danny Thomas,..
Philosophers: Francois Voltaire, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Gottolf E. Lessing,…
Law: John Marshall, Earl Warren,…
Medicine: Drs. Alexander Fleming, Jules bordet, Antoine depage, Edward Jenner, Charles and William Mayo, Karl and william Menninger,…
Science: Hans C. Orsted,...
22-What movies/books feature Masonry?
The Man Who Would Be King, by (Brother) Rudyard Kipling.
A good story, later made into an excellent film, starring Micheal Caine, Sean Connery, and Christopher Plummer.
Its portrayal of Masonic history is quite fanciful, of course.
Murder by Degree, a Sherlock Holmes movie, concerning the Master Sleuth's hunt for Jack the Ripper. It does not portray Masonry in an honest, accurate, or favorable light.
A good movie, but it is important that no Mason would ever knowingly commit a crime for a Brother, Edward VII was actually a Mason.
There is also a modest body of Masonic poetry: Kipling's "The Palace" and " Mother Lodge", Burns's "Masonic Farewell", Geothe's " Mason Lodge", Leigh Huntsv "Abou Ben Adhem", Carruth's "Each in his own tongue", burn's " On the Apron", Meredith's "Ebony Staff of Salomon", Bowman's "Voice of America", Malloch's "Father's lodge" and Nesbit's " I sat in Lodge with you"…
23-I hear Masons refer to an "apron". What is that?
During the ceremonies of his initiation, each Mason is represented with a white leather apron. It is to him, an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason. It has, in all ages, been cherished by the rich, the poor, the high and the low.
24-Are Masons just a bunch of old men? Isn't Masonry dying out?
There is no doubt that the population of Masons is aging. There was a huge increase in membership in almost all-fraternal orders after World War II, including Masonry. In many lodges, there are a
Great number of 50-and-up members, and others of 30-and-under.
25-Isn't Masonry just a place where businessmen make deals?
No. In fact, most Masons believe that to trade with a Brother Mason only because he is unMasonic. Even more importantly, anyone who attempts to join a lodge for business reasons will not be given a petition. Masons, however, are friends and it is not surprising that many Masons do trade with Brothers. For one thing they are dealing with people that are of good character and can be trusted, which is no small statement in the modern marketplace.
26-How can a person join the Freemason society?
Every person who lives by human principles and values and respects other human brothers is a Freemason of sorts. However joining a society is not joining a club but it is the acceptance of its principles. Freemason brothers are the ones who discover those who are good for the society and invite them to join.
27-Is there a way to apply personally to join?
If you'd know a Freemason and asked him that you wanted to join the society he must decide before himself first whether you are ready to become a member and then he would submit your name to the lodge.
The lodge prudently considers the application and you would be researched. When the time is ripe you are invited to join.
28--Is Freemasonry are secretive how can I tell who is a Freemason?
It is enough to express your desire to join in the office or in any conversation you are holding with people who are committed Freemasons, and your voice will reach those who should be hearing it.
29-Are Freemasons everywhere?
Societies need foundations of values and commitment and the Freemasons are called upon to be those pillars. Therefore, it is rare to have a society that does not include Freemasons.
30-Why are they oppressed by states?
Every authority would like to have full control over its people and free awareness annoys it. The freemason society's ideology is a free one and it propagates the ideas of liberty everywhere. So the conflict between authorities and Freemasons is one for survival and that is why the authorities reject Freemasons.
31-It is said that a lot of state leaders are Freemasons?
The Freemason brothers work to bring the righteous propel to power based in the goal of working toward the respect of humans and their dignity. A Freemason committed to such freedom has priority over others in achieving justice and freedom if he takes power.
32-Why are people afraid of Freemasons?
The clergy have done their best to publicize false ideas about Freemasons for the purpose of causing damage to their societies because the Freemason society publicizes freedom and awareness while some clergy wants to control people for the sake of ruling over them. That is why there were reports circulated among people about Freemasons that has nothing to do with the truth.
33-When were the Freemason societies founded?
It started since the human awareness and was formed when human began working in organizing the universe and enhancing it. Freemason as a principle was founded in 1717 in the city of York and Mr. Anderson established its constitution.