Question:
How do you become a Free Mason?
anonymous
2012-05-28 21:10:24 UTC
Do you have to be asked or do you have to ask to be one?Is their different types of Freemasons?Are they all good men? And can you be a Catholic and be a Free Mason?
Four answers:
pepgurli
2012-05-30 21:21:39 UTC
A Catholic may not join the Free Masons or any organization affiliated with them according to the Catholic Church's teachings. If a Catholic does they are excommunicated. However the Free Masons organization holds no such rule prohibiting a Catholic from joining them.



I don't think you have to be asked to join but the members of the lodge would certainly want to get to know you before they would invite you to join so in a sense yes they would invite you.



I would imagine most are good however like in most organizations weather its a club or a church there will always be a few bad apples.
s0mewhereny
2012-05-29 14:06:12 UTC
To be one ask one is the motto. All men who wish to join need to ask. Freemasons don't recruit.



There is only one kind of Freemason. Freemasonry only required that a man have a faith or belief in a Supreme Being or Creator and the immortality of the soul. beyond this the Lodge would or will not interfere with a man's faith.



Perhaps you should have bit of a primer, so here it is:

To explore the organization that some (very few, actually) so vehemently protest, we must first explain what Masonry IS! Here are some key points:



Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest Fraternity. While its traditions look back to earliest history, Masonry in its current form appeared when its public events were noticed by the residents of London, England in 1717. Since that time, there have been tens of thousands of books published about this 'secret organization'. And for over three hundred years, despite the good works done by its members, Freemasonry has continually suffered the slings and arrows of those who seek to use it's quiet nature against it.



Freemasonry's singular purpose is to make good men better and its bonds of friendship, compassion and brotherly love have survived even the most divisive political, military and religious conflicts through the centuries. Freemasonry is neither a forum nor a place of worship. It is not a religion nor does it teach a religious philosophy. For nearly three hundred years it has attracted men of high moral character who support the tenets of temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice.



We're often asked, "What do Freemasons believe?" The answer is quite simple: essentially the same things that teachers, bus drivers, Rotarians, or anyone else believes. There is no 'requirement' that all Masons believe certain things except insofar as good behavior dictates.



Today, the more than four million Freemasons around the world come from virtually every occupation and profession. Within the Fraternity, however, all meet as equals. In fact, one of the most fascinating aspects of Freemasonry (and an obvious source of irritation for those who thrive on the seeds of discontent) has always been: how can so many men, from so many different walks of life, meet together in peace, ignoring political or religious debates, to conduct their affairs in harmony and friendship and to call each other "Brother!" It's truly a conundrum which perplexes those outside the fraternity. Laying aside petty jealousies and agreeing that issues of politics and religion are not proper for discussion within a lodge, the 'bones of contention' that so often divide are removed thereby making it possible for men of varying religious and political interests to meet on common ground.



If you want to learn more you can visit http://www.askafreemason.org while there check out the chats with Ben Franklin and join the forum and ask real Freemasons you questions.
?
2012-05-29 14:06:07 UTC
TO BE ONE, ASK ONE!



If you want to be a Freemason, ask a Freemason. It's as simple as that. You do NOT have to be invited...in fact, in most Masonic jurisdictions, recruiting is strictly prohibited. If you sit around waiting to be invited, you'll be waiting forever because nobody gets invited. If someone you know is a Freemason and you're interested in joining, ask them. If you don't know anybody who is a Freemason, try the website for the Grand Lodge of your jurisdiction by doing a web search for "Grand Lodge of [your state or country]." They should have a page for people who are interested in joining but don't know someone they can ask, and they can put you in touch with a lodge in your area.



There aren't really different "types" of Freemasons. All Freemasons are equal to each other. However, there is such a thing as "irregular" and "clandestine" Masonic lodges. I won't confuse you with the definitions of those here...all you really need to know is to make sure that any lodge you petition is under the jurisdiction of a Grand Lodge, and make sure that Grand Lodge is recognized by and has Masonic relations with the United Grand Lodge of England.



Ideally, all Freemasons are "good men." Our goal is to find good men and to make them into better men. However, we are human beings, imperfect and flawed. Sometimes someone who's joining for the wrong reasons or simply not a man of good character might fool the investigation committee and successfully get in anyway. It happens from time to time. We do our best to keep men of poor character out of our fraternity, and when we find out that a member is guilty of "conduct unbecoming a Mason," they may be reprimanded, suspended, or even expelled.



Men of all faiths and religions are welcome in the fraternity, and that includes Catholics. There are many Catholic Freemasons, including some members of my own lodge and I'm proud to call them my brothers. However, the Catholic Church says that good Catholics shouldn't become Freemasons and any who do "are in a grave state of sin." Obviously, many disagree and join anyway. But that's between you, your faith, and God. Freemasons will never discriminate against you because you're Catholic.
?
2012-05-29 04:11:14 UTC
you most likely have to be asked


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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