Freemasons

Answer 1

There are some legends and that is all that imply that the craft of the freemasons back in ancient times was one of profound skill, such that different groups each worked on a piece or pieces of a project and the pieces were so finely done that when brought together the stones fit into place like a complex jigsaw puzzle leaving minimal visual seams. Sometimes mechanisms of slidong stone works and sand fills etc., locked these pieces into place.

According to the Bible Solomon hired Hyram the stoneworker and ne'r a sound of hammer or saw was heard in the building of it. This implies the art of the freemasons. About the only building still standing that was construsted by freemasons is the Taj Mahal and possibly the larger Pyramids (Giza and its near by associates). Solomon's Temple would more than likely still be standing if Nebuchadnezzar hadn't utterly destroyed it.

Answer 2

The Freemasons were a society that came out of the Middle Ages, with the earliest recorded documentation being the Reguis Poem in about 1425 CE. As a result, Freemasons have no direct connection with Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed by 586 BCE, over 2000 years earlier. (Similarly the construction of the Taj Mahal and Pyramids of Giza have nothing to do with Freemasons either.)

However, as the masonry of Solomon's Temple was of a very high quality and its holiness was central to Judaism and Christianity, the Freemasons used Solomon's Temple as a symbol of their organizational values and edicts. Primarily, it is the idea that the simplicity of stonework can lead to beautiful and spiritual results provided that discipline and care are used in construction.

No.

Edit; Freemasons whistle when they are in distress or to harass others. They will collectively whistle tunelessly and loudly when an individual who is undesirable to them is nearby. It symbolises the destruction of some one being targeted.

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"When the Principal Sojourner arrives at that part of the above reading which alludes to the Chaldees killing the young men with the sword, the companions of the Chapter begin to make all sorts of queer and unearthly noises, such as rolling cannon-balls on the floor, clashing old swords, shouting, groaning, whistling, stamping, throwing down benches, &c. This noise continues during the remainder of the reading, the object being to represent the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. During this confusion the three candidates are seized, thrown upon the floor, bound hand and foot, and carried bodily into the preparation-room, when the door is closed."

It is a fraternal organization whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals and in most of its branches by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being.

"Free Mason" Free & Accepted Masons

It is an organization that helps behind the scenes of the public. Masons came from the Knights Templar. Their business to help men become better than what they are, better fathers, and family men. To be a Mason you must believe in the deity of Jesus Christ and God the father almighty. Just in case some one reads this...How do I know they are not off the wall or satanic? Because in the Temples in the Blue lodge in North America, inside you will find laying open on the alter the King James Version Bible- normally open to the Book of Psalms or Ezekiel. The KJV Bible is read from in their Ceremonies and meetings.

What little is known about the Masonic Masons ...Most everyone is very familiar with the shriners and shriners hospital for children and the Shriners Burns institute hospital, Yes, well you guessed it, You must be a Master Mason before you can become a shriner. These are wonderful people that sit behind the lines behind the public's eyes and help in many ways in our communities without taking honor for their work. They stay low key.

There are many-many great names of this world of men that are Masons or Shriners. John Wayne for one, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Washington 1st U.S. President. Danny Thomas the founder of St. Jude Children's Hospital in Tenn. along with tons more. There is a Boy's Freemason, DeMolay lodge. There is a Women's lodge The Eastern Stars and for the Young ladies, Jobs Daughters. All of fine and wonderful people that realize they want something special in their family life. And in today's society they are becoming a dying breed.

Masons must believe that there is but only one God-God the father son holy Ghost and that people employ many different ways to seek, and to express what they know of God. Masonry primarily uses the appellation, "Grand Architect of the Universe," and other non-sectarian titles, to address the Deity. In this way, persons of different faiths may join together in prayer, concentrating on God, rather than differences among themselves. Masonry believes in religious freedom and that the relationship between the individual and God is personal, private, and sacred.

Volume of the Sacred Law. An open volume of the Sacred Law, "the rule and guide of life," is an essential part of every Masonic meeting. The Volume of the Sacred Law in the Judeo/Christian tradition is the Bible; to Freemasons of other faiths, it is the book held holy by them.

The Oath of Freemasonry. The obligations taken by Freemasons are sworn on the Volume of the Sacred Law. They are undertakings to follow the principles of Freemasonry and to keep confidential a Freemasons means of recognition. The much discussed "penalties," judicial remnants from an earlier era, are symbolic, not literal. They refer only to the pain any honest man should feel at the thought of violating his word.

Freemasonry Compared with Religion. Freemasonry lacks the basic elements of religion: (a) It has no dogma or theology, no wish or means to enforce religious orthodoxy. (b) It offers no sacraments. (c) It does not claim to lead to salvation by works, by secret knowledge, or by any other means. The secrets of Freemasonry are concerned with modes of recognition, not with the means of salvation.

Freemasonry Supports Religion. Freemasonry is far from indifferent toward religion. Without interfering in religious practice, it expects each member to follow his own faith and to place his Duty to God above all other duties. Its moral teachings are acceptable to all religions.

No one knows with certainty how or when the Masonic Fraternity was formed. A widely accepted theory among Masonic scholars is that it arose from the stonemasons guilds during the Middle Ages. The language and symbols used in the fraternity's rituals come from this era. The oldest document that makes reference to Masons is the Regius Poem, printed about 1390, which was a copy of an earlier work. In 1717, four lodges in London formed the first Grand Lodge of England, and records from that point on are more complete.

Within thirty years, the fraternity had spread throughout Europe and the American Colonies. Freemasonry became very popular in colonial America. George Washington was a Mason, Benjamin Franklin served as the head of the fraternity in Pennsylvania, as did Paul Revere and Joseph Warren in Massachusetts. Other well-known Masons involved with the founding of America included John Hancock, John Sullivan, Lafayette, Baron Fredrick von Stuben, Nathanael Greene, and John Paul Jones. Another Mason, Chief Justice John Marshall, shaped the Supreme Court into its present form.

Over the centuries, Freemasonry has developed into a worldwide fraternity emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy. During the late 1700s it was one of the organizations most responsible for spreading the ideals of the Enlightenment: the dignity of man and the liberty of the individual, the right of all persons to worship as they choose, the formation of democratic governments, and the importance of public education. Masons supported the first public schools in both Europe and America.

During the 1800s and early 1900s, Freemasonry grew dramatically. At that time, the government had provided no social "safety net". The Masonic tradition of founding orphanages, homes for widows, and homes for the aged provided the only security many people knew.

Today in North America, the Masonic Fraternity continues this tradition by giving almost $1.5 million each day to causes that range from operating children's hospitals, providing treatment for childhood language disorders, treating eye diseases, funding medical research, contributing to local community service, and providing care to Masons and their families at Masonic Homes.

The four million Masons worldwide continue to help men and women face the problems of the 21st century by building bridges of brotherhood and instilling in the hearts of men ideals for a better tomorrow.