Freemasons

As of April 5th 2010, there is no evidence that Albert Einstein was a member of a Masonic Lodge.

No, the designers of the US dollar bill had nothing to do with Freemasonry. The six-pointed star or double triangle does have meanings in Freemasonry and also is used by Jewish people as the star of David. That is, however, a coincidence. Stars and crescents have meanings in Freemasonry also, and coincidentally also have meanings in Islam. Christian symbols sometimes also have Masonic significance.

Although many people are under the impression that Freemasonry is a highly centralized top-down organization, nothing could be further from the truth. Any Grand Lodge could give you information about how many new members they have acquired in any given year, but that is just one Grand Lodge. There are hundreds of Grand Lodges, some of whom do not recognize each other as being legitimate. In order to get the information you want, you would have to identify all of the Masonic Lodges in the world which you decide are regular enough to count, and ask each one individually how many initiates they have had. A daunting task!

Freemasons do not hate anyone or group in particular. Muslims can be and are members of Masonic Lodges where they are encouraged to practice their religion. Masonry is extremely accommodating to many forms of religion, the members of which get along quite happily with one another in a Masonic context.

Indeed hating other people because they practice different religions is an attitude much frowned upon in Masonry which encourages tolerance and kindness among all people.

Unless the person specifically states that he is a member of the Freemasons, it is hard to know for sure.

The dues structure is set by each lodge; however there is an amount assessed by Grand Lodge per member. An estimate of dues, on average, is probably $125 per year.

Because your movements, expressions, and posture are also a type of communication.

There is no such thing as "followers of freemason[ry]". Freemasonry is not something you follow, it is something you join and become a member of. The advantages are that you meet many wonderful people, have an opportunity to do things which are beneficial to the community, learn many interesting things about the world, find out about yourself, and gain self-confidence. The disadvantages are that it will cost you dearly in time and perhaps in money (some Lodges are more expensive to belong to than others).

Apparently yes. Although there is no clear record of his initiation, there are records of his having attended a number of Lodge meetings in the United States.

Freemasons do not consider membership in the Knights of Columbus to be a bar or impediment to membership in Freemasonry. Many Knights might consider the traditional hostility of the Roman Catholic Church to Freemasonry as a reason not to put their names forward as candidates for Freemasonry. But there are certainly many Catholic Masons, and there are certainly Masons who are Knights of Columbus as well.

You will need to join a PHA Lodge and take the obligation in order to find out what it is. It is not public knowledge.

You can read about Hiram Abiff, the widow's son, in the related link.

Unless a person specifically says that he is a member of the Freemasons, it is difficult to say one way or another whether he is.

If you have arrived for a "tyled" Masonic meeting after the Lodge room door has been closed you present yourself to the Tyler, who guards the outer door to the Lodge room. He will check your credentials, if he does not already know you to be a member in good standing, and will take it from there. If, for some reason, the Tyler is not present, you would knock on the door, (a Master Mason should know the proper way to knock) and wait for someone to answer.

If you are not known by the Tyler, or vouched for by someone else, you will need to be examined. The examination is basically the same if you arrive before or after the meeting starts, although the exact format, and the questions asked, can vary somewhat between jurisdictions.

All degrees within Freemasonry are based upon merit.

The first degree requirements are based upon intrinsic qualities of the petitioner. After admission into the Fraternity and being entered into the first degree, subsequent elevation is based upon performance of certain required tests as well as the discretionary vote of Lodge members as to the readiness of the aspirant. Even after receiving the third degree, a Mason must pass a test within a certain period of time to prove proficiency.

Once an aspirant has received the third degree, and proven their proficiency, they are deemed a full Master Mason and entitled to all of the associated privileges of such standing.

There are 3 degrees in blue lodge, and 33 degrees in red lodge.

There is no restriction regarding marital or familial status for admission into feminine or co-Masonry.

There is one in Ashland at 570 Clover Ln, Ashland, OR 97520 (541) 482-2875 and one in Grant's Pass at 320 NW E St, Grants Pass, OR 97526 (541) 476-3357. Both of these lodges should be able to get you in touch with a lodge in Jacksonville if there is an active Blue Lodge there.

Good luck!

The Freemasons are a movement which evolved from the medieval guilds of stonemasons. The word "mason" means "worker in stone". The "free" part may mean that the worker in question was not a slave or bondsman (slaves are traditionally prohibited from joining the Freemasons), that he worked in "freestone", or that he had joined the organization freely. Whatever the origin, Freemasonry is a philosophy or set of practices practiced by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who are organized in Lodges which are then organized into Grand Lodges. There are quite a large number of Grand Lodges in the world, none of which has control over the others.

Unless a person states that he is a member of the freemasons, it is hard to know for sure.

no

No, dont be ridiculous.

Seven gavel raps in Freemasonry mean nothing (does not exist).

Masonic traditions do differ from place to place, but generally everyone enters the Lodge from the West.

Unlikely. Female freemasons are very rare.