Freemason

Presented by:Salahuddin kazi Bs44 3911Noam khan Bs44 3923Hassan Durrani Bs44 3957Saba Salman Bs44 3967

INTRODUCTION

• It is the world’s largest (6 million members) and oldest (3,000 years old) fraternal organization. Freemasons believe in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.

HISTORY

• 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.

• Within thirty years, the fraternity had spread throughout Europe and the American Colonies. Freemasonry became very popular in colonial America

• 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 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.

Famous Masons

George Washington

Benjamin Franklin Paul Revere

Joseph Warren

John HancockJohn Sullivan

Principles of Freemasonry

• Brotherly Love

• Relief

• Truth

PURPOSE

• The overall purpose of masonry is to provide a way to help each member become a better person

• To take the good man and make him a better person• Strengthening his character, improving his moral and

spiritual outlook• To impress upon the minds of members the principle

of personal responsibility and morality.

WHAT DO FREEMASONS BELIEVE• They are opposed to ignorance, fanaticism and tyranny.

The war against terrorism is won by education • They believe that all people are one great family• They believe in individual freedom. • They believe in hard work.• They believe that many roads lead to God. They believe in

tolerance of all beliefs• They believe in the equilibrium (balance) of good and evil

in the universe, and that both are necessary.• They believe in the value of education

Freemasonry and Brotherhood• The fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons has members

from every ethnic group and every continent in the world.

• Brotherhood is a primary teaching of Masonry--that each person must be judged as an individual, on his own merits, and that such factors as race, national origin, religious creed, social status, or wealth are incidental to the person's character.

• Freemasonry was brought to North America in the 1700s, a time when racial attitudes were very different from today

STRUCTURE OF FREEMASONRY• Freemasonry is separated into several groups. First, an

initiate must ask to be a Freemason and starts his pathway by entering into the Blue Lodge, where he goes through the first three degrees. Once this has been accomplished, he can choose to advance through either or both legs of advancement, the Scottish Rite or the York Rite, as well as he can petition for membership in the Shrine.

• FIRST 3 LEVELS - BLUE LODGE• 1° Entered Apprentice• 2° Fellow craft • 3° Master Mason

Freemasonry and Secrecy

• People sometimes refer to Freemasonry as being a "Secret Society." In one sense the statement is true. Any social group or private business is "secret" in the sense that its business meetings may be open only to its members. In Freemasonry, the process of joining is also a private matter, and its members are pledged not to discuss with non-members certain parts of the ceremonies associated with the organization.

MASONIC TEMPLE IN ENGLAND

They will not testify truthfully against each other

• Freemasons are commanded not to testify truthfully when another Mason is on trial. They admit that it may be perjury, but to them, it is a far greater sin to not protect one of their own.

They have a secret handshake

• Though some members deny it to the public, the Freemasons have at least one secret masonic handshake. Supposedly, there are even phrases a Freemason can utter when facing grave danger – causing other members to rush to their aid. The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, is said to have uttered this phrase in the last moments before his death

They have several secret passwords

• This is one of the best-known facts about the Masons, but the general perception is that they have just one password. In fact, there are several passwords for various occasions and reasons. As the one person with the final syllable for the ultimate secret word was murdered, they substituted “mor-bon-zi” for this word, and only very few people know the actual secret word. This secret word is used only for ceremonies: “tu-bal-cain” is the more common secret password, on the tip of every Freemason tongue

They’re obsessed with the sun

• Freemasons believe that the east symbolizes rebirth. They sing the sun in its flight – marvelling at its passage through the sky

Their symbol is on the dollar bill

• If you’ve ever looked closely at the US dollar bill, you’ve probably seen the All-Seeing Eye above the pyramid. This symbol is a Freemason symbol, and the Latin underneath is a Freemason motto, meaning “new world order”. Many say that the decision to include this masonic symbol was not influenced by Freemasons – Benjamin Franklin being the only Mason on the design committee – but the coincidence remains fascinating all the same.

Statement on Freemasonry and Religion

• Basic Principles. Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It requires of its members a belief in God as part of the obligation of every responsible adult, but advocates no sectarian faith or practice. Masonic ceremonies include prayers, both traditional and extempore, to reaffirm each individual's dependence on God and to seek divine guidance. Freemasonry is open to men of any faith, but religion may not be discussed at Masonic meetings.

• The Supreme Being. Masons believe that there is one God 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.

CONT…• 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 Freemason's 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.

CONCLUSION

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