Freemasonry

:disgust: DAMN!!!! There goes my research grant :uhyeah:
No! you didn't lose it yet! I said it's as legitimate as the horse dragons. SO all you have to do is get a research grant to prove they exist, then that obviously means the mermaids must exist as well, so you get another grant! 2 grants for the price of one!
 
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Awsome....NEXT...the Lochness Monster :D
 
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Awsome....NEXT...the Lochness Monster :D


Ah but who's to say the Loch Ness monster isn't real? The Loch is hugely deep, not mapped and there's a connection to the sea. It needn't be a 'monster' but certainly it's quite possible there's something there.
 
Yup, that's correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_ban_of_Freemasonry

Catholics founded their own "secret society" with the Knights of Columbus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Columbus

Woah, please stop there.

The Knights of Columbus are not a secret society. Nor were they founded by the Catholic Church. They were founded by a Catholic Priest, specifically to support Catholics widows and orphans. From your link:

"The primary motivation for the Order was to be a mutual benefit society. As a parish priest in an immigrant community, McGivney saw what could happen to a family when the breadwinner died, and wanted to provide insurance to care for the widows and orphans left behind. He had to temporarily leave his seminary studies to care for his family when his father died.[7] In the late 19th century, Catholics were regularly excluded from labor unions and other organizations that provided social services.[8] In addition, Catholics were either barred from many of the popular fraternal organizations, or, as in the case of Freemasonry, forbidden from joining by the Catholic Church itself. McGivney wished to provide them an alternative. He also believed that Catholicism and fraternalism were not incompatible and wished to found a society that would encourage men to be proud of their American-Catholic heritage.[9]"

There are no secrets except the terms and phrases we use to identify ourselves to each other, and our initiation/degree ceremonies, and even those are seen on the web, so they're hardly secrets. I have sworn no oaths; I have merely promised to keep these meager secrets, unless it would be damaging to my conscience to do so, or unless required by law. That's all. No oaths, no secrets, we are not a secret society. A Catholic priest is present at every initiation or elevation, either as a Knight or as a witness. We do nothing that does not conform to Catholic rules, dogma, or beliefs. We are Catholic, but we are not part of the Catholic Church.

Having read a lot of the websites that purport to 'reveal the secrets' of the Knights of Columbus and ROARING with laughter at how insanely wrong they are, I can only assume that similar websites that seek to 'unmask' the Freemasons are similar. People come up with some amazing stuff to fit their bizarre world views.

However, with that said, I know that Catholics are forbidden from joining the Freemasons to this day. Period. A given priest may give other advice; it's not unusual to find priests who believe differently than the official Church stance on a variety of things, but it still is forbidden by the Church, and that is all that matters to me.
 
Ah but who's to say the Loch Ness monster isn't real? The Loch is hugely deep, not mapped and there's a connection to the sea. It needn't be a 'monster' but certainly it's quite possible there's something there.

Reality.... whose talking reality.... I'm not saying it isn't real.... I want a research grant to find out more about it.... I thinking the Discovery Channel (USA) will be all over this with special effects showing the monster flipping my boat over and attacking Urquhart Castle as I and my crew take refuge inside ;)

And in an effort to get this thread back on track….

That is where we find the holy grail that was put there by the Knights Templar who later became….(play dramatic music)…. the Freemasons

This of course leads to part 2 and..you guessed it... MORE grant money :D
 
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I have 1 "issue" with the Masons. Y'all don't do brick work anymore.
2 "Issues" with the KOC. 1 is political. The other has to do with an unpleasant encounter with 1 years back.
But, from my limited knowledge of both orgs, they seem to be decent.


Bill, the political you can guess at given my positions on certain issues, so no need to go into that one here. The encounter has to do with my being in possession of my late step fathers sword. I made mention of having it to someone in a local lodge some years back, who got quite agitated and insistent that I give it to him for them to "reclaim". He cited 'laws' and 'agreements' and whatnot and was quite the PITA until I left that company and got away from him.


I do however find the descriptions of lodge rituals from all the "societies" to be entertaining, though what 'involved friends' have said they are rare these days. As to 'running the world', not unless it involved card games, cigar smoking and fine spirits, lol.
 
Woah, please stop there.

The Knights of Columbus are not a secret society. Nor were they founded by the Catholic Church. They were founded by a Catholic Priest, specifically to support Catholics widows and orphans. From your link:

"The primary motivation for the Order was to be a mutual benefit society. As a parish priest in an immigrant community, McGivney saw what could happen to a family when the breadwinner died, and wanted to provide insurance to care for the widows and orphans left behind. He had to temporarily leave his seminary studies to care for his family when his father died.[7] In the late 19th century, Catholics were regularly excluded from labor unions and other organizations that provided social services.[8] In addition, Catholics were either barred from many of the popular fraternal organizations, or, as in the case of Freemasonry, forbidden from joining by the Catholic Church itself. McGivney wished to provide them an alternative. He also believed that Catholicism and fraternalism were not incompatible and wished to found a society that would encourage men to be proud of their American-Catholic heritage.[9]"

There are no secrets except the terms and phrases we use to identify ourselves to each other, and our initiation/degree ceremonies, and even those are seen on the web, so they're hardly secrets. I have sworn no oaths; I have merely promised to keep these meager secrets, unless it would be damaging to my conscience to do so, or unless required by law. That's all. No oaths, no secrets, we are not a secret society. A Catholic priest is present at every initiation or elevation, either as a Knight or as a witness. We do nothing that does not conform to Catholic rules, dogma, or beliefs. We are Catholic, but we are not part of the Catholic Church.

Having read a lot of the websites that purport to 'reveal the secrets' of the Knights of Columbus and ROARING with laughter at how insanely wrong they are, I can only assume that similar websites that seek to 'unmask' the Freemasons are similar. People come up with some amazing stuff to fit their bizarre world views.

However, with that said, I know that Catholics are forbidden from joining the Freemasons to this day. Period. A given priest may give other advice; it's not unusual to find priests who believe differently than the official Church stance on a variety of things, but it still is forbidden by the Church, and that is all that matters to me.

Thanks for the correction! Sorry about that, I was reading things in to the article that weren't there. I don't have much experience with the KofC, other than occasionally collecting items for a local drive. I don't have an issue with the Knights, its just not an org that I put much effort in to getting to know, since its a fraternal group.
 
Bill, the political you can guess at given my positions on certain issues, so no need to go into that one here. The encounter has to do with my being in possession of my late step fathers sword. I made mention of having it to someone in a local lodge some years back, who got quite agitated and insistent that I give it to him for them to "reclaim". He cited 'laws' and 'agreements' and whatnot and was quite the PITA until I left that company and got away from him.

You mean this?

http://www.kofcsupplies.com/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow&ref=M4I

$M4I.jpg

Only Fourth Degree Knights wear what is known as 'regalia', and they can buy it themselves.

http://www.kofc.org/en/fourth/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Columbus

The only thing I can think of regarding the sword would be if it belonged to the council of which your step-father was a member, and loaned to him, in which case I could understand them wanting it back. Was this person a member of the same council as your late step-father, where he would be in a position to know?
 
Thanks for the correction! Sorry about that, I was reading things in to the article that weren't there. I don't have much experience with the KofC, other than occasionally collecting items for a local drive. I don't have an issue with the Knights, its just not an org that I put much effort in to getting to know, since its a fraternal group.

It is indeed a fraternal group. We do most our charity work for the ARC and of course for the Church itself.
 
Looks similar though the one I have is silverish with a black handle. Wasn't the same council AFAIK, and he'd had it for years. I remember holding it as a rugrat at my great grandmothers. The guy who wanted it never said anything about loaners, just that they were 'required' to be turned in at death. Sounded fishy to me and it's one of the few things I have from my step dad.

You mean this?

http://www.kofcsupplies.com/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow&ref=M4I

View attachment 17361

Only Fourth Degree Knights wear what is known as 'regalia', and they can buy it themselves.

http://www.kofc.org/en/fourth/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Columbus

The only thing I can think of regarding the sword would be if it belonged to the council of which your step-father was a member, and loaned to him, in which case I could understand them wanting it back. Was this person a member of the same council as your late step-father, where he would be in a position to know?
 
Looks similar though the one I have is silverish with a black handle. Wasn't the same council AFAIK, and he'd had it for years. I remember holding it as a rugrat at my great grandmothers. The guy who wanted it never said anything about loaners, just that they were 'required' to be turned in at death. Sounded fishy to me and it's one of the few things I have from my step dad.

Yeah, that is fishy. It is not unusual for a Fourth Degree Knight to bequeath his regalia to the council he belongs to, because as you can see from the link I sent you, that stuff isn't cheap, and not all Knights can afford it. But I am absolutely unaware of any requirement for a Knight to give up his regalia at death. It's private property, paid for by that member, unless borrowed from someone.
 
It is indeed a fraternal group. We do most our charity work for the ARC and of course for the Church itself.

Nothing wrong with fraternal groups...I just haven't spent much time learning about them. Many guys aren't familiar with Ladies Acapella choirs in their area for similar reasons :D

One drive I do remember very well was in the 1990s, when the local KofC spearheaded a fundraising campaign to purchase an AED (cardiac defibrillator) for the local fire department. The city had the the means to purchase two, but there were three fire stations in the city. Purchasing the third meant a fire truck with an AED would be within easy reach of all of the city residents (and all 3 first responders were sent on EMS calls). People from all around the city, Catholic or otherwise, were talking about the fundraiser. One of the old-timers from my church (who was a Knight) was relaying a story about having their table set up (somewhere) the previous weekend to collect deposit bottles and cans. A middle-aged Hindu woman approached them in traditional dress and said with tears in her eyes that she had lost her younger sister at home in India due to a sudden cardiac arrest, and handed the Knights an envelope saying that she hoped that maybe someone else's sister can be saved.

Inside the envelope was a $300.00 check.
 
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