My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Freemason Lodges in Prison ??

Marc N

Registered User
Unless it's Guantanamo. That's not in anyone's jurisdiction in any sense of the word. Clandiness or clandinicity is surely a matter of perspective. I could see that masonry may appeal to prisoners in the same way that religion would. Structure, hope, friendship. It might be a gang but so might a Bible study by that logic. There is more to be teased out here by examine the concepts of what is irregular and what is simply illicit. I do know masons that have been to prison, been duly masonically punished, but remained active Freemasons after. We have our own principles of redemption, mercy and forgiveness to apply. The one I am thinking of in one of my lodges was for tax evasion, was suspended masonically for 5 years, but welcomed back, not necessarily by everyone but it was before my time. You can get into some tricky technical and/or strict liability offences, particarly around things like sales tax for a business, as I think was the case here. Being held accountable by the law does not in all cases mean there was moral culpability. In some ways I hope there are groups of people following Masonic principles in prison. If you think of it as s fresh start, which is after all one of the points of punishment, then I don't see why say someone who was a criminal in their youth, could not become a mason (genuinely, morally, and with all sincerity) later on in life. We gave up the ideas that criminality is hereditary or brands you for life some time ago. Most of us have broken the criminal law by speeding; is the only thing that makes us better that we didn't get caught? Or that so many people do it, there wouldn't be any masons left if all the speeders got thrown out? When we do speed in a car, say in a suburban street, it's only moral luck that means one person kills someone in an accident and another doesn't. The culpability is the same.
 

cemab4y

Premium Member
The legend of the forget-me-not is part myth, part reality. (Keep in mind that I have attended lodges in Paris, France with men who lived in France during the Nazi occupation, I have also visited a German-speaking lodge in Paris, with men who served in the German army. )

I have never met a German mason who ever heard of the FMN. Freemasonry is mentioned three times in "Mein Kampf", and Heinrich Himmler's first job in the Nazi party, was keeping track of various freemasons in the Munich area.

Nevertheless, the Grand Lodge of Bavaria did adopt the FMN when the GL was reestablished.

The national sojourners organization has "unofficially" adopted the FMN pin, and they sell the pins as a fund-raiser, with a card that has the "legend" of the FMN printed on it.

My take is that a lot of Masons would like to believe that many Masons in Nazi-occupied Europe wore a flower in the lapel. It makes a nice story and legend.
 

memphisrite

Registered User
Well, there was a Lodge in a nazi prison camp. They obviously were not chartered by any grand Lodge. All its members were all allied forces POW's and they were covered during their meetings by Catholic priests. So it doesn't sound unlikely to find a Lodge in a prison
 

SeeKer.mm

Premium Member
Id have him intro you to the other "brothers" and find out what they got going on....and as asked before where the hell are they meeting? Amd if i was in prison there is no way in hell im willingly letting any one blind fold me and put something around my neck
Sorry meant to quote this in my last post
 
R

Ressam

Guest
Most of us have broken the criminal law by speeding; is the only thing that makes us better that we didn't get caught?
Agreed.
People should not be judged by another people.
It's a big, big fraud. It's iniquity. It's just a lie.
It's "the system" with the possibility when -- one is "imprisoned", and the other one is "acquitted", when both have "broken" the law!
Christ told about that, long time ago(Matthew 7:1-2): [Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again].
 

Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
I read a story some years ago about a group of P.O.W.s who set up a square and compasses club in a german prison camp during WW2. (Keep in mind that just being a Freemason would get you sent to a concentration camp. All freemasonry was illegal in Nazi Germany).

The men would hold meetings, and station a couple of "tylers" outside. (This was NOT a working lodge, just a S&C Club). One day the club was meeting. The tyler saw a German guard coming near. The tyler rapped on the door three times, signaling the club to cease the meeting).

The German guard heard the raps, and without breaking his stride, he made the sign of the EA and walked away.
Why would he give a sign ? I thought you could only give a sign in a tyled lodge ? Lol
 

cemab4y

Premium Member
You may most certainly give one (or more) of the signs, anytime you think it is appropriate. If you are seeking a Mason, you may use any of the tokens, to locate a fellow brother of the Craft.
 

Dontrell Stroman

Premium Member
I know brothers, I said that because I was reading a tread one day and a brother stated signs of recognition and Q&A only needed to be discussed in a tyled lodge
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I've always found it awkward to use one of the signs. For one reason, signs are somewhat different depending on what jurisdiction your in.
I didn't know this. I knew that the rituals can be some what different state to state, or even lodge to lodge, but I thought that the signs were the same everywhere.
 

cemab4y

Premium Member
I have visited lodges in 14 states, WashDC, and in several foreign lands. The signs for the Craft degrees, are identical in all well-governed and regular USA lodges.

The ritual varies slightly from state to state.

Before Kentucky was a state, it was a county of Virginia, and all KY lodges used the Virginia Grand Lodge ritual. When KY became a state in 1792, KY broke off, and got their own GL. The VA ritual and the KY ritual vary slightly. When the state of Alabama was a territory, KY issued a warrant for Huntsville (ALA) lodge to operate. When Ala got statehood, Huntsville lodge became Huntsville lodge #1 in the Grand Lodge of Ala. Today the Ala ritual differs slightly from the KY ritual.
 
Last edited:
Top