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!

Light

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Or I could be wrong.. remind you I am still young and learning!
YOU should remember that, and learn to ask questions and qualify what you post rather than make declarative statements that are incorrect.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
So its nothing secret about exchanging signs in public then right? The meaning of the sign may be a secret. But the sign itself is okay to display?? Or The signs are secrets point blank period?

Depends on what you define as "signs" for me, they are the "secrets" taught in lodge to show another Freemason you are a Freemason, consisting of masonic signs (salutes), grips and tokens....

It is always better to err on the side of caution on these things.. we have the same sort of obligation you do, about not carve, mark, etc etc and the words movable and immovable .. but out obligations here are interpreted within a pretty open culture... I only have to worry about two things around this 1. my conscious and 2. holding my secrets so as to remain in good standing.. I would type me whole obligation out with a couple of blanks and still be on safe group, but I am a comparability old war horse on these thing who have had some "quality chats" with GMs about some of my writings -
 
Last edited:

JB93

Registered User
YOU should remember that, and learn to ask questions and qualify what you post rather than make declarative statements that are incorrect.
No actually I am not wrong. My statements are far from incorrect. I just dont feel like going back and forward.
 

MarkR

Premium Member
No actually I am not wrong. My statements are far from incorrect. I just dont feel like going back and forward.
I won't say you're wrong, because I don't know the rules of your jurisdiction. I will say that the Minnesota Masonic Manual clearly makes the symbols monitorial, meaning NOT secret.

I am always amazed at how many people can quote part of the EA obligation, but just don't understand what it is saying, because you left out the last part of that phrase , the part that says "whereby." It's only a violation to do any of those things if they result in revealing the secrets. And I don't know of any jurisdiction that treats the S&C, in and of itself, as a secret, now or in the past.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Yes, and it still doesn't allude to symbols, merely the items upon which one would write, etc.
It refers to the words, the words we learn from our mentor's mouth. The symbols mean nothing, or at least something else, to the profane. I had squares hanging all over my woodshop, but unless you were a Brother, they were just tools I used in my job.
Search the forum for "tattoos" and you will see this horse was beaten to death long ago.
Exactly, plus the symbols can mean different things in various circumstances.
Immovable is me before the morning ibuprofen
Lol...naproxen for me.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
When I heard moveable I understood it referred to a printing press, versus carving into or writing on a fixed wall.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
JB93 stated "No actually I am not wrong. My statements are far from incorrect. I just dont feel like going back and forward."
Your statements may be correct in your own jurisdiction. My point is that you tend to make blanket statements that are demonstrably incorrect in others.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
JB93 stated "No actually I am not wrong. My statements are far from incorrect. I just dont feel like going back and forward."
Your statements may be correct in your own jurisdiction. My point is that you tend to make blanket statements that are demonstrably incorrect in others.
Agreed.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
JB93 stated "No actually I am not wrong. My statements are far from incorrect. I just dont feel like going back and forward."
Your statements may be correct in your own jurisdiction. My point is that you tend to make blanket statements that are demonstrably incorrect in others.

It's why i'm often saying " here" in my posts to make it clear/remind that my statements are not blanket
 

JB93

Registered User
I never said we couldn't wear our S&C. Someone said we shouldnt use signs in public to get attention from another mason because our obligation stats we shouldn't use our signs in public, which it does not say we cant use our signs to flag another brother. My point is if you are going to use our obligation to justify certain behavior, then apply it for everything.. no matter what yall are saying. A immovable object is what it is and I see masons publicly wearing it.. to sum up what I am saying. IM BASICALLY PROVING MY POINT THAT WE CAN USE SIGNS IN PUBLIC TO ANOTHER BROTHER. But thanks to everyone for clearing up the difference in jurisdictions. I understand now
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
A few days ago I posted a Picture of a couple Tshirts one of which I had purchased, They are from a line called "not So secret Society" from a brand by the name of Stead Fast Brand. on Saturday evening I saw a young man wearing the Tank top version of the one I bought at the Gym. Being that there is only 2 lodges here in town and I know most of the Younger Members, I was fairly certain he wasn't a Freemason. In between sets I approached him and asked if he was a Freemason. he looked at me kinda silly and I told him the reason why I asked was because of his shirt. He pointed to a triangle with the "All seeing Eye" and said "Cause of this?" I said "no, the Square and Compasses. Im a freemason and it caught my eye and I actually just bought the Tshirt version yesterday." he then said "Oh no Im not a freemason I just thought it looked cool" to which I replied "oh alright Cool man, have a good rest of your workout"

Another time I was paying for a haircut at a local Babershop here and I picked up the barbers business cards and on them the straight razor and scissors were placed to look like the S&C, I was new to town and still looking for brothers, so I asked if he was a Mason at first he said yes and after talking to him and some of his answers to my questions had us both confused I realized that he thought I was talking about Operative Masons. His whole family are Stone workers.

Neither time did I chastise either of these men or try to "take their Light" and ya know why? because as Freemasons we are taught to constantly chip away at our rough edges and by getting upset at someone for wearing or using a symbol that is not copy righted and trying to take someones property surly isn't masonic.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Neither time did I chastise either of these men or try to "take their Light" and ya know why? because as Freemasons we are taught to constantly chip away at our rough edges and by getting upset at someone for wearing or using a symbol that is not copy righted and trying to take someones property surly isn't masonic.
Agreed! Not too long ago I saw a young man wearing a wind breaker with the S & C. I introduced myself and asked what lodge he belonged to. He didn't understand what I was talking about. I explained and he informed me that the jacket belonged to a friend of his and that he was not a Mason. I then told him to have a nice day. I wondered if the friend that he borrowed the jacket from was a Freemason, and, if so, why he would let a non-Mason wear his jacket.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
A few days ago I posted a Picture of a couple Tshirts one of which I had purchased, They are from a line called "not So secret Society" from a brand by the name of Stead Fast Brand. on Saturday evening I saw a young man wearing the Tank top version of the one I bought at the Gym. Being that there is only 2 lodges here in town and I know most of the Younger Members, I was fairly certain he wasn't a Freemason. In between sets I approached him and asked if he was a Freemason. he looked at me kinda silly and I told him the reason why I asked was because of his shirt. He pointed to a triangle with the "All seeing Eye" and said "Cause of this?" I said "no, the Square and Compasses. Im a freemason and it caught my eye and I actually just bought the Tshirt version yesterday." he then said "Oh no Im not a freemason I just thought it looked cool" to which I replied "oh alright Cool man, have a good rest of your workout"

Another time I was paying for a haircut at a local Babershop here and I picked up the barbers business cards and on them the straight razor and scissors were placed to look like the S&C, I was new to town and still looking for brothers, so I asked if he was a Mason at first he said yes and after talking to him and some of his answers to my questions had us both confused I realized that he thought I was talking about Operative Masons. His whole family are Stone workers.

Neither time did I chastise either of these men or try to "take their Light" and ya know why? because as Freemasons we are taught to constantly chip away at our rough edges and by getting upset at someone for wearing or using a symbol that is not copy righted and trying to take someones property surly isn't masonic.

Good reactions Warrior and JD- you can image the impression "taking their Light" would make - it would make us appear like a street gang. I've had a similar experience with the business logo. Such situations are actually a "selling" opportunity; even if they seem not interested "That's the main symbol of one of the oldest and largest fraternities in the world called the Freemasons. There is a lot of rubbish conspiracy theories about them, but I'm a member and if you every want an overview of them, the wikipedia article is not bad, when it has not been vandalized.." The conversation will either end of continue but at least you plant the seed to look them up.
 
Top