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I think more lodges, with smaller and more tightly knit membership would be a good thing. If its scary from an admin perspective then maybe some decentralization should take place? Seven is a great number in my opinion. 20 is really pushing it and requiring 50 is a bit absurd.

Its like hypothetically giving someone a masters degree in architecture after paying a fee and watching a presentation. You'd basically be paying for a piece of paper and the right to say 'I'm an architect!'. Of course, you'd be an architect in name only because you wouldn't know where to...

So if a man were to believe one CT then he should believe them all?

Is being an EA for 24 hours anymore beneficial than being one for any shorter period? :)

Just a friendly reminder that most of us are brothers here and all of us are gentlemen. Let's act accordingly and avoid taking this thread down a slippery slope.

I can only speak for Texas but it is a very difficult process here.

Brother, where is your lodge located if you don't mind my asking?

I don't hold anything against you and, you're right, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. As Bro. Trysquare pointed out, some of your questions appear more like statements. I'm sure you were just trying to learn more but remember that all we have to go by here is text...we cannot see...

Re: Membership and participation in Freemasonry to I'm probably sticking my nose where it doesn't belong...but I'm in the '40 and under' crowd and would be glad to share my thoughts if you're ever interested. Granted, I think many folks here know where I stand on several ideas already. :P...

The 33rd degree is found in the Scottish rite of Freemasonry. By completely optional I mean just that: there is no need to ever join the Scottish rite if you dont wish to. There is no requirement to be a 33rd degree mason in order to be master of a lodge, you don't even have to be a member of...

The 33rd is an honorary degree in an optional side body. There us no higher degree in masonry than the 3rd degree.

Do you have evidence of either claim?

Re: Question regarding "ongoing" fundraising and m Yep, especially when the fundraiser is taking place! I'm a firm believer that people support what they like with their feet, meaning they'll be there. If brothers arent interested in a program then they simply won't be there to support it...

I don't believe you have to go SR to see some similarities. There's also what appears to be heavy Hermetic influence on the ritual as well. Ofcourse, I don't have a lot of experience with Kabbalah but I've seen parallels in what I've read. I've got a book on it but I've found the terms to be...

I guess I'll be insane soon enough as I love me a good conspiracy theory. That being said, I also like to look at things logically and examine the evidence. So...I suppose I'm in the less than zero crowd as well. I don't see how any intelligent and rational human could believe any of the...

That's two weeks at a minimum however. There's no reason your lodge can't have a policy that requires candidates to spend more time learning the work for their degree before progressing imo.

The depth of the investigation depends on a lot of factors such as your jurisdiction, the lodge your petitioning, as well as the investigating brothers themselves. My lodge, for example, conducts background checks and usually has the petitioner come eat with us before our stated meetings for a...

Re: Membership and participation in Freemasonry to "There is nothing new under the sun". I believe this was said several thousand years ago so it can only ring more true today. What's funny is all these shortcuts we've introduced to gain more membership hasn't had much impact on anything...

You can't use logic to show mason haters the error of their ways either. If you tell them they're wrong they'll inform you that you aren't in 'the know' because you're not a 33rd degree mason. If you -were- a 33rd degree mason then they'd inform you that you're a liar. Either way, we're wrong...

Oddily enough, Grand officers didn't come to mind when I used the word 'grand'. It's admittingly a bad word choice but I stand by my statement if you omit that one word. I was thinking more along the lines of degrees and goofy titles but oh well.