As far as I can tell, if there is anything dodgy going on, then it's part of the 'side degrees'. You don't get to know any details of those unless you join them.
However, 'Freemasonry' in general is pretty much exactly what it looks like on the tin. There are semi-official web sites out there that literally contain all the esoteric stuff, and I guarantee that 99% of freemasons have no idea what the symbolism actually means.
Based on what I've seen, it's almost like it's codifed alchemy, but that's about it.
The biggest “reveal” I am most aware of - and I am sure you are too - was the Oz X Factor winner Altiyan Childs… anyone watching this, including freemasons, with half a critical thinking brain surely can’t fail to come away curious about his reasoning… Personally I view this stuff in very banal terms: most humans are some mix of being colossally dull, mediocre, shallow or dumb as rocks, myself included. Secret societies and other ready-made parasitic fraternity networks like politics, showbusiness, police, military etc are a cheat code for the pathologically insignificant to feel importance beyond their competency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XnbB2Bg0Ig
I did watch that, and to be fair it's what put me on high alert in the first place.
However, odd as it may sound, anyone can set up a group and call themselves freemasons, or illuminati, or whatever. Doesn't mean they have a warrant from a grand lodge.
I haven't been to a lodge meeting now in nearly a year, but I'm still waiting for some hard evidence I can use to challenge the lodge members with. Until I get something irrefutable I can't even convince myself, let alone others.
It just makes me wonder at how people who aren't freemasons happen to know so much more about what supposedly goes on than actual freemasons.
And you wont find any either because its not there. Ive been a mason since 2011 and have joined numerous appendant bodies and some of the garbage people spout on here is so inaccurate and outrageous its honestly comical. People fear what they dont understand. And the more someone who isnt a mason claims to know, you can be assured the more wrong he is.
The retort to that you will no doubt be familiar with is that you have to be at the Albert Pike, Alesteir Crowley levels of connectedness. Certainly a master or whatever the nomenclature is. Maybe 33rd and above? Every other Mason is therefore oblivious and simply too junior or uninitiated to be allowed to see behind the curtain so they continue to think they are part of a charitable organisation or old boys” business network doing good in the world.
From what I have learned of the world, this type of duplicity, deceit and misdirection is the default, a feature, not a bug, and consistent with what one would expect from a clandestine historical society with dubious origins and proponents.
As far as I can tell, if there is anything dodgy going on, then it's part of the 'side degrees'. You don't get to know any details of those unless you join them.
However, 'Freemasonry' in general is pretty much exactly what it looks like on the tin. There are semi-official web sites out there that literally contain all the esoteric stuff, and I guarantee that 99% of freemasons have no idea what the symbolism actually means.
Based on what I've seen, it's almost like it's codifed alchemy, but that's about it.
The biggest “reveal” I am most aware of - and I am sure you are too - was the Oz X Factor winner Altiyan Childs… anyone watching this, including freemasons, with half a critical thinking brain surely can’t fail to come away curious about his reasoning… Personally I view this stuff in very banal terms: most humans are some mix of being colossally dull, mediocre, shallow or dumb as rocks, myself included. Secret societies and other ready-made parasitic fraternity networks like politics, showbusiness, police, military etc are a cheat code for the pathologically insignificant to feel importance beyond their competency. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XnbB2Bg0Ig
I did watch that, and to be fair it's what put me on high alert in the first place.
However, odd as it may sound, anyone can set up a group and call themselves freemasons, or illuminati, or whatever. Doesn't mean they have a warrant from a grand lodge.
I haven't been to a lodge meeting now in nearly a year, but I'm still waiting for some hard evidence I can use to challenge the lodge members with. Until I get something irrefutable I can't even convince myself, let alone others.
It just makes me wonder at how people who aren't freemasons happen to know so much more about what supposedly goes on than actual freemasons.
And you wont find any either because its not there. Ive been a mason since 2011 and have joined numerous appendant bodies and some of the garbage people spout on here is so inaccurate and outrageous its honestly comical. People fear what they dont understand. And the more someone who isnt a mason claims to know, you can be assured the more wrong he is.
The retort to that you will no doubt be familiar with is that you have to be at the Albert Pike, Alesteir Crowley levels of connectedness. Certainly a master or whatever the nomenclature is. Maybe 33rd and above? Every other Mason is therefore oblivious and simply too junior or uninitiated to be allowed to see behind the curtain so they continue to think they are part of a charitable organisation or old boys” business network doing good in the world.
From what I have learned of the world, this type of duplicity, deceit and misdirection is the default, a feature, not a bug, and consistent with what one would expect from a clandestine historical society with dubious origins and proponents.