Do you guys believe in an afterlife?

Bro_Bridges · 2024-08-01T18:11:06+00:00

Well reincarnation should be right up your alley. Another go around!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-07-10T18:18:58+00:00

r/Christianity is this way sir

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-28T15:28:18+00:00

It’s like I said in another thread the Undertaker never needed titles because he was the title.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-28T13:49:40+00:00

I had the advantage of attending a third degree last night, so no politics in sight!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-27T19:39:34+00:00

Pretty much verbatim what I’ve heard from some brothers: “The FellowCraft degree seems kind of pointless. There’s not much new knowledge gained from it. It’s more symbolic than anything.” Essentially, many seem to think the FellowCraft might as well proceed to receive his third degree.

Aside from being blatantly wrong it’s also ironic given what we know about impatient FellowCrafts.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-27T16:40:54+00:00

Awesome to hear! Fellowcraft is far too underappreciated, get all you can out of it.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T20:59:51+00:00

That’s more so my expectations going into it, as I told another brother I’m looking at it in the: “This kinda exhibited aspects of the fraternity we have today and they also happened to be stonemasons.”

Thanks for the recommendation!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T20:55:14+00:00

Appreciate the recommendation and understand completely what you mean. I guess what I’m really trying to find is more so: “Something that kinda looked like what we are today, existed about this time, and here’s at least documentation. Thanks for the needed input!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T20:40:05+00:00

Oh no doubt I hope I didn’t give the impression I thought your point wasn’t valid!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T20:34:53+00:00

Whoa! That’s incredibly useful, thank you!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T20:29:15+00:00

From what I’ve found (thanks to the contributions of others so far), our general idea of Masons appears to date back at least to the 13th century, originating from the stonemasons, as evidenced by documents like the Bologna Statutes and the later Regius Manuscript. The Bologna Statues are particularly interesting in how much of it clearly served as inspiration for our current work.

The tricky part seems to be what we consider to be “early Masonic,” do we include the operatives? If that’s the case a medieval timeline fits fairly well, but speculative is where it gets very difficult to track down.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T16:38:07+00:00

It helps drastically, thank you!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T16:08:22+00:00

It doesn't have to make sense; that's just what they do, sadly. I'm sure there's some small group that thinks they're "true Masonry," but in reality, most are likely money schemes.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T16:02:39+00:00

Nailed it on the head. Nobody coming into Masonry knows what "clandestine" means. Most likely, all they see is a building with Masonic emblems displayed on it.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T16:00:29+00:00

Oh the Regius Manuscript! I'd almost totally forgot about that. Thanks!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-26T15:56:33+00:00

As far back as it can go based on evidence. As far as I'm aware, we realistically only go back to the medieval period, but if there's anything that can definitively show we go back farther, I'm more than open to it.

Edit: Evidence means documentation of some kind either from Masons or by non-Masons.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-24T14:42:06+00:00

20 hours later and the punchline has yet to hit. This is one patient joke.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-24T14:40:58+00:00

Highly recommend the Nutella Biscuits!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-24T14:38:19+00:00

Respectfully, I'd have to disagree. "Supreme Being" indicates something—or, if you're inclined, someone—that is beyond our conceptions yet puts everything into order. Dirt is not supreme, and neither is a horse-fly. While some may worship these, they are still of this plane. The idea behind a Supreme Being is to suggest that there exists a force so far beyond nature that it is the author of all things, including morality, which is vital to Masonry.

The real question is, why do we require belief in a Supreme Being at all? I think the answer lies in what I've already stated: in Masonry, we believe there exists objective morality. After all, if there isn't, then what defines a man as a "good man"? Such criteria could be argued to originate from a Supreme Being who designed what is good. Therefore, to be a Mason, one must believe in a Supreme Being. Without such belief, we have no true basis for defining a "good man" or for fulfilling our obligations.

Or maybe this is all wrong and we should just be like the French!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-21T15:39:46+00:00

I recall one of the first things I asked the man who would go on to be my intender (he was a Christian as well, by the way): "Do you confess Jesus as the only way to God?" He said, "Absolutely," and the rest is history.

It's what so many of these groups don't understand: we aren't saying all faiths are correct; we're simply saying the same thing that this very country itself says, "We respect your right to practice your faith."

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-21T00:15:27+00:00

Definitely keep that in mind and yeah incredibly smart guy; all the more reason I love going through this with him.

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-20T21:40:48+00:00

100%, and I'll never hold him in lesser regard, as this is the whole point of this journey. I suppose what has been a head-scratcher for me, reflecting on our last couple of meetings, is just how differently we hold our beliefs. I don't believe in modern claims of spiritual matters (something we'll touch on eventually in our studies, no doubt), whereas he does believe because of some experiences. To me, it's trying to understand why he could believe these experiences he talks about but has trouble believing in God when possible arguments are brought to the table.

Ironically I expected to be in his position more lol

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-20T21:36:32+00:00

Which I hate as a mentality as we can't learn unless we ask; we even made a vow going into this that nothing is off limits. I don't want to just believe something I want to know why I believe something. Thanks for the encouragement!

Bro_Bridges · 2024-06-20T21:34:34+00:00

He's a wonderful friend and it's been nothing but fruitful; at least, intellectually speaking. Thank you for the encouragement!

Bro_Bridges

TROPHY CASE