[antoninus9]

Oh! I forgot to address your question about the GOdF. The Grand Master's paper is a bit confusing unless you are familiar with how the GOdF works.

It is true that they don't make female Masons, but they do recognize female Masons as legitimate sisters. I know this sounds rather odd, but there is a method to their madness.

The French are very realistic about things. The realize that female Masons do indeed exist and that they know all the same secrets as male Masons. So what is one to do? Deny their existence?

The answer for them was to remain a male-only fraternity while recognizing and accepting the sisters. Women can visit GOdF lodges but GOdF lodges cannot make female Masons.

After having met with several female Masonic groups it seems this is a perfectly satisfactory answer for them as well. They don't want men in their lodges all the time because they want a little time alone with their sisters. While they welcome male Masons as visitors, they don't want a steady flow of guys hanging around.

From what I've learned thus far it seems that there is a need for three distinct types of Freemasonry: male-only, female-only, and mixed-gender. All of these groups practice the same basic forms of Freemasonry and have a similar ideology. It seems to me that the Craft could gain much from trying to work together in peace and harmony with everyone else. That's just my opinion.

[antoninus9]

Check this out.

The Burning Taper: UGLE gives atta-girl's to female Masons

[BG_TRBL]

I agree with your premise that we should all work together toward a common goal/good/idea. This I accept without provocation or discussion. The conflict comes when you are identifying an individual as a "mason" regardless, as having been in "mainstream" masonry as you have stated, you have received the same (or should be very very similar) degrees which I have received. Having done this do you renounce your affiliation with freemasonry? If you have participated in the making, you have wronged the grand lodge, regardless of the district under which you reside. This is my interpretation of the degrees.
Having not been recognized as masons or made masons by the grand lodge or subordinate lodge, how can they be considered masons?
I understand that they have obtained the information through your information, and they practice the same or similar rituals however if they are not or have not been made masons, how do you justify the wording of female freemasons? (I have worked in the emergency room with doctors and nurses, have participated in procedures there, however, I am not considered a doctor or a nurse, or that I may complete those procedures independently; by having the information or practicing these precedures, should I call myself a doctor or nurse??)
I truly do have an open mind, and I feel a fairly decent intelligence level, everything in my mind is trying to reason with the information, but one statistic or fact still holds true. There are no female freemasons recognized or raised by the grand lodge or any subordinate lodge working under the jurisdiction thereof. If they are not recognized as mason's how are they considered female mason's ?
To answer your other question, I feel that freemasonry is a fraternity or brotherhood of man, who meet as equals with the purpose of providing information and intelligence to the brethren. It is also a group of individuals (males) who live by principles to elevate and enoble all mankind, I strongly feel these principles are important and should be shared and demonstrated in public life as well as private matters. I again agree that females, elders, youths are also able to follow these tenants of freemasonry as described, but without petitioning, investigation, and initiation into freemasonry by a regularly warranted lodge.

Thank you again for the information, and bye the way, do you agree with my statements??

I look forward to your response.

[Green-Moo]

Originally Posted by Ashlar521

I see by the use of the explanation points that I must have angered you .

No you didn't, not at all!! I've got a far thicker skin than that

My point is that so long as mainstream FreeMasonry does not accept women members, then the general assumption will be that they are rejecting women because they don't think they're good enough. Most people don't know enough about FreeMasonry to understand the technicalities that are being discussed in this thread.

[Green-Moo]

Originally Posted by mollyL

Please forgive me; I am not any kind of Masonic member, but being a woman I feel I should say this. Your reasoning reminds me of the late 60s and early 70s when women were looking for equality and things were changing. There was the big buzz about "well, what do we call them? Chair persons, Mrs Speaker, CongressWoman? Take stewardesses out of miniskirts and call them something different?" Well, that doesn't sound as weird at it did then, because we use these titles and words all the time. It seems to me that people worry and gripe about change, but then they eventually accept it, and it didn't turn into the disaster people feared.

It reminds me of the argument about allowing women into the Church. Well it's happened now, and the world hasn't ended yet.

[Ashlar521]

Originally Posted by Green-Moo

No you didn't, not at all!! I've got a far thicker skin than that

My point is that so long as mainstream FreeMasonry does not accept women members, then the general assumption will be that they are rejecting women because they don't think they're good enough. Most people don't know enough about FreeMasonry to understand the technicalities that are being discussed in this thread.

Point well taken . Just got the wires crossed , that's all .

[Rolez]

Originally Posted by BG_TRBL

Unfortunately, I cannot give you a straight answer to your question. It is a situation in which there is no correct answer. Free-masonry was established based on the "stone-masons" which were men. These traditions have been up-held throughout the establishment of modern day free-masonry. Those master masons reading this will admit that it would be interesting to see the degree conferred on a woman, however I highly doubt that we will ever see it. There are adjunct organizations which have been established for the females. There has been a long established track record for the free-masons without females (however, please don't take that as a "good-ole boys club") The premise behind the free-masons of today is "Making good men better"

Does this mean that masonary helps men only? and not women? When the core perspective behind masonary is helping people then why differ between men and women?

[BG_TRBL]

Originally Posted by Rolez

Does this mean that masonary helps men only? and not women? When the core perspective behind masonary is helping people then why differ between men and women?

By no means does this mean that masonry only helps men. Masonry helps those in need, it is a "fraternity" which strives to assist the communities in which there is a need. You may have misunderstood the premise behind the post. Freemasonry is restricted to male membership, adjunct bodies have been established for the ladies of masons. This doesn't mean that masonry will not or does not help females, merely that females are not permitted to become members of the fraternity.

[Jason]

BG_TRBL said it well. Females are helped, especially widows of masons, as there are programs set forth to help them. They are just prevented from joining the fraternity.