[Jason]

How is FreeMasonry perceived in your country? Is it positive or negative?

[littlecat123]

I think its mysterious. I think most people don't really know what the society does. I think its so shrouded in mystery that people don't know what to think

[SageMother]

I think most people here don't have any idea what Freemasonry is about, or how it started and developed.

[harmony_mom]

I agree. I think the ritual element of the society, and the symbols associated with it have caused alot of misconceptions. I agree with Sage that some people here feel that it's a bit too pagan for their tastes. I think alot of people associate the mystery and ritual with something dark, and maybe that puts people off. However, I think this perception is a bit odd, considering that many mainstream religions are very ritualistic.

[littlecat123]

I wonder how people's perception of Freemasons will change once the upcoming National Treasure and Dan Brown books come out.

I personally think knowledge is a good thing and it can only improve perceptions of the organization.

[SageMother]

Originally Posted by littlecat123

I wonder how people's perception of Freemasons will change once the upcoming National Treasure and Dan Brown books come out.

I personally think knowledge is a good thing and it can only improve perceptions of the organization.

I think that most people will look at the entertainment factor and fail to recognize some of the deeper meaning in what they see. There will be some who react with badly, and those will probably be the same people who were a bit disturbed by "DaVinci Code".