[Jason]

Wow, so I have been watching all sorts of videos on youtube lately. Both pro and anti. Just trying to get my mind around the thinking of the anti's. It is a hard thing to do. I hear all sorts of information out there, a lot of which contradicts itself. I mean everything from alien overlords who are actually reptiles and can shape-change, to the fact we control the mafia and other street gangs.

Some I will admit, that do not go as far as others, offer some convincing arguments, if you only look at their "facts" and do no research on your own. I actually have been "banned" for trying to debate with some people on their video.

I guess I will not understand what makes some people think the way they do. I still have yet to hear why we allow the videos to exist if we really did control everything like their videos state.

[Ashlar2006]

I too have been banned from commenting on some youtube videos .

But for the anti's , I know a few anti's who are now Masons , but they were intellegent men who could actually think for themselves . Many of these anti's have their minds made up and can not be swayed no matter what we say . They will say we are either not "high enough" in Freemasonry , in other words a 33rd degree Mason and we are poor blind , ignorant 3rd degrees' who are clueless to the real secrets . Or we are just out and out lying .

Many anti's base their "facts" on proven lies such as the Taxil Hoax . And when you point that out , they will diregard it and move on to another liar .

I tend to not pay any attention to them anymore and spend my time on youtube looking at other fish keepers aquariums . It really saves on the stress of having to listen to their lies .

[Jason]

It has been strange for me. Since I have been doing more at the Lodge and joined the Shriners, I have been meeting a lot of people who are interested in joining, and the anti's. I try to ignore the anti's, sometimes I will point out stuff they say that is incorrect, but mostly just smile and be nice to them.

But then I have those that are interested, but have heard the negative stuff from others and ask questions. Sometimes they are sane questions, sometimes not so sane. So I figured I would try and see what "information" is out there.

[Ashlar2006]

That is a good idea to have information as to what they use against us so you may be ready for a rebuttle when asked these questions .

This reminds me of an EA we once had . After we investigated him and voted him in , the time was nearing for his degree , he called the Master and was going to back out because his wife got on the internet and read all this crazy stuff about us and he said he did not want to join a satanic group . The Master talked him out of backing out , and told him to see what it was about after the degree and make his mind up for himself . Well , when the night was upon us to do the work he came up to me before the degree was to start and started asking these crazy questions . I tried to rationally explain away them all to him but he said he wasn't to sure I was telling the truth . I told him I had nothing to gain by lying to him , but to no avail he went on for another few minutes with his questions , then it was time to open lodge . When it was time to start putting on the work , I stood up and explained to the Master and the Lodge that we are wasting our time , we will go through the degree and never see this young man again . Since I did not officially object to him going through the degree (which now I regret not doing) he was Initiated . And I was correct , we have never seen nor heard from him again . Other than wasting an evening of wonderful degree work on someone who was not worthy , I am glad he did not come back because the lodge and the fraternity does not need those who cannot think for themselves . It kind of surprised me , because at our investigation he asked all the right questions and seemed very excited about becoming a Freemason .

[Jason]

Sadly I have heard too many of those stories. The guy is interested and wife or family talks him out. It is sad to me as they miss out on the whole thing.

[486]

Do your lodge investigative committees include wives during interviews? Mine didn't insist on it, but highly encouraged me to have my wife present during one of the interviews so that she, too, could ask any questions she wanted.

An old saying in sales is to "preach to the agnostics, not the atheists." Anyone who pulls the conspiracy/new world order stuff with me and I usually go along with them. A well placed, straight-faced, "maybe you've already asked to many questions" frees me from the more ignorant of the bunch.

[Ashlar2006]

They are welcomed but not mandatory . Most of the time we meet them at out Lodge and the wives/girlfriends don't really want to come .

[Custer148]

In Nebraska, the investigation committee usually gets together with the petitioner at his home and asks questions of the petitioner and we welcome the wife/girlfriend to participate and ask any questions she wishes. After one of our Friendship Suppers, a good friend's wife was very decisive and told him that he needed to join Masonry and get out of the house some and she told me that I needed to get a petition to him ASAP. I produced a petition that night, Chet filled it out and we read it the following week. That was many years ago, Chet is our SW now, and his wife is still glad he joined as she is able to attend the Friendship and Scholarship suppers as well as other events at the lodge and have a good time with our wives.
The Grand Lodge of Nebraska has a pamphlet available called "Welcome To a Mason's Lady", we try to get one of these to every candidate's lady. This has answers to many questions a lady may have.

[Ashlar2006]

We will meet in their home if they wish . But most of the time we hold our investigations a couple of hours before our stated meeting , kinda of kill two birds with one stone . No matter who is on the investigation committee , I will do all the foot work (unless I signed their petition) in doing a criminal/background check , very easy to do on-line and in my county/city it's free . And I will call refrences , talk to employeers , check this person out then give a report to the brothers on the committee and then they will have all that information going into the investigation and if the petitioner lies , we will know it ahead of time and can stop them from entering through the West Gate at the ballot box .

[Jason]

You know to be honest, I do not think my Lodge called my references. None of my friends said they had gotten a call, even though I told them to expect one.