A concern

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danmoran

New Member
Brothers: Although this is considered a closed forum for those who have become Free Mason through personal decision, there is nothing in cyberspace that can not be hacked and information retracted. I would like to pose a question:

What do you consider permissible to discuss in such open forum, and where do you feel the line is drawn where we reveal any part or parts that we've solemnly said we would not so do? :confused:
 
Winter

Winter

I've been here before
This is not a closed forum. It is actually a public forum and anything you post here can be read by anyone. When discussing Masonic topics here keep that in mind and remember your Ob.
 
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Zack

Active Member
If my GL has written something in plain text then I consider it ok to discuss it openly.
I do not discuss Lodge business or anything that is encoded in ritual except in very general terms and never verbatim.

There seems to be a wide disparity among GL's as to what is secret and what is not.
I see some things written out and they make me cringe but if the Brother is not violating what his GL considers secret that is his business.
 
FamilyMan

FamilyMan

Fidelis ad Mortem
This is absolutely NOT a CLOSED FORUM. Anything posted here can be read by anyone with a computer, anytime and anyplace.
 
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edwmax

Active Member
Zack said:
If my GL has written something in plain text then I consider it ok to discuss it openly.
I do not discuss Lodge business or anything that is encoded in ritual except in very general terms and never verbatim.

There seems to be a wide disparity among GL's as to what is secret and what is not.
I see some things written out and they make me cringe but if the Brother is not violating what his GL considers secret that is his business.
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I don't see that much disparity among GLs. ... But, more disparity among the individual Masons as to what they believe is secret; ... even among Masons in the same GL. ... Much of this is due to lack of Masonic education and/or what the Mason was told when he was a EA or FC by his il-informed coach.

The modes of recognition. grips. words, signs, wording of the ritual, and the secretes of another Brother when confided as such; as well as the proceedings of the the open Lodge; ... are secret. This is so indicated in one's OBs. .... The Masonic lectures are not secret.
 
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Zack

Active Member
Some of the wording in the lectures is encoded, in my GL, therefore it is secret as far as I'm concerned.

As an aside, the use of the word "lecture" seems to have different meanings among jurisdictions.
 
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edwmax

Active Member
Then those words are secret; the rest of the lecture is not. ... The fact those particular words are coded is proof of that. .. If the lecture was secret, then it would be completely coded too. .... All the lectures of my GL are completely wrote out and in a Monitor separate from the coded ritual; and only the District Custodian has a copy of the Coded Ritual. ... The Monitor is publicly available to anyone with the price of the book from our G Sec office..
 
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edwmax

Active Member
I found this definition of Masonic Monitors at National Heritage Museum: August 2010

.... Monitors, on the other hand, contain the non-secret excerpts of rituals, lectures, and other ceremonies, and are sometimes a bit more like the CliffsNotes or SparkNotes version of the play. In other words, monitors include extracts of parts of Masonic ritual that, when read, may give the reader a general sense of the ritual while including neither the text of the ritual itself, nor the passwords, signs, grips, etc. that are a part of what Masons pledge not to reveal to non-Masons. ...
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Zack

Active Member
I understand edwmax. We agree, if it's encoded it's secret.
We have both a monitor and a code(cypher) book.
 
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FF Sparky

Member
You would be amazed whats on the internet, with out hacking I have found the whole EA,FC and MM degrees, word for word in screenplay form, Alot of the freemason websites by freemasons have the word and grips and obligation with pictures and all. There really isnt anything secret anymore excess to someone who doesnt do the research. I myself looked up the rituals after I did each degree, but didnt jump ahead of my degree level at the time. I didnt want to spoil it for myself.
 
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danmoran

New Member
Agreed

FF Sparky said:
You would be amazed whats on the internet, with out hacking I have found the whole EA,FC and MM degrees, word for word in screenplay form, Alot of the freemason websites by freemasons have the word and grips and obligation with pictures and all. There really isnt anything secret anymore excess to someone who doesnt do the research. I myself looked up the rituals after I did each degree, but didnt jump ahead of my degree level at the time. I didnt want to spoil it for myself.
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I was out on a web site just yesterday morning that had more than I cared to be looking it. It made me cringe as well.
 
BukeyeJackson

BukeyeJackson

ViMH Advisory Board
danmoran said:
I was out on a web site just yesterday morning that had more than I cared to be looking it. It made me cringe as well.
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I've seen those as well but at the same time who's to say that the grip the profane found online is the correct one.

Penn and Teller once told an audience that "If you guess at how we do our tricks and you're wrong, I'll tell you you're wrong. If you guess right, I'll still tell you you're wrong."

If the answer stays the same no matter what deception is used to acquire then bases are covered!
 
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Gary

Guest
The fact that our "secrets" are supposedly revealed on various websites is really of no concern to a true Mason.

The whole point of such secrets is to provide validity of a Masons honor. A man without honor is untrustworthy and his character is flawed.

If the secret recipe for Key Lime pie was placed into my GL as a masonic secret, I wouldn't tell what it was regardless if the recipe was published or not.
 
BukeyeJackson

BukeyeJackson

ViMH Advisory Board
Gary said:
The fact that our "secrets" are supposedly revealed on various websites is really of no concern to a true Mason.

The whole point of such secrets is to provide validity of a Masons honor. A man without honor is untrustworthy and his character is flawed.

If the secret recipe for Key Lime pie was placed into my GL as a masonic secret, I wouldn't tell what it was regardless if the recipe was published or not.
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I can't remember who said it but it went along these lines!

There are a few token secrets that we can't tell that we use to tell but the best thing is that the real secrets of FM or Masonry can't be told, disclosed or revealed. To attain these you must seek and learn.
 
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removed12612

Guest
I made the pledge to never tell the secrets....never have I been told or under the impression that men with no honor have not dishonored themselves and the fraternity and told the secrets. I just know I wouldnt tell...... it is a test of honor, not in secrecy.

Gary.... I am not a fan of Key Lime pie..... so you can keep that one, I do like Chocolate...that is not a secret is it.....
 
BukeyeJackson

BukeyeJackson

ViMH Advisory Board
fireman99 said:
I made the pledge to never tell the secrets....never have I been told or under the impression that men with no honor have not dishonored themselves and the fraternity and told the secrets. I just know I wouldnt tell...... it is a test of honor, not in secrecy.

Gary.... I am not a fan of Key Lime pie..... so you can keep that one, I do like Chocolate...that is not a secret is it.....
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I'll take both the Key Lime and Chocolate pies! Thank you bake sale's over!:D
 
BG_TRBL

BG_TRBL

Watcher of the posts
Everything that has been done and is done in lodge has been put on the internet. This includes all of the grips, signs, words, and ritual work. However, unless you are a mason, these things would have no meaning to you, and would often be confusing to the lay person. There is also a lot of incorrect information, which means that the profane wouldn't know which is correct. In PA, only the charges are written currently, so I don't directly discuss ritual work. Other than that, pretty much anything is available for discussion.

Note: my use of "you" is not directed at anyone, but used as an identifier only.

Be careful of the "Idiotic Super Highway" as there are a lot of idiots in your path ;)
 
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