A MUSLIM, a Jew and an Orthodox Greek walk into a Masonic Lodge. Does it sound like the start of a joke? It's not - it is said to be the start of a trend.
Just as the once powerful, esoteric society of Freemasonry seemed to be on its deathbed, with Victorian numbers down from 120,000 in 1970 to just 13,000 in 2009, it has received an injection of new blood - some of it from previously unexpected sources.
In the past two years, decades of decline have stopped, with the organisation claiming its biggest growth in numbers coming from men aged under 35. They seem to be coming from a diverse range of backgrounds and religious beliefs. In addition to the traditional Protestants and the three mentioned above, they have also attracted Buddhists, Hindus and Roman Catholics - the latter once banned from membership by papal decree.
Read more: [url]http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/freemasons-saving-faith-by-encouraging-diversity-20110628-1gp5u.html#ixzz1QxJiI8tR[/URL]
Just as the once powerful, esoteric society of Freemasonry seemed to be on its deathbed, with Victorian numbers down from 120,000 in 1970 to just 13,000 in 2009, it has received an injection of new blood - some of it from previously unexpected sources.
In the past two years, decades of decline have stopped, with the organisation claiming its biggest growth in numbers coming from men aged under 35. They seem to be coming from a diverse range of backgrounds and religious beliefs. In addition to the traditional Protestants and the three mentioned above, they have also attracted Buddhists, Hindus and Roman Catholics - the latter once banned from membership by papal decree.
Read more: [url]http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/freemasons-saving-faith-by-encouraging-diversity-20110628-1gp5u.html#ixzz1QxJiI8tR[/URL]