An Interview with a 32.Degree Scottish Rite Mason

[MASON]

An Interview with a  32.Degree Master of the Royal Secret  of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Mason
October 20, 2006

Admin: why are you a Mason?

K.: I wanted to become a better person

Admin: is this the only way to become a better person?

K.: It is not, but through the teachings and philosophy of freemasonry I am better enabled to see the opportunities out there which will help me better myself through life.

Admin: "Once a Mason, Always a Mason" is this right?

K.: It is. Of course there could be exceptions to the rule, but in principal it is right. Once you taste the immaterial benefits of bettering yourself through freemasonry, you would not want to change.

Admin: what is your Degree?

K.: I am a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason

Admin: when somebody ask you if you are a Mason, would you tell him that you are?

K.: Depends on my audience, but I do not hesitate to reveal my membership. I have Masonic insignia attached to my daily vehicle.

Admin: so you are proud to show yourself as a Mason?

K.: Indeed.

Admin: I thought it was a secret society with secret members.

K.: Well, historically yes. Today it's only secrets are modes of recognition and certain parts of the rituals. Other than that freemasonry interacts with every aspect of daily life openly and freely.

Admin: why your doors are closed to women?

K.: Our doors are closed to women for traditional reasons. there is nothing against women, in freemasonry, and we respect and include them in all of our public activities.

Admin: then why not a Woman Mason?

K.: As I said, traditionally. Traditionally there were no woman masons, and as operative masonry did not employ women, neither do speculative masonry.

Admin: how about atheists? aren't they good? or man?

K.: Well that's an other subject. Even though Atheists could be good people, freemasonry requires a man with a belief in a Supreme Being or Deity. Since our oaths, devotions are offered to a Deity, an atheist's oath would not be binding onto anything.

Admin: how do you describe Freemasonry to a regular person on the street?

K.: I describe it as a brotherhood, fraternity that is out there to better people through its teachings and a benevolent organization.

Admin: does anybody from your family a Mason?

K.: Yes, my father

Admin: is there an invitation or recommendation required to become a Mason?

K.: Different jurisdictions handle this differently, but mainly the application, or desire to join if you will, should come from the candidate. We do not force anybody to join our fraternity. They're all acts of their own free wills and accord.

Admin: does Masonry make any advertisement?

K.: We do not ADVERTISE for membership, but we do have advertisements for certain public events such as a blood drive, or a beefsteak dinner or some other benevolent activity.

Admin: why don't you make any advertisement for membership

K.: We would like people to seek betterment on their own. We are not a clinic, or a profit organization who would benefit from increased membership. People who see the benefits of freemasonry already apply without the need of advertisement. Our members and their behavior in public is our signpost.

Admin: does Masonry expect any financial support from you?

K.: We have annual dues, other than that we do not EXPECT anything more than you expect to get out of freemasonry.

Admin: that is a really political answer. let me ask you this. how come a poor or a person who has financial difficulties can not become a Mason?

K.: Well it is not that he CAN NOT become a mason, it is that he would not be able to enjoy the feelings (benevolence, etc.) freemasonry provides. Think of this; There is a family in need of help (medication, surgery, etc.) and money needed to be raised. If this person is not able to provide for himself or for his family, how should he be expected to provide for somebody else. If he doesn't contribute, he may feel awkward, or trifled when others enjoy the benevolent act committed.

Admin: what do you do in your those: Secret Meetings?

K.: THE MEETINGS ARE NOT SECRET. JUST THE MODE, and the manner we conduct our business is not advertised. It is similar to any other business meeting. Can you go to Microsoft and ask to see their officers' meetings?

Admin: I see what do you mean. so you are not secret. you are open only to your members?

K.: That is correct. We also have a hierarchy. Different levels in masonry

Admin: so an Entered Apprentice does not know the secrets or teachings of FellowCraft?

Admin: like an esoteric system?

K.: That is correct. They need to absorb the teachings of their degree first to appreciate the teachings of higher degrees

Admin: what was the most interesting thing in Masonry for you?

K.: The friendship and support. Friendship

Admin: what was the most educational thing for you in Masonry?

K.: The joy of benevolence, tolerance, and the joys of socializing.

Admin: what do you think about the Masonry on internet?

K.: There are lots of anti-Masonic websites, but if you check them all most of them get the disinformation they provide from each other. One page says "Freemasonry is Evil" the other one quotes it and says "Thus freemasonry should be anti religion". Then the original page gets a whiff of this and they quote them. Anti-Masonic sites provide nothing but misinformation. They interpret everything the way they want to. You can see the compasses as a tool or a weapon. They choose to see it as a weapon. There are lots of other informative sites out there, but anti-Masonic ones outnumber the informative ones, mainly because conspiracy theorists and bigots have more time to waste defaming other than actual research.

Admin: how long does it take to become a Mason, once you are recommended

K.: It depends. It changes from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and also depend on the lodge's calendar of activities in that period. In the US it generally is somewhere between a month or 2 months.

Admin: how do you do the Rituals?

K.: What do you mean by that?

Admin: what do you do in Rituals?

K.: Depends on what ritual it is.

Admin: lets say a Degree Ritual.

K.: I wouldn't be able to tell you. If you are curious, you may attend one of the corner laying ceremonies, or open installations, or funeral processions to catch a glimpse of how we act in the lodge.

Admin: why tuxedos in Lodge?

K.: it shows our respect and attitude towards what we do. Basically the same reason that you would wear a suit to a business meeting.

Admin: what is the highest Degree in Masonry?

K.: Well we have an honorary degree of 33 which is appointed to members who contributed to masonry or humanity. Other than that 32nd degree is the highest degree attained. But any degree over the 3rd degree is educational

Admin: can I use your initials instead of your name when i put this interview on the website?

K.: Please do so.

Admin: Thank you very much for your time.

K.: Thank you! for the opportunity.

[MASON]

Sayin Sebnem,

Ingilizce bolumunde turkce mesaj yazmaniz uygun degildir. Ayni roportajlar turkce bolumundede mevcuttur. http://www.masonlar.org/masonlar_forum/index.php?board=33.0

Saygilarimla


Dear Sebnem,

Yes. You can say that statement is right. However there are some rare exceptions. If a person wants to quit the Masonry he can  simply stop paying his dues, then he will be automatically dropped from membership.

It is so rare to see a person wanting to quit Masonry. The reason of that is because they pretty much know what to expect out of Masonry during the investigaion and initiation process. The person who handed him a petition will answer his questions about Masonry, will be helping him as much as he can during the entire process. He will be like his "Coach"

We never guarantee a person will not want to quit Masonry out of his own freewill. However when he apply/want to join the Masonry, he was asked if this request was out of his own freewill. Because we expect no such person quit Masonry. That is why when you ask a Mason "Once a Mason always a Mason?" he will immidiately say "Yes. That is right." Because we dont want anybody temporary in this Brotherhood.

Respectfully

[Sebnem]

(You may edit the new version of my first message as it was written in Turkish, entirely up to you.)

I initially want you to ensure that all of my questions are asked sincerely and I expect the same thing from your side.

Now, my question was above is that, the interviewer is asking to confirm about the slogan which states "Once a Mason, always a  Mason" and we see that his response was positive also adding that "Of course there could be some exceptions to the rule." So I am curious here whether  the terms and conditions of Masonry make a member pay any particular fares such as spiritually, financially or most importantly physically?In addition, has any member left the Masonry out of his free will without paying his fare until now, physically or financially?I am asking because not to make connection of the death of Uzayir Gharih but somehow it structs to my mind that what would it be the reason of death of your brother Mr.Gharih since some Islamist mass-media in Turkey claimed that he was holding an Islamic book (Jawshan?) in his pocket so that is why he was murdered by the instution whom he belonged to?

Kind regards.
(And thanks for your further expressions regarding the sincere questions.)