by Midnight Freemasons Founder
Todd E. Creason, 33°
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| I think I'm being followed by The Midnight Freemasons . . . |
And I'm not alone. It's not difficult to pick the Mason out of a crowd. I run across Masons all the time.
That's why it never ceases to amaze me when I write about Freemasons (which I frequently do) how many emails I get, and how many comments we get on the Midnight Freemasons like the one below. I'm constantly being accused of "outing" Freemasons. I've said it before, and I'll say it again--being a Freemason is not a secret! I've never known a single Freemason that has kept his membership a secret. It is not a fundamental rule of the Craft that we keep this information to ourselves. I've written three books about famous Freemasons. I've interviewed famous Freemasons, and I've had famous Freemasons contact me wanting to be in my next book about famous Freemasons. I don't know a single Mason that is "in the closet" about their membership.
It's just not a thing at all. There's no plot, and we're not following you or trying to infiltrate your book club for nefarious purposes. We aren't secretly spying on you while you eat your lunch at Subway, and we're not reading over your shoulder at the bookstore. But the emails and comments on the Midnight Freemasons persist, especially when I add an installment to my long-running series "Freemason Or Not?"
Here's one I just got as a comment on the Midnight Freemasons on one of my "Freemason Or Not?" pieces:
"Hello Todd I am glad to write to you for the first time. You present yourself as a GM right, 33, I am really glad for you and respectful... but how can you as a Freemason reveal a brother? Isn't it one of the first rule to NEVER reveal a brother FM? Or are all your articles misinformation for the profane? We've got a lot of FM in my family of course nobody will tell that they are part of it in front or profanes. So I am wondering how can you GM write down so many articles clearly passing away this fundamental fraternity's rule... please explain me GM."
So rest assured, if you're in the presence of a Freemason, it probably won't be very hard to tell. And if you ask somebody if they're a Mason, they aren't going to lie to you.
It's not a requirement that Freemasons keep their membership a secret--it's our membership in the Toastmasters that we don't talk about . . .
~TEC
Note: Just for clarification, I am not nor have I ever been a Grand Master.
Another Note: I've been corrected and I've made some clarifications in this piece. In some places in the world it may not be wise to announce you're a Freemason because of a political or religious environment that exists, however, my main point is that it is not a fundamental fraternal rule that membership in a Masonic Lodge is something that we keep a secret. That is what is so often asserted--that we are to keep our membership a secret because it's a fundamental rule of the society. It is not.
Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and is a regular contributor. He is the award winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is the author of the From Labor to Refreshment blog. He is the Worshipful Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754. He is a Past Sovereign Master of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research. (FMLR) and a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D. You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org
This is true for North America, I'd agree. However, there are parts of the world - and not only dictatorships - where it is not advisable to disclose membership in a Masonic lodge.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of that. Where exactly would it not be advisable to disclose membership in a Masonic lodge?
DeleteSee my post hopefully below. Chile, Northern Ireland, Eastern Europe, Turkey, China, I can go on and on. Im quiet about it when i travel.
DeleteMasons don't publicly wear rings (or have rings that flip) or Masonic pins etc in England either.
DeleteI never announce my membership when traveling in LATAM or EMEA and some places in APAC (China). Its dangerous. Travel to some LATAM countries where the local radio stations and tv programs talk about masonic rumors. Or through Middle eastern countries accusing Masons publicly of evils. No sir. North America is safe. Northern Ireland some will fight you in a pub if they find out you are a brother. Ive been accused of aligning with the Order of the Orange. I believe this view point is a bit naive Robert
ReplyDeleteI do understand there are places where it is unwise to point out the fact you're a Master Mason, but that's a different point. My main point was that it is not a fundamental rule of Freemasonry to keep our membership secret. There are conspiracy theorist that believe it is--that we're not suppose to tell people we're Masons. When I write my pieces, and I say for instance that Ron Paul is not a Mason, I invariably get swamped with emails saying he is, but his membership is a secret. I could give you hundreds of examples. There are places in the United States where it would be unwise to admit you're a Democrat or a Republican--that's not a fundamental rule of those political parties. It's a safety issue.
DeleteYou are right. I didn't expect it to be secret once I joined. However, I make sure not to out men in public for the family and safety reasons listed above. The day of secrecy is long past. The internet broke that expectation. Every thing you say and do is on record and with few exceptions is publicly attainable. That is why we must guard our selves and act just. It would disturb me still, if we posted membership rosters. Id think twice about travel to certain areas of the world.
DeleteOn behalf of non-masons who've been told that it's a secret society by everyone who knew nothing at all, this kind of information is kind of like finding out that everyone but you is a superhero. And has been, for some time.
ReplyDelete