Freemasons in Asia?

[cl2008]

I thought they were all in Europe and USA? (http://glphils.org/)

[vorador]

both my parents are from Sri Lanka and both are catholic, particularly devout on my mother's side. anyway, well before i was "aware" when i was a kid my mother warned me about freemasons and got it from her father who warned her that they were satanists. so there were freemasons in sri lanka for a while at least. so i imagine they're pretty much everywhere if they were in that little island for so long.

[mike martin]

I thought they were all in Europe and USA? (http://glphils.org/)

Maybe this will help: http://bessel.org/gls.htm

Mike

[chrism]

My father (also a Mason) is moving to the Philippines soon and they have a very active lodge out there. He will have to re-learn a lot - they use Scottish rite!

From what I gather it is growing over there, like in the US. This despite the Philippines being a very catholic country. The catholic church has a tradition of not trusting Masons - which is starting to feel rather familiar! That said, I am introducing my friend in the next couple of months (he has not been balloted yet) and both he and his seconder are Catholics, so what do I know?!?

Chris

[eternal_spirit]

I thought they were all in Europe and USA? (http://glphils.org/)

....................

There are lodges all around the World, that's why the masons call themselves the universal religion.

PS, don't trust your Easten Gurus or any other Prieshoods of any religion they are all connected via Freemasonry!

[chrism]

....................

There are lodges all around the World, that's why the masons call themselves the universal religion.


Just to be clear - we do not call freemasonry a religion at all. In fact the words 'universality in the Science' are mentioned, but we steer clear of religious discussions entirely, with the exception of generic 'prayers' to a supreme being of the individuals choice. This is not for politically correct reasons, but because each person's faith is their own.

We also use the words 'freemasonry being universally spread over [the world's] surface', but apart from that the universal bit is a little far fetched.

As an aside, IMO all organised religion is about control and power, and that is why I prefer to maintain my own faith. This is unlike a good number of the masons I know, who can be very religious.

Hope that helps to put things straight,

Chris

[the guy in pink]

I thought they were all in Europe and USA? (http://glphils.org/)
This was written of India. - Kipling

The Mother-Lodge

There was Rundle, Station Master,
An' Beazeley of the Rail,An' 'Ackman,
Commissariat, An' Donkin' o' the Jail;An' Blake,
Conductor-Sargent, Our Master twice was 'e,
With 'im that kept the Europe-shop,
Old Framjee Eduljee.
Outside -- "Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!"Inside -- "Brother",
an' it doesn't do no 'arm.
We met upon the Level an' we parted on the Square,
An' I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there!

We'd Bola Nath, Accountant,
An' Saul the Aden Jew,
An' Di fittin'-sheds,
The Roman Catholick! We 'adn't good regalia,
An' our Lodge was old an' bare,
But we knew the Ancient Landmarks,
An' we kep' 'em to a hair;
An' lookin' on it backwards It often strikes me thus,
There ain't such things as infidels,
Excep', per'aps, it's us.
For monthly, after Labour,
We'd all sit down and smoke
(We dursn't give no banquits, Lest a Brother's caste were broke),
An' man on man got talkin' Religion an' the rest,
An' every man comparin' Of the God 'e knew the best.
So man on man got talkin',
An' not a Brother stirredTill mornin' waked the parrots
An' that dam' brain-fever-bird;
We'd say 'twas 'ighly curious,
An' we'd all ride 'ome to bed,
With Mo'ammed, God, an' Shiva Changin' pickets in our 'ead.
Full oft on Guv'ment service This rovin' foot 'ath pressed,
An' bore fraternal greetin's To the Lodges east an' west,
Accordin' as commanded From Kohat to Singapore,
But I wish that I might see them In my Mother-Lodge once more!
I wish that I might see them, My Brethren black an' brown,
With the trichies smellin' pleasant An' the hog-darn passin' down; [Cigar-lighter.]
An' the old khansamah snorin' [Butler.] On the bottle-khana floor, [Pantry.]
Like a Master in good standing With my Mother-Lodge once more!

Outside -- "Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!
"Inside -- "Brother", an' it doesn't do no 'arm.
We met upon the Level an' we parted on the Square,
An' I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there!

[jacob sladder]

This was written of India. - Kipling

The Mother-Lodge

There was Rundle, Station Master,
An' Beazeley of the Rail,An' 'Ackman,
Commissariat, An' Donkin' o' the Jail;An' Blake,
Conductor-Sargent, Our Master twice was 'e,
With 'im that kept the Europe-shop,
Old Framjee Eduljee.
Outside -- "Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!"Inside -- "Brother",
an' it doesn't do no 'arm.
We met upon the Level an' we parted on the Square,
An' I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there!

We'd Bola Nath, Accountant,
An' Saul the Aden Jew,
An' Di fittin'-sheds,
The Roman Catholick! We 'adn't good regalia,
An' our Lodge was old an' bare,
But we knew the Ancient Landmarks,
An' we kep' 'em to a hair;
An' lookin' on it backwards It often strikes me thus,
There ain't such things as infidels,
Excep', per'aps, it's us.
For monthly, after Labour,
We'd all sit down and smoke
(We dursn't give no banquits, Lest a Brother's caste were broke),
An' man on man got talkin' Religion an' the rest,
An' every man comparin' Of the God 'e knew the best.
So man on man got talkin',
An' not a Brother stirredTill mornin' waked the parrots
An' that dam' brain-fever-bird;
We'd say 'twas 'ighly curious,
An' we'd all ride 'ome to bed,
With Mo'ammed, God, an' Shiva Changin' pickets in our 'ead.
Full oft on Guv'ment service This rovin' foot 'ath pressed,
An' bore fraternal greetin's To the Lodges east an' west,
Accordin' as commanded From Kohat to Singapore,
But I wish that I might see them In my Mother-Lodge once more!
I wish that I might see them, My Brethren black an' brown,
With the trichies smellin' pleasant An' the hog-darn passin' down; [Cigar-lighter.]
An' the old khansamah snorin' [Butler.] On the bottle-khana floor, [Pantry.]
Like a Master in good standing With my Mother-Lodge once more!

Outside -- "Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!
"Inside -- "Brother", an' it doesn't do no 'arm.
We met upon the Level an' we parted on the Square,
An' I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there!


What a smashing poem showing the universality of Freemasonry. :)