What the heck are Masons?

[Shit Good Nose]

Ad I just had on Facebook:


If they're trying to recruit the likes of me they must be seriously on their arses.

I was always under the impression you had to be invited to join.  Either I'm wrong (entirely possible) or they're desperate for new members (also entirely possible).

Do they let black people or muslims become masons?

Black people (men) definitely yes, muslims I'm not sure.

[Inspector Norse]

I've done work (in a professional sense through my own job) in the past with the Bath rotary club, and know a couple of members of our local one (Midsomer Norton) and, though still largely made up of old white men, they do have women members, volunteers and presidents, and they're not some "secret" mystic order with grand wizard pretence.  Both the Bath and Midsomer Norton ones describe themselves, independently of each other, as being more like the WI.  Their main remit is local charitable and community stuff, and "doing good" in the usual places overseas (parts of Africa, India etc).

Note the above is specific to the two clubs mentioned.

Yeah, I've had some (very vague, impersonal) contact with the, or a, rotary club in Stockholm through work as they donated a bit of cash to some cultural/educational outreach projects in exchange for nothing more than a nod of thanks at an event or two.
Seemed to be some well-to-do people (it was a middle-aged woman rather than a doddery old buffer who was our contact) who wanted to do noble charitable deeds, in which case fair play to them, though for all I know their actual meetings could be depraved opulent occult bacchanals, in which case fair play to them.

[olliebean]

Do they let black people or muslims become masons?

Only if they're One Of The Good Ones.

[Tony Tony Tony]

Do they let black people or muslims become masons?

Very much so yes they do.

At my lodge there were several other faiths than Christians initiated. The only difference to the ritual being that during your initiation and subsequent raisings you lay hands on a bible. For different faiths the holy book for that particular group was used instead.

As for Facebook suddenly sending ads for joining up, reckon that says more about how Marky Z has got his claws into your computer and sucking up info about your posts on here.

Getting many ads about phimosis cures?

[Paul Calf]

Skilfully diverting the discourse, eh Tone?