I realise it's an unfair comparison and I don't want to have a go at you over it
It's just that to my mind, the stuff at the top of this post (while dispelling myths about the masons and properly so) doesn't really get to the nub of the issue. I couldn't care less if masons *do* sacrifice goats (or whatever the Conspiracists think they get up to...I've known enough witches, pagans and devil worshippers in my time to know that ceremony is just that) - it just concerns me that such a powerful and infuential institution excludes people on the basis of their (lack of) beliefs. As an atheist, I can't help thinking (cynically) it's just a Christian old boys' network with a couple of token Muslims and that masonry desperately needs to get past that if, to be honest, I'm not going to treat it with a largish amount of suspicion. About 50% of this country's population doesn't believe and that figure is going to be far higher in the scientific community, which is where I would hope a lot of the expertise that masonry celebrates is going to be coming from. I dunno, it just seems archaic and stultifying to only draw members from the rapidly-shrinking religious community when there's a wealth of untapped talent out there that really doesn't have any interest in worshipping bronze-age sky gods.

On the subject of charity, the two largest charitable donations in history were both from atheists, and they continue to pump incredible amounts of money into trying to solve the world's problems, such as eradicating malaria. It's not like atheists aren't capable of becoming better people or doing good works, and I really find it annoying when people think religous = good, more so when it's institutionalised.

Anyway, I'm probably just ranting. I've known masons all my life - I've been to a couple of events up at the lodge, hell, one even gave me a lift in his car this morning - but the religious aspect means I'm never going to be a part of it because I'm too proud to pretend, and it saddens me when I see other people affecting a religion they don't believe just to fit in.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Tue 1 Sep 2009, 11:30, 1 reply)

It's no different to a nightclub having a 'no trainers' rule.
The Freemasons is a social club. It's not like people are being excluded from schools or being thrown off trains for being atheists - no one actually has to join the Freemasons, just like people in trainers don't have to go to nightclubs.
(Seance Trumpet has got no beef with a man enjoying a croissant, Tue 1 Sep 2009, 21:37, closed)