Secret societies

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   lovetherainposted 3 years ago

   Why are secret societies, like the masons, rosicrutians etc secret? They are supposedly modern mystery schools, and the ancient mystery schools were secret as well. What's the secret, and why are they hiding? I can understand that during the middle ages that they had to hide things from the church, but before and after that? What's the deal?

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      It would  be interesting to discuss why they felt the need to hide things from the church.

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         Mentocioposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Because. :-)

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 3 years agoin reply to this

            R U hoo I think U R?

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               Mentocioposted 3 years agoin reply to this

               Yes. :-)

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         lovetherainposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         I think they feared losing power.

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      3. 91

         MizBejabbersposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Simple, to keep from being burned as witches or just being outright murdered. The same reason many French who settled in Canada (Acadians), Philadelphia, and New Orleans were Protestants who were running from the church. Look up Huguenots. I realize these weren't mystery societies, but they all had the same reason to flee the church. My French ancestors were Huguenots who fled from Versailles to Philadelphia.
         There is some wonderful history here, be it Christian, Templar, Mason, etc.

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   2. 91

      MizBejabbersposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      While the Masons were secret societies, I don't think the Rosicrucians are, at least not the modern-day Rosicrucians. I've seen their advertisements in magazines recruiting people to join them, and I don't think a secret society would advertise for recruits.  The Masons or Freemasons were ancient mystery schools that were very serious in their teachings, but today they have developed into more social societies. Having had some family members who were Masons and Eastern Star members, I know that you must ask to join, they do not ask you. And they don't tell you what they believe unless you are a member -- kind of like the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) who have a church for the common people, but then send more devout members to the Temple to learn their mysteries. I notice you didn't mention them.
      
      There is a lot of misinformation about these societies. A Catholic friend of mine said that he didn't like the Masons because they wouldn't allow Catholics in. He was wrong because it is the other way around. The Catholic Church forbids their members to join the Masons. He was rather shocked to learn that he could seek membership and would be either admitted or denied based on other things than being Catholic.
      During during the Crusades, some of the Masons established the Templars. They became quite wealthy from their looting and sacking and got crosswise with King Phillip (I think it was) of France. Many of them were massacred, and the survivors fled. Archaeologists have proved that some of them fled to the Americas, but they haven't figured out what happened to them unless they died out or married into the indigenous tribes. So they became very political, and as you mentioned, had to hide from the Church because the Church didn't like the competition.
      
      I don't know of any true spiritual schools of today that are secret. And most of them teach what once was ancient mysteries.  I don't mean cults either, I'm speaking of true spiritual schools, some are universities offering real degrees in certain fields, such as transpersonal psychology. Today a person can find out anything he wants to know online. Just google it.

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