• pearsaltchocolatebar
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    3 days ago

    I had a buddy who was in it. The background checks they do are comparable to getting a security clearance, and he said you’d get tossed out if you weren’t religious.

    • WindyRebel@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Background check?! BACKGROUND CHECK?!

      My dad was a Freemason, and I went through the first initiation and was working on the second but decided I didn’t want to continue despite enjoying my teen years in DeMolay. There was no fucking background check. lol! Hell, to join you just need to ask a Freemason - they don’t really ask you.

      You have a Freemason who can vouch for your character as kind of a “sponsor” so maybe THAT is the background check but you don’t fill out any forms or anything that get submitted to the government.

      Also, they use God in their words but you don’t have to believe in God. I dunno, maybe Nevada lodges have different rules? I doubt it.

      • RedditRefugee69@lemmynsfw.com
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        3 days ago

        It’s definitely in their rules for membership. I imagine the strictness of their enforcement varies from chapter to chapter.

    • Cracks_InTheWalls@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      From what I understand, intensity will vary from chapter to chapter. A belief in God is a requirement, but there can be some wiggle room on exactly what that means.

      Looked into it because it sounded cool, attending some sort of group thing would probably be a good idea for me, and I find ritual fascinating. Shit gets expensive, though.

      Edit: Who am I kidding, it’s mostly because I want my wallet contents to sound like Grandpa Simpson’s

    • MojoMcJojo@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      The background check is no more than when applying to a job, they just check to see if you have a criminal record. They make a home visit to explain themselves to your family and to make sure your personal life doesn’t look like à mess, ie your not living like a piece of shit.

      • TurtleOnASkateboard@lemmy.ml
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        3 days ago

        Don’t fret about any ‘background checks’.

        They say “do you believe in god yes/no” and “are you conspiring to overthrow the government yes/no” with a bored look on their face. They’re obliged to ask this because of traditional rules. It is a box-ticking.