A conversation between Bro. Oppong Clifford Benjamin
and an uninitiated Poet. People often would find it very difficult to
ask certain questions about their doubts before joining a lodge.
Eventually when they are initiated, they seem to blame their curiosity
and fight their intuition. This poet took the time to understand what
lies in masonry for him and this interview is not only helpful to the
interested candidate but also to some brethren.
Poet : hello Mr. Oppong. How are you doing Sir?
Bro Cliff: Am mighty fine by the grace of God. You?
Poet: Am also good Sir.
Poet: The last time we met on Facebook, you spoke of morality and respect, what else should a wannabe need to have before joining Freemasonry?
Bro Cliff:Wow, did I mention those? well you will need all of them. Time and some money to spare. But above all commitment. But the basic requirements are a belief in a supreme being and you need to be free man of matured age of 21years.
Poet: oh OK, noted. People have the idea that,you become rich when you join the fraternity.how true is that?
Bro Cliff: Well, that is a truthful lie.
So to say you may be rich or poor depending on individual's industry and his commitment to the strict principles of Masonry in cooking a better self and will.
Poet: So it all comes back to how commitment you will be.
What about links ?
Bro Cliff: By links I don't know what you mean.
Poet: Meeting people who operate in your area of career or talent.
Bro Cliff: That is a bonus. But again much will be required of your human relations skills. No body goes to a lodge and discuss business opportunities or network, in fact no body will even ask you of your profession but a man who is skilled may easily strike a business conversation with any man what so ever.
And let me quickly put across that the wealthiest man is in the lodge and it is the same corner you will find the poorest man.
Poet: But why will a poor man be in the lodge with all these wealthy people? I thought the fraternity deals with helping each other?
Bro Cliff: That is a question nature can only have an answer to.
But suffice it to say, that charity characterizes every one of Mason's heart,and it is our usual custom to awaken the feelings of Masons to the wailings of a brother in distress. However, as the Chinese wise men will say,if you give a man fish you have fed him for a day,but if you teach a man how to fish,you have given him a reason to be satisfied.
Brothers who may be in distress and are ready to accept something for only the moment are sure to labour with hunger for a long time and those who are ready to learn how to solve their problems are sure to catch up.
Poet: I see. so its better to give a man a job than to feed him. Is the primary reason of joinin the fraternity for protection?
Bro Cliff: Protection against what?
Why am I asking as if there is some protection of a sort.
Poet: Against spiritual attacks , at least that's what we were taught while growing up.
Bro Cliff: No. That can't be guaranteed. Our only recourse is in our creator.
Poet: How many times do you meet in a month?
Bro Cliff: Once or none per lodge. However, if your mother lodge is not meeting, you can join other lodges as visitor. There is some sweet nectar in visiting, you just cannot wait to 'pollinate'.
Poet: Hahaha, interesting. Am learning a lot.
Bro Cliff: And am enjoying a lot. Your company.
Poet: Deep Grey on facebook was my junior at senior high school?
Bro Cliff: oh I see. Bro Grey, of which school?
Poet:Swedru Senior high school
I admire him for his business mindedness, he got ideas.
Bro Cliff: I see, didn't know that of him. Anyway I didn't only ask.
Poet: What will you say to people who claim you must kill a family member to join the freemasonry?
Bro Cliff: Ignorance. People,especially Africans, are afraid of knowledge. They readily would talk about science and nature when sitting in a class but talk about it in a sequestered place and you are titled all sort of evil.
A devoted mason will decipher the hidden mysteries of science and nature and eventually build a superstructure of moral self.
Poet: wow
Bro Cliff:sorry to flummox you but do I make some sense to the popular world?
If not, man has been in it integrality likened unto a builder, no process apart from construction best tells the story of growth.
So Masonry been a progressive building science and a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols, is not only by chance or by bamboozling the ideologies and philosophies of life.
But it makes a man unleash a better self through graded lessons or principles. When best applied would yield a happy and successful life. Maybe that's why we have many members of opulence and influential in our societies.
Poet: oh ok it makes sense, meaning there are principles to follow to be successful.
Bro Cliff: Of course yes. And these are basic lessons you can lay hands on even at the market place. But unlike the uninitiated man,a mason is taught these principles in a drama and it indelibly imprint on his mind lessons, never forgotten.
Poet: I see. The first time i saw a pic of Lawyer Addison and my junior Deep Grey,i said wow. The only thing i said was that,deep grey has gone far because he is very successful.
Bro Cliff: Oh yes, the fraternizing with great men is one of the bonuses. In our circles,there is a famous statement 'on the level', which means that we are brothers and we meet without our positions or social status. Hence you will see an old man of about 65yrs freely mingling with young men.
Poet: I see.that's why i keep saying it will be weird to see a young Freemason who isn't successful in life.
Bro Cliff: Hahaha. Is it weird to see a young Christian unsuccessful in life?
Poet: Yes. With all the heap of wisdom and principles.
Bro Cliff: So you want to say every one in the church is successful?
Anyway how do you measure success in a life?
Poet: You must be self fulfilled.
Do you know Christians are the most poorest today. Sometimes i believe Africans have twist the principles of Christianity. We have people who say material things are not necessary because you wont carry it along when you die.
Bro Cliff: Yes. I agree with them.
Poet: But Cliff you and i know that,when you not happy or you are not financially stable, you cant serve God. How do you pay your tithe,bills,etc.
Bro Cliff: No,I don't know that truth yet.
I think it is our churches which are twisting Christianity, so I ask most Christians what they attend church for?
Poet: You can never have a position in your family or church if you are not financially stable.
Bro Cliff: Positions, they form part of vanity.
Poet: The difference between the mason and the ordinary man on the street is knowledge?
Bro Cliff: You may say so.Ancient knowledge valuable than gifts of gold. Know thy self and passions and know nature and you are a complete man. But these are not only privy to masons alone.
Poet: That's why i have always wanted to join the freemasonry. So i read a lot about it on Wikipedia n realized everything that i was told was wrong.
Bro Cliff: And what is that you were told?
Poet: About human sacrifice and its an occult group
Bro Cliff: Those are some wild conspiracy theories, which I don't know where it emanated from. Perhaps the Nigerian occult movies.
Poet: Hahahahaha. So can Christians be part of the fraternity?
Bro Cliff: Oh yes. Why not?
In fact before you can be initiated you must express a belief in a supreme being(God) and all our secrets and teachings come out of the Bible dear.
Poet:ok. That it means there are secrets in which you will only get access to unless you re a mason?
Bro Cliff: Yes. And those secrets are in the Bible.
Poet: Seven books of Moses?
Bro Cliff: Don't know of that. Is it in the Bible?
Poet: No but people claim they were books by Moses.
What was your primary reason for joining the fraternity?
Bro Cliff: Anyway for me, I just needed to belong and feel the belonging, now that answers you and makes me keep my reason to my chest.
Poet:my last question.what are the punishments when a member unveils the secrets of the fraternity?
Bro Cliff: Will be branded a willfully perjured individual, void of all moral wealth and unfit to be accepted into a warranted and worthy lodge of free and accepted masons.
To clear your mind of confusion, he won't be accepted in our midst,that's all.
Poet: Thats great. Thank you for your time Sir Cliff. Check on you again soon.
Bro Cliff: Thank you too, even if you don't check on me, I know where to find you. Hahahahaha
This is it. I learned something from this.
Poet : hello Mr. Oppong. How are you doing Sir?
Bro Cliff: Am mighty fine by the grace of God. You?
Poet: Am also good Sir.
Poet: The last time we met on Facebook, you spoke of morality and respect, what else should a wannabe need to have before joining Freemasonry?
Bro Cliff:Wow, did I mention those? well you will need all of them. Time and some money to spare. But above all commitment. But the basic requirements are a belief in a supreme being and you need to be free man of matured age of 21years.
Poet: oh OK, noted. People have the idea that,you become rich when you join the fraternity.how true is that?
Bro Cliff: Well, that is a truthful lie.
So to say you may be rich or poor depending on individual's industry and his commitment to the strict principles of Masonry in cooking a better self and will.
Poet: So it all comes back to how commitment you will be.
What about links ?
Bro Cliff: By links I don't know what you mean.
Poet: Meeting people who operate in your area of career or talent.
Bro Cliff: That is a bonus. But again much will be required of your human relations skills. No body goes to a lodge and discuss business opportunities or network, in fact no body will even ask you of your profession but a man who is skilled may easily strike a business conversation with any man what so ever.
And let me quickly put across that the wealthiest man is in the lodge and it is the same corner you will find the poorest man.
Poet: But why will a poor man be in the lodge with all these wealthy people? I thought the fraternity deals with helping each other?
Bro Cliff: That is a question nature can only have an answer to.
But suffice it to say, that charity characterizes every one of Mason's heart,and it is our usual custom to awaken the feelings of Masons to the wailings of a brother in distress. However, as the Chinese wise men will say,if you give a man fish you have fed him for a day,but if you teach a man how to fish,you have given him a reason to be satisfied.
Brothers who may be in distress and are ready to accept something for only the moment are sure to labour with hunger for a long time and those who are ready to learn how to solve their problems are sure to catch up.
Poet: I see. so its better to give a man a job than to feed him. Is the primary reason of joinin the fraternity for protection?
Bro Cliff: Protection against what?
Why am I asking as if there is some protection of a sort.
Poet: Against spiritual attacks , at least that's what we were taught while growing up.
Bro Cliff: No. That can't be guaranteed. Our only recourse is in our creator.
Poet: How many times do you meet in a month?
Bro Cliff: Once or none per lodge. However, if your mother lodge is not meeting, you can join other lodges as visitor. There is some sweet nectar in visiting, you just cannot wait to 'pollinate'.
Poet: Hahaha, interesting. Am learning a lot.
Bro Cliff: And am enjoying a lot. Your company.
Poet: Deep Grey on facebook was my junior at senior high school?
Bro Cliff: oh I see. Bro Grey, of which school?
Poet:Swedru Senior high school
I admire him for his business mindedness, he got ideas.
Bro Cliff: I see, didn't know that of him. Anyway I didn't only ask.
Poet: What will you say to people who claim you must kill a family member to join the freemasonry?
Bro Cliff: Ignorance. People,especially Africans, are afraid of knowledge. They readily would talk about science and nature when sitting in a class but talk about it in a sequestered place and you are titled all sort of evil.
A devoted mason will decipher the hidden mysteries of science and nature and eventually build a superstructure of moral self.
Poet: wow
Bro Cliff:sorry to flummox you but do I make some sense to the popular world?
If not, man has been in it integrality likened unto a builder, no process apart from construction best tells the story of growth.
So Masonry been a progressive building science and a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols, is not only by chance or by bamboozling the ideologies and philosophies of life.
But it makes a man unleash a better self through graded lessons or principles. When best applied would yield a happy and successful life. Maybe that's why we have many members of opulence and influential in our societies.
Poet: oh ok it makes sense, meaning there are principles to follow to be successful.
Bro Cliff: Of course yes. And these are basic lessons you can lay hands on even at the market place. But unlike the uninitiated man,a mason is taught these principles in a drama and it indelibly imprint on his mind lessons, never forgotten.
Poet: I see. The first time i saw a pic of Lawyer Addison and my junior Deep Grey,i said wow. The only thing i said was that,deep grey has gone far because he is very successful.
Bro Cliff: Oh yes, the fraternizing with great men is one of the bonuses. In our circles,there is a famous statement 'on the level', which means that we are brothers and we meet without our positions or social status. Hence you will see an old man of about 65yrs freely mingling with young men.
Poet: I see.that's why i keep saying it will be weird to see a young Freemason who isn't successful in life.
Bro Cliff: Hahaha. Is it weird to see a young Christian unsuccessful in life?
Poet: Yes. With all the heap of wisdom and principles.
Bro Cliff: So you want to say every one in the church is successful?
Anyway how do you measure success in a life?
Poet: You must be self fulfilled.
Do you know Christians are the most poorest today. Sometimes i believe Africans have twist the principles of Christianity. We have people who say material things are not necessary because you wont carry it along when you die.
Bro Cliff: Yes. I agree with them.
Poet: But Cliff you and i know that,when you not happy or you are not financially stable, you cant serve God. How do you pay your tithe,bills,etc.
Bro Cliff: No,I don't know that truth yet.
I think it is our churches which are twisting Christianity, so I ask most Christians what they attend church for?
Poet: You can never have a position in your family or church if you are not financially stable.
Bro Cliff: Positions, they form part of vanity.
Poet: The difference between the mason and the ordinary man on the street is knowledge?
Bro Cliff: You may say so.Ancient knowledge valuable than gifts of gold. Know thy self and passions and know nature and you are a complete man. But these are not only privy to masons alone.
Poet: That's why i have always wanted to join the freemasonry. So i read a lot about it on Wikipedia n realized everything that i was told was wrong.
Bro Cliff: And what is that you were told?
Poet: About human sacrifice and its an occult group
Bro Cliff: Those are some wild conspiracy theories, which I don't know where it emanated from. Perhaps the Nigerian occult movies.
Poet: Hahahahaha. So can Christians be part of the fraternity?
Bro Cliff: Oh yes. Why not?
In fact before you can be initiated you must express a belief in a supreme being(God) and all our secrets and teachings come out of the Bible dear.
Poet:ok. That it means there are secrets in which you will only get access to unless you re a mason?
Bro Cliff: Yes. And those secrets are in the Bible.
Poet: Seven books of Moses?
Bro Cliff: Don't know of that. Is it in the Bible?
Poet: No but people claim they were books by Moses.
What was your primary reason for joining the fraternity?
Bro Cliff: Anyway for me, I just needed to belong and feel the belonging, now that answers you and makes me keep my reason to my chest.
Poet:my last question.what are the punishments when a member unveils the secrets of the fraternity?
Bro Cliff: Will be branded a willfully perjured individual, void of all moral wealth and unfit to be accepted into a warranted and worthy lodge of free and accepted masons.
To clear your mind of confusion, he won't be accepted in our midst,that's all.
Poet: Thats great. Thank you for your time Sir Cliff. Check on you again soon.
Bro Cliff: Thank you too, even if you don't check on me, I know where to find you. Hahahahaha
This is it. I learned something from this.
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