Famous Atheist Freemasons

D. W. Brown · 08-05-2008, 12:50 AM

Whew ok here we go. Name as many Atheist Freemasons as you can find. Also if you know whether they were Antient or Modern Freemasons.

Here is my start:

W. C. Fields - Not sure whether Antient or Modern

Charles Bradlaugh - Nineteenth Century Atheist and Republican MP, Grand Lodge des Philadelphes, London

Philip Wharton - 1st Duke of Wharton, politician, atheist and member of the Hellfire club

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Well that is a start, now it is your turn.

Mystic knight · 08-09-2008, 04:07 PM

We shouldn't be able to name any "stupid atheists." Remember those three questions before the EA Degree. Do you believe in the Supreme Being?

rjred5 · 08-13-2008, 12:28 AM

I think the topic is a good one but to acknowledge them would be to justify the action of initiating them and in so doing, you would be glorifying the use of lies in a lodges ritual work. You are asked "in who do you put your trust?" if you say something which alludes to your personal god then you would be ok, but to lie at this point....you should just leave. You are also asked in interviews. I don't know what else to say.

D. W. Brown · 08-14-2008, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjred5

to acknowledge them would be to justify the action of initiating them and in so doing, you would be glorifying the use of lies in a lodges ritual work.

Yes, but remember there are not just Antient Masons here but Brothers from many different obediences.

Eric Marsh · 08-27-2008, 12:01 AM

Interesting thread

jpeffer2007 · 08-27-2008, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjred5

I think the topic is a good one but to acknowledge them would be to justify the action of initiating them and in so doing, you would be glorifying the use of lies in a lodges ritual work. You are asked "in who do you put your trust?" if you say something which alludes to your personal god then you would be ok, but to lie at this point....you should just leave. You are also asked in interviews. I don't know what else to say.

You assume that the ritual that your Lodge practices was the same ritual that was used on the men mentioned. In may cases the older the ritual gets the more it differs from the ritual in use today.

Jamie

D. W. Brown · 08-28-2008, 12:31 AM

Good point Brother Jamie. Isn't it true also that some lodges/Brothers took their oaths on Anderson's constitution and not a book of religion?

chgregory · 08-28-2008, 08:48 AM

My Brothers,

I really wanted to think about this before I responded. I am a Sir Knight Templar, YR, SR, BL and Shriner. I truly believe we can work well with all groups, but our oath (at least in the organizations to which I belong) specifically calls out atheist as ineligible for membership.

On the others hand I am for an accord with all freemasons of all flavors, at least interacting socially.

In the F&AM and AF&AM, I know of no famous atheist masons, there may well be some, but every time I have researched what was reported to be one it has turned out that the person involved was either not an atheist or not a mason.

The only way an atheist could join the F&AM or the AF&AM would be to be untruthful at his initiation. The only way an atheist could become a SR or YR mason would be to lie again during those degrees. Finally the only way an atheist could be a Knight Templar would be to swear repeatedly to things he did not and could not believe.

If such a man were a part of these groups he would not be the sort of man we could endure and I doubt seriously if he could ever be a true mason in his heart, so I can only conclude that there are no famous atheist freemasons in any of my organizations.

This may not be true of other groups as I do not know their beliefs and tenets, but for the world of freemasonry that I do understand, this is my humble opinion.

S&F,

Parisfred · 08-28-2008, 10:50 AM

two americans and antients atheist freemasons

Steve Wozniak ( founder of Apple) is cited as an atheist on the
list of amercian atheist : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_atheists
and as a freemason - Charity Lodge No. 362, Campbell, CA -

Mark Twain Polar Star Lodge No. 79, A.F.& A.M., St. Louis, Missouri.
"Faith is believing something you know ain’t true."
http://www.wonderfulatheistsofcfl.org/Quotes.htm

The ritual used in north american lodge is the most religious masonic ritual.
The Modern ritual from 1780 mention god only once when the oath is said but we know that in many lodge the oath was made by laying a hand on a sword.

Psi Brr · 08-28-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D. W. Brown

Whew ok here we go. Name as many Atheist Freemasons as you can find. Also if you know whether they were Antient or Modern Freemasons.

Here is my start:

W. C. Fields - Not sure whether Antient or Modern

Antient or Modern, he was certainly Pickled!