o sung wu,

I can see only good and no downsides whatsoever from men joining the Freemasons and other community-minded groups of their choosing.

We all go through various transitions in our lives and we all encounter challenges. It can be only for the good and wellbeing of the man and his wife and family if he can be with other men of good character. I know that in voluntary work there is inevitably a sharing of a common morality, optimism and hope for the future. Often, just being with men of good character and positive outlook doing things is enough, and better if there are men of all ages with different backgrounds and life experiences represented in that good company.

The Freemasons are an open book as the Wikipedia entry shows. If they like some dressing up and ceremony, jolly good for them! Of course like any other community group, anyone interested has to put a foot forward himself and enquire. It all comes down to taking that first cautious, but necessary step.

There is abundant evidence of a growing, serious, problem of loneliness in society. Problem is that you are a sufferer, overtaken by it, before you realise. I believe that we should be encouraging men of all ages to join community groups.

Well folks, before you make any further comments
may I politely suggest that you read the two
following websites and get a better perspective
of what really happened at Sydney University.

http://newmatilda.com/2015/03/18/blaming-victims-what-really-happened-colonel-kemp-usyd-protest

And -

http://newmatilda.com/2015/03/19/disruptive-protest-and-freedom-speech-users-guide

"Criticising Israel is not anti-Semitic and saying so is vile.
But singling out Israel for opprobrium and international
sanction - out of all proportion to any other party in the
Middle East - is anti-Semitic, and not saying so is dishonest."
(Thomas Friedman, 2002).

Dear Foxy,

I always enjoy reading your posts, even if I disagree with so many of them ;) When you post, my heart leaps :) But I wouldn't rely on New Matilda for anything much.

OF COURSE, even if one supports the right of Israel to exist and prosper, one must criticise its politicians when they do something rotten, such as the new settlements in Palestinian territory. But, as you say, singling it out - especially these days with ISIS and its affiliates inflicting the depths of hell on so many people, from Nigeria (and now Tunisia) across to Pakistan - does verge on anti-Semitism, pure and simple.

However imperfect its democracy may be, Israel is still, and consistently, the only sort-of-democracy across the entire Middle East and beyond. It raises the question: can democracy ever be compatible with Islam ? I certainly hope so, but it doesn't look like it these days: a turn to fascism is far more likely, and what else can one call ISIS and its works ?

What's the main game in the Middle East ? Surely the defeat of ISIS and fundamentalist Islam. Israel and Palestine are a bit of a side-show. I've been puzzled by the 'Left''s focus on Israel, and not in the rights of, say, the Kurds, thirty-million strong, without a state of their own, and obviously one of the most progressive forces in the region. I suppose there is corruption and everything else there as well, but that probably pales in comparison with elsewhere.

To avoid those dynamics and attack Jews is despicable, gutless, and deliberately and consciously to ignore the main game.

Thank you for that quote, Foxy.

Love,

Joe

Replacement theology ( of which Constance subscribes to) is one of the main reasons that the Catholic church and some protestants persecuted the Jews so severely. Add to that the Darwinian myth and its a perfect cocktail for the likes of Hitler to attempt to wipe out the Jews. It is one reason why many Jews still think that Christians hate them (as shown by constance). Constance views are fueled by leftist groups that swallow the lies of occupied or stolen land. These people revise history just as much as Constance. The Scriptures are clear that Israel was never replaced by the church. In fact the Mount of Olives will be the place where the King of Kings returns after enormous bloodshed. If anything Christians have a great debt to Israel because the Messiah HImself was Jewish. The church age of gentiles will come to an end.

btw: Freemasonry might seem harmless but it does pray to a higher power rather than to the One True God and His Son. People leaving this cult are frowned upon.

Hi Foxy

I did see the New Matilda material before posting, and it did make me change my view a little – clearly, the target of Lynch’s banknote-waving exercise was an elderly lady, not a young man, as some photos and earlier reports of the incident implied.

But:
The protestors are aggressive and intimidating and refuse to comply with security guards’ instructions to leave. The way they quickly move away from the stage and into the aisles by the audience is threatening.

They clearly don’t want to debate the speaker, but to silence him.

Regarding Lynch specifically:

There is no evidence I can see of Lynch being hit in the groin, as he claims.

Lynch can clearly be seen waving money in an old woman’s face and heard taunting her “See? This is going to cost you a lot of money.” Now it may be as he claims that this was a friendly warning about the possible consequences of a civil lawsuit, but I find that deeply implausible. Why, if he has just been assaulted as he said, is he anticipating a civil, not criminal, remedy? He also must surely appreciate that no court is going to impose heavy damages on an old woman for throwing water at demonstrators – his threat is hollow. So why the preoccupation with money, and the calculated insult of waving a banknote? It seem a very odd thing indeed to focus on under the circumstances. I conclude that this is an anti-Semitic taunt based on racial stereotypes.

The event was a speech by an invited speaker at a university. Whatever the merits or otherwise of Riemer’s apologia for opposing free speech for people he disagrees with, a university has the right to expect certain standards of behaviour from its students, and even more so from its faculty members. The university should investigate Lynch's behaviour. If he is in serious breach of its policies and values he should be dismissed, much as the same institution dismissed Barry Spurr.

Yes, ONTHEBEACH you've summed them up pretty well I reckon. No doubt in the past some of them might have carried the secrecy bit a little too far, but not many now I suspect ? In fact the number of Masons are dwindling, as well as aging ? For some reason Freemasonry doesn't seemed to appeal to younger men as it did when I first joined in 1975, probably because younger blokes find all the formality a bit too ritualistic and conservative ? Younger blokes seem to want all the action, and want it quickly, rather than wait around for their turn or something ?

Indeed, you summed-up the organisation pretty well I reckon, ONTHEBEACH. Perhaps you have a Mason ensconced somewhere within your family ? I don't go to Lodge now, a bit too old and the meetings go pretty late into the night, consequently I get quite tired unfortunately ? Moreover my locomotion is poor, and night driving is not my favourite activity I must admit ? Nevertheless, I really enjoyed lodge meetings, and I do miss them very much.

Thanks mate.