[higgmeister]

All you have to say is the Roman Church believe secret societies are forbidden.   We Protestants know it.

My Dad was a Freemason and my Father-in-law was too and was also a Shriner (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine).   No doubt when My Dad and my future Father-in-law got together they did their secret handshake.

Both of them never talked about it.   Later on, after it was too late, I was told that a person has to ask about it before a Mason can talk about it.

That really sounds stupid.   You can't tell your own son about your secret society, but your son can't even know to ask about it if you keep it a secret.

[Pontiac]

Later on, after it was too late, I was told that a person has to ask about it before a Mason can talk about it.

So, you were never in De Molay, the Mason's youth organization?

When I was a kid some of my friends talked about their membership. I asked my parents and they told me I could not join because they were Masons.

https://beademolay.org/

[Pontiac]

All you have to say is the Roman Church believe secret societies are forbidden. We Protestants know it.

It is more than secrecy.

Masons will accept a member from any religion.

The Masons teach Indifrencism - all religions are equal and no religion teaches The Truth.

[Vendome]

2B1 Ask1

[PJ-Comix]

... and my Father-in-law was too and was also a Shriner...

A Shriner is a Mason who likes to have fun and drink a lot (a definition of a Shriner provided to me by a Shriner when I asked him about that.)