The world is full of disagreeing people. It seems that no one can see eye to eye on almost any subject, we’re all divided. From religion to politics to social norms to sports, nothing is unanimously agreed upon. The only way we can somehow function is to agree to disagree, acknowledge our differences and respect each other’s opinions. However, there are times when one side chooses to persuade others that their side is the correct choice. When doing so, one must present rational and concrete evidence, but if you can’t, just shut up about it. Go back to agreeing to disagree and move on.
One day someone came up to me and told me about their extensive research they’ve done on Masonry and how it was clearly satanic. Me, being a Mason, asked him about his “extensive research” and where I could find it. Then he says,
“Well, clearly if you do a Google search you’ll find it. It’s right there, brother.”
“Come on bro,” I said. “I wanna see this extensive research. I mean I’ve been a Mason for five years. I’ve seen nothing satanic.”
“Again. It just takes a quick search and you’ll find it. And plus, like I said, all you have to do is think about it. It’s all right there in plain sight,” he says. I nodded.
“Really? Because the Bible is right in front of us in most cases. Are you saying the Bible is satanic?”
I guess a cat “got his tongue” because he got really quiet. Then he did that nervous laugh people do when they’ve ran out of BS to say. Suddenly the subject changed and I moved on.
This is what drives me crazy; if you have extensive research, concrete evidence, or obvious proof—show it! Show off the proof like rappers do gold chains and cars. This is especially true if you’re trying to disprove or invalidate someone’s extensive training, skill set or profession.
Again, I am a Mason and if there were any evidence that it was satanic, I would have seen it. From my knowledge of masonry, which is limited, it’s about giving a man the tools needed to be successful and profit in all walks of life. People who claim it’s satanic are usually people who are NOT MASONS or people who people who have been rejected or kicked out by the lodge.
To be honest, I figured he got his information from some book written by a crazed, bitter person. I’ve read a few of those books, like “Pale of the White Horse,” for example. They are full of anonymous sources and hearsay. Some writers even claim that their evidence was destroyed by the government, something you can’t truly prove.
It does, however, sound great to the people who need a reason to be mad at the world. It also sounds great to people who want to show proof that everyone is a victim. I think he just needed to sound smart to prove to himself he was relevant. I was wondering if he had any “evidence.” The funny part to me is, other people will believe this dude, even though they also have little or no proof. They will believe him just because it sounds good.