How Obnoxious : Linked by Crazies
How completely obnoxious. I checked my hit counter this morning and saw that traffic was unusually high. I went through the track backs and found many hits from a site called 'conspiracy archive'. I clicked on the link only to find out that it is one of those insane conspiracy websites that peddle crap and nonsense to the gullible and weak minded.
I was so honored because one of these conpsiracy nut jobs stumbled across my post honoring the late President (and Brother) Gerald Ford. My post here was 'referenced' as if I were some leading authority on this kind of information.
Now a bunch of wackos are going to be wandering in here, probably soon to infest all of the masonic blogs, in an effort to accuse us of all manner of insane nonsense.
Great, and Happy New Year to you too.
P.S. To the conspiracy types who wander in here. Please, get a life. If you want to know what evil deeds the Freemasons are up to, why not petition a lodge and join. What you need are some friends and a meaningful way to occupy your endless free time.
Comments
Notice that Gerald R Ford was the 38th president and 3+8=11, he took office in 1974 and 7+4=11 and he died on 12/26 and 1+2+2+6=11? Also, 12/26 was the day of the 2003 Bam Iran earthquake, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and the 2006 Taiwan earthquakes. Notice that there are also 11 letters in Gerald R Ford. Pay close attention to what he had to say about Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld and other topics in his 2004 interview and that this interview was not aired until after the 2004 presidential election, the 2006 mid-terms, and after his death. Much of the information surrounding Gerald R. Ford provides yet more keys to understanding the truth about the USA and the current administration.
Notice that the two tornadoes framing GW's ranch made a symbolic number 11, occurred on Dec. 29, and 2+9=11? Likewise, Hurricane Katrina was storm #11 and occurred on August 29. Read the following article (Eleven Roars Loudly !!) to better understand the symbolism of two such perfectly timed and placed cyclical storm clouds. Karma's a bitch when She's provoked and looks like She's been playing with GW and his cronies and handlers so they taste some of the fear they've been using against others. The grand finale should be interesting...
Notice also that the sum of the digits in 1/1/2007=11...
May the New Year make you smile !!
Peace...
I don't know is you know this, but 2+2 = 4.
When I said that the 'crazies' were going to wander in here, man was that an understatement....
No much you can do about "crazies" coming to your site, and by it, passing to others. My and my Lodge's site are routinely linked by several "crazy" and anti-masonic forums. Through it, our RSS chain was compromised and to this day we still have to deal with linkbacks, and spam traffic to our forums and our blogs.
I've been toying with the idea of putting ad-sense on my site, or some other means of advertisement, so when they come, I at least get some compensation ;)
Hopefully they have a good Google PageRank and you can benefit.
S&F
Brother Jason A. Mitchell
yes, there are many people running around accusing all kinds of fraternities of assisting the new world order. but sane people know that the need to talk about illuminised freemasonry, about the uppermost ranks of infiltrated fraternities such as yours.
the head of global freemasonry was warning his fraternity that an infiltration was happening by a sun cult order around the time america was built. exclamation mark. i suggest that YOU get a life and start wondering where your know-it-all attitude comes from. it's understandable that the numerology issue from a previous comment does nothing to you but strengthen your own idea about your presumed sanity. but just what the hell do you think the upper ranks are dealing with? beer and wine? they are hoarding these occult secrets that are withheld from the masses for various reasons, since hundreds of years. but of course you laugh about that, like you are meant to.
'The Blue Degrees are but the outer court or portico of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the Initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry.' (Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma)
the freemasonry you talk about and the freemasonry i talk about are like a cashier and a bankier. all world systems are compartmentalised pyramid structures. if you don't understand that simple concept or seek to just laugh the seriousness of these matters away by calling people like me names, then you're an idiot, i'm afraid, like 90% of the people on this planet.
well-meaning greetings from austria, hope i haven't wasted my time.
By 'crazies' I mean people who succumb to conspiracy logic. You know, the guys who believe that a lack of evidence is, in and of itself, proof of something nefarious.
I belong to the organizations mentioned but I suppose, since I'm not a high-uppity up, I must be in the dark. Or, of course, if I was a high-uppity-up, then I would lie because I am covering up the conspiracy.
It does little good for you to tell me that what I experience is not true simply because you believe it to be otherwise. I will always favor reality over fantasy and delusion if you catch my drift.
From the sites I have perused the implication is that simply belonging to a Masonic fraternity makes you suspect. Which shows a deep missunderstanding for how Freemasonry actually operates and works.
We are a Fraternal organization of men who dedicate ourselves to the highest moral standards and try to be of service to our fellow men.
Of course many politicians have belonged to the institution since, at least in the idea, a politician should be dedicating their lives as a service to their fellow man.
The United States of America was founded largely by Freemasons on Freemason principles of the Enlightenment.
What I would like to know is how you find meaning in your life worrying about New World Orders and other such nonsense when your time and energy could be much better spent in more spiritually uplifting ways.
Hey, what do I know. I'm about to head up the lodge and give blood. I will let you know if we plot world take-over before, or after, we have our cookies.
John
We are a Fraternal organization of men who dedicate ourselves to the highest moral standards and try to be of service to our fellow men.
Didicated to what? Lying to new members about it not being a religion "hoodwinking" the individual. What complete crap.
The United States of America was founded largely by Freemasons on Freemason principles of the Enlightenment.
This stupid saying comes up all the time. Just because a few masons signed a document doesn't mean they get free will to do as the want. Freemasons are liars, crooks, and cheats. Just look at the pitiful Shriners. That organization is being investigated by the I.R.S. But you do charity. Big deal who cares. Just because you do something nice doesn't mean you can get away with lying. And that's what masons do. Lie.
Brother of light.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=91490225
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle."
"That's some catch that catch 22," He observed.
"It's the best there is." Doc Daneeka agreed.
John, one of the most appreciated articles I've ever written was on the Masonic numerology in "The Wizard of Oz." The GL officers just discovered it, and lately it's been getting passed around some more.
Unfortunately the irony is lost on the "7 stars" and "brothers of light" and the rest of the conspiracy types. Freemasonry is Zen-like in the sense that the biggest secret is that there are no secrets - certainly not like what they're thinking. Hidden cabals plotting for some unknown nefarious ends... who can keep making this up with a straight face, anyway?
Now, if you'll excuse me; I have to get the black helicopter back to the hangar at the Denver Int'l Airport. I borrowed it to move some furniture, and the Zeta-Reticulan teleportation devices have been kinda flaky since the sunspots started acting up.
The Tao of Masonry
Andy Warhol
>>When ever anyone attacks mason. All you masons start to say,"Charity this, and Charity that."
Yes, we do. Because it is true.
>>Give me a break you are a cult and a loser religion.
Thanks for sharing your opinion, pardon me if I choose to disagree.
>>Yes you are a religion so stop lying and stop talking about charity all the time.
Hmmm..no, we are not a religion. And, you we can talk about charity since our motto continues to be 'Brotherly love, relief, and truth'
>>Give me a break. Bibles, alters, and prayers. Yeah your not a religion what B.S.
How can it be a religion when anyone from any religion can join, including no religion at all? You merely need to believe in God and that God complells us to good in the world. It seems to me that you work quite hard to make something simply difficult.
>>Dedicated to what?
Brotherly love, relief, and truh.
>>Lying to new members about it not being a religion "hoodwinking" the individual. What complete crap.
We aren't a religion and, therefore, it is not a lie. Hoodwinking is part of the ceremony. Anyone who gets the history channel ought to know that by now.
>>This stupid saying comes up all the time. Just because a few masons signed a document doesn't mean they get free will to do as the want.
Just because a few masons? George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, dunno, those seem to be pretty prominent fellows.
I suggest you spend some more time reading history. Once you learn how the enlightenment movement eventually overthrew monarchies, dictatorships, and the dangers of theocracy maybe you will gain a greater appreciation for the debt you owe these great men.
The most basic freedoms we cherish are the fruits of those labors. And, you can thank an awful lot of Freemasons in that effort.
>>Freemasons are liars, crooks, and cheats.
Freemasons act upon the square and by the level. It seems to me you don't know many.
Finally, why do you care? Why does hating Freemasons gives your life meaning?
Brother John
Dang. John, I'm sorry - I wasn't checked, so I seem to have given you a dose of the "Andy Warhol" virus. It's characterized by text appearing to be written by a rebelious 14 year old. For some reason, he believes that being an Anti-Mason gives him some of that "15 minutes" of fame. Well, mostly he appears to post a lot of swears, daring you to not delete them, but a couple of times he actually completed a sentence.
Sad, really.
He's been attaching himself to various online Masons. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to replicate.
Anyway, our sensors in the black helicopters have picked up his signal and our Illuminati friends have been in contact with his ISP. Hopefully he won't bother you much.
"What I would like to know is how you find meaning in your life worrying about New World Orders and other such nonsense when your time and energy could be much better spent in more spiritually uplifting ways."
because these powers are keeping us in the dark, pure and simple. NOTHING can uplift you TRULY other than getting rid of what is false. again, you simply don't understand what kind of personages are encountered in the higher echolons of fraternities such as yours. but this is not about my beliefs, you know. you could make yourself smart about all of this yourself, like i have.
other than that, fraternities and groups are for those who don't want to search for their answers within, same as religions, just a different slant, but the same psychological net for the frightened individual (herd mentality). so please don't tell me about spiritual work. anyone who needs a groups to belong to should not even utter the word spirituality. and sure, charities on the street level seem like sugar, but it does little to change the world if the upper levels perpetrate a thousand more evils to contradict it. again, compartmentalised pyramid structure. same as the red cross and greenpeace, and the WWF who was funded by 'Prince' Philip, who says he wants to be reborn as deadly virus to help depopulating the earth. these are the agendas your 'brothers' are working on. i mean i've said it all before, but i'm talking to a wall like i supposed. did you even read that albert pike quote? do you even know who the man is? america was founded by freemasons to enlighten america?? right, and i guess franklin was busy working on that one while spending the time with his buddies from the Hellfire Club. give me a break.. but i've given you enough clues, wasted enough time you don't seem to deserve. i didn't know much about the street level fraternity member, but it's quite clearly the same brainwashing as with religion. 'we are the good ones, doing good things, we are spiritual'. you don't have your two feet together to stand on, that's why you need such a structure to believe your something. and i don't blame you for that, the psychology of human beings altogether is as fucked up as can be. any spark of hope is welcomed by such a being. the bitter irony is, like with relgion, that the men who built your shelters are responsible for it.
"I will always favor reality over fantasy and delusion if you catch my drift."
sure.. some just need to be slapped by the hand that feeds them, otherwise they'll never question a thing.
my last post here, take care..
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/masonic1.htm
That is all I need to no that masonry is a disgusting organization.
Brother of Light
>>because these powers are keeping us in the dark, pure and simple.
Well, this is pure and simply not true.
>>again, you simply don't understand what kind of personages are encountered in the higher echolons of fraternities such as yours.
Ron82, you simply cannot understand because you have no idea what you are talking about. First of all, I know many, many, many Freemasons in the so called 'upper echelon' and I call them my friends.
Have you ever joined the Freemasons? Have you gone through the line? Are you a member of the Scottish Rite?
You do not speak from personal experience, I do. I can assure you that Freemasons nationwide are a charitable Fraternity that dedicates themselves to making good men better.
>>you could make yourself smart about all of this yourself, like i have.
I don't see how you have 'made yourself smart' about all of this when you do not belong to any Freemason Fraternities like I do. You do not speak from authority but, rather, from ignorance.
>>You are a society with secrets.
Actually, not really. Our only secrets are handshakes, passwords, and some ritual; all of which you can find in about a thousand places on the Internet and in numerous bookstores.
Not very secret if you ask me. If we were truly secret wouldn't we change our handshakes and passwords once they had been discovered?
>>Hell you guys won't even tell you wife what happens at the lodge.
Once again, this shows your ignorance of what actually goes on at a Freemason lodge. I *have* to tell my wife what goes on at a Freemason lodge, how else would she know what our social schedule is like? You do realize that Masonry is a Fraternity which includes the entire family don't you?
I tell my wife everything that goes on in my lodge, providing I can get her to even listen.
>>Yeah you are a religion, alters, bibles, and prayers.
No, we are not a religion in any traditional sense. Yes, we all profess a belief in God and admit that God compels us to do good in the world.
>>I hope we will meet in that great big lodge in the sky. Yeah your not a religion.
Yep, we are not a religion.
>>That is all I need to no that masonry is a disgusting organization.
The organization is not disgusting in any way.
How would you know anyway, are you currently or have you ever been a Freemason?
John
Brother of Light
6:18 PM
The Masonic Temple always has the entrance in the west and the altar in the east. In the Bible we are told the entrance of the Garden of Eden was in the east. While this may seem to be coincidental, the entrance to the Tabernacle was in the east with the Holy of Holies in the west. Solomon’s Temple (and subsequent Jewish Temples) had their entrances in the east and the Holy of Holies in the west. To enter the Garden of Eden and go to the Tree of Life, one was traveling from east to west. To enter the Tabernacle or the Temple to approach God, the priest traveled from east to west. Freemasonry is 180 degrees reversed. (23) As a matter of fact, one of the signs of Masonry is the statement; "I have been traveling in the east." (24) This seems much more significant when one considers the supposed origins of Masonry with Solomon. If God gave Solomon explicit instructions for the construction of the Temple, why would he design the Masonic Temple in reverse? This reverse image is very prevalent in the occult. The occult teachings seem to always be the negative image of the positive of God’s Word .
There are also certain oaths in Masonry that are very suspect. For example, as a Mason you must swear to conceal the crimes of other Masons. This equates to telling a lie and calling it moral. (25) The Bible records in Revelation 21, "…all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone forever." How can one ascribe to the Holy Scriptures and rationalize behavior opposite to its teaching?
Freemasonry teaches the doctrine of Universality. Simply put, this is the brotherhood of all men under the fatherhood of God. THIS IS NOT IN THE BIBLE. FURTHERMORE, THIS DOCTRINE IS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO THE TEACHINGS OF SCRIPTURE. The Bible records that when Adam turned from God and fell into sin, his sinful nature was passed to all of his descendents. A birth, of sorts took place at this point. Due to the fact that God cannot and will not tolerate sin, the lineage of all of mankind was then adopted by the originator of sin, Lucifer. As a result, all men are "born in sin" under the fatherhood of Lucifer. Jesus made this clear in John 8:44 when he told the Pharisees, "Ye are of your father, the Devil….". The only way a man can now become a child of God is to turn from himself, confess his sin and lost condition to God, repent of that sin, and trust by faith the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ for reconciliation to God. ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR ARE THE SONS OF GOD!! Manly Hall revealed the opposite position of Freemasonry when he wrote:
"To the altar of Freemasonry all men bring their most
votive offerings. Around it all men, whether they have
received their teachings from Confucius, Zoroaster,
Moses, Mohammed, or the founder of the Christian
Religion (note he does not name the name of Jesus –ed.),
just as long as they believe in the universality of the
of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man
…. meet upon a common level." (26)
Manly P. Hall -- "When the Mason learns that the key to the warrior on the block is the proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the mystery of his Craft. The seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands and before he may step onward and upward, he must prove his ability to properly handle energy." [Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, p. 124; Emphasis added]
Masonry deliberately lies to its own lower-level people! Masonry "uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead." [Pike's words, not mine]
The Bible has some very important -- eternally important -- statements about lying.
"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;" [Colossians 3:9]
"... no lie is of the truth." [1 John 2:21] You speak glibly of the "truth" and yet defend an organization that deliberately lies to its lower-level members!
"And there shall in no wise enter into it [eternal Heaven] any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:" [Revelation 21:27; no liar will ever enter into Heaven; do you still have the gall to call yourself 'Christian'?]
"For without [Heaven] are ... sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." [Revelation 22:15]
Once again, the gig is up; Freemasonry has exposed itself as Antichrist, and has counseled lying, and admittedly worships Lucifer. Do you still think you are a Christian?
Freemasonry also teaches the following about Jesus Christ: 1) "Jesus received his wisdom from Gnosis" [p. 563, 26th Degree]. Gnosticism was one of the heresies Paul and the Apostles battled. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, that by Him and His Wisdom, everything was created [John 1:1]. Once again, Freemasonry is discovered to be teaching pagan nonsense rather than Biblical Truth. 2) Jesus is the same as other great spiritual lights in history, like Plato [p. 539, 26th Degree]. 3) Jesus is not unique at all, despite acknowledging that Jesus claimed to be unique. Masonry has just called Jesus Christ a liar! Do you still want to call yourself a Christian?
Freemasonry also teaches the age-old Satanic lie that reality is not the same for everyone, but that it changes with each person. I would like to see you drive an automobile with this mentality; when you crash into that car crossing your path, whose reality would win out, yours or the other driver?
"Truths are not eternal, but meant for a period of time only". [p. 37, 2nd Degree]. Boy, has the New Age Movement really latched on to this lie big-time! Further, our Public School System has taught this lie to our young people, so that they really believe that the "truths" of 2,000 years ago do not apply in this 20th Century. Now, I know where the New Agers and the school system got this lie -- from Masonry. You all are going to be mightily surprised on Judgment Day to discover that God never changes, never changes His mind, and never lets mortal man with death in his mouth to decide which commandments he wants to obey!
"Truth is different things to different people" [p. 165, 10th Degree]. Once again, you will discover that God never, ever changes, and that every Word He uttered was complete, absolute Truth. As Jesus said, "My words shall never pass away" [Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33]
Eternal Life Teachings. Since every religion has to answer the question of what lies beyond Death, Masonry is no exception. Let us see how Masons hope to attain eternal life:
"... sacrifices to God are good works ..." [Morals and Dogma, p. 219, 5th Degree] Saved by works, eh? Is that why Masonry does so many good works in the community -- such as Children's Burn Center -- because you all are trying to earn your way into Heaven? The Bible says it is impossible to please God with our good works, and we cannot earn our way into Heaven by them. Listen:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works ..." [Ephesians 2:8-9] Further, we are told God hates the good works of man when they are offered as a means of pleasing Him or of obtaining salvation. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags;" [Isaiah 64:6]
The real
Brother of Light!
I tell my wife everything that goes on in my lodge, providing I can get her to even listen.
Sorry I'am not the one who thinks salvation can be made by,"good works." And no it doesn't include the whole family. Because their are things that you only tell members of the so called "Fraternity." You have secrets that only intiated members know. And you don't tell them to anyone else except intiated members. And since women can't enter that would mean your wife doesn't know everything. So I guess this shows the amount of your ignorance. Know bost about charity like all the broken record masons do.
Brother of Light
You are correct. Freemasons are open minded and tolerant. While we all agree that there is a God that created the Universe and that God compells us to do good in the world, we do not find it necessary to go beyond that.
I see now from your most recent post that your biggest problem with Freemasonry is that we are tolerant, open-minded, dedicated to good works, and honor God; the creator of the Universe.
I can see now that since you subscribe to such a restrictive, exclusionary, and dogmatic religious point of view that you might find something as enlightened as Freemasonry a bit frightening.
Don't worry Brother, be happy.
Yeah that was a great enlighting statment from one of your brothers.
open-minded
Lets see that was a great statement. When Adolf Hitler was burning jews in the oven and someone didn't agree. His comeback was we are making the Ayran race pure. Open your mind. I don't support the K.K.K. should I open my mind to their ideals? No. Yeah masons have open minds that's why they fall for anything.
You are correct. Freemasons are open minded and tolerant. While we all agree that there is a God that created the Universe and that God compells us to do good in the world, we do not find it necessary to go beyond that.
No it goes beyond that. Way beyond that.
Albert Mackey, one of the most well known Masonic authorities, wrote in A LEXICON OF FREEMASONRY (Pg. 402): "The religion, then, masonry, is pure theism...".
Albert Pike, the most important of all American Masonic authorities wrote in MORALS AND DOGMA (Pg. 213-214): "Every Masonic lodge is a temple of religion, and its teachings are instructions in religion...this is true religion revealed to the ancient patriarchs; which masonry has taught for many centuries, and which it will continue to teach as long as time endures."
FIRST: What is its attitude toward the Bible?
SECOND: Any religious teaching should be tested by this question; What is its attitude toward Jesus Christ?
THIRD: In judging a religious system, we should ask, What is its attitude toward the blood of Jesus Christ!"
According to these three tests, masonry is a false religion manifesting a satanic attitude toward the Bible, the Deity of Jesus Christ, and the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. In order to establish this charge, keep in mind the Word our Lord Jesus Christ who said, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." Please consider now the testimony of Masonic authorities which reveal Masonry's satanic attitude toward the Bible, the Deity of Jesus Christ and the vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross.
Joseph Ford Newton, a famous authority and writer, in an article entitled "The Bible and Masonry" wrote "The bible so rich in symbolism is itself a symbol...thus, by the very honor which masonry pays the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in which men find help for today and hope for tomorrow, joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes his oath on the Koran, with the Hindu as he makes covenant with God upon the book that he loves best."
This is why masonry fails. Go ahead though keep an open mind. That's why you fell for the masonic lie in the first place was to have an open mind.
Don't worry brother keep lying.
Albert Pike? Good luck in finding Masons who have read his works. While his Morals & Dogma was passed out to Southern Scottish Rite members (not all Masons by any means), it's not clear that all those who got a copy actually read his tortured phrasings. And of those who did, I hope that they did not take it out of context the way that the Conspiracy K00ks do.
Pike is only the "most important Mason" to those antis who do not have an intellectual grasp of comparative religion and philosophy. The quote "...this is true religion revealed to the ancient patriarchs..." sounds nefarious until one actually reads the entire chapter, when it becomes obvious that Pike is writing metaphorically about the commonalities of the moral systems throughout the ages.
Metaphor. Might want to look that up.
And that "false religion" thing? Nobody, including Pike, claims that Masonry is a religion. In fact, it's quite clear that one needs their own religion in order to become a member.
As John says, sometimes it seem that to the antis, the worst thing about us is that the fraternity encourages an open-minded tolerance, if not an appreciation, for one's fellow men.
Since when did tolerance, charity, and a desire to improve one's self become bad things?
The "occultic" is defined as that which is:
"deliberately kept hidden: not revealed to others; secret. Of, relating to, or dealing in matters regarded as involving the action or influ- ence of supernatural agencies or secret knowledge of them."
http://freemasonrywatch.org/holly.html
Go ahead and copy and paste that link. It tells what freemasonry is. It doesn't take a mental giant to know what goes on behind closed lodge doors. Their's more then meeting new people, planning charity events, and fish frys. Go ahead and try to smoke screen with keystrokes.
As far as being tolerant of the next man's beliefs. If standing next to a man who's G.A.O.T.U. is Lucifer, Allah, or, the Virgin Mary no thanks. I find that being tolerant and open minded of things leads to anything goes.
"The root problem (for Christians) in Freemasonry, is that it is truly a form of religion that has its own creed, religious instruction, and ritual that is Universalist in nature, recognizing all religions equally."
"Participating in Masonry must surely separate its real Christian members from full service to Christ, as well as "yoking them unevenly with nonbelievers in Christ,"which the Bible forbids in 2 Corinthians: 6:14-18:
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
"Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "and do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.
"And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.
And yes yoking applies to freemasonry and that person you stand/sit next to at the lodge that thinks Allah, Buddah, and who knows what else is god.
With that point in mind, let us look first at the ritual similarities between contemporary Wicca and Freemasonry:
A) Both are built on a foundational system of three degrees; with a few forms of Wicca offering some higher degrees after the third degree has been achieved.
B) Both are secret societies; in that both membership rolls are secret, and secrets are kept from the general populace (to a greater or lesser degree) by both religions. Both generally meet in secret, except for rare open and public events.
C) Both have highly ceremonial initiations to pass from one degree to another, including sworn oaths.
D) Both have ceremonial purgings and purifications of their ritual space before commencing any ritual work.
E) The precise similarities between the two groups are: Both groups…
1. Cause candidates to strip off all secular clothing
2. Cause the candidate to be divested of all metal
3. Hoodwink (blindfold) the candidate and ceremonially tie ropes around him—though the form of the tying varies.
4. Cause the candidate to stand in the Northeast corner of the "temple"4 in the first degree
5. Challenge the candidate by piercing their naked chest with a sharp instrument (Witches use a sword, Masons, the point of a compass)
6. Challenge the candidate with secret passwords
7. Lead the candidate blindfolded in a circumambulation (walking around) of the temple.
8. Require the candidate to swear solemn oaths of secrecy before being given custody of the secrets of the group.
Interestingly enough, the oaths of a Witch are much milder and less gruesome than the oaths of a Freemason. Here is the text of a first grade oath from the Witchcraft Book of Shadows (ritual work-book):
I, [NAME], in the presence of the Mighty Ones, do of my own free will and accord, most solemnly swear that I will ever keep the secrets of the Arte [Magical Arts—author] and never reveal the secrets of the Arte, except it be to a proper person, properly prepared and within a magic circle such as I am now in.
All this I swear, by all my hopes of a future life, mindful that my measure has been taken; and may my weapons turn against me, if I should break this, my solemn oath.5
This sounds ridiculously mild in comparison to the 1° oath of an Entered Apprentice Mason, which is too long to quote in its entirety, but which ends like this:
All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same…binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly violate this my Entered Apprentice obligation, so help me God and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same.6
As all students of Freemasonry know, that grisly oath is but the beginning in a series of ever more horrid oaths which the candidate is required to take. The oaths of the three degrees of Witchcraft are like a Sunday School lesson by comparison! But, let's return to our list of similarities:
9. Both have a ceremonial un-hoodwinking of the candidate, following the oath, before lighted candles which is intended to bring "illumination."
10. Both convey to the new initiate the "working tools" pertinent to that degree, and each of their uses are taught to them.
11. In both, the tools have correspondences both in the ceremonial realm, and in similarities to human reproduction.
12. Both, in the higher degrees, take the initiate through a ritual death-and-rebirth experience, in which the initiate acts the part of a hero (heroine) of the Craft.
13. Both cause the candidate to endure (while being blindfolded) being picked up, spun around, carried around, being jostled or struck from person to person. This is supposed to produce an "altered state of consciousness."
14. Both Wicca and Freemasonry are, by co-incidence or design, both referred to as "The Craft."
No thanks. And this isn't right in the least.
Brother of light
The "occultic" is defined as that which is:
"deliberately kept hidden: not revealed to others; secret. Of, relating to, or dealing in matters regarded as involving the action or influ- ence of supernatural agencies or secret knowledge of them."
http://freemasonrywatch.org/holly.html
Go ahead and copy and paste that link. It tells what freemasonry is. It doesn't take a mental giant to know what goes on behind closed lodge doors. Their's more then meeting new people, planning charity events, and fish frys. Go ahead and try to smoke screen with keystrokes.
As far as being tolerant of the next man's beliefs. If standing next to a man who's G.A.O.T.U. is Lucifer, Allah, or, the Virgin Mary no thanks. I find that being tolerant and open minded of things leads to anything goes.
"The root problem (for Christians) in Freemasonry, is that it is truly a form of religion that has its own creed, religious instruction, and ritual that is Universalist in nature, recognizing all religions equally."
"Participating in Masonry must surely separate its real Christian members from full service to Christ, as well as "yoking them unevenly with nonbelievers in Christ,"which the Bible forbids in 2 Corinthians: 6:14-18:
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
"Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "and do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.
"And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.
And yes yoking applies to freemasonry and that person you stand/sit next to at the lodge that thinks Allah, Buddah, and who knows what else is god.
With that point in mind, let us look first at the ritual similarities between contemporary Wicca and Freemasonry:
A) Both are built on a foundational system of three degrees; with a few forms of Wicca offering some higher degrees after the third degree has been achieved.
B) Both are secret societies; in that both membership rolls are secret, and secrets are kept from the general populace (to a greater or lesser degree) by both religions. Both generally meet in secret, except for rare open and public events.
C) Both have highly ceremonial initiations to pass from one degree to another, including sworn oaths.
D) Both have ceremonial purgings and purifications of their ritual space before commencing any ritual work.
E) The precise similarities between the two groups are: Both groups…
1. Cause candidates to strip off all secular clothing
2. Cause the candidate to be divested of all metal
3. Hoodwink (blindfold) the candidate and ceremonially tie ropes around him—though the form of the tying varies.
4. Cause the candidate to stand in the Northeast corner of the "temple"4 in the first degree
5. Challenge the candidate by piercing their naked chest with a sharp instrument (Witches use a sword, Masons, the point of a compass)
6. Challenge the candidate with secret passwords
7. Lead the candidate blindfolded in a circumambulation (walking around) of the temple.
8. Require the candidate to swear solemn oaths of secrecy before being given custody of the secrets of the group.
Interestingly enough, the oaths of a Witch are much milder and less gruesome than the oaths of a Freemason. Here is the text of a first grade oath from the Witchcraft Book of Shadows (ritual work-book):
I, [NAME], in the presence of the Mighty Ones, do of my own free will and accord, most solemnly swear that I will ever keep the secrets of the Arte [Magical Arts—author] and never reveal the secrets of the Arte, except it be to a proper person, properly prepared and within a magic circle such as I am now in.
All this I swear, by all my hopes of a future life, mindful that my measure has been taken; and may my weapons turn against me, if I should break this, my solemn oath.5
This sounds ridiculously mild in comparison to the 1° oath of an Entered Apprentice Mason, which is too long to quote in its entirety, but which ends like this:
All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same…binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly violate this my Entered Apprentice obligation, so help me God and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same.6
As all students of Freemasonry know, that grisly oath is but the beginning in a series of ever more horrid oaths which the candidate is required to take. The oaths of the three degrees of Witchcraft are like a Sunday School lesson by comparison! But, let's return to our list of similarities:
9. Both have a ceremonial un-hoodwinking of the candidate, following the oath, before lighted candles which is intended to bring "illumination."
10. Both convey to the new initiate the "working tools" pertinent to that degree, and each of their uses are taught to them.
11. In both, the tools have correspondences both in the ceremonial realm, and in similarities to human reproduction.
12. Both, in the higher degrees, take the initiate through a ritual death-and-rebirth experience, in which the initiate acts the part of a hero (heroine) of the Craft.
13. Both cause the candidate to endure (while being blindfolded) being picked up, spun around, carried around, being jostled or struck from person to person. This is supposed to produce an "altered state of consciousness."
14. Both Wicca and Freemasonry are, by co-incidence or design, both referred to as "The Craft."
No thanks. And this isn't right in the least.
Brother of light
Andy "I'am the man" Warhol
If that's the case, then I don't know which is more pathetic - that I don't have any readers, or that you feel compelled to visit my boring blog so often.
Tom Accuosti
The Tao of Masonry
As I mentioned - Pike, like other noted Masonic authors, was writing metaphorically and not literally. M&D was a huge study of comparative religions and philosophy, and not to be taken as a textbook. Pike himself admits that he mixes in citations with his own opinions, and chose not to footnote references because it's such a jumble.
Freemasonry is no more a religion than golf, football, NASCAR, or any other hobby that generates intense interest.
In fact, just the fact that we encourage those of different religions to respect each other's beliefs would seem to indicate that it's not a religion itself.
Oh, and that Wicca thing is so overdone. First of all, what you know as Wicca was really created in the early 1900s. In fact, since Freemasonry was around for 500 years, it's no wonder that one sees similarities in some rituals - we were the original and others emulate ours toward other ends.
BTW, I've seen Freemasonry Watch. In fact, I read that long before I becamse a Mason. It's one of the most biased sites on the net.
Virtually every single anti-Masonic argument falls away when one realizes that we simply are not a religion - we are a fraternity and encourage good men from all backgrounds to follow their own moral paths to becoming better.
It doesn't take a mental giant to know what goes on behind closed lodge doors.
And you would know this, how? From reading the various Fundamentalist Christian hate-mongers who set up these websites, even after the truth has been pointed out to them? Know what I call those people? Liars for Jesus. Thats' because even after they've been shown actual ritual, and after they've been told what happens, and after they've been pointed out clarifications on various things like M&D, they still insist upon publishing their tired old lies.
What could possibly be the motivation for publishing such lies? Hmm, I wonder.
Tom Accuosti
The Tao of Masonry