Date: 02-07-96 (09:03) Number: 7173 of 7176 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: agent@netcom.com, BILLY D Subj: Re: Magickal Christian Elist-Periodic Posting - fiatad [1/1] Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.astrology,alt.tarot,alt.discordia,alt.divination,alt.freemasonr y,alt.magick.folk,alt.paranet.metaphysics,alt.paranormal,talk.religion.newage Message-ID: Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest) In article r3winter@bga.c om (Jess Karlin) writes: > >What is 'outside' the word and will of God through Christ >is, by definition, Satanic. It makes no difference whether >you and I debate critically whether we agree or don't about >the wisdom of this condition---it is a fact for Christians. > Christ was not the "will of God". CHrist was a psychotic anomaly expressing itself through successive generations of more profound collective schizophrenia. THe break with reality continued as the more afflicted of these folks distributed "God's word" in hybrid forms to the various Pagans on the Plain. Such damage continues to be done to this very day. Fortunately, there are new albeit similarly psychotic belief systems to keep these yahoos busy, not the least of which appears to be the "Worldwide UFO COverup Conspiracy". But what the hell, at least they don't go around burning non-believers. Peace, bro. While I be burning in hell, do keep the candle on your mantle for me. It's not that I didn't believe; it's just that your god is alittle too evil for even my tastes. Date: 02-09-96 (09:04) Number: 7175 of 7176 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: troll@jaguar.datacomm.com, TED ROLLE Subj: Research Lodge of Oregon No. 198 Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: Titan Systems Message-ID: <311B7E96.7E94@jaguar.datacomm.com> On March 21, 1996 Research Lodge of Oregon No. 198 is presenting a program entitled, "The Internet and Freemasonry". I'm the lucky(?) guy presenting it. I'd like to have an on-line demonstration of the WWW and IRC at the meeting; however I don't have any experience with IRC. Can someone point me in the right direction? It's going to be a tyled meeting -- wear your apron . Ted Date: 02-10-96 (06:37) Number: 7176 of 7176 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: mechanic@dmv.com, ISO.. Subj: Re: OES Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: DelMarVa OnLine! Message-ID: <4fh42i$inn@eagle.dmv.com> rtrump@pinsight.com (Richard Trump) wrote: >Could someone give me a rundown on OES. I am currently an entereed >apprentice, and I know that when I become a master mason my wife or both of us >can join OES. My wife is interested in being able to join with me in >something we can do together, but is somewhat "alergic" to rituals. So I >guess what I want to know is if OES has as much ritual work as Freemasonry; >are there degrees and such? Is the line of officers similar, or are things >less formal. Just kind of an overall "feel" for the organization would be >helpful at this point, I do not recall seeing anything about OES in the >Freemason FAQ. Thanks. >Richard Trump >Chico-Leland Stanford #111 >Chico, Calif An adversion to rituals, huh?? Well, just work on getting her nude in public and then .... Seriously.. The Order of the Eastren Star is a fraternal type organization. You don't see much written on it in freemasonary, as you don't see 'alot' on DeMolay. It is structured to support the aspects you're learning and family. Local members should be willing to impart knowledge and assistance.. alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 02/12/96 Date: 02-11-96 (11:15) Number: 7179 of 7181 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: antirush@cris.com, ANTIRUSH Subj: Re: DICTATORSHIP IS THE ANSWER!! Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.illuminati,alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry Organization: concentric research corporation Message-ID: <311dcfd0.1769683@spectator.cris.com> On 10 Feb 1996 02:25:28 GMT, smoking@cancer.com (Marlboro Man) wrote: >I used to be unsure about the so-called Illuminati. > >I have changed my mind about them. > >It is time for a dictatorship...a brutal dictatorship that >mercilessly wipes out the filth and scum of the earth. > >CNN is running a program (as I type) about child abductions. > >I hope the Illuminati's "Rule of Law" calls for the destruction, and >execution of the kind of scum who commit vile crimes. > >Go AHEAD...Get the Dictatorship Going!!!, but just do it RIGHT!!! > >Make it a righteous Dictatorship!!! > >If the Dictatorship WIPES OUT SCUM, then I support it wholeheartedly. > >MM > I AGREE WITH THIS POSTING 1 GAZILLION MILLION THOUSAND PERCENT PEOPLE!!!!!!! DICTATORSHIP WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOCIALISM WORKS ALSO!|!!!! ------------------------------------------------ http://www.cris.com/~antirush It is a real sorry Web Page. ------------------------------------------------ Date: 02-11-96 (22:54) Number: 7180 of 7181 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: dwwest1@ix.netcom.com, DWWEST1 Subj: Re: DICTATORSHIP IS THE ANSWER!!! Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.illuminati,alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry Organization: Netcom Message-ID: <4flrqm$kn1@cloner4.netcom.com> Duncan Adams wrote: On Sun, 11 Feb 1996 10:14:25 +0000, you said the following: >>On 10 Feb 1996 02:25:28 GMT, smoking@cancer.com (Marlboro Man) wrote: >>>I used to be unsure about the so-called Illuminati. I have changed my mind > >>about them.It is time for a dictatorship...a brutal dictatorship that >>>mercilessly wipes out the filth and scum of the earth. >>>Go AHEAD...Get the Dictatorship Going!!!, but just do it RIGHT!!! Make it a >>>righteous Dictatorship!!! >>>If the Dictatorship WIPES OUT SCUM, then I support it wholeheartedly. >>>MM >>I AGREE WITH THIS POSTING 1 GAZILLION MILLION THOUSAND PERCENT >>PEOPLE!!!!!!! >In another thread, I suggested that connections between the Ku Klux Klan >and American Freemasonry were understandable, on the grounds that any >organisation dedicated to the preservation of moral standards could >easily take the step into what the current thread is suggesting (as did >Hitler). >I was rubbished for suggesting this (by Americans, of course). >I am now waiting for apologies/retractions. >Fraternally, >-- >Duncan Adams Dear Brother Adams, We Colonist always like to know WHO"S going to be making the _judgement_ about "WHO IS WHAT" and "WHO AIN"T" before we agree to allowing them to govern us. Just something we inherited from our forefathers, I guess... Fraternally, dWest <><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> It is the nature of Man to conserve within himself traces of ancient hatreds and battles. - BonFarė Date: 02-10-96 (23:23) Number: 7181 of 7181 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: barrya@qni.com, BARRY ALBIN Subj: Re: OES Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: Suba Communications Message-ID: <4fj9do$jpd@suba01.suba.com> It is Co-Masonry. And an acceptable form for all those who seem to feel that women should be in the Lodge. Rabbi Barry Albin 32 KCCH alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 01/17/96 Date: 02-16-96 (14:59) Number: 7209 of 7210 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: ness2@crocker.com, MARIE PAIGE Subj: Re: OES Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: ness2@crocker.com (Marie Paige) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: NESS, Inc. Message-ID: <4g265e$4oc@dns.crocker.com> In article <4fj9do$jpd@suba01.suba.com>, barrya@qni.com says... > >It is Co-Masonry. And an acceptable form for all those who seem to feel >that women should be in the Lodge. > >Rabbi Barry Albin 32 KCCH > Sounds like you're just bursting with 'brotherly love'... You don't belong to any other organizations, do you? Because if you did, I think you'd know that OES or Amaranth aren't even remotely similar to lodge. I grew up with a father and five brothers who all belong to a lodge (and Shrine), and I think I can tell the difference. It's too bad... IMHO, you're the one missing out. Marie Paige, Past Matron of Eastern Star and Grand Conductress of Amaranth in Massachusetts P.S. I NEVER had the urge to be a mason myself, thank you. alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 02/20/96 Date: 02-16-96 (01:11) Number: 7223 of 7242 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: dkusters@riker.acs.calpoly.edu, DAVID KUSTERS Subj: Re: Biblical Connections Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: dkusters@riker.acs.calpoly.edu (David Kusters) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.magick,alt.magick.chaos,alt.magick.ethics,alt.m agick.folk,alt.magick.moderated,alt.magick.order,alt.magick.serious,alt.magick. tyagi,alt.pagan.magick Organization: Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA Message-ID: <4g0lks$pqe@isnews.csc.calpoly.edu> I can tell you the historical connections between Satan and Lucifer, but not the biblical. Lucifer was the God of the Morning Star in either Greek or Roman, I can't remember. Judeo-Christian religions tended to take other religions's gods and say that they were the devil. Another example - Beelzebub was taken from Beelzeboul. Beelzeboul was the Babylonian God of the Sky - the most powerful in their culture. The Ancient Jews took Beelzeboul and called him Beelzebub. In the Babylonian culture, this meant God of . . . let's say 'excrement' in light of the telecom bill. Needless to say, it was an insult. Since this God was not their own, the Ancient Jews called him the devil also. I do not know much about Lucifer, but I assume that something similar happened. Date: 02-16-96 (22:47) Number: 7231 of 7242 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu, CHARLES A PLATER Subj: Re: THE CASE FOR A MASONIC HIT ON KENNEDY.... Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu (Charles A. Plater) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: Wayne State University Message-ID: <4g31il$o2a@cwis-20.wayne.edu> At the bottom of the page is this sentence: Acacia Press is working to re-publish early 19th and early 20th century books and pamphlets on Freemasonry. It also resells modern books on Freemasonry. Why does it always seem that anti-masons are out to make money? If we control all that you think we do, why don't we silence you? I am familiar with the Morgan incident, and he was murdered, but is this any different than the Catholic Church killing (many) people during the inquisition? Those men were wrong for what they did, and should have been, (probably were) expelled from Masonry. I will not say too much on P2 other than the _FACT_ that it was not a regular lodge, and I highly doubt that it was "set up" by any one. If it was it was not a masonic lodge at all. As I understand it Morgan was killed because he was a FreeMason who was going to reveal secrets (This is what all af the stuff I've read has stated about the murder) How does this relate to Kennedy at all? Your points would never be supported. The KKK is not a Masonic order and never has been (if it were, there would be no black masons (other than PHA) and there are.) I would say provide proof of what you say on your web page, but then again the whole point is to get us to buy your anti-masonic book, right? I will not buy it, and I hope that you find out why the other pamphlets went out of print - not because masons supressed it, but because the are false! (Maybe he'll reprint the Leo Taxil hoax pamphlet and get everyone up in arms about lucifer worship (as unfounded as it is).x -- Charles A. Plater, Lab Supervisor, Wayne State University o Lola Valley Lodge #583 F&AM o /^\ Valley of Detroit AASR | Moslem Shrine AAONMS /^\ \/ G \/ Kindness Chapter No. 523 O.E.S. \/ G \/ / \./ \ cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu / \./ \ firelt@ix.netcom.com(John Luebbers ) writes: >In >Wyldwalker writes: >> >>> on's 17th degree (might be 18th), where they >>> > pledge allegiance to their "secret god". >>> If you look into freemasonry at the lowest level you would realise >>> that this god is a personal god, i.e. different to each individual. >>> Hence the term "secret god", now that was not too hard to >underststand was it. >>well that would require him to have a bit more intellect then he >>obviously does posses >There is only one true God. He is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I'm sorry, would you say that name again? You say he was a Jewish carpenter someplace around Bethelem? Sorry, can't say I've ever met the man. Did he do quality work? Do you know what his hourly rate is? You ARE correct in just ONE thing, He is *YOUR* saviour as you were taught. However, He is NOT *everybody* elses Saviour. Your religious beliefs are only about 2000 years old while some of the worlds OTHER religious are probably up past the 10,000 year mark. That makes you a believer in a "Johnny-Come-Lately" religion. Now if my religion has worked for _me_ for so many years, why, in the One True Gods' Name, would I want to believe in yours? As Masons, we are taught to practice religious toleration. I can see by your line of text above that you don't. I can appreciate and have joy in knowing that you have found a system of beliefs. I don't have to appreciate you trying to stuff YOUR beliefs down my throat. Now, if you had said, "I have been taught to believe that there is only one true God and I call him, Jesus Christ". I wouldn't have an arguement with you. But you come onto this newgroup trying to push YOUR peculiar beliefs as if they are the only belief to hold and we are not interested. So just as a person would do were you to enter their house and act in an ill-advised manner, I would ask you to leave this 'house' and don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out. Mike -- Michael D. Stiler Sysdate Consulting Services ::internet stiler@netcom.com NRA LifeMember AMA LifeMember AOPA DAN Retreads HOG TeamOS/2 Bagpiper Master Mason 32nd degree Scottish Rite Knight Templar Shriner Sailor Date: 02-20-96 (02:18) Number: 7239 of 7242 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: mstiler@genmagic.com, MICHAEL STILER Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: mstiler@genmagic.com (Michael Stiler) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: General Magic, Inc. Message-ID: <4gbb1k$rma@cnn.genmagic.com> Barry Albin writes: >You will pardon me, but I do not believe that. My people demand some >proof of your allegation. Y'shua, the prophet, no more claimed deity than >did David when he claimed that all were Gods who heard the word of G-D >proclaimed. Further, your religious opinions are not the basis for >Masonic discussion. Although we appreciate your faith in a singular G-D, >we do not appreciate your proselytism especially when you denigrate >Y'shua the Jew. >Rabbi Barry Albin 32 KCCH Shalom, Rabbi. You were a lot nicer to him than I would have been. But either way, he doesn't strike me a person who cares, nor as a person who thinks. Mike -- Michael D. Stiler Sysdate Consulting Services ::internet stiler@netcom.com NRA LifeMember AMA LifeMember AOPA DAN Retreads HOG TeamOS/2 Bagpiper Master Mason 32nd degree Scottish Rite Knight Templar Shriner Sailor Date: 02-20-96 (02:29) Number: 7240 of 7242 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: mstiler@genmagic.com, MICHAEL STILER Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: mstiler@genmagic.com (Michael Stiler) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: General Magic, Inc. Message-ID: <4gbbn3$rq3@cnn.genmagic.com> cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu (Charles A. Plater) writes: >WOW -- can you say trolling? >-- > Charles A. Plater, Lab Supervisor, Wayne State University Yes, Brother Charles, it *IS* trolling. Not of the highest caliber, but it *IS* trolling. The problem is that if you let the bait go by without attempting to reposition it on the hook so that others can see that it IS just bait, you risk the chance of letting some poor unknowing, but gullible person swallow it. And you know, that if the hook is taken, the line and sinker are not too far behind. Fortunately, I have more patience than some. Unfortunately, I also have much less patience than others. After letting the trolls go by for the last while, I found that my patience has worn even thinner than is usual. You might notice that I'm giving up all pretenses of being polite to some of these 'fishermen', to loosely give them a name. If I get too far out of line in my 'responses' to them, I trust you and the other Brethern will give me wise counsel. Until then however, let me at 'em, I've got bait to cut . Mike -- Michael D. Stiler Sysdate Consulting Services ::internet stiler@netcom.com NRA LifeMember AMA LifeMember AOPA DAN Retreads HOG TeamOS/2 Bagpiper Master Mason 32nd degree Scottish Rite Knight Templar Shriner Sailor alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 2/21/96 Date: 02-20-96 (08:11) Number: 7243 of 7257 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: jlawson@lynx.dac.neu.edu, JOHN A LAWSON III Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: jlawson@lynx.dac.neu.edu (John A. Lawson III) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Northeastern University, Boston, MA. 02115, USA Message-ID: <4gbvof$8op@chaos.dac.neu.edu> John Luebbers (firelt@ix.netcom.com) wrote: : Have you read any of Morals and Dogma Mike? You people are as capable : of lying as anyone else. If Lucifer is not worshiped in freemasonry : than explain some ofthe writings of noted masons. So what if Albert Pike wrote something saying Masonry was satanic. IT was his own interperation. It's not the rule book of masaonry and shouldn't be. Hey even the Bible gets so many interpretations. Why else would there be so many religions and denominations. Masonry is a bunch of symbols that you can interpert any way you wish. Now yiu seem to not undersatnd the concept of a symbol Do you need a definition if the dictionary doesn't help? Date: 02-20-96 (08:31) Number: 7245 of 7257 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: jlawson@lynx.dac.neu.edu, JOHN A LAWSON III Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil... no, criminal....probably Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: jlawson@lynx.dac.neu.edu (John A. Lawson III) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org. un,alt.illuminati Organization: Northeastern University, Boston, MA. 02115, USA Message-ID: <4gc0tl$8op@chaos.dac.neu.edu> Acacia Press, Inc. (acacia@rmc1.crocker.com) wrote: :ALL bunch of nonsense cut out. You can not find out what masonry is about by asking just one person. Heck or even one group of people. It's a symbolic organization so each person and our groups has their own interpreation. Also masonry in the United states is run each state is autonomuous there is no british head. Heck if the United Grand lodge did something that would definitly be considered satanic or tried to control the grand lodges around here they would not be recognized as a grand lodge by us anymore. and about thos groups you mention that have "masonic" inmfluence (KKK, Mormons...etc) so what if people in masonry stated them. Masonry does a good job in using the symbolism to protray a lesson in how to treat each other. People who come out of masonry can use the same techniques to protray whever they want. Masonry in no way is in charge of the KKK or any other group. I personally will not recognize anyone in any organization that is full of hate as a mason Learn more about what you are talking about before you write a book., Date: 02-17-96 (14:28) Number: 7249 of 7257 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: tmorgen@ix.netcom.com, T MORGENTHALER Subj: ...bought his degrees..hmmm Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: tmorgen@ix.netcom.com(T.Morgenthaler ) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: Netcom Message-ID: <4g4olq$l9u@ixnews4.ix.netcom.com> I find the posts on Crowley interesting, but I must admit I am more interested in our craft in where it was 25 years ago, where it is today and more important where it is going.... As to buying one's degrees. I have to admit, I bought mine. I paid an initiation fee; at the time it was $85. For that fee, a cast of 12 people minimum put on such a show for my benefit (and fees) that certainly surpasses any ticket I ever bought to any other show. Considering the fact that they did this 3 times, gave me a beautiful bible and apron, I would say that I should have paid a lot more than that $85. What the masonic fraternity has given me is worth more than I could ever be able to pay back. Bought my degrees? Yes, I guess I did. What a bargain! Regards, Ted Morgenthaler, Central #6 Central City, Colorado Date: 02-20-96 (16:59) Number: 7250 of 7257 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: heidrick@well.sf.ca.us, BILL HEIDRICK Subj: Re: CROWLEY, RC, and FM Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: heidrick@well.sf.ca.us (Bill Heidrick) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.magick,alt.magick.tyagi Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA Message-ID: <4gcula$a1s@nkosi.well.com> cn1278@abaco.coastalnet.com (Mephisto) writes: >I was seeking general info on the following; >001. As I understand it, Aleister Crowley was a Mason. What branch >was he part of? Crowley joined several irregular masonic groups. >002. Was Aleister Crowley a Rosicrucian? If so, what Orders did he >belong to that style themselves as Rosicrucian? From what I >understand, he was part of the Golden Dawn. Was that a Rosicrucian >Order? What about the other Orders? Crowley was in the Golden Dawn until shortly after 1901. After that, he walked off in disgust and created his own Golden Dawn, styling it A.'.A.'. As to "Rosicrucian", more than "Mason", this depends on "what is it". The original or FAMA Rosicrucians are apparently long gone. There are at least 150 different Rosicrucian organizations these days, very diverse in nature. Crowley's idea of Rosicrucianism owes much to the fiction of Bulwar Lytton, his membership in G.'.D.'., his membership in OTO and a romantic need for something to replace the religion of his childhood. Appendent Masonic usage of R+C terminology is behind many of the Rosicrucian named movements today, however irregular or tenuous the derivation. E.g. OTO uses R+C terminology in its Vth degree -- although OTO has not been irregular or claimed to be Masonic since 1920, at the time AMORC received an OTO "Gage of Amity" in 1921, this usage was still confused with Masonic usage in some minds. Following a break with OTO by the 1930's, AMORC sponsored a self-certifing body called FUDOSI -- the FUDOSI charters and recognitions are heavily endorsed with 11-fold crosses reflective of AASR and masonic appendant R+C usage. In other words, "Rosicrucian" is a term like "Theosophist" -- it can refer to a particular organization or organizations; but it can also be taken as a category of mystical philosophy, loosely defined. Crowley occasionally ment it in the former sense, but tended to use it more in the latter. 93 93/93 Bill Heidrick Date: 02-19-96 (21:59) Number: 7251 of 7257 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: walter@holli.com, W B ALTER Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil... no, criminal....probably Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org. un,alt.illuminati From: walter@holli.com (W. B. Alter) Message-ID: Organization: IQuest Internet, Inc. "Acacia Press, Inc." wrote: >Toss in links to a Masonic murder, the KKK, a lodge poised for a=20 >coup in italy and you've got reason for concern. If you believe an=20 >assassination conspiracy took place for Kennedy, the evidence strongly=20 >points to the masons. Look at all the masons surrounding the alleged=20 >cover-up. Interesting that they are very careful to only libel Masons in general terms. You'd almost think they had been advised by their lawyer that they can only be sued for libel if they specifically name a particular Lodge, Scottish Rite Valley, or other specific group of Masons. >http://www.crocker.com/~acacia/article.html Personally, I think the word "crock" in their WWW URL is quite fitting. -- Sincerely & Fraternally, ~| Bro. W.B. Alter |o "If I had 2 cents for every time Albert Pike #1169 o| someone put in their 2 cents worth, San Antonio, TX | I'd be a rich man!" alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 2/23/96 Date: 02-18-96 (03:54) Number: 7260 of 7274 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: lesduffy@leapfrog.almac.co.uk, LES DUFFY Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Les Duffy Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Almac Message-ID: <4g67t3$7c2@ernie.almac.co.uk> I am new to these newsgroups and when I came across this newsgroup I was/am dismayed,hurt,shocked and confused to what was /is being written about the Masons I have been a mason since 1982 my father since 1960 and never have we seen this type of flaming The Masons is not a distrustful organisation with self gain in mind, If it was I for one would not continue to be one. It is sad that this is all that people think of Masons. Anybody can become a Mason all that is needed is someone to propose you Please do not speak or write about something you do not understand, learn about it first and keep an open mind until you have all the facts. LEL l Date: 02-22-96 (16:17) Number: 7266 of 7274 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais3.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais3.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Capital Area Internet Service info@cais.com 703-448-4470 Message-ID: <4gi4v8$g06@zippy.cais.net> Just a few points: The Kabbalah is a collection of books of mysticism, but it has nothing to do with witchcraft, as you allege. You are obviously unfamiliar with it. It is not "rejected" by Orthodox Jews (or any Jews), or for that matter, by Christians, but it is not accepted as religious doctrine, either. Kabbalistic interpretation methods (e.g., gematria) are still used in exegesis by Jewish and Christian scholars. Do you ever refer to "the number of the Beast" in your thinking/speaking/writing? That is an example of Kabbalistic gematria. The introduction to Pike's _Morals & Dogma_ makes it clear that it is not a book of official doctrine to be believed by all Scottish Rite Masons, and also that it is a collection of the thoughts of others, not only of Pike's own reasoning. A Scottish Rite Mason is free to accept or reject any or all of it. Of course, you never bother to quote this crucial material, as it would undermine your assertion that Masonry is founded solely on the portions of M&D that you choose to quote. (And often out of context, as well, not to mention without attribution where Pike gives it, sometimes.) The "God of Light" theory that you appear to execrate is the essential doctrine of Christianity ("I am the Life and Light of the world."), so I can't understand your objection to it. And of course, the term "light" figures in many places in Jewish tradition as well--Hanukah is termed the Festival of Lights. So what's your problem? The whole Lucifer thing is completely based on mythology. Zeus Paleologos gave an excellent explanation of it here within the past week. Lucifer is the term used by the ancient Romans to describe Venus when the planet appears at western elongation (i.e., rises before the sun). Satan comes from a Hebrew word meaning adversary. The relation between these two comes from a misunderstanding and mistranslation of a verse in Isaiah, and a lot of muddled thinking, contaminated to some extent by paganism. The word lucifer comes from lux (light) + fer (to bear or to carry). Pike was a church-going Christian; if he chose to see the word "lucifer" as mistakenly applied to Satan, when it should properly have referred to Jesus--which is what his passages on the subject may well mean--then that is hardly a "satanic" doctrine. (Actually, since Venus qua Lucifer/Phosphorus/Heyleyl precedes the sun's rising, the most correct analogy would be to St. John the Baptist, one of the patron saints of Freemasonry in western countries, but that is a whole new topic.) You ask about the 32nd degree. Sorry, but I have no intention of posting the ritual here for you to read. If you want to learn it, you'll have to pay the fees for the degrees and become a Mason--if you can pass the ballot box, of course. There might be a question about your character, since you exhibit a certain amount of intellectual dishonesty. But I can say that the degree teaches the value of education (and struggle against ignorance), resistance to religious despotism and political tyranny, and the value of selfless leadership. You got a problem with any of those? What is the Royal Secret? I daresay that many Masons who have received the 32nd degree do not know, as it is not explicitly stated. Some authors have made various claims regarding its nature, but, as is _always the case in Masonry_, no Mason is required to accept their views but may discover the meanings of symbols for himself. In my opinion, which again, any Mason is free to reject, the Royal Secret cannot be stated, for its value lies is discovering its nature and then applying it to one's life. So I'm afraid your hopes of learning something monstrous to be the Royal Secret is going to be frustrated. Finally, there is no more paganism in Freemasonry than there is in Christianity. Christianity is a deliberately syncretist religion, which absorbed a great deal of pagan practice and belief in order to proselytize various pagan peoples. The date of Christmas and many major church observations (St. John's Day, the Feast of St. John the Divine, Candlemas, All Saints' Day, etc.) are derived from pagan practices. The very name of Easter perpetuates the name of a pagan deity. Christmas trees, icons of saints, Easter eggs, etc.--all these are derived from paganism. You understand neither Freemasonry nor the nature of your own religion. Babble on. But _you_ have been forewarned! Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Date: 02-22-96 (10:33) Number: 7267 of 7274 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rcote@cs.uml.edu, ETHERMAN Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Etherman Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: A poorly-installed InterNetNews site Message-ID: On 20 Feb 1996, Michael Stiler wrote: > Don't bailout on us Les. We, as REAL members of the Masonic Fraternity > KNOW the truth. We're hoping you will also put your knowledge into > the pot with ours to show these folks, who have no direct knowledge of > our Fraternity, the real truth as we practice it. Not some garbage > that they read in a comic book. Hey Mike, how are we supposed to know if you're telling the truth? Etherman Date: 02-18-96 (21:49) Number: 7268 of 7274 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rcote@cs.uml.edu, ETHERMAN Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Etherman Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: A poorly-installed InterNetNews site Message-ID: On 15 Feb 1996, Mike Lamb wrote: > The founding fathers (abr. FF), circa 1770's. > > The masons at this same time were, in this country, were in a state of > transition. Since the > execution of de molay in France for inserruction against the government, > sodomy, drinking blood > from a human skull and urinating on a crucifix (app. 1314). > Their group had been shunned and > its' members harassed and even killed (note that de molay was not the only > reason for > masonary's downslide). They for awhile became almost extinct. Are you talking about Jacques de Molay of Knight's Templar fame? You make it sound as if his execution was around 1770. It was several hundred years earlier. The Knight's Templar were actually never dissolved in Spain. They changed their name to the Knight's of the Cross (or something similar, I can't remember offhand). Interestingly enough Columbus was a member. > By the late 1720's scottish freemasonary in scotland started to undergo a > transformation into the > original type from France, known as "knights templar" (mason name had come > later, the 1720's > to diffuse tension), which is what the masons (depending on timeperiod) > orginally were (knights > templar) (both names mean the same and can be used interchangeable, which > is how you get > part of the masons lineage to hiram abif, the builder of the temple of > solomon, by mason's > claimes). Most of what I've read indicates that the Freemasons were descended from masonry guilds. Their alleged connections to the Knight's Templar came later. The Rosicrucians also claim to have connections to the Knight's Templar. Many occult organizations do. It's often impossible to verify. > This transformation took years in Scotland and was about 25 years behind > in starting > in the colonies. The only remaining problem is how far along were the FF > when this > transformation was taking place here? Undoubtedly George Washington didn't > accept the > "knights templar" and the new age movement because he was a confessed > Christian. This isn't necessarily true. Many of the FF could be considered highly unorthodox Christians (even to the point of not being Christian). > Remember you cannot be a True confessed Christian and a mason (knights > templar) of high > order. Actually the Knight's Templar were Christians. Many "heresies" denied the divinity of Jesus, looked at the crucifixion as meaningless, denied the ressurection, etc. The problem is that the Church tampered with the the gospels and suppressed writings that were contrary to Rome's teachings. Also the teachings of Paul often have no resemblance to the teachings of Jesus. Paul introduced many Mithraic themes into Chrsitianity. It's not even clear what Jesus's real teachings were. > 11. The use of symbols among the masons is rampant! The pentagram, skull > and bones, the all > seeing eye, serpent coiled into a circle sun, moon, planets, tau cross, > point within a circle.... and > many many other symbols. And ALL these symbols are in direct conflict with > christianity by their > actual meaning in masonary. Many Christian symbols have a pagan origin. December 25 happens to be the feast day of Mithra. Easter Sunday also has pagan origins. Etherman alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 2/24/96 Date: 02-20-96 (06:50) Number: 7275 of 7281 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: ccaldero@tnis.net, CHON CALDERON Subj: Re: Hey Guys!!!!!! ( in other words defame someone and sell Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati,alt.politics.org.un From: ccaldero@tnis.net (Chon Calderon) Organization: Zippo Message-ID: <31296b06.625925@snews.zippo.com> On Fri, 16 Feb 1996 02:10:36 -0500, "Acacia Press, Inc." wrote: > >early 19th century anti-Masonic pamphlet after the organized Masonic >murder of Captain William Morgan. > >"It is to be hoped that an institution whose very principles lead directly >to such horrid outrages, and which is entirely made up of dissimulation >and fraud, will be completely suppressed in this country and throughout >the world, and that a barrier be instituted to prevent it from ever again >polluting the earth with its insidious influence. But the public must not >expect to accomplish this desirable object without unwanted pains and >incessant vigilance; their task is but commencing, and, should they lack >in circumspection or perseverance, the monster will yet flourish with more >power and commit greater enormities than ever." > > >Visit the Acacia Press site to learn more about American Freemasonry. > >Read the JFK assassination article at: > >http://www.crocker.com/~acacia/article.html > > >Acacia Press, Incorporated >http://www.crocker.com/~acacia/index.html >PO BOX 154, Montague, MA 01351 Unbeleavable, Does someone think that Freemasons would spend money on such drible. Its sad though, there are some well meaning people who would spend money on books from the Arcadia press and in their ignorance believe evil of Freemasonry. The only responce is to not let our long standing practices of turning the other cheek, and secrecy allow such misinformation to be further spread. Secresy doesnt mean that you cant let the public know of Freemasonry and its works, and lible is lible and should be addressed as such, and if need be brought before the court. Im very proud to be a Mason and definately let others know it. Chon A. Calderon Five points Lodge El paso, Texas With Infinity, All things exist, However some things are more probable than others, and then theres me... Date: 02-20-96 (14:50) Number: 7276 of 7281 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: magnalux@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca, GEORGE HELMER Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: magnalux@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca (george helmer) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Alberta SuperNet Inc Message-ID: <4gcn45$rrl@orion.supernet.ab.ca> >You may claim jehovah as a god, but you pledge allegiance to >abbadon in the 17th degree. Now why don't you (anyone) look up >what/who the god abbadon stands for? What about orisis (sp?)...ect. >and the other gods, angles...ect. that are mentioned in the masonry >rites? As I tried to state in my last post, you may claim some form >of christianity, but you allegiance is to masonry and their gods >of worship. There are many christians, preachers included that do the >same. > The sky is falling, the sky is falling. Maybe we had better check with the experts - Ducky Lucky, Loosey Goosey and maybe even Mikey.... Date: 02-20-96 (14:54) Number: 7277 of 7281 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: magnalux@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca, GEORGE HELMER Subj: Re: Hey Guys!!!!!! Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: magnalux@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca (george helmer) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati,alt.politics.org.un Organization: Alberta SuperNet Inc Message-ID: <4gcnbu$rrl@orion.supernet.ab.ca> A bad attempt to sell poor books... Keep trying.... Date: 02-23-96 (12:14) Number: 7278 of 7281 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: jburrows@computek.net, JACK BURROWS Subj: Re: THE CASE FOR A MASONIC HIT ON KENNEDY.... Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: jburrows@computek.net (Jack Burrows) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.illuminati,alt.freemasonry Organization: Compu-Net Message-ID: <4gkb3p$5rd@news.computek.net> In article <4gj314$qtd@cloner4.netcom.com>, macbrent8@aol.com says... >> Acacia Press ranks right alongside some of the other "publishers" out there . >>National Enquirer, Star, and Weekly News come to mind immediately. >> >>Jack Burrows >>Master Mason >>Doric Lodge #319 AF & AM >> > >Everyone knows that the fucking masons are just a front for the communist >party. Their devil worship and clandestine conspiratorial meetings are >evidence of their depraved souls. To hell with them!!!! Some research on your part would eliminate the contradictions in the above message. If we are a front for the Communist Party, then explain the fact that the Masonic Lodge was one of the first things that Communist leaders attempt to destroy. Every tyrant and dictator throughout history has feared the Masonic Lodge. Secondly, since a true Communist is also an Atheist, one cannot be both a tr ue Communist and a devil worshiper. A bit oxymoronish to say the least. Your eloquent use of profanity further displays both your ignorance as well as level of intelligence. Date: 02-20-96 (14:05) Number: 7279 of 7281 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rtrump@pinsight.com, RICHARD TRUMP Subj: Conspiracy Nonsense Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rtrump@pinsight.com (Richard Trump) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.illuminati Organization: Pagesat, Inc. Message-ID: <4gcka0$b2e@jolt.pagesat.net> In light of all the nonsense being posted here lately, I am posting a short article from Gnosis Magazine (Winter 1988). It is not about Freemason conspiracy theory per se but still relates a bit. MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING by Jay Kinney "It is one of those curious ironies of cultural history that while the vast majority of secret societies through the centuries have been exclusively male institutions, their most inflammatory 20th century critics have been a trio of English ladies. "Nesta Webster, Lady Queenborough, and 'Inquire Within'(Christina Stoddart), though three seperate people, were all remarkably alike in their obsessions and conclusions. Active in the '20s and '30s, they wrote countless books indicting secret societies as the diabolical forces behind the revolutionary movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. "Though there are undoubtedly connections between the Jacobins, Continental masonry, and the various stages of the French Revolution, for example, these grande dames of conspiratology felt obligated to link up nearly every secret order, religious heresy, and radical movement in history into a colossal satanic conspiracy of staggering proportions. "Drawing upon the romantic writings of hardly reliable occultists like Eliphas Levi and John Yarker, and quoting from long discredited anti-masonic ranters like the Abbe Barruel, Nesta Webster, in 'Secret Societies and Subversive Movements'(1924), plowed her way through Western esotericism, exhibiting a remarkable talent for finding only danger and menace where scores of others have found genuine spiritual inspiration. "Though building in part upon Nesta Webster's work (which included a strong current of anti-Jewish ravings), 'Inquire Within', in 'Lightbearers of Darkness'(1930) and 'Trail of the Serpent'(1935), at least had some direct experience of occult matters to draw upon. From 1916 to 1919, Christina Stoddart had been ruling Chief of the Amoun mother-Temple of the Stella Matutina, one of the successor/schisms of the famous Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Amoun Temple had to be closed down in 1919 after Miss Stoddart and two co-chiefs had gotten themselves far out on a limb while experiencing a rather schizophrenic series of astral attacks, visions, and trances which they attributed to 'Black Rosicrucians' from Germany. With one of her co-chiefs commited to a mental hospital, Miss Stoddart reversed her enthusiasm for magical work and subsequently wrote a long-running series of attacks on occult groups for 'The Patriot', the same far right paper where Nesta Webster's articles appeared. "Lady Queensborough's 'Occult Theocracy'(1933) was much in debt to her two predecessors and revealed little in the way of new bombshells, although at 741 pagwes it is the thickest book of the lot. The major portion of the book consists of short chapters, each on a different group. These range from the Order of Jesuits to the A.C.L.U. and the Anti-Saloon League! A lengthy appendix includes reproductions of over a dozen letters from W. Wynn Wescott to Theodore Ruess, largely regarding trading fringe-masonic rituals for the Swedenborgian Rite and the reconsitituted 'Illuminati'. While these letters are given as proof of nefarious connections between English Masons and German Illumanati, their extremely innocuous nature merely serves to discredit the idea that anything untoward was afoot. "Although most serious historians of Western esotericism pay little heed to these volumes, they continue to serve as grist for the mill of conspiracy buffs. Nesta Webster, in particular, has been quoted approvingly by political writers such as Gary Allen, and her books are often found in the John Birch Society's American Opinion bookstores. The accusations live on." # # # END I think this illustrates that these conspracy rantings have long existed and will probably continue on into the future finding menace where other have found brotherhood and inspiration, whether in Freemasonry or other paths. I think that by continuing to serve our respective countries and behaving as upright men (and women) and explaning who we are and what we are doing, to our friends at home and on-line we can let the ranters rant away. I for one don't even WANT to get into this JFK thing, it far surpasses Oliver Stone for wierdness. Now I understand why Rush Limbaugh doesn't let conspiracy people talk on his show, they just say the same tired old things. I for one, think Elvis did it and that is why he is in hiding with the UFO aliens. Richard Trump Chico-Leland Stanford #111 Chico, Calif USA Date: 02-23-96 (09:46) Number: 7280 of 7281 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: Jeffrey.Hargrave@tcinc.com, JEFF HARGRAVE Subj: Re: THE CASE FOR A MASONIC HIT ON KENNEDY.... Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Jeff Hargrave Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.illuminati,alt.freemasonry Organization: TCI Message-ID: <312DEF48.6B59@tcinc.com> Dr. Roger M. Firestone wrote: > > >I think someone called masonry "viciousness in degrees". > > I can't conceive of a more perfect example of why this bilge ought to ---- clipped to save bandwidth ---- > This anti-Masonic stuff is fiction, distortion, and outright malicious > lies. Anti-Masons like to cloak themselves in an aura of religious > respectability and proclaim their enmity for Satan. Yet it is Satan who > is termed the "Father of Lies." I wonder who the anti-Masons pray to > when _they_ use the term "Father?" > > Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Roger: It won't do any good to talk to this person. I learned that the best way to learn was for 2 (or more) people who have different viewpoints to sit down and have a calm, rational discussion about the things they disagree on. They usually come away with an agreement on a third side that neither one had thought of in the first place. This, Mr Acacia Press, is called 'dialogue'. However, this will not work in this case, or in the case of most of the flamers here, because it implies that the people discussing the issues have open minds. What was it that Charles Swindoll said? Think as I think Do as I do Then and only then will I talk to you (apologies to Mr Swindoll, since I don't have the entire quote here and probably left some lines off -- See, at least I admit I didn't post the entire thing). Fraternally, Jeff Hargrave Senior Deacon Edgewater Lodge 159 Edgewater, CO alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 2/26/27 Date: 02-25-96 (01:10) Number: 7288 of 7290 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rcote@cs.uml.edu, ETHERMAN Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Etherman Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: A poorly-installed InterNetNews site Message-ID: On 24 Feb 1996, dlrogers wrote: > firelt@ix.netcom.com(John Luebbers ) wrote: > > >Etherman, If he is a mason he is lying. They are evil AND liars. > > Mr. L., you have accomplished something that I, in all my years of trying to > figure people out, have never been able to accomplish, and I heartily, warmly > congratulate you! > > You have managed to reach an understanding of other people without the silly > intrusion of intelligent thoughts. I envy your ability to judge without > thinking, and without any intrusion of reality. > > I know I'll never be able to equal your effort. It must be a terrible strain > on you, though, and I am sure it must cost you greatly: all those around you > who think have undoubtedly deserted you. > > I know you need my support and prayers. You have them. Now someone answer my question. How could I find out if the Freemasons here are lying? If I can't trust the anti-masons because they're biased then by the same logic I can't trust the masons. Etherman Date: 02-25-96 (15:29) Number: 7289 of 7290 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais2.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais2.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Message-ID: <4gpv9b$7dv@zippy.cais.net> In article , Etherman wrote: >Now someone answer my question. How could I find out if the Freemasons >here are lying? If I can't trust the anti-masons because they're biased >then by the same logic I can't trust the masons. A reasonable point. What you might want to do is investigate the history and character of both groups and see which of them is more likely to be credible. The history of Freemasonry is well documented, and its major players include a vast number of contributors to society--men such as Washington, Truman, and Churchill in politics, Goethe, Schiller, and Conan Doyle in literature, Burl Ives, Ernest Borgnine, Gene Autry in the performing arts, Mozart, Haydn, and Irving Berlin in music, and on and on. Freemasons played essential roles in the civilization of the New World, taming the west, freeing Latin America (e.g., Bolivar was a Mason), and so on. Freemasons have established a vast array of charitable activities, primarily focussing on the health field, such as the famous Shriners' Children's Hospitals for treatment of orthopedic problems and burns, the Scottish Rite speech disorder clinics, the Masonic cancer centers, the Tall Cedars' activities for muscular dystrophy, and many others. Not to mention homes for the aged and even dormitory accomodations at the University of Texas. Among the anti-Masons, one can count a single president of the US, John Quincy Adams (thirteen presidents were Masons), two literary figures (Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens--and it is not clear whether Dickens was really an anti-Mason, or one who simply felt that the Masons of his time were not living up to their standards and were therefore hypocrites), and almost no one else of any consequence in history or who has made a significant contribution to the humanities. The anti-Masons operate no charitable groups but engage in fund-raising only to support themselves: They sell books for profit, seek donations to keep their "ministries" operating on television, and contribute nothing to society at large. All of this is a matter of public record; these facts do not depend on one's ability to determine who is telling the truth. Further, we have the experience of history to teach us what to believe of a group of "anti-" somethings, whether they are anti-Semites, anti-Catholics, or anti-Masons. That historical experience has shown that those who single out a group, especially one different from the majority in society, for opprobrium and hatred are generally _not_ telling the truth about that group, but are seeking to benefit themselves from stirring up the passions of the mob. In other words, if we knew nothing of the Masons nor of the anti-Masons, it would be difficult to know whom to believe. But we are not so ignorant as that. There are plenty of epistemological reasons to choose to believe that Masons are telling the truth in the present context, as opposed to accepting the word of the anti-Masons. (E.g., one epistemological principle is known as Occam's Razor--it tells us to accept the simplest hypothesis that explains the known facts. The anti-Masons, when confronted with their own contradictions, pile on ever more assumptions. Prove that "Lucifer" is not mentioned in the Symbolic Rite of the first three degrees and they will assert that it is the Scottish Rite that teaches "devil worship." Prove that there is no such thing in the 32 degrees, and they will claim it is taught in the 33rd degree. A denial by a 33rd degree Mason will lead to the attribution of Satanism to the Knights Templar. And so on. The simpler hypothesis is that there is no such Satanic nonsense in Freemasonry--given the conflict of assertions, Occam's Razor directs us to this choice.) The anti-Masons also engage in circular reasoning: They claim that there is a great "Masonic conspiracy" to control the world. Absent any evidence of that, they claim that the very lack of evidence is "proof" of the power of the conspiracy. (Too many Oliver Stone movies? Of course, even Congressmen have engaged in such reasoning, as in the case of the "October surprise" investigation, when Tom Foley suggested that the very lack of evidence was what justified a Congresional hearing. An inability to reason against one's own prejudices is not unique to the anti-Masons.) In other words, there are very good reasons to believe that Masons, rather than anti-Masons are telling the truth about the Fraternity, based on the history of Freemasonry, the known character of those who have been Freemasons, and the principles of epistemology. Of course, if one is ignorant of the history and background of a witness, as well as ignorant of the theory of knowledge, one is at the mercy of every smooth-talking mountebank and charlatan to come along. (Why do you think that criminal defense lawyers seek the most uninformed jurors possible?) Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Date: 02-25-96 (16:13) Number: 7290 of 7290 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: tmorgen@ix.netcom.com, T MORGENTHALER Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: tmorgen@ix.netcom.com(T.Morgenthaler ) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Netcom Message-ID: <4gq1qc$420@cloner4.netcom.com> In Etherman writes: > >On 24 Feb 1996, dlrogers wrote: > >> firelt@ix.netcom.com(John Luebbers ) wrote: >> >> >Etherman, If he is a mason he is lying. They are evil AND liars. >> >> Mr. L., you have accomplished something that I, in all my years of trying to >> figure people out, have never been able to accomplish, and I heartily, warmly >> congratulate you! >> >> You have managed to reach an understanding of other people without the silly >> intrusion of intelligent thoughts. I envy your ability to judge without >> thinking, and without any intrusion of reality. >> >> I know I'll never be able to equal your effort. It must be a terrible strain >> on you, though, and I am sure it must cost you greatly: all those around you >> who think have undoubtedly deserted you. >> >> I know you need my support and prayers. You have them. > >Now someone answer my question. How could I find out if the Freemasons >here are lying? If I can't trust the anti-masons because they're biased >then by the same logic I can't trust the masons. > >Etherman > Etherman, people like John Lubbers are just trying to push buttons. As you can see by the response, there is no rational thinking in his statements, the content of which has little to do with anything more than the number of responses he can get. > We should trust people by the things that they do as well as what they say. After half a century, I became discouraged with many churches in that they preach one thing, but they (the congregation) does something very different. The one thing I always paid close attention to was what they do with their money. Are they truly benevolent with it..or does their "charity" stop at their own front door. Too many of them will be somewhat charitable to their own, but give nothing to anyone else. Some time ago, I answered a request for a simple answer to "what is masonry"...my answer was "Giving!". While masonry is of course, not that simple, but giving is what we do best. The fraternity gives over 3 million dollars a day (estimate) to the unfortunate, the needy. Every body of the fraternity does something. This benevolence does not stop at our front door. Here in Colorado our Benevolent Fund gives out many scholarships to high school graduates each year. These are full ride, 4 year programs. It is very rare when the child of a mason receives one of them. Our York Rite Commanderies send Christian Preachers to the Holy Land (a vacation if you will) free of any charge or obligations. The program is only designed to inspire our Christian Ministers...to take good men and make them better. The list goes on and on. Much too long to be posted on this response to you. At this point, you should be able to make an intelligent decision, "Are these masons who do things like this really honest?" If you need more "proof" than this, you are perhaps not able to be satisfied with any proof, and would be better off taking what ever interests you have and divert them in another direction. Regards, Ted Morgenthaler alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 2/27/96 Date: 02-26-96 (08:18) Number: 7292 of 7295 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: IULIA@MUSIC.CC.UGA.EDU, QUEENIE Subj: Re: Biblical Connections Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Queenie Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.magick,alt.magick.chaos,alt.magick.ethics,alt.m agick.folk,alt.magick.moderated,alt.magick.order,alt.magick.serious,alt.magick. tyagi,alt.pagan.magick Organization: The University of Georgia Message-ID: <26FEB96.08974355.0030@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU> In article <4gb7ip$okn@wapping.ecs.soton.ac.uk> cjg94@ecs.soton.ac.uk (Chris Gu tteridge) writes: > > (huge snip) > >: 002. What is the connection between SATAN and 666? That is, is there >: anything that says that SATAN is represented by 666? > >The number 666 is mentioned only in revelation ( I think ) and is the >number of the beast. The beast is a MAN on earth, not satan himself, they >are seperate enterties. > Actually, the number 666 refers to the emperor of Rome at the time it was written which was Nero. Hebrew letters have numerical value and his name adds up to 666. >: 003. Are there Biblical references that I could be pointed to? If so, >: would you please provide? > >Revelation is quite short - it can be read in one night. Many Christians >take it literally, but it reads like a description of an acid trip. >Revelation, I _think_, was the last book of the bible to be writen, it >reads somewhat diferently from the other 65. It is full of specific >numbers, probably refering to some from of kabalah (spl?) Unfortunatly, >no one knows the details, so there's loads of specualtion but few facts. > actually there are many apocalyptic texts, many of which are not included in the Christain Bible. They are easily datable because in their attempt to prove themselves credible as predictions of an eschaton, they take events which actually occured before it was written and at some point they start to go wrong. That's the date they're given(actually it is far more complicated than that,but I'm trying to keep it simple.) You are being extremely judgmental of the peoples of the past when you call it like an acid trip. This was very real to them and was in no way meant to be a hoax. They were in peril and expected to have some sort of retribution here on earth. Revelation is actually a Christain apocalypse. The Judaic ones are very different especially early on. Revelation was no the last book to be written, it only appears that way because of the order of the bible. Just keep in mind when you start to read about the past that those people did not think like we do and that we can not pass judgment or place our own concept of the world upon their writings. They must be understood within thier own context. (sorry if I'm gettin preachy, but this is one of my biggest pet peves.) > >. >. alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 3/4/96 Date: 03-03-96 (13:56) Number: 7314 of 7318 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais2.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: King Charles' Head (was Re: Chomsky on JFK) Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais2.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Message-ID: <4hc8e8$3g0@news2.cais.com> In article , Acacia Press, Inc. wrote: >You are clearly wrong. The Masonic murder of Captain William Morgan went >to court and some Masons were convicted of crimes surrounding the murder. >The most significant aspect of the case was the ability of Freemasons, >who held positions throughout the government, to frustrate justice. The In what court was this tried, who was convicted, and what disposition was made of the defendants? Please provide a correct legal citation so that anyone can look this up and verify these facts. >KKK, a "masonic movement" developed by Freemasons (see Christianity and >American Freemasonry by William J. Whalen), was notorious for its ability >to manipulate the courts and prevent justice. Finally, anyone who The KKK is not a "masonic movement." You can call it anything you like, but that does not make it the truth. Some members of the KKK were Masons, but that does not make it a "masonic movement." (And to which "KKK" are you referring? The original one or the organization that revived under that name in the 20th century having hardly any connection beyond the name with the one founded shortly after the Civil War?) I suggest that virtually all members of the KKK are conservative Christians (since they express views of prejudice against Jews and even Catholics--which is proof that they are not Masonic in nature, as Masonry is a tireless advocate of religious toleration), so the KKK must really be a "christian movement" (to use your style of capitalization), right? >believes there was a Kennedy assassination conspiracy, and millions of >Americans do believe that, will be driven to the conclusion a massive >cover-up was conducted. Some people in a position to do this were Millions of Americans also believe that Elvis is alive, space aliens have visited the White House, and astrology can provide you with winning lottery numbers. Lee Harvey Oswald was a pathetic loser who involved himself in all sorts of loony activities, which makes him of a piece with the previous assassins and attempted assassins of American presidents. No one sees a conspiracy in the deaths of Garfield, McKinley, Anton Cermak (who died when someone attempted to shoot Roosevelt), nor in the attempts on Ford and Reagan. John Wilkes Booth may have been part of a plot, but the nation was engaged in a Civil War at the time, and concerted efforts against the enemy were a lot more believable. You assert that if you believe there was a Kennedy assassination conspiracy, then there was a cover-up is a meaningless argument. If you believe in any preposterous thing for which there is no objective evidence, then there must be a cover-up. Who is covering up the "fact" that Elvis is working at the local 7-11? People want to believe that Kennedy was assassinated by a giant conspiracy because they cannot accept that a leader they admired/loved could be taken from them by one man with a gun. That is not proof of anything; it is emotional thinking. We hear the same thing about the deaths of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King--except that you don't seem to have foun d a Masonic connection for them (yet--we await the next crock from crocker.com with bated breath...). >Freemasons; Lyndon Johnson, Earl Warren, J. Edgar Hoover, Gerald Ford and >Sen Russell. They were also white, male, Christian, and political figures. There were also dozens of participants in the investigations who were not Freemasons and would have had no involvement with any alleged Masonic conspiracy. >You are also right, few cases a proven, that probably reflects more upon >our legal system then upon the merit of the cases. So the lack of evidence and proof is itself "proof" of conspiracy and Masonic control of our legal system? Have you ever considered learning _anything_--anything at all--about logic, reasoning, and how to determine what is true? Of course not. Arguing with you is a waste of time, because your mind is made up in advance. You have decided what you believe and then make up anything that will justify that belief, whether it follows logically or not. I'm sure that there are gullible people out there who will buy your crock of lies. Be sure to advertise your books in all the supermarket tabloids; their readers are your best prospect for an audience. And if you can include a "miracle cure for arthritis" that is being suppressed by the Freemasons, your sales will really soar! Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH (King Charles' Head? Read Dickens' _David Copperfield_ and look at the character of Mr. Dick.) Date: 02-28-96 (11:49) Number: 7315 of 7318 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: mccammo@ibm.net, TERRY MCCAMMON, P E Subj: Re: THE CASE FOR A MASONIC HIT ON KENNEDY.... Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: "Terry McCammon, P.E." Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.illuminati,alt.freemasonry Organization: Concentric Internet Services Message-ID: <313495AA.7BD5@ibm.net> Michael Stiler wrote: > > "Acacia Press, Inc." writes: > > >From: jburrows@computek.net (Jack Burrows) > > >" On your web page touting the trash you publish, you misquote the oath > >that all Masons take and use it as a point to prove your case. The correct > >wording is: "I will hold the secrets of a Brother Mason as inviolable as > >my own, murder and treason EXCEPTED" (emphasis added). Therefore, the > >assassination of a president and subsequent cover-up would be exempt from > >that oath. Get your facts straight!" > > >Response From Acacia Press > > >As I recall, the "Proceedings of the US Anti-Masonic Convention" reports > >The Master Mason oath excludes "murder and treason", the Royal Arch Mason > >oath specifically includes "murder and treason" for concealment. You can > >confirm that by reading the partial text on the Acacia Press site. > > >I think someone called masonry "viciousness in degrees". > -^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > >Acacia Press, Incorporated > > I think EVERYONE called you stupid 'in toto'! > You're an idiot and an embarassment to everybody who reads these postings. > Even when your corrected (constantly), you still don't learn. Definitely > defined as an idiot in my book. > > Mike > > -- > Michael D. Stiler Sysdate Consulting Services ::internet stiler@netcom.com > NRA LifeMember AMA LifeMember AOPA DAN Retreads HOG TeamOS/2 Bagpiper > Master Mason 32nd degree Scottish Rite Knight Templar Shriner Sailor Mike: I'm sorry, but in many jurisdictions the quoted sentence relative to concealment of crime has no exclusion. In others, the words "and these at my discretion" are included. In point of fact, George Washington was a traitor and guilty of sedition. The point is that freemasonry will continue to draw two kinds of opposition. The nut type as typlified by the individuals you were responding to and the people with serious differences based on religious objections to organizations which do not overtly support their specific religious practice. The former are amusing the later worthy of notice and intelligent conversation. Terry McCammon, P.M. Date: 03-03-96 (21:13) Number: 7318 of 7318 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: McCammon@concentric.net, TERRY MCCAMMON, P E Subj: Re: King Charles' Head (was Re: Chomsky on JFK) Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: "Terry McCammon, P.E." Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: Industrial Systems Integrators, Inc. Message-ID: <313A5FC2.7EA2@concentric.net> Dr and Bro Firestone: I am very impressed with what I have seen of your writings. I cannot give you the legal citation but in fact the sheriff of the community in New York where the event took place was convicted of (I think) kidnapping or accessory to murder ( I simply don't recall). There is a good general write up of the facts surrounding the Morgan affair in one of Claudy's books. I don't personnally think Carl Claudy was much of a scholar, but in some cases he did pull together material in a useful way. Good Luck to you Terry McCammon, P.M., IRA #2, NY alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 03/05/96 Date: 03-04-96 (04:27) Number: 7321 of 7334 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: 103667.3157@CompuServe.COM, ANDRE' QUEEN Subj: Re: GL of Ohio recognition of PH Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Andre' Queen <103667.3157@CompuServe.COM> Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: CompuServe, Inc. (1-800-689-0736) Message-ID: <4hdrff$mmq$1@mhadf.production.compuserve.com> Brothers, It saddens me to see that we still automatically send black candidates to PHA lodges, instead of considering them for our own. We still have a lot of growing to do, and perhaps the most noble thing that we as masons could do in this regard is to have the intestinal fortitude to do what's right, and not merely what everyone else is doing. When I first petitioned my lodge, it occured to me that I was surrounded by men who made things happen, leaders not just followers, men who wanted to make a difference. No matter how many good things we do, they cannot erase the stain produced by unmasonic, and unbrotherly conduct. It may have been in years gone by, that automatically sending blacks to PHA lodges or just blackballing then because they were black was par for the course. But today, let's not be captives of the past, let's have man who is a mason, live up to what it means to be a mason. On the subject of individuals who lament the recognition of PHA masons (and it is masons, not "masons"), I say grow up, and try to be a better man. Sincerely and Fraternally, Andre' J.W. Queen Sr. Chicago Lodge #437 -- Andre' J.W. Queen Sr. Chicago Lodge #437, AF & AM Chicago, IL I Read Masonry Universal...email me for details! Date: 03-04-96 (14:25) Number: 7322 of 7334 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: Rudolf.Kunzli@impch.imp.ch, RUDOLF KUNZLI Subj: Re: Chomsky on JFK Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Rudolf Kunzli Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: Private Only Message-ID: <313AEF37.18C4@impch.imp.ch> Acacia Press, Inc. wrote: > > We're trying our best to educate all Americans about American > Freemasonry. Well, if that is your best: YYYAAAWWWNNN!!! Date: 03-04-96 (15:03) Number: 7323 of 7334 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: cplater@winternet.com, CHUCK PLATER Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: cplater@winternet.com (Chuck Plater) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: StarNet Communications, Inc Message-ID: <4hf0on$68o@blackice.winternet.com> etcom.com> <4hbh0p$g2v@sydney1.world.net> Distribution: firelt@ix.netcom.com(John Luebbers ) wrote: >That figures Platter. The faCT THAT YOU HAVENT READ mORALS AND dOGMA. I know I spelled my name right, it has only 1 t, contrary to popular beleif! >How can you know about your own little group when you dont check out >the truth. It doesnt matter if it is only 1/4. The fact is there are >conspirators in masonry. Why are you trying to confuse things. Morals and Dogma have nothing to do with conspiracy. I have not read Morals and Dogma, because it is not the Masonic Handbook that you think it is. It means nothing to me, so I have not read it. (oh ,btw, I did not recieve this post, I am replying after seeing this in a few other posts, if someone could mail the post to me, I would appreciate it) -- Charles A. Plater, Student Consultant, Wayne State University o Lola Valley Lodge #583 F&AM o /^\ Valley of Detroit AASR | Moslem Shrine AAONMS /^\ \/ G \/ Kindness Chapter No. 523 O.E.S. \/ G \/ / \./ \ cplater@pass.wayne.edu cplater@sun.science.wayne.edu / \./ \ And, gosh, they sure are doing a fine job. Everyone I talk to is >SOOOOOO happy about how things are going. You need to talk to some new people. Or simply get involved with political activities to better the country (assuming that there's a party that welcomes the delusional). Or maybe the country is screwed up because there aren't _enough_ Masonic principles (such as brotherly love, relief, truth, moral uprightness, patriotism, respect for authority, education, and so on) being applied to its operation. >At my local library there's an official masonic picture book...I don't >recall the precise title, but it has an extensive listing of famous >historical masons. > >Everyone who is anyone joined freemasonry at one time or another... About 2/3 of the Presidents of the US were not Freemasons. The last US president to have been a Freemason was Gerald Ford. None of Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan, or Bush were Masons. Nor were Jefferson or Lincoln (despite some erroneous claims about the former). So what is your definition of "everyone who is anyone," eh? >If masons are not evil, who is? > >I suppose the evil people must be excess population and christians. No, the evil people are those who commit crimes against individuals and humanity. Masonry opposes tyranny and despotism of all sorts--its enemies in this century have included the Nazis, the Fascists, the Communists, and lately, the clerical despots of Iran. Since most Masons in the US are Christians (I guess you haven't learned proper capitalization, since you don't capitalize that word, either), it would be hard for them to be considered "evil." Of course, there are those who call themselves "Christian" but use the church and Bible as means of self-aggrandizement and instruments of fraud, deceit, and intellectual domination of the weak-minded. Read _Elmer Gantry_ sometime. >I'm OK with Jesus, but some of his "followers" are real meatheads. > >Freemasonry calls itself a "mutual assistance society". No, we call ourselves a fraternity, or a system of moral philosophy, depending on whether you are referring to the organization or its intellectual structure. Masonry is not a "mutual aid society," as such are usually conceived. >Maybe the "evil image" Masonry has earned comes as a result of the >fact that Masons are prone to assist each other, above and beyond their >desire to help others... And college alumni associations, the VFW and American Legion, members of the same church, and the like don't exhibit similar behavior? The commonality of shared experience is a strong human bonding phenomenon that is well-known to social psychologists, but it hardly qualifies as anything "evil" to assist one's friends and colleagues with similar ideas and interests. >(Oh, yeah, right, tell me about the Shriners Childrens hospital slush >fund... It's pretty good PR...) A "slush fund" is an account that may be tapped for any purpose desired, without accountability or prior budgeting. The Shriners' Hospitals books are open and audited regularly. Because virtually all work done for charitable purposes by Masons is performed by volunteers, something like 97% of contributions to Masonic charities actually goes to beneficiaries in some way (such as medical salaries, capital equipment, and actual services). Most charities are lucky to hit 60%. Remember the United Way/Wm. Aramony scandal? Now _that_ was a slush fund. Our PR is good, because it is the _truth_. If it were otherwise, the evidence would long since have been laid before the public. If you have proof that the Shriners operate a "slush fund" out of moneys contributed for the medical care of children, produce it; otherwise, retract your slander. >So who is evil? > >I guess everybody. Humanoids all across the board are real waste-cases, >and I include myself on this list. I should have something better to >do than rant on the Usenet. Perhaps you should have heeded these thoughts before posting the others you have penned. >Signed, > >Marboro Man >(The Big Loser) I dare say. Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Master, Dawson Lodge #16, FAAM of DC Date: 03-08-96 (14:02) Number: 7383 of 7387 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais2.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais2.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Message-ID: <4hpem8$pji@news2.cais.com> In article <4hohrg$h6h@cloner4.ix.netcom.com>, John Luebbers wrote: [snip] >You dont know much about what your friend does then. The masons do good >work, it is true. But it is a front for their one world government new >age agenda. What a laugh! Even the Masons themselves don't have a single governing body for the US, let alone for the world. Read this newsgroup for awhile and see how little agreement there is on various Masonic practices between jurisdictions in the US, not to mention between the US, Canada, England, Scotland (note that Great Britain doesn't have a single Grand Lodge itself), and other parts of the world. "One world government"--you've got to be kidding. And as far as a "new age" agenda is concerned, I think you would have to look far and wide to find a more conventional group of men than Freemasons in the US--not a single "new age" incense-burning, mantra-chanting Mason among any I've ever met (but I haven't visited California Lodges much, I admit--that's a joke, son). Yes, the magazine published by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction for the US, _used_ to be called _The New Age_, but its name was changed several years ago, just because the term "new age" had developed the wrong connotations. So just what is a "new age agenda," and what are the Masons doing to promote it? Evidence, please, preferably from something more current than the 1830 Anti-Masonic Conference, or whatever claptrap from the 19th century you've been reading. And stop smoking that stuff, whatever it is that's giving you these hallucinations. It's not good for you. Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Date: 03-08-96 (21:47) Number: 7387 of 7387 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rl3s@netcom.com, ZEUS PALEOLOGOS Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati From: rl3s@netcom.com (Zeus Paleologos) Message-ID: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) In article <4hpsvq$48t@reader2.ix.netcom.com> on 8 Mar 1996 18:06:50 GMT, John Luebbers (firelt@ix.netcom.com) wrote: ... > I have to be afraid of something to be paranoid. You've got that backwards, bud-- You have to be paranoid to be afraid of something (like Freemasonry). > I welcome a good fight. Who wouldn't, when the enemy is imaginary. You've really got nothing to worry about. I doubt you'd welcome a good fight with... let us say... the Italian Mafia or Middle Eastern terrorists. -- "Basically, conspiracy nuts have transferred their own feelings of inadequacy to everyone else: Because they have trouble accomplishing tasks by themselves, they seem to believe likewise that nobody else can do anything without help." --ZP alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 3/23/96 Date: 03-22-96 (05:33) Number: 7413 of 7416 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: acacia@rmc1.crocker.com, ACACIA PRESS, INC (an ANTI Masonic group) Subj: Masonic delusions Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: "Acacia Press, Inc." Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: Crocker Communciations (crocker.com) Message-ID: It seems some, perhaps many, masons actually believe the craft is principally focused on brotherhood and has a proud history of noble acts. The fact is Freemasonry works to distort American history to hide their actons and motives. The Acacia Press web site provides some documentation which shows the truth about the Masonic murder of William Morgan. Some masons have difficulty believing an organization which helped to form our nation could have been party to murder and the subversion of justice. Masons point to the development of the constitution as perhaps their greatest contribution to the new republic. The following text came from a "Our Dishonest Constitution" by Allan L. Benson (Huebsch:1914) and includes quotes from many sources: President Wilson is one of those who know the facts about the Constitution. In a book entitled " Division and Reunion " he gave some of the facts. He said: "The Federal government was not by intention a democratic government. In plan and structure it had been meant to check the sweep and power of popular majorities. The senate, it was believed, would be a stronghold of conservatism, if not of aristocracy and wealth. The President, it was expected, would be the choice of representative men acting in the electoral college, and not of the people. The Federal judiciary was looked to, with its virtually permanent membership, to hold the entire structure of national politics in nice balance against all disturbing influences, whether of popular impulse or of official overbearance." "Only in the house of representatives were the people to be accorded an immediate audience and a direct means of making their will effective in affairs. The government had, in fact, been originated and organized upon the initiative and primarily in the interest of the mercantile and wealthy classes. Originally conceived as an effort to accommodate commercial disputes between the States, it had been urged to adoption by a minority, under the concerted and aggressive leadership of able men representing a ruling class. The Federalists not only had on their side the power of convincing argument, but also the pressure of a strong and intelligent class, possessed of unity and informed by a conscious solidarity of material interests." Professor Beard of Columbia University is another man who knows the facts about our Constitution and the men who made it. I commend Professor Beard most heartily to all those who wish to be informed as to these matters. Professor Beard has recently published a book entitled " An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States "(Published by the Macmillan Company, New York) that is far and away the best book of its kind ever written. Where other men have skimmed the surface, Beard has gone through to the core. He stayed months in Washington to get to the core. In his search for ancient papers and documents in the Treasury Department, he went into vaults that were so filled with dust that it was necessary to excavate the papers with a vacuum cleaner. But when he came back to the surface he had damning evidence against a good many of the " patriot fathers." He then knew why they were so anxious, not only for a new constitution, but for the particular kind of a constitution that was afterward adopted. He knew, because he looked up their investments and read some of their letters. If the patriot fathers were still living and doing business as they did 125 years ago we should call many of them grafters. Let us look at what Professor Beard terms his "conclusions" which appear at the close of his book. They are presented as the statements of a man who did not obtain his views of the Constitution from public school teachers, newspaper editors or other persons who know little or nothing about the Constitution. Professor Beard says: "The movement for the Constitution of the United States was originated and carried through principally by four groups of personally interests which had been adversely affected under the articles of confederation: money, public securities, manufactures, trade and shipping." "The first firm steps toward the formation of the Constitution were taken by a small and active group of men immediately interested through their personal possessions in the outcome of their labors." "No popular vote was taken directly or indirectly on the proposition to call the convention which drafted the Constitution." "The propertyless masses under the prevailing suffrage qualifications were excluded at the outset from participation (through representatives) in the work of framing the Constitution." "The members of the Philadelphia convention which drafted the Constitution were, with a few exceptions, immediately, directly and personally interested in, and derived economic advantages from, the establishment of the new system." "The Constitution was essentially an economic document, based upon the concept that the fundamental private rights of property are anterior to government and morally beyond the reach of popular majorities. "The major portion of the members of the convention are on record as recognizing the claim of property to a special and defensive position in the Constitution." "In the ratification of the Constitution, about three fourths of the adult males failed to vote on the question, having abstained from the elections at which delegates to the state conventions were chosen, either on account of their indifference or their disfranchisement by property qualifications." "The Constitution was ratified by a vote of probably not more than one-sixth of the adult males." "It is questionable whether a majority of the voters participating in the elections for the state conventions in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Virginia, and South Carolina actually approved the ratification of the Constitution." "The leaders who supported the Constitution in the ratifying conventions represented the same economic groups as the members of the Philadelphia convention; and, in a large number of instances, they were also directly and personally interested in the outcome of their efforts." "In the ratification, it became manifest that the line of cleavage, for and against the Constitution, was between substantial personally interests on the one hand and the small farming and debtor interests on the other." "The Constitution was not created by 'the whole people' as the jurists have said; neither was it created by 'the States' as Southern nullifiers long contended; but it was the work of a consolidated group whose interests knew no state boundaries, and were truly national in their scope." Professor J. Allen Smith, of the University of Washington, gives similar testimony in his admirable work, "The Spirit of American Government." "It is difficult to understand," says he (pages 31-32), " how any one who has read the proceedings of the Federal Convention can believe that it was the intention of that body to establish a democratic government. The evidence is overwhelming that the men who sat in that convention had no faith in the wisdom or political capacity of the people. Their aim and purpose was not to secure a larger measure of democracy, but to eliminate, as far as possible, the direct influence of the people on legislation and public policy. That body, it is true, contained many illustrious men who were actuated by a desire to further what they conceived to be the welfare of the country. They represented, however, the wealthy and conservative classes, and had, for the most part, but little sympathy with the popular theory of govenment." Professor Smith also says: "In the United States, at the present time, we are trying to make an undemocratic constitution the vehicle of democratic rule. The Constitution was framed for one purpose while we are trying to use it for another." ************** Acacia Press, Incorporated http://www.crocker.com/~acacia/index.html PO BOX 154, Montague, MA 01351 (what does this mean about Masonry???) alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 3/24/96 Date: 03-23-96 (10:25) Number: 7420 of 7420 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: regina@idir.net, REGINA TOWNSEND Subj: Re: Masonic delusions Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: regina@idir.net (Regina Townsend) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: Internet Direct Communications - Lawrence, Ks - (913) 841-2220 Message-ID: <4j19s4$tdj@sequoia.idir.net> Good Gentle, Long time no see. You have presented another interesting if deficient argument. Please tell us which original documents you have used to present your case. The only one's I have seen in your post are: "Our Dishonest Constitution" by Allan L. Benson (Huebsch:1914) Please let us know the publication information and the bibliography for this work. Is this another of the reprinted documents that Acacia Press sells to make money off of folks whose idea of scholarship is limited to popular magazines and televison? >President Wilson is one of those who know the facts about the >Constitution. In a book entitled " Division and Reunion " he gave some of >the facts. He said: You are referring to Br. Woodrow Wilson, I presume? Do you have any primary documents to back these assertions up with objective data? Since President Wilson died early in this century, I doubt that his input would be much more than opinion. If you recall his background, I'm sure that he'd not appreciate being taken out of context. He's dead, so there isn't much chance that he'll complain. Don't you have something more recent and objectively viable? I respectfully submit that the folks at Acacia Press are thinking that their silence will buy them respectability or that the readers of this list have the attention span of goldfish crackers. They have posted lots of data but have presented no documentation that would be required of a freshman essay. Acacia Press is yet another of the firms who use anti-Masonic 'cut and paste' scholarship. All that they are interested in is to separate the gullible from their money. Feel free to visit their web site. But be sure to take a truckload of salt with you. Yours, Regina D. Townsend alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 2/25/96 Date: 03-24-96 (09:47) Number: 7421 of 7423 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: tvawter@monmouth.com, NAT'L ACADEMY Subj: Moral Psychology 3 Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Nat'l Academy Newsgroups: alt.mindcontrol,alt.binaries.natnl-secrets,alt.conspiracy,alt.gover nment.abuse,alt.conspiracy.area51,alt.politics.org.cia,alt.politics.org.covert, alt.politics.org.fbi,alt.politics.org.nsa,alt.politics.black.helicopters,alt.il luminati,alt.pagan,alt.politics.org.un,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.white-power , Organization: Monmouth Internet Corporation Message-ID: <31558A9F.41D2@monmouth.com> Moral Psychology 3 Creativity and inventiveness are without doubt among the most highly civilized abilities attributable to both men and women. What is very interesting, is that these abilities are generally directly proportionate to the moral character of the creating individual. When a person exercises good morals, not only are new and complex thoughts much less confusing to consider, but they are much more easily managed. There is a direct, causal relationship involved between good morals and inventiveness, and this article will explain why. When we speak of love and kindness we are not implying any sort of homosexuality or loose morals sexually. On the contrary, it is the control over one's sexual desires which gives greater feelings of love. In the same token, we are not promoting the view that sex is something bad that should be avoided. Sex is one of the most beautiful aspects of life a man and woman shares, but if one allows it to become an obsession or caters to strange and seedy sexual practices then headaches, confusion and unhappiness results - not love and kindness. A man must never look at women merely as sex objects. but as special people with feelings just as he. To understand how morality allows us to create and invent we must first examine why we invent. The basic driving force behind creating and inventing is the kindness and love we feel. Kindness and love, in addition to trust, humor and other good feelings, inspires us to invent things which can help insure and prolong kindness and love. We are very sad at the loss of a loved one who has died in a car crash, and thus we might develop a safer automobile so that this same sadness can be avoided in the future by saving the lives of other people. In other words, because the loss of our loved one effectively ruined our ability to share love and kindness with that person anymore, we invent a safer car so that the love and kindness we feel for others is not interfered with in the same manner again. We really cannot analyze kindness and love like an object because, as a feeling, it cannot be analyzed in the same way that physical objects can be. Kindness and love is a very genuine feeling; it is a "here and now" feeling of great pleasure, joy, happiness and love for all. It is an invigorating, beautiful feeling you actually feel in your body. Test these truths for yourself; If you are male, embark upon a project such as making something out of wood, installing shelves, building a plastic model or fixing a car. You will see just how love and kindness grants much greater creativity, clear thinking, contentment and higher accomplishment (and more fun while you're at it). If you are female, then set your sights on designing and sewing a new dress, or perhaps on baking a lavish meal for your family. You too will know that love and kindness is the best inspiration. A person engaging in amorality or immorality over a period of time may develop the ability to fabricate good lies, but this is quite different from imagining and then inventing a new device which will actually work and will be helpful to people. The key to the underlying principle here rests with the knowledge that the best inspiration for inventing and creating concerns genuine love and helpfulness towards others, of which dishonesty and deception are simply not a part. The fabricating of good lies (as if any lies can really be called good) has for its inspiration deceit, selfishness and other undesirable motives; feelings which generate deficiency in the person who engages in immorality. While honesty is clearly necessary for productive inventing and building to take place, let us examine why hatred interferes with creativity and inventiveness. We all know what hatred feels like, and we are well aware that this base animal feeling is one which imparts little more than anxiety and confusion. Hatred is often confused by some authors as being akin to a physical object which must be placed here or there, something which cannot be forgotten but must be redirected from one enemy towards another. "You must vent your hatred, channel it towards something productive" certain writers chant using incorrect grammar, yet they confuse the English word hatred here with the word energy. Hatred should not be expressed or redirected, it is forgotten with forgiveness; resolved and gone completely. Energy, on the other hand, is something that should be directed. It is correct to say "You should direct your energy on more profitable things." Hatred and resentment harms mostly the person who harbors it. Hatred is not an object to be moved around, it is a feeling. And with forgiveness there is no feeling of hatred; we forget it. It would also be incorrect grammar to describe creativity and inventiveness in the same manner as we describe physical objects. Creativity and inventiveness is a natural gathering of thoughts, feelings and motives inspired by kindness and love. It can appear instantly, and it can be developed, but in either case it is genuine non-repressive morality which is the true inspiration. The reason why there is such incorrect grammar being used within some psychology books is because many of the founding authors of psychology spoke very poor English (they were Germans whose native language was Jewish), and this incorrect grammar sometimes continues to this day. Properly speaking, hatred is not energy. You can feel very energetic when building a new workbench or fixing your car, but this energy has nothing to do with hatred. When you utilize your energy to construct something, it is the very genuine feelings of love and kindness which enable you to do a better job, not hatred. In fact, if someone is carrying around hatred and not forgiving others then he or she will find construction to be extremely hard - next to impossible. Working while harboring hatred fills one with little more than anxiety and frustration, which likewise may result in costly, even dangerous mistakes. alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 3/28/96 I am sorry to say you do not know of what you speak. First, there are only three degrees in any Blue lodge of which your Grandfather may have been a past master of. Two, the Masonic lodge has never been a Christian Lodge. There are Rites which were formed long after Masonry started which do have some Christian leanings. When you speak of Masonry you must state which portion of masonry you refer. If you are going to talk about the blue lodge which is the foundation of masory, then you must restrict your examples and sources to that. If you are going to talk about Christian portions of Masonry then you must go to the York Rite, and the Commandry(Knights Templars) for your examples and sources. But then you must remember that the York Rite and Commandry can not be used as an example of all the craft. The reason for this is that all members of the York Rite must be Masons, but not all Masons are members of the York Rite. You claim to be a Christian. If this is true there are two parts of your Bible. The old and new testaments. You should read both with equal ferver. I will say that the first three degrees, relate to a time long before Jesus walked the earth. By the time Jesus came a long Masonry was a well established art, and way of making a living. Many of you who call yourselves Christians, forget a truth which is your way of downing those of other religions. Jesus Christ, was not a Christian, he came to earth to preach to the Jewish people. He explained the old testament in all his teachings. He himself was a Jew. If you are to be a Christian you must first beleive in the teaching in the old testament. That would then make you a Jew also, would it not. Then if you beleived the teaching in the new testament you would then be a Christian. Now you fundies are going to have fun trying to refute this, but you can't because in trying to do so you then throw away half your bible. Trying to make a masonic lodge a Christian entity is no only impossible but is not what Masonry has ever taught. Masonry has always taught respect for all religions. We do not care what you call your God as long as there is only one . Many lodges in the far east use more than one book of moral law in their lodges. By the wat tvawter, I am a Christian, but I don't try to shove it down anyone elses throat. My country was formed on religous freedom, and has a constitutioal amendment guarenteeing it. I have no right to tell any man, woman, or child what to beleive or not believe. Neither do you. When you know about Masonry, come back to this newsgroup, but until then, be an evesdropper. You just might learn something. ------------------------------------- E-mail: bucklaew@mailhost.infi.net The views expressed here are my own. ------------------------------------- alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 3/29/96 Date: 03-28-96 (13:33) Number: 7436 of 7436 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu, CHARLES A PLATER Subj: Re: KKK WAR CRIMINALS LIST IN USA Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu (Charles A. Plater) Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american,alt.freemasonry Organization: Wayne State University Message-ID: <4je4fr$94k@cwis-20.wayne.edu> Blackman (blackman@earthlink.net) wrote: : Gale I couldn't help but respond to your characterization of Masons. : First let me say that I was a card carrying active Prince Hall Mason for : quite a number of years. Basically it is a fraternal organization that is : based upon belief in God and dedicated to acts of charity and brotherly : love. It doesn't matter what religion you practice as long as you believe : in God. It is somewhat secretive, that probably contributes to : misconceptions by the general public as to what the organization is all : about. Their is a distinction between Black and White Masons. Most White : Masons are what we term 4-letter Masons (AAFM - Ancient and Accepted : Freemasons) whereas most Black Masons are so-called 3-letter Masons (AFM - : Accepted Freemasons). There is some racial overlap but the situation is : basically as stated. There is basically no Masonic intercourse between : the two. The schism exists due to the fact that White Masons consider : Prince Hall Masons (AFM, the first Black Mason in America) to be : clandestine. In other words brought into existence through some irregular : means. The sticking point is that in order to be a Freemason you must be : of lawful age, sound mind, male, and free (Eastern Stars are our sister : organization). White Masons thusly conclude, however incorrectly, that : Prince Hall was not free therefore unable to constitute the first African : American Lodge, assuming all that follow are clandestine. Prince Hall was Actually, I always thought that Prince Hall was a clandestine mason, because the lodge that he was made a mason in, was a _British_ travelling lodge, which had no authority to grant charters in the US, as we were at war with Britain at the time. Also many jurisdictions of "white" masons in America already recognize Prince Hall Masons (Soon they will be recognized everywhere -- which is how it should be) Most masons who I have talked to find PHA recognition to be very acceptable, while there are still some closed minded people who do not want to be associated with PHA because of race. -- Charles A. Plater, Lab Supervisor, Wayne State University o Lola Valley Lodge #583 F&AM o /^\ Valley of Detroit AASR | Moslem Shrine AAONMS /^\ \/ G \/ Kindness Chapter No. 523 O.E.S. \/ G \/ / \./ \ cplater@rattlehead.pass.wayne.edu / \./ \ wrote: >It seems some, perhaps many, masons actually believe the craft is >principally focused on brotherhood and has a proud history of noble acts. >The fact is Freemasonry works to distort American history to hide their >actons and motives. The Acacia Press web site provides some documentation >which shows the truth about the Masonic murder of William Morgan. The truth about that is unknown and just speculation..... If true then, so what, all yes all organisations have nutters and people who do not hold to the principles of the organisztion. So this has been answered as such ad nauseum. Get some real facts or please desist, as you do no good for your argument with this rubbish. >Some masons have difficulty believing an organization which helped to form >our nation could have been party to murder and the subversion of justice. Utter rubbish, no one is bound to remain if he of his own free will desires to resign he does just that. >ruling class. The Federalists not only had on their side the power of >convincing argument, but also the pressure of a strong and intelligent >class, possessed of unity and informed by a conscious solidarity of >material interests." Where is the powere of the common vote in all this ? >about the Constitution. Professor Beard says: > "The movement for the Constitution of the United States was originated >and carried through principally by four groups of personally interests >which had been adversely affected under the articles of confederation: >money, public securities, manufactures, trade and shipping." What has changed?? > Professor Smith also says: > "In the United States, at the present time, we are trying to make an >undemocratic constitution the vehicle of democratic rule. The Constitution >was framed for one purpose while we are trying to use it for another." You get the government YOU vote for, so change it dont attribe malice to others on a very thin theory..... YOU do something and not just muck to rake. Peter Dettmann Date: 03-29-96 (10:02) Number: 7438 of 7440 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: notme@nice.try.homie, STIMPY Subj: Re: Arcana address? Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: notme@nice.try.homie (Stimpy) Newsgroups: alt.magick,alt.freemasonry,alt.tarot,alt.pagan,alt.philosophy Organization: Netcom Message-ID: <4jgch5$1hi@cloner3.netcom.com> "Christopher Graby" wrote: >----------------- >I am trying to find the e-mail address for a list called "Arcana." If anyone >could send it to me, I would be very grateful. Thanks. This is a repost. I'm not sure where it first came from. -s _____________________________________________________ The Arcana List ARCANA is a list for students and scholars of the occult. Some possible topics of discussion include: the history of occultism; famous historical occultists (e.g. John Dee, Count Ste.Germaine, Madam Blavatsky, Aleister Crowley); the literature of occultism; the language of occultism;strange and wondrous old spells, summonings,et al.; modern literary occultism in the context of its source materials; derivation of magical names, words and phrases;the roots of modern occultists;how the Golden Dawn(re)shaped the modern tarot deck; alchemy, persecution of witches throughout history, etc. To join this list send a message to: arcana-request@brownvm.brown.edu and you will get the necessary information sent to you. Date: 03-29-96 (16:46) Number: 7439 of 7440 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: heidrick@well.sf.ca.us, BILL HEIDRICK Subj: Re: Masonic delusions Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: heidrick@well.sf.ca.us (Bill Heidrick) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA Message-ID: <4jh44s$kn1@nkosi.well.com> "Acacia Press, Inc." writes: >I don't think the scholarship of President Wilson, a Columbia University >professor and a University of Washington professor, all of whom agree on >the escential points, can be so easily dismissed. Professor Beard, as >noted in the text, did go back to the source documents. Are we to throw >away all scholarship which does not conform to the Masonic myths? You must be joking. President Wilson? The man ran for office and was elected in part by using an anti-masonic appeal intended to garner votes from what was left of the Know Nothing Party. It's all very well to form your personal opinion loosely, but when you come out in public with it, you had better be able to deal with serious facts --- especially since political rhetoric almost 140 years old is likely to be pretty well bashed and brused. 93 93/93 Bill Heidrick Date: 03-29-96 (16:27) Number: 7440 of 7440 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rl3s@netcom.com, ZEUS PALEOLOGOS Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati From: rl3s@netcom.com (Zeus Paleologos) Message-ID: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) In article <4jbejg$kd8@mippet.ci.com.au> on Wed, 27 Mar 1996 14:13:26 GMT, rod@wisenet.net.au wrote: > rl3s@netcom.com (Zeus Paleologos) wrote: > [snip] >> "Basically, conspiracy nuts have transferred their own feelings of >> inadequacy to everyone else: Because they have trouble accomplishing >> tasks by themselves, they seem to believe likewise that nobody else >> can do anything without help." --ZP > That's why 'freemasons' formed a club. Not at all. But it is not surprisng that a conspiracy fan might think so, since they don't think anyone can accomplish anything without help. Having feelings of inadequacy is not the only reason people form groups, but the transference of these feelings is the primary reason that conspiracy nuts imagine conspiracies where none exist. alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 3/31/96 Subj: Re: Moral Psychology 3 Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) Dear Sir, Jesus the Christ came to earth to preach to the Jewish people and release them from a bondage placed upon them by the leaders of the Jewish religion of that day. The leaders of the Jewish religion placed so many obsticles, which they protreyed as sin against God's word, that no Jew could ever atone for his sins, much less the sins of his faher. The Leaders of the Jewish religion of that day (the Sanhedren) predominately came from one family that controlled all money changing and animals used as sacrifice. To whit, the more sins you were said to commit, the more money exchanged for goods, gold, silver and spice from the Jews and the more animal sacrifices you were compelled to buy with that money and make in attonement to God for an ever increasing litany of sin. The Sanhedren did this purely out of greed and it was their greed which was placing an insurmountable obsticle between God and his chosen people. It is this same greed, that Jesus the Christ attacked and this chasm which it had created between God and his chosen peoples, which he came to breach. Jesus the Christ taught that God did not require the sacrifice of animals to attone for actions or thoughts which were intentionally being interpred by the Jewish religious leaders as sins. Jesus the Christ attacked the Sanhedren who were growing rich by creating a false dogma and requiring sacficial offerings in the sacred temple, the house of God. He was tried and crucified for this attack, as prophesied in the Old Testiment. >You claim to be a Christian. If this is true there are two parts of >your Bible. The old and new testaments. You should read both with >equal ferver. True, but it is Jesus the Christ's interpretation of the old testiment that is important to the Christian religion. The literal interpretation by Jews and scholars is important for historical significence. It is still the Tora that the Jew follows in worship. The real importance of the Old Testament to a Christian should be that it outlines those prophesies which Jesus the Man, must fulfill to be recognized by the people of that day and this, as Jesus the Christ... the living son of God. >I will say that the first three degrees, relate to a time long before >Jesus w alked the earth. By the time Jesus came a long Mason= ry was a >well established art, and way of making a living. Many of you who cal l >yourselves Christians, forget a truth which is you= r way of downing those >of other religions. Jesus Christ, was not a Christian, he came to earth >to preach to the Jewish people. H= e explained the old testament in all >his teachings. He himself was a Jew. If you are to be a Christian you >must first beleive in= the teaching in the old testament. That would >then make you a Jew also, woul d it not. Then if you beleived the >teaching in the = new testament you would then be a Christian. Now you >fundies are going to hav e fun trying to refute this, but you can't >because i= n trying to do so you then throw away half your bible. You are partially correct... Jesus the Christ came to earth to give new meaning to the Jews unification with God and hope for a brand new spiritual existance, but simply believing in the teachings of the Old Testament did not make you a Jew, any more than believing in the teachings of Jesus the Christ in the New Testament, makes you a Christian. The most ardent athiest believes in the existance of the word of God, else athiesm would have no meaning because there would be nothing to refute. It is "submission," by confession of your sins and the sacrifice of the body (mind), spirit and soul to the word of God and to Jesus the Christ, as the only son of God that makes you a Christian. >Trying to make a masonic lodge a Christian entity is no only >impossible but is not what Masonry has ever taught. Masonry has >always taught respect for all religions. We do not care what you call >your God as long as there is only one . Many lodges in the far east >use more than one book of moral law in their lodges. > >By the wat tvawter, I am a Christian, but I don't try to shove it down >anyone elses throat. My country was formed on religous freedom, and >has a constitutioal amendment guarenteeing it. I have no right to >tell any man, woman, or child what to beleive or not believe. Neither >do you. According to Jesus the Christ, as said to his deciples; "go into all the world and teach the gospel". This is quite clear in meaning if one is called to the ministry, but it is equally as clear to those who profess to be Christians. You have every right to tell anyone about Jesus the Christ. As a Christian, you have good news to bring to a troubled world; "for God so loved his creation (the world) that he gave his only begotten son, that you (a new spiritual creation) might have ever lasting life". As Jesus the Christ himself said; "I have come that you might have life (live) and have it more abundantly (live without spiritual guilt)". We are witnesses for Jesus the Christ to all who seek a new spiritual relationship with God, if we choose to be or not and if we profess it or not. >When you know about Masonry, come back to this newsgroup, but until >then, be an evesdropper. You just might learn something. I believe this newsgroup is FBI and not Masonry, however. I agree with you about learning something. I learned a geat deal about myself just writing this. I thank you for witnessing to me, though you didn't intend to. Respectfully JohnHendricks alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 4/08/96 Date: 04-07-96 (15:02) Number: 7491 of 7495 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais2.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais2.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Message-ID: <4k8ldh$ckp@news2.cais.com> In article <4k7idj$1d0q@news3.realtime.net>, Dave Watkins wrote: >Your sentance ending in "no higher body". Yeah, right . Now there is an >oxymoronic statement if I've ever read one. Let's put it this way, since you lack understanding of how Masonry works: Each Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite is independent. There is no "higher body" of the Scottish Rite that dictates to the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction of the US, particularly not one in London. However, all Masons are expected to be amenable to the principles of Masonry as set forth by the Grand Lodge. If the Sovereign Grand Commander of the AASR-SJ were to institute gambling (for example) as a fund-raising activity, suspension might well result. The Grand Lodge does not dictate the positives of the AASR (what programs it might wish to sponsor, as an example), but it does set the limits on what constitutes legitimate behavior by an organization composed of Masons. Since most Masonic activity is conducted with unanimity, conflicts of this sort are exceedingly uncommon. We exclude those from membership at the earliest stages who might be unable to accommodate themselves to the moral principles of Masonry. This is, of course, difficult for those who enjoy conflict, cutting corners, having an "angle" on everything, and so on, to understand. Masonry has leaders, not dictators or rulers, such as those of limited moral conscience might require... Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Date: 04-07-96 (15:20) Number: 7492 of 7495 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais2.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Moral Psychology 3 Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais2.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.illuminati,alt.pagan,alt.freemasonry Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Message-ID: <4k8mf9$ctv@news2.cais.com> In article <3167576D.744A@monmouth.com>, Nat'l Academy wrote: >JohnHendricks wrote: >> >> Jesus the Christ came to earth to preach to the Jewish people and release >> them from a bondage placed upon them by the leaders of the Jewish >> religion of that day. (lots of garbage snipped) > >John > >What a novel interpretation you have of Christianity. You are a >Christian bigot,and I feel sorry for you having been brainwashed >to this extent. > >Alan > >Alan, excuse me for correcting you, but John is precisely right. And he >is not a bigot. Christ taught no bigotry, nor did He teach racism. I >believe it is the Talmudic Jews who, in fact, do teach racism towards >non-Jews. "Christ taught no bigotry, nor did He teach racism." This may be true, but it is certainly not true of his followers, many of whom have, in the name of Jesus, put millions of non-Christians to death for no other reason than their desire to believe in a different religion. Your comment about "Talmudic Jews" is one of complete ignorance. There are Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews, Reform Jews, and Reconstructionist Jews. The term "Talmudic Jews" has no meaning. Are you at all familiar with the Talmud? It is a document of legal interpretation of the Bible. It contains many opinions, often conflicting with one another (just as the proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States contain both majority opinions, which are law, and dissenting opinions, which are _not_), and scholarship is required to interpret which is the ruling opinion, as there is no indication of which school prevailed in many cases. One can find Jewish bigotry in the Talmud, just as one can find universalism there. If one were to learn which view prevails, one would see that anti-gentile thinking has long been banned from mainstream Jewish thought. If the topic weren't so serious, I'd find it amusing for someone to assert in the same paragraph that Christianity teaches no bigotry and then to make a bigoted statement about an entire group of members of another religion. Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Master, Dawson Lodge #16, FAAM of DC [Major trimmage of newsgroups--removing all of the alt.politics.* groups that can't possibly be relevant to this discussion. Get a clue on how to post appropriately.] [Come to think of it, I'm not sure that the original posting was appropriate anywhere, other than possibly alt.bughouse.] Date: 04-06-96 (22:56) Number: 7493 of 7495 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: graham@dashdash.demon.co.uk, GRAHAM WIGNALL Subj: Re: Freemasons ARE evil Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Graham Wignall Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry,alt.politics.org.un,alt.illuminati Organization: (Complete lack of) Message-ID: In article <4k3bvg$5nt@nw002.infi.net>, "Wayne C. Bucklaew" writes >Chris Baker wrote: > >>My aplogies for some of my Christian brothers attacks on your newsgroup. > > >Chris, > You have actually taken a large step forward. Let me second that. We get enough discord within the fraternity across the pond, so it's doubly encouraging to see such out and out _sanity_. If only more people (bretheren included) were so tolerant. BTW, hope to see you Sunday, Wayne. -- Graham Wignall Date: 04-18-96 (13:43) Number: 7557 of 7559 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: steveh@shell.portal.com, STEVE HILL Subj: Re: Masonry is from Babylon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: Steve Hill Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.abe-lincoln,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.fr eemasonry Organization: Westhampton Group Message-ID: <3176A982.29AA@shell.portal.com> Nunslapper wrote: > Hi..Im not a wacko. Im not a Mason either. I am here to offer a fact: > > I doubt Masons are conspiratorial in any way, but they are a > 'religious' organization, requiring adherents to dress, act, speak and > think in certain ways. This is the definition of a cult. Every > religion on the face of the earth is a cult! Some of them are just > really large and well-accepted, but they are still cults. I AM a Mason, and I have to tell you that you seem to be relating something tha t is not in my own experience. I have attended Lodge with Brothers wearing suits, and others wear ing jeans (my own preference). The only time that I have seen "uniformity" of dress, is at the c eremonies during which a candidate is given a degree, where all the officers (and rarely the oth ers attending the ceremony) wear evening dress (tuxedo). As for your contention that we all act, speak and think alike, there you may be closer to the truth. However, we act (etc) in a similar manner to the acts (etc) of other men of good moral character ... and you don't need to be a Mason to possess those qualities. The only thing that a Mason must do of a "religious" nature, is to admit to a belief in God, regardless of what God is called in the candidate's own religion. That we do good deeds cannot be called a "religion." Your comments about "every religion" being a cult are just a bit too broad-brush to let stand. The primary critera for a "cult", is a belief that a single person has all the answers, a la David Koresh and Bob(?) Jones, and that person can and does make all the decisions. > All of them, freemasonry included, squelch individuality and free > thought, which IMHO is the most celebratory quality of the human > animal. Think about this; many of the men who wrote signed the Declaration of Independance and Constitution were Masons. Does this sound like people who had their thoughts squeched? Doe s Harry Truman sound like a man who was in lock-step with some hegemony? > I welcome public or private messages regarding this opinion, and any > open-minded discussion that may ensue as a result. I do not often read this newgroup (a little spare time today!) and so if you have any thoughts that you would like to discuss, please note the CC: line for my home mailbox. > I hope God blesses you - I took the shortcut, This intrigues me ... what is the shortcut? Sincerely, Steve ------------------------------------------- Name: Steve Hill E-mail: Home: steveh@shell.portal.com Work: steveh@nugrange.engr.sgi.com ------------------------------------------- l Date: 04-20-96 (03:15) Number: 7568 of 7574 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais3.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Masonry is from Babylon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais3.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry Organization: Capital Area Internet Service info@cais.com 703-448-4470 Message-ID: <4l9ksd$7p8@news2.cais.com> In article <4l7pob$45@chaos.dac.neu.edu>, John A. Lawson III wrote: >Andrea Chen (dbennett@crl.com) wrote: >: jlawson@lynx.dac.neu.edu (John A. Lawson III) writes: [snip] > >Umm if I were you I wouldn't burn any more of that incense or what ever >it is you are smoking...if they have control of all of us they sure are >doing a bad job of it because we can't even agree with each other on who >is recogniozed or not...umm I happen to know te state head of knights >templar. So umm helpiung each other is a bad thing? So Jesus said "Each >man for himslef"? Ummm--that was a joke... > Doesn't christ say to feed the hungry. visit the >prisoners, clothe those with out clothes? Actually, Jesus was doing a lot of quoting from the book of Isaiah, with which he was doubtless familiar as a Jew. Look for the passage that begins "Is not _this_ the fast I have chosen?..." for most of these suggestions. Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH Master, Dawson Lodge #16, FAAM of DC Date: 04-19-96 (11:11) Number: 7569 of 7574 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: jgbennie@vcn.bc.ca, JIM BENNIE Subj: Re: Here's Masonry !!!!! Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: jgbennie@vcn.bc.ca (Jim Bennie) Newsgroups: alt.masonic.members,alt.freemasonry Organization: Vancouver Community Net Message-ID: <4l7scf$ik4@milo.vcn.bc.ca> Barry Albin (barrya@qni.com) wrote: : Let it be known, the Royal Arch Chapter and the Scottish Rite are not : appendant bodies. The Blue Lodge is a York Rite Lodge. If you are an : American or Canadian Mason, you are a York Rite Mason. If you have also : joined the Scottish Rite, you are a Scottish Rite Masons. An ancient : agreement between the Grand Lodges and the Supreme Council, AASR, lets : the York Rite Lodges initiate Scottish Rite Masons, but there is no need : to do so nor would you be less a Mason if you were initiated into the : Scottish Rite originally. Barry, I really don't follow your logic here. Our Lodges initiate candidates, they don't initiate Masons, Scottish Rite or otherwise. My Grand Lodge has never signed any "ancient agreement" with the Scottish Rite. In fact it predates the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite of Canada by three years. Just because the Scottish Rite, somewhere along the way, may have developed a first, second and third degree, that doesn't mean that any other first, second or third degree must be York Rite. And because the Royal Arch degree is considered part of Ancient Craft Masonry in England, but part of the York Rite in North America, it doesn't follow that Ancient Craft Masonry is part of the York Rite. The English system is much different than what we have here. The Craft Lodges degrees in Canada are not considered to be part of the York Rite or any other Rite. Both the York and Scottish Rites are concordant bodies which one can venture into *after* their MM degree. Jim Bennie PM/Historian Alliance No. 193 Vancouver alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined 4/25/96 Date: 04-24-96 (03:31) Number: 7592 of 7592 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais2.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Masonry is from Babylon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais2.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Message-ID: <4lk7ar$de6@news2.cais.com> >umm so what version do you use? No one has authority to add or remove >anything from the bible. Excuse me for snickering, but various religions have always claimed the authority to determine what is holy scripture. The debate on what to include in the Jewish Scriptures spanned centuries; eventually, Maccabees were left out, but Esther was kept in. Then the Talmudic authorities decreed that nothing could be added or omitted, which led to the creation of a hundred times as much writing to try to explain what was in the Scriptures. It still goes on today, in the form of responsa. To this day, the Catholic Bible includes apocryphal books that are not part of the Protestant canon. And translations keep changing the sense of what appears, even in areas where the original ought to have been clear. (See my discussion of the "Lucifer" issue in my Web pages, for an example.) Study up a bit, won't you? Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/~rfire/masonry/ Date: 04-27-96 (17:21) Number: 7608 of 7614 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: walter@teleport.com, WALTER ALTER Subj: mythic origins of hermetic knowledge Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: walter@teleport.com (walter alter) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.illuminati Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016 Message-ID: <4ludlv$om2@julie.teleport.com> the traditions of hermetic knowledge reflect the work of ancient preisthoods to protect sacred lore and preserve the memory of events and priciples handed down from the dawn of civilization. the ancient stargazers made their craft a science, for in it lay the preservation of the memories of humanity. the first astronomers were not so much fixing navigation points or performing "pure research" as do our universities presently, but they were on the watchtower, scanning the heavens for portents of great disaster. the word "disaster" comes from the root "aster" or star, as in *astro*nomy or *astro*logy. and the early myths, the primary religious litanies of the great ancient philosophies spoke of a time known as "the golden age" and then continue on at length describing the end of the golden age in a series of awesome cataclysmic events in which their gods were seen to wage warfare in the heavens and subsequently raing down destruction and calumny upon the peoples of the Earth. the early archaeologists were confused by the finding that the primary creation/destruction myths of Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Akkadia, India, China, Mesoamerica, Scandanavia and elsewhere, ALL told of an incredible sequence of events orchestrated by dieties which were PLANET-NAMED and which make no sense to us unless we presume that the ancients were seing a much different cosmos that that which we now see. i invite you to examine our web site and weight the evidence that dozens of scholars and researchers have amassed over the past three generations in the fields of astronomy, geology, archaeology, anthropology and mythology that tell of verify the ancient hermetic traditions as guardians of the memory of actual events: http://www.kronia.com/~kronia walter Date: 04-29-96 (14:30) Number: 7623 of 7627 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: rfire@cais2.cais.com, DR ROGER M FIRESTONE Subj: Re: Masonry is from Babylon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: rfire@cais2.cais.com (Dr. Roger M. Firestone) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.freemasonry Organization: Capital Area Internet Service Message-ID: <4m2jq2$d7v@news2.cais.com> In article <4lvkq2$98g@rigel.pixi.com>, livid wrote: >Its my understanding that only the 33rd degree masons really know what is >going on as far as the true purpose of the Masons. The 33rd deg Masons are >generally very prominent people in goverment, media, and large scale >buisiness. You understand nothing; you only repeat absurd rumors and allegations. Your comments about "only the 33rd degree masons really know what is going on" is the same sort of imagined conspiratorial nonsense we have all heard about any group that someone wants to persecute--only the Pope and Cardinals know what is going on in Catholicism; only a few Rabbis know what is going on in the "International Jewish Conspiracy"; only a few corporate CEOs know about the conspiracy to take over the world. You have made a positive assertion; it is up to you to provide clear and convincing proof of it. It is not up to us to prove a negative. What evidence can you offer of your assertions? Yes, some 33rd degree Masons are prominent in the world; one of the things that the 33rd degree recognizes is service to society, as well as service to the Fraternity. If men became 33rd degree Masons first, and then became Federal judges, Senators, etc., you might have a case that 33rd degree Masons were taking over the country (in your fevered imaginings). However, the evidence clearly shows that the 33rd degree is conferred on men who have become achievers in our society, not the other way around. The Founding Fathers, many of whom were Freemasons, set up a country and a system of laws to preserve our liberty. Too bad the only thing you can use our freedom of speech for is to propagate lies and slander. >If you really have any doubts about what the Masons are all about >just look at their cars. I have seen the little circular emblems with the >compass, the egyptian symbols, and one as blatant as a pentagram! What "Egyptian symbols?" And what is "blatant" about a pentagram (which is not a Masonic symbol, but is used by the Order of the Eastern Star)--there are a lot of five-pointed stars on the American Flag, but I don't see you being upset (or livid) about that. What exactly do these bumper stickers _prove_, anyway, regarding what the Masons are all about? You make no sense whatever. >Truly the >Masons are not any good, otherwise they wouldn't be a secret society! I don't >care how many childrens hospitals they have given money to! I assume you also denounce college fraternities, the Moose, the Elk, the Odd Fellows, and all sorts of other organizations for being secret? And how secret are the Masons, anyway, since, as you point out, they drive around with bumper emblems on their cars, meet in clearly marked buildings, hold parades, and so on. And what has secrecy to do with being "not any good," anyway? There is no logical connection between these concepts. The early Christians met in secret; were they "not any good?" Several theological writers advise doing good deeds by stealth; is this practice "not any good?" It is only in your mind that there is evil associated with secrecy. You cannot produce the slightest shred of proof of your lies; you claim to be a Christian, yet you associate yourself with the Devil, whose very name comes from the Latin word, "diabolus," meaning slanderer. >livid > >If you really think the one world government movement is just a paranoid >delusion by Christian fanatics, don't be suprised when you seen foreign troops >patrolling your nieghborhood like our troops are doing all over the world for >the UN! Please remember to take your medication according to the label directions; you've been skipping it for several days... Since Freemasons were at the forefront of most of the struggles for independence and revolution from 1776 onward (George Washington, Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, Simon Bolivar, Garibaldi), the likelihood of the Freemasons being associated with any sort of tyrannical one-world government is zero. It is completely inconsistent with anything stated or professed in Masonry. But of course, you wouldn't be familiar with actual Masonic writings, only with the preposterous lies that you and your kind circulate among yourselves and then try to foist upon a credulous world. Roger M. Firestone, 32 KCCH [newsgroups trimmed; abe lincoln and JFK have nothing to do with this topic] Date: 04-29-96 (16:39) Number: 7624 of 7627 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: thehalls@elite.net, MIKE HALL Subj: Re: Masonry is from Babylon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: thehalls@elite.net (Mike Hall) Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.abe-lincoln,alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.fr eemasonry Organization: Sense Networking Seattle (www.oz.net) Message-ID: In article <4lvkq2$98g@rigel.pixi.com>, livid@pixi.com (livid) wrote: > Its my understanding that only the 33rd degree masons really know what is > going on as far as the true purpose of the Masons. The 33rd deg Masons are > generally very prominent people in goverment, media, and large scale > buisiness. Dear Livid -- Your LACK of understanding is underwhelming!! Just for the record, the 33rd degree is an honorary degree, given to Scottish Rite Masons who have worked long and hard for the Scottish Rite. It confers no authority or position whatever in Blue Lodge (mainline) Masonry. 33 Degree Masons include a wide cross section of large and small business men, government officials and workers, laborers, mechanics, car salesmen, cops, clergymen and everyone else from every level of society. I know this is a waste of time, but I felt antsy today so I couldn't resist ... Mike Hall MM Yosemite Lodge #99 Merced CA 32* Valley of Fresno Orient of CA Mike Hall Merced CA ======================================================= Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something. ======================================================= Date: 05-03-96 (08:18) Number: 7634 of 7639 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: dlester@adnc.com, DOUGLAS LESTER Subj: Re: Looking for info on numerology Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) John Beavers wrote: > > I am just getting started in numerology and would be interested in any info y ou > might have. Please share your thoughts and knowledge with the rest of us! an excerpt from a web site. search on "Koinonia House" The numerical structure of the Bible has been studied closely, being the subject of numerous volumes in the past.(1) But none are more provocative than the works of Dr. Ivan Panin.(2) Ivan Panin was born in Russia on December 12, 1855. Having participated in plots against the Czar at an early age, he was exiled and, after spending some years studying in Germany, he came to the United States and entered Harvard University. After graduation in 1882, he converted from agnosticism to Christianity. In 1890 he discovered some of the phenomenal mathematical designs underlying both the Greek text of the New Testament and the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. He was to devote over 50 years of his life painstakingly exploring the numerical structure of the Scriptures, generating over 43,000 detailed, hand-penned pages of analysis (and exhausting his health in the process). He went on to be with the Lord in his 87th year, on October 30, 1942. The Heptadic Structure The recurrence of the number seven--or an exact multiple of seven--is found throughout the Bible and is widely recognized. The Sabbath on the seventh day; the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine in Egypt; the seven priests and seven trumpets marching around Jericho; the Sabbath Year of the land are well-known examples. Also, Solomon's building the Temple for seven years, Naaman's washing in the river seven times, and the seven churches, seven lamp stands, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, seven stars, and so on in the Book of Revelation, all show the consistent use of the number seven. But there turns out to be much more below the surface. Ivan Panin noted the amazing numerical properties of the Biblical texts--both the Greek of the New Testament and the Hebrew of the Old Testament. These are not only intriguing to discover, they also demonstrate an intricacy of design which testifies to a supernatural origin! Vocabulary One of the simplest--and most provocative--aspects of the Biblical text is the vocabulary used. The number of vocabulary words in a passage is normally different from the total number of words in a passage. Some words are repeated. It is easy, for example, to use a vocabulary of 500 words to write an essay of 4,000 words. An Example The first 17 verses of the Gospel of Matthew are a logical unit, or section, which deals with a single principal subject: the genealogy of Christ. It contains 72 Greek vocabulary words in these initial 17 verses. (The verse divisions are man's allocations for convenience, added in the 13th century.) The number of words which are nouns is exactly 56, or 7 x 8. The Greek word "the" occurs most frequently in the passage: exactly 56 times, or 7 x 8. Also, the number of different forms in which the article "the" occurs is exactly 7. There are two main sections in the passage: verse 1-11, and 12-17. In the first main section, the number of Greek vocabulary words used is 49, or 7 x 7. Why not 48, or 50? Of these 49 words, the number of those beginning with a vowel is 28, or 7 x 4. The number of words beginning with a consonant is 21, or 7 x 3. The total numbers of letters in these 49 words is 266, or 7 x 38-- exactly! The number of vowels among these 266 letters is 140, or 7 x 20. The number of consonants is 126, or 7 x 18--exactly. Of the 49 words, the number of words which occur more than once is 35, or 7 x 5. The number of words occurring only once is 14, or 7 x 2. The number of words which occur in only one form is exactly 42, or 7 x 6. The number of words appearing in more than one form is also 7. The number of the 49 Greek vocabulary words which are nouns is 42, or 7 x 6. The number of words which are not nouns is 7. Of the nouns, 35 are proper names, or exactly 7 x 5. These 35 names are used 63 times, or 7 x 9. The number of male names is exactly 28, or 7 x 4. These male names occur 56 times or 7 x 8. The number which are not male names is 7. Three women are mentioned-- Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. The number of Greek letters in these three names is 14, 7 x 2. The number of compound nouns is 7. The number of Greek letters in these 7 nouns is 49, or 7 x 7. Only one city is named in this passage, Babylon, which in Greek contains exactly 7 letters. And on it goes. To get an indication of just how unique these properties are, try the example in the inset. Gametria There are even more features in the numerical structure of the words themselves. As you may know, both Hebrew and Greek uses the letters of the alphabet for numerical values. Therefore, any specific word--in either Hebrew or Greek--has a numerical value of its own by adding up the values of the letters in that particular word. The study of the numerical values of words is called gametria. The 72 vocabulary words add up to a gametrical value of 42,364, or 7 x 6,052. Exactly. If one Greek letter was changed, this would not happen. The 72 words appear in 90 forms--some appear in more than one form. The numeric value of the 90 forms is 54,075, or 7 x 7,725. Exactly. We will defer other examples of gametrical properties of the Biblical text for subsequent articles, but it becomes immediately obvious that hidden below the surface are aspects of design that cannot be accidental or just coincidence. Remember, the rabbis say that "coincidence" is not a kosher word! Other Implications There are words in the passage just described that occur nowhere else in the New Testament. They occur 42 times (7 x 6) and have 126 letters (7 x 18). How was this organized? Even if Matthew contrived this characteristic into his Gospel, how could he have known that these specific words--whose sole characteristic is that they are found nowhere else in the New Testament--were not going to be used by the other writers? Unless we assume the absurd hypothesis that he had an agreement with them, he must have had the rest of the New Testament before him when he wrote his book. The Gospel of Matthew, then, must have been written last. It so happens, however, that the Gospel of Mark exhibits the same phenomenon. It can be demonstrated that it would have had to be written "last." The same phenomenon is found in Luke. And in John, James, Peter, Jude and Paul. Each would have had to write after the other in order to contrive the vocabulary frequencies! You can demonstrate that each of the New Testament books had to have been "written last." There is no human explanation for this incredible and precise structure. It has all been supernaturally designed. We simply gasp, sit back, and behold the skillful handiwork of the God who keeps His promises. And we are indebted to the painstaking examinations and lifetime commitment of Dr. Ivan Panin for uncovering these amazing insights. Isn't God--and His remarkable Word--fun? Notes: 1. McCormack, R., "The Heptadic Structure of Scripture," Marshall Brothers Ltd., London, 1923; E.W. Bullinger, Numbers of the Scriptures; F.W. Grant, The Numerical Bible (7 vols.); Browne, Ordo Saeculoreium, et al. 2. Ivan Panin (various works), "Bible Numerics," P.O. Box 206, Waubaushene, Ontario, L0K 2C0. This article was first published in the February 1995 edition of Personal Update. Copyright (C) 1996 by Koinonia House Inc., P.O. Box D, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816-0347 Date: 05-04-96 (10:24) Number: 7648 of 7650 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: walter@wbriscoe.demon.co.uk, WALTER BRISCOE Subj: Re: Muslim Masons - impossible Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: walter briscoe Newsgroups: alt.masonic.members,alt.freemasonry,alt.conspiracy Message-ID: <831205492snz@wbriscoe.demon.co.uk> Reply-To: walter@wbriscoe.demon.co.uk Although your posting is filled with calumny, I accord you the courtesy of honest intent. In article <4mctea$ajl@lugb.latrobe.edu.au> cs594647@lux.latrobe.edu.au "Aydin Oz " writes: [snip] > turkey for example is full of freemasons in politics and this can be > very unfair as freemason helps freemason and the ordinary person is left > on the side. I am a freemason. I cannot speak of the actions of others but can say something of my experience of English Freemasonry. Before a man is initiated into Freemasonry, he is required to declare that he is there willingly and it is explained that to become a Freemason he must take an obligation to keep certain things secret in which there is "nothing incompatible with [your] civil, moral, or religious duties". We later take obligations which include mutual support in LAWFUL undertakings. Any unlawful support would violate those obligations. I am perfectly willing to accept that some Freemasons do not succeed in living by those principles. This no more invalidates their Freemasonry than the actions of some Jews invalidates Judaism, nor Christians Christianity, nor Muslims Islam, nor Communists Communism. [The last item is listed because my understanding is that Communism - properly understood - encourages moral behaviour but is - like Freemasonry - not a religion as are the others in my list.] > islam teaches that no matter what the thoughts of the person help is given > to who ever asks for it. freemasons only help one another and that > for an honest person is very unfair. I am much more interested in your views on Islam than those on Freemasonry. You have stated that Freemasonry is incompatible with Islam; that a Muslim can't have secrets from his family. On what basis? As to freemasons helping ourselves, we do and we also help others. I have just grabbed the first report of "United Grand Lodge of England" which comes to hand. It is dated 10 September 1986 and so the figures it reports will be lower than corresponding current figures. It reports the following giving in UK pounds by the Grand Charity - the membership fees of every English Freemason include a contribution to that. 5,000 to Portsmouth Cathedral 1,000 to the District Grand Lodge of Gibralter 1,000 to the Bombay District E.C. Grand Charity 72,000 to "Help the Aged" to purchase six minibuses. 250,000 (in 50,000 annual instalments) to the Mental Health Foundation to help in alleviating the problem of Drug Abuse. Another 1995 report is of 700,000 to 682 petitioners in six months. Help is give to those who ask in proportion to our perception of their need and our ability to help. I am sure others could quote examples from everywhere there are Freemasons. We give! Limited resources limit our giving. The lie that we only give to each other is easily answered. -- walter briscoe Conference Area: alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference 5/19/96 harsh criticism. A glimpse behind the scenes of textbook history, however, reveals a hidden agenda and exposure of this not only enables many historical episodes to fall into place but provides a very clear picture of where present-day world events are taking us. We begin early in sixteenth century Europe where the invention FREEMASONS: THE HIDDEN AGENDA OF THE MANAGERS OF HISTORY For many people recalling their school days seldom includes fond memories of the history class. Boring lists of dates and names, who, when and where but rarely ever why; it was all seemingly disjointed and almost contrived to be instantly forgettable. The two-hundredth anniversary of the founding of America was cele brated in 1976 and the same anniversary is being celebrated by the people of the French Republic in 1989. There, is of course, an historical connection which may not be too clear in many minds but even less clear is why each celebration has been attended by some harsh criticism. A glimpse behind the scenes of textbook history, however, reveals a hidden agenda and exposure of this not only enables many historical episodes to fall into place but provides a very clear picture of where present-day world events are taking us. We begin early in sixteenth century Europe where the invention of the printing press had made both Bibles and the works of the Greek philosophers available to many would-be scholars. The Background Ever since the fourth century when the Roman emperor Constantine I made Christianity the official religion, the Latin Church had gained increasing power and by the sixteenth century the Western world was virtually ruled by the priest. The Latin clergy in Europe, and the Pope in particular, had tremendous power. But power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely with the result that although Christian principles were generally the basis for law, they were enforced more by the letter than by the spirit. The old Latin Church had governed by providing the people with all the schools, universities and hospitals and ensured that everyone received Christian instruction; most knew Scriptural principles and many, though poor, tried to live by them. The ruling classes, however, received a more extensive private education, often paid mere lip service to Christian principles and believed it was their God-given right to keep the poor in submission. The feudal working classes were thus submitted to both priest and landowner who was in turn submitted to the King. But then we find the shadowy figure of the priest standing behind every throne! The corruption in the Latin Church eventually became so extreme that a revolt was finally triggered against the papal system in Germany led by Martin Luther; the date was 1517. England rejected the Latin pope about a decade later only to make King Henry VIII pope of the Church of England. These were the beginnings of the Protestant Church. The Latin Church continued and, after the Council of Trent (1545-1563), became the Roman Church we know today. The Protestant Church dominated Britain, Holland and parts of Germany and, at first, tried to adhere to Biblical principles but power corrupts... Protestants generally regarded the Roman Church as the root of all evil although in England by the seventeenth century, the Protestant Church itself was as full of hypocrisy as the Roman Church was of superstition; both were filled with corruption and each went to war against the other. Certain free-thinking men in England and in Europe perceived that it was not just the Roman Church but Christianity itself which was responsible for all the wars, corruption and inequality which had besieged Europe for the past several hundred years. These men, who became the founders of the "Enlightenment", wanted a total change. But it was dangerous to speak openly against the Church and the King and organized discussion had to be in secret. It happened that there were a number of secret societies already in existence including the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons. The latter were the builders of the great cathedrals and other major buildings across Europe and England; they were a kind of early trade union. In most parts of Continental Europe their numbers dwindled after the Reformation and the Wars of Religion but in England they were still very active. Then, in the late seventeenth century, they took on a very different character. The free-thinkers, who were for the most part Protestant, educated and influential, joined the Freemasons and, since most of these gentlemen would not have known a square from a compass, they were enrolled as "Speculative Masons" to distinguish them from the original "Craft Masons". The distinction was of little consequence to the gentlemen of the Enlightenment who had cuckooed their way into the secret society and could now make their plans and network their intentions across Europe with little fear. The dissatisfaction with Church and King had produced four literary works on the Utopia theme: Thomas More began the trend with his Utopia in 1516, Sir Francis Bacon followed with his New Atlantis published posthumously in 1627; in Italy, Tommaso Campanella produced his City of the Sun about 1634 and later, in France, Jean Jacques Rousseau published his Social Contract in 1762. The authors of these works were well aware that the Greek philosopher, Plato, writing in the 5th century BC, had also been dissatisfied with corruption in the various systems of government. He had proposed a Republic in which a team of "wise men" ruled the people. Plato's Republic then became an ideal for the humanist free-thinkers in England and Europe; the objective adopted by the speculative Masons was to replace the existing order of rule by Church and King with a Republic. They realized that in order to bring this form of government into existence, they had to continue to work secretly and internationally with the aim of first destroying the existing order. The long-term aim was world peace through the elimination of wars between nations. But, this would only be possible by dissolving all national sovereignty and introducing a new world order under one Republican World govern ment. The Masonic organization became world-wide from India to the Americas under the old British Empire and, as we shall see, has been dedicated to these lofty aims ever since. Who are the Masons? Although the history of Masonry has been deliberately obscured, much work has been done in recent years by non-Masonic historians to restore a reasonable measure of truth. However, far worse than distorted Masonic history is the fact that Masonic involvement in the affairs of nations has been completely erased from the textbook. Thus, textbook history has been left as a series of disjointed episodes without an adgenda. Proof of this is the fact that the early accounts of such leading historical characters as Benjamin Franklin or Guiseppe Garibaldi make it very clear that Freemasonry played a central part in their lives. However, by the time history was written up in formal and scholarly tomes by the fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge, there is not one hint that anyone was ever a Mason! Cambridge historians George Trevelyan and his son, Sir George, were in all likelihood fellow Masons and their censorship has, in a sense, been too complete; the absence of any reference to Masonry, in spite of the fact that early histories openly refer to it, is quite noticeable. Masonic historical works are available in public librar ies and they like to claim many eminent names as their own; this is a starting point but caution is necessary because some, like Voltaire, entered the brotherhood virtually on their deathbed. Nevertheless, the point of persuading eminent men to join, even though they may not be active, is that their names can legitimately be used later to influence others. Rousseau, Goethe, Mozart and Kipling to name a few, were all Masons. In this way, many kings and presidents have become Masons. In England, for example, we find Kings Charles I and II, William III, George IV, William IV, Edward VII, George V and George VI were all Masons and several were masters of the Grand Lodge. We will also find an impressive list of Church of England Bishops among them (Calvert 1917). Then, in America, we will find that many signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Franklin and Hancock, were Masons together with practically every president since George Washington; president Regan was elected into the Scottish rite just before he left office and president Bush has been a senior Mason for a many years. Some of these men will have been aware of the ultimate aims of the brotherhood, others will have been duped in by association with the great names in history and remain blissfully unaware of the real objectives; Ronald Regan was probably one of the latter. The roots of Masonry are closely allied with Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) and Sir Elias Ashmole (1617-1692) in England. Both were associated with the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons (Gould 1904, 243 and Webster 1924, 120). Ashmole was the founder of the Asmolean Museum at Oxford and Bacon has been credited with today's "scientific method". However,of greater interest is Bacon's New Atlantis which describes the land of Bensalem in which there is a co-operative college of science called Solomon's house. The house is essentialy a religious community in which the men must all take an oath of secrecy; there are 33 orders of tasks. The similarity between this and modern Masonry with its emphasis on Solomon's temple and 33 degrees is surely more than coincidental. But wait, careful reading of New Atlantis shows that there were three more orders making a total of 36 and these last three are called "Interpreters of Nature". Theirs is the most important and secret task since all the others report to them. Is it possible that there are three higher orders in Masonry who oversee the grand plan? From the number of Shriners in North America, each of whom is a 32nd or 33rd Mason, it is amazing that not one, as far as is known, has ever broken down and confessed all. The most likely explanation is that most of the Shriners have no idea of the grand plan. The effort to convince the public (but not the Inland Revenue Service) and their own members that the Masonic objectives are charitable works has evidently been highly successful. Many of the Rosicrucian and Masonic groups were fused in 1717, the year of the inauguration of the Grand Lodge, and their ritual standardized and canonized at this time. John Toland is said to have been responsible for introducing the legend, ritual and theology of speculative Masonry which he took from the Hermetic and ancient Egyptian religions. Masonry itself is a religion while their own publications admit this; they meet in a "temple", worship the "Grand Architect", use the King James Bible but are very careful not to mention the name of Jesus. The name is omitted from 1 Peter 2:3-5 which is their opening prayer. This alone should indicate that their religion is anti-Christian by nature. Bernal (1987, 173) has shown more recently that although the Masonic objective was to create a band of illuminati who would lead the world to a better, more peaceful and more tolerant way of life, many millenarians within their ranks believed that knowledge had to be reassembled before the coming thousand-year reign. It was this thinking added to the thought that "wise men" needed to be trained in readiness for the first Republic, that resulted in the establi shment of the Royal Society in 1662. Founded by King Charles II, a Mason, the first president was Sir Isaac Newton who was a Deist and most probably also a Mason. The original craft Masons always had a strong attachment to Egypt. The route is perhaps tenuous but in the recognition that the ancient Egyptians were indeed masters of building in stone, a mythology was built up in which the Masons saw themselves in the image of Hiram, the half-Phoenician craftsman builder of Solomon's temple. The Phoenicians were firmly linked to the Egyptians in the Bible--both are listed as sons of Ham--and Hiram Abif is at the core of Masonic mythology. The name Hiram Abif appears only in the Coverdale translation of the Bible published about 1540 and becomes simply "Hiram King of Tyre" in the King James version (1 Kings 5:1). Every Masonic temple is patterned after the Egyptian temples, aligned East to West with the main entrance at the East end and the altar at the West end so that at the vernal equinox the rising sun will cast a shaft of light through the entrance to the altar. This is a vestige of pagan sun worship. The Masonic Symbolism The Egyptian obelisk has been adopted as a symbol of Masonic victory over traditional Christianity and, once recognized, serves as a very useful guide. In Egypt, the obelisk was a phallic symbol of the resurrection through procreation, that is, the phallus was the means by which man lived again through his off- spring. Thus, as a symbol of the resurrection the obelisk has been used as a grave marker by the Masons, particularly those in the senior ranks, since the sixteenth century. It seems that the bodies of most of the English humanist thinkers gravitated to Westminster Abbey in London and the place fairly bristles with obelisk tomb markers. A few cemetery obelisks will contain a Masonic square and compass to leave no doubt as to the connection but it will be found that the personal graves of many an influential man is topped by an obelisk: the grave of George Washington and of Sir John A. MacDonald, first prime minister of Canada, are classic examples. The craft Masons also tend to use the broken column as their marker but significantly the empty cross will very seldom be found marking a Mason's grave. As far as their use as victory markers, an obelisk was erected to mark the battle of the River Boyne in Northern Ireland where Protestant William of Orange defeated Catholic King James II in 1690. There is no evidence that William II was a Mason but the obelisk was erected in the following century to celebrate the victory of Protestantism over Catholicism. The Masonic organization opposed the Roman Church from the beginning and the Roman Pontifs have known this and forbidden their people to join the Masonic Order. In recent years, however, senior Vatican staff have become Masons and there now seems to be some sort of unholy alliance. The largest stone obelisk in the United States is the 550 feet tall Washington Monument purportedly to commemorate George Washington's birth place. There was a great scandal when it was erected because it was done so at public expense and the people of the time knew its real purpose was to commemorate Masonic victory by securing liberty from King George III and authority of the Church in 1776. The momument was completed in 1884. Various other victories, real and perceived, will be found to be marked by obelisks such as that at Bunker Hill in Charleston. The French Revolution was even more successful than the American and they had to have an even larger obelisk to celebrate their victory. There is a genuine obelisk stolen from Egypt to mark the victory of the Bastille in Paris and then there is the daddy of them all, the Eiffel Tower, just twice as tall as the Washington Monument and completed in time for the centenary celebrations in 1889. These victory markers will be found world-wide and enquiry will usually show that the loser in the battle will have been some sort of Christianity while the victory will have been a significant step towards the establishment of a Republic. For example, on a hill in Sicily there is an obelisk to commemorate the Masonic victory at Gibilrossa under Garibaldi (A Grand Orient Mason) in 1860 which led to today's Italian Republic. Masonic Objectives Achieved The plans had been made, the location was sufficiently remote from Old World authority and a mildly oppresive opportunity presented itself to justify the beginning of a revolution. The place was Philadelphia and the date was 1776. Benjamin Franklin, journalist and publisher, was also shuttle diplomat between like- minded revolutionaries in England and in Paris. Franklin had persuaded Englishman and fellow-Mason, Thomas Paine, to return to Philadelphia to help liberate America by inciting the common man to revolt against King George III. Paine produced his Common Sense and, after a successful revolution, this booklet was used a few months later to form the basis for the now famous Declaration of Independence. Of the fifty-six signatures, eight of the signatories are known to have been Masons while twenty-four others are also claimed by the Masons to be of their own (Knight 1983, 34). America was now a Federation rather than a British colony but this soon became a Republic which was considered very left-wing by those loyal to King George III. In 1856, an opposition left-wing, the Democratic Republican Party was formed under Mason Alexander Hamilton: Plato would have been delighted. This party is now called simply the Democratic Party. Since that time, both parties, the right- wing Republican and the left-wing Democratic, have shifted steadily to the left. It was mentioned earlier that the craft Masons looked to the early Egyptians as masters of their craft but at the same time the speculative Masons saw in early Egyptian government an ideal closely approaching that of Plato's republic. The Egyptian pyramid epitomized both ideals: extreme skill and a heirarchy of power. In choosing the Great (Cheops) pyramid for the reverse side of the Great Seal of America, Would it be idle speculation to suggest that the missing capstone of this pyramid represents the elite, the three final and secret degrees, seeing but not being seen? The Great Seal of the United States was designed in 1789 and it was American President and 32-degree Mason, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who commissioned the Great Seal to be placed on the back of the one dollar bill in 1935. This reverse side of the Seal shows the Great pyramid with the capstone replaced by the all-seeing eye and the Latin caption which proclaims: "1776: In this year began the New World Order". The French Revolution was a contrived affair from the beginning with many of the same prime movers as in the American Revolution thirteen years earlier. The difference was that by 1789 every Protestant had been driven from France and the Roman Church was fully in control whereas America had become the home to many of the persecuted Protestants. A food shortage was engineered in Paris and the people incited to revolt against authority. The focal point of the rebellion by the people was a great prison house, the Bastille, which was said to contain many hundreds of their compa triots. On July 14th, 1789 the mob stormed the Bastile only to find it occupied by seven dirty old men; one of them was the Marquis De Sade who well deserved to be there! A hollow victory but one which every Frenchmen has been forced to celebrate now for 200 years. The story of the French Revolution has been told many times and has been vilified and glorified according to every writer's viewpoint. For those who find comfort in the thought of living in a Socialist Republic, the French Revolution was the most wonderful thing that could have happened. Liberty, equality and fraternity were promised but what did the promises really mean? Liberty from Church authority, equality for all except the ruling elite and fraternity such as may be found in a thieve's kitchen! We might also recall that the Russian people have lived under a Socialist Republic ever since their revolution in 1918. Unemployment was solved by culling off thousands of people by quota. Royalty was beheaded and the church defrocked and drummed out. Priests had the choice: publically renounce their faith or accept the guillotine. Churches were closed, bibles publically burned and within three short years the country had moved from Catholicism to atheism to paganism. Pantheism and Nature worship had replaced whatever vestige of Christianity there was in France in a matter of months. With a zeal to completely change the entire order of things, the Metric system was introduced in 1793 and attempts were also made at this time to metricate time itself with a ten-day week. Fortun ately, the long-suffering Frenchman refused this but the idealists have been trying to introduce the ten-day week with every revolu tion since; it has never been successful. The first French Republic was a failure and so was the second; eventually, the 'wise-men' turned out to have feet of clay and Napoleon Bonaparte was invited to rule over the brave new Republic. He was not even a Frenchman and was generally regarded by the Christian world as the Antichrist himself. Napoleon was a diabolically clever megalomaniac probably not a Mason although his brother is known to have been a very influential member of the Brotherhood. Bonaparte led thousands of the best of the nation's young men to their death in a futile attempt to bring the World under one Republican rule. Lord Acton in his Essays on the French Revolution wrote: "The appalling thing in the French Revolution is not the tumult but the design. Through all the fire and the smoke we perceive the evidence of calculating organization. The managers remain studiously concealed and masked; but there is no doubt about their presence from the first" (Webster 1969, ix). The managers are still there, still manipulating with one steadfast purpose: to destroy the existing order and install in its place a one World Republic. If we have any doubts about the identity of the managers we have only to look to the statue of Liberty in New York harbour. Presented in 1884 as a gift from the Masons of France to the Masons of America in celebration of the centenary of the first Masonic Republic and liberty from the laws of God. At the great bicentenary celebrations in Paris on July 14th 1989, it was no coincidence that the G7 Conference was held there at the same time. Today's managers were there: M.Jacques Delors, the President of the ECC, Helmut Kohl, President Bush and the others, many known to be Masons, lined up for the publicity photograph. A typical Masonic touch was the backdrop to the picture: a large pyramid especially erected for the occasion. Little known is the fact that the French people have not been supportive of the centenary celebrations and are angry that they had been deceived for the past 200 years as the facts of the Revolution begin to finally leak out. Right-wing Paris news-papers declared in bold headlines: Un coup des francs-maons! The Mitterand government has been under relentless attack for spending far too much on the celebrations (Franois Mitterand is well-known by the French as a top-ranking Mason). August 15th saw massive demonstrations by the public against the Revolution and all that their idealist leaders stand for but our North American media has failed to mention a word of this. Censorship? Nineteen-ninety-two will see the dissolution of European and British national sovereignty and the making of one monolithic European Republic. Government will no doubt still have the appear ance of being democratic with opposition parties but, in fact, there will be only token opposition because every party, no matter what the name, will be as it is today, stacked with like-minded individuals and with one Masonic objective. Welcome to Plato's Brave New World. REFERENCES Bernal, Martin. 1987. Black Athena . Volume 1. London: Free Association Books. Calvert, Albert. 1917. The Grand Lodge of England: 1717-1917. London: Herbert Jenkins Ltd. Gould, Robert F. 1904. A Concise History of Freemasonry London: Gale and Polden. Knight, Stephen. 1983. The Brotherhood . London: Grenada Publications. Webster, Nesta. [1919] 1969. The French Revolution . Reprint. Hawthorne, CA.: Christian Book Club of America. --0-- TFE PUBLISHING P.O.Box 5015, Stn. F, Toronto, Ontario. M4Y 2T1 Date: 05-09-96 (15:35) Number: 7700 of 7749 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: don@icon.net, DON Subj: Freemasonry and Christianity 1 Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: don@icon.net (Don) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: (ICON) InterConnect Online, Inc. Message-ID: <4mt3bn$d6a@news.icon.net> SO MOTE IT BE The question of Freemasonry . The question of the Christian stand regarding Freemasonry seems to confront our ministry at every turn lately. Because we have seen the exact parallels of the Masonic legends and rituals carried throughout the 'mysteries' of Mormonism, we have had to study deeply into Masonic origins, purposes and doctrine. . In doing so, we have had to come to grips with the sad fact that the esoteric doctrines of Freemasonry separate it, just as unequivocally as do those of Mormonism, from the Christian theology. This holds true for every branch of Masonry, from the Shriners to the Blue Lodge, the Eastern Star, the Demolay, Job's Daughters and the Rainbow Girls! . We know that this will cause offense to many Masons, and for that we are truly sorry. But we would rather that the Mason be offended at us and be restored to true fellowship with Jesus Christ, than to remain silent any longer. . This word of warning is not to the Masonic fraternity at large, but to those Masons who claim to be both Masons and Christians! . A recent newspaper insert, called "FREEMASONRY - A WAY OF LIFE" appeared in many metropolitan areas. It pictured Freemasonry as a family centered, fraternal, benevolent organization, "as American as apple pie!" (page 7) . Not only does the article demonstrate the strength of Freemasonry among our political leaders (both past and present), but makes much of its use of the Holy Bible and its foundational belief in God. Masonry has a very strong representation in the Christian denominations through-out the world. In many of the churches we visit, we finds Masons involved as deacons, elders, board members and even as pastors. . Their claim and the claim of every Mason to the outside world, is that Masonry and Christianity are totally compatible. They tell us that religion is the experience of relating to God, and Masonry the experience of relating to mankind. While separate, they can and do naturally coexist. . The above mentioned article explains its 'religious' position this way, "Masonry is NOT a religion in any sense of the word, yet it is religious. Church membership is not a requirement, yet membership in ANY church is no bar to admission. There is nothing in the requirements of Masonry to prevent a Catholic, a Mohammedan, a Jew, a Buddhist, a Protestant, a Mormon, or any member of any religion from becoming a member". (page 3) . On the surface, this might seem quite reasonable. We find no offense in being involved in social, civic and benevolent activities with people of other religious and ethnic backgrounds. In fact, it's really an integral part of the excitement of life! But, when it comes to our own personal worship of God, and His revelation to us of His Word, there are some very clear guidelines! . If Freemasonry is truly what it professes publicly, then "Bravo!"; it is a welcome fellowship. If it is being deceptive, then it should be exposed. It is that simple. . Let's see what Masonry TRULY teaches within its closed doors, and through its own published documents. NO 'Anti-Masonic' publications will be cited in explaining their TRUE theological position. . The key document from which we will quote is the most readily available and universally approved doctrinal book of Freemasonry, "Morals And Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry", By Albert Pike, Grand Commander, 1859-1891. Its title page states that it was prepared for the "Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree and Published by its Authority". Originally published in 1871, I have used the 1966 Edition. Except where other sources are noted, I will cite page numbers only, when using this work. ALL TRUTH . (Masonry)..."The custodian and depository (since Enoch) of the great philosophical and religious truths, unknown to the world at large, and handed down from age to age by an unbroken current of tradition, embodied in symbols, emblems and allegories". (page 210) TEMPLE OF RELIGION . "Every Masonic Temple is a Temple of Religion, and its teachings are instructions in religion" (page 213) THE FOUNDATION . "It (Masonry) is the universal, eternal, immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity. No creed has ever been long-lived that was not built on this foundation. It is the base and they are the superstructure" (page 219) A RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION . "Masonry is, in every sense of the word, except one, and that its least philosophical, an eminently religious institution - that it is indebted solely to the religious element which it contains for its origin and for its continued existence and that without this religious element it would scarcely be worthy of cultivation by the wise and good."..."Freemasonry is NOT Christianity nor a substitute for it"...."But the religion of Masonry is not sectarian. It admits men of every creed within its hospitable bosom, rejecting none and approving none for his particular faith"..."Masonry, then, is, indeed, a religious institution; and on this ground mainly, if not alone, should the religious Mason defend it." (Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert G. Mackey, Revised Edition, 1921, pages 618, 619) BUDDHA . "The first Masonic legislator whose memory is preserved to us by history, was Buddha, who, about a thousand years before the Christian era, reformed the religion of Manous." (page 277) REVERENCES ALL REFORMERS . "It (Masonry) reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the lawgiver to the Jews, in Confucius and Zoroaster, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabian Iconoclast, great teachers of morality, and eminent reformers, if no more; and allows every brother of the order to assign to each such higher and even divine characteristics as his creed and truth require." (page 525) THE BAALIM . "Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God who is above ALL the Baalim, must needs leave it to each of its initiates to look for the foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own religion." (page 226) Note: The word, Baalim, is simply defined as "false god or idol". The Masonic author has included the God of the Christian in that category. THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE BIBLE . The teachers, even of Christianity, are, in general, the most ignorant of the true meaning of that which they teach. There is no book of which so little is known as the Bible. To most who read it, it is as incomprehensible as the Sohar." (page 105) THE INCOMPLETE BIBLE . "All truly dogmatic religions have issued from the Kabalah and return to it. Everything scientific and grand in the religious dreams of the Illuminati, Jacob Boehme, Swedenborg, Saint-Martin, and others, is borrowed from the Kabalah; all the Masonic associations owe to it their secrets and their symbols. . The Kabalah alone consecrates the Alliance of the Universal Reason and the Divine Word;... . The Bible, with all the allegories it contains, expresses, in an incomplete and veiled manner only, the religious science of the Hebrews. The doctrine of Moses and the Prophets, identical at bottom with that of the the ancient Egyptians, also had its outward meaning and its veils. . "The Hebrew books were written only to recall to memory the traditions; and they were written in symbols unintelligible to the profane... thus was a second Bible born, unknown to, or rather uncomprehended by, the Christians; a collection, they say, of monstrous absurdities. . "One is filled with admiration, on penetrating into the Sanctuary of the Kabalah, at seeing a doctrine so logical, so simple and at the same time so absolute." (pages 744-745) Note: The 'Kabalah is a book of ancient Jewish mysticism and magic. THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD . "Everything good in nature comes from OSIRIS - order, harmony, and the favorable temperature of the seasons and celestial periods." (page 476) Note: Osiris was the ancient Egyptian god whose annual death and resurrection personified the self-renewing vitality and fertility of nature. MASONRY CONCEALS ITS TRUTHS . "Masonry, like all the religions, all the Mysteries, Hermeticism and Alchemy, CONCEALS its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it. Truth is not for those who are unworthy or unable to receive it, or would pervert it." (pages 104-105) THE BLUE LODGE TO BE DECEIVED! . "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." (page 819) WORSHIPFUL MASTER . "Worshipful Master: The Head and Chief of the Lodge, the Source of Light, of Knowledge and instruction in Masonry. He personifies the Sublime Art of Masonry and is the Spokesman thereof." (Arthur Waite, A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry,1970, page 24) OBEDIENCE THE FIRST RULE . The first duty of every Mason is to obey the Mandate of the Master...The order must at once be obeyed; its character and its consequences may be matters of subsequent inquiry. The Masonic rule of obedience is like the nautical, imperative: 'Obey orders, even if you break owners.'" (Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert Mackey, page 525) THE ANGEL OF LIGHT . "To prevent the light from escaping at once, the DEMONS forbade Adam to eat the fruit of 'knowledge of good and evil', by which he would have known the Empire of Light and that of Darkness. He obeyed; an ANGEL OF LIGHT induced him to transgress, and gave him the means of victory; but the DEMONS created Eve, who seduced him into an act of Sensualism, that enfeebled him, and bound him anew in the bonds of matter. This is repeated in the case of every man that lives." . "It (The Principle or Angel of Light) but put on the appearance of a human body and took the name of Christ in the Messiah, only to accommodate itself to the language of the Jews. The Light did its work, turning the Jews from the adoration of the Evil Principle, and the Pagans from the worship of the DEMONS. But the Chief of the Empire of Darkness caused him to be crucified by the Jews. Still, he suffered in appearance only..." (page 567) . Note: This is, in its entirety, the exact opposite of Biblical doctrine. It places the 'saving power' and position of Jesus Christ at the feet of Lucifer and labels the Holy God of Israel a Demon. It denies the whole purpose of Christ's death on the Cross and puts Lucifer there, instead! THE ENERGIES OF LUCIFER . "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 apply (this) energy." (Locked Keys of Freemasonry, Manly P. Hall, page 48) YES, LUCIFER IS GOD . "That which we must say to the crowd is - We worship a God, but it is the God that one adores without superstition. . "To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st and 30th degrees - The Masonic Religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian Doctrine. . "If Lucifer were not God, would Adonay (The God of the Christians) whose deeds prove his cruelty, perfidy and hatred of man, barbarism and repulsion for science, would Adonay and his priests, calumniate him? . "Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also god. For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods: darkness being necessary for light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive. . "Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay; but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the God of Darkness and Evil" (Instructions to the 23 Supreme Councils of the World, Albert Pike, Grand Commander, Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry, July 14, 1889. Recorded by A.C. De La Rive, La Femme et l'Enfant dans la Franc-Maconnerie Universelle. (page 588) . Note: The Word of God, the Bible, clearly places Lucifer in his proper place, gives God's reasons for placing him there. "How Art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: . "I will ascend above the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-15) THE GRAND ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE . Masonic ritual is concerned with the recovery of the name of God - supposedly lost through the murder, during the building of Solomon's Temple of the Architect, Hiram Abiff - a 'Quest' not attained until the ROYAL ARCH DEGREE. . It is here that the SECRET NAME of the DEITY OF MASONRY is revealed. That name is 'JAOBULON'. 'JAO' is the Greek word for Jehovah. 'BUL' is a rendering of the name, BAAL. 'ON' is the term used in the Babylonian mysteries to call upon the deity, 'OSIRIS'! The secret ritual book of the Craft prints the letters J.B.O. It states that: "We three do meet and agree - in peace, love and unity - the Sacred Word to keep - and never to divulge the same - until we three, or three such as we - do meet and agree." Thus, no Royal Arch Mason can pronounce the whole sacred name by himself! . What you see represented, then, as the god of Freemasonry, is a three headed monster so remote from the Christian trinity as to be so blasphemous as to damn the eternal soul of anyone who would dare to pronounce its name in a ritual of worship! I AM THAT I AM . In the closing ceremonies of the ritual for the Royal Arch degree, the candidate is asked, "Brother Inspector, what are you?" and he replies, "I AM THAT I AM". Can you imagine that? When Moses asked God to name himself, God said, "I AM THAT I AM" and he said, "thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14). . Tell us how a Christian who is a Royal Arch Mason can take to himself the very name of the God of Israel? The God of the Christian faith said, "Ye are even my witnesses! Is there a God beside me? Yea, I know not any! They that make a graven image are ALL of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. (Isaiah 44:8, 9) USURPING THE PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS . In the 19th level of Freemasonry, the Initiate receives the degree of GRAND PONTIFF. It is during this ritual that the candidate swears an oath of secrecy and an oath of total obedience "to any Chapter of this degree to which I may belong; and the edicts, laws and mandates of the Grand Consistory of Sublime Princes and Commanders of the Royal Secret, as well as those of the Supreme Council of the 33rd degree".. . It is then that the 'Thrice Puissant' annoints him with oil on the crown of his head and says: "Be Thou a Priest Forever, after the order of Melchizedek." . After receiving the password (Emanuel) and the sacred word (Alleluia), he is dressed in a robe of white linen and given a cordon (a ribbon or sash of honor worn across the breast) of crimson color, with 12 stars representing "the 12 gates of the 'new city', and the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the twelve fruits of the tree of life, the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles" (Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated, The Complete Ritual, Vol. 2, pages 26-27, E. Cook Publications, 1974) . It must be pointed out that what has taken place here, is the Masonic, Luciferian priesthood taking upon itself, the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ. That is a Priesthood that can be held by only one person and that one person is clearly defined in scripture as Jesus Christ! . Chapters 7 and 8 of the Book of Hebrews clearly explains that it was ANOTHER priest to be raised up, not a group of priests! This Priest would be our HIGH PRIEST and would be able to save from the Uttermost! He would have 'endless life'! The holder of THIS Priesthood would be 'holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens (7:26). This is Jesus, our Holy Lord and God! . This 'ritual' takes Christ's Holy Priesthood from Him, and the Grand Pontiff boldly puts upon his own breast! Even the 'Biblical' secret and sacred words fail to cover up the adding in of the 'signs of the Zodiac', a direct alliance with the powers of darkness and a demonstration of disobedience to God's Word, in Deuteronomy 18:10-12, where it is said that he who "useth Divination" (consulting the signs of the Zodiac to tell the future), "or is an observer of times" (which is an ancient description for Augury or Astrology - again dealing with the Zodiac) "is an abomination unto the Lord"! . Again, we see a mirror image of Biblical truth. The Priesthood power of Jesus is given to Satan, the god of Masonry. WASHED IN THE BLOOD . In the seventeenth degree, or Knights of the East and West, having completed the initiation and after revealing the password (Jubulum) and the Sacred Word (Abaddon), "the Senior Warden conducts the Candidate to the elevated vacant canopy at the right of the All Puissant." . "This is supposed to represent the end of the world when all good masons receive their reward by being conducted to a throne at the right hand of the All Puissant, having been purified by washing their robes in their own blood." . In the lecture which follows, between the All Puissant and the Senior Warden, the Book with Seven Seals, which none but one can open (Rev 5:5) is twisted to represent "A Lodge or Council of Masons which the All Puissant alone has the right to convene and open." . The Fourth Seal is represented by a skull or "Death's Head" and we are told it "is the image of a brother who is excluded from a Lodge or Council" The fifth Seal is represented by a "Cloth Stained with Blood." The All Puissant identifies this as a symbol "that we should not hesitate to spill ours for the good of masonry". (Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated, The complete Ritual, Vol. 1, Pages 453, 456, 457, E. Cook Publishing, 1974) . What a gross misrepresentation of the Holy Word of God! First and foremost, It is Christ and He alone who 'hath prevailed to open the book and loose the seven seals thereof'. To presume that honor and power is to deny Christ, or yet in deeper perversity, to replace his power and authority with that of the All Puissant, even in the representation of the power to save and to enthrone. This is the very spirit of the AntiChrist! . Again, another clue to the true identity of the Masonic Deity is revealed in the 'Sacred Word' of this ritual, "Abaddon". In Revelation 9:11, we learn that "they (the demons and workers from hell) had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is ABADDON!" BLOOD OATHS . Throughout the initiation rituals of the "BLUE LODGES" and through all 33 degrees of Freemasonry, the candidates are sworn to secrecy by bloody oaths. Such as is the oath sworn by the Entered Apprentice or first degree: "...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". The Master Mason swears, "..under no less penalty than that of having my body severed in two, my bowels taken from thence and burned to ashes, the ashes scattered before the four winds of heaven.." . It is in this final 'Blue Lodge' degree that that candidate is laid out 'in death' and is raised from ......[some data lost]........ lso ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. . "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:1-5) . The infinite power of Jesus was confirmed by Him when He said, "ALL power is given unto ME in heaven and in earth". (Matt. 28:18) This power is His alone! "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ!" (Romans 5:17) . Jesus was the one who rose from the dead. Jesus is the one with the power to raise from the dead. Jesus is the one who frees us from the sting of death! . The Mason who would call himself Christian and allow himself to partake of a ritual resurrection by the power of Lucifer is no Christian. He is a Satanist. He stands, having been born again and raised from the dead as a Master Mason, through the power of the Masonic god, whom the God of Israel cast into the pit! . He and his 'saviour' pass the sacred word, Mah-Hah-Bone. Next, in the 'Five Points Of Fellowship, the new Master Mason solemnly vows "Breast to Breast: that you will ever keep in your breast a brother's secrets, when communicated to you and received as such, murder and treason excepted." (Duncan's Rituals, Revised And Complete, E. Cook Publications, 1974, pages 35, 96, 120, 121) . It should further be noted that in the Royal Arch Degree, the candidate swears to protect the 'brethren', "Murder and treason not excepted"! This places the Masonic oath above that of our courts and our country. What hope would you have against a Mason in a Criminal or Civil Court with a Judge who is a 32nd or 33rd degree Mason? None, by the nature of their oaths! COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM . IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIS SHED BLOOD AT CALVARY, WE EXHORT YOU WHO CLAIM TO BE A MASON AND A CHRISTIAN.. "Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you". (2 Cor. 6:17) . "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved". (Acts 4:11-12) . "For there is One God and One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus". (1 Tim. 2:5) . "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ". (1 Cor. 3:10-11) . "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:9-11) . "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" (2 Cor. 6:14, 15) ONE OR THE OTHER . We are adamant that there is no other choice for you right now. If you are a Mason who professes to be a Christian, you are lying before the Holy God of Israel! Either renounce your Christian faith or renounce Masonry. One is from on high and the other is from the pit! . Every 'Blue Lodge' member who reads this can no longer maintain his defense of ignorance. Today, you stand revealed! Today, you must make your choice! Every Mason, through the highest degree, has had the mask of secrecy ripped away. You are without defense. Choose Jesus or choose Lucifer. Renounce Jesus if you must, but do not stand in the assembly of His saints and mock Him! . Unless you repent of this evil, your presence in the congregation of a Christian body is a grieving of the Holy Spirit. We pray that you will choose Jesus, and you will repent and be set free from this wicked power unto whom you have submitted your very soul! . If this is your desire, remember that we have this promise, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". (1 John 1:9) . Pray this prayer right now! "Father in Heaven, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I confess that I have sinned. I confess that I have allowed myself to fall under the power and authority of Lucifer, the god of Masonry. I confess it as sin, and ask that you forgive me. I reject it and cast it from me and will immediately remove my name from its rolls! Jesus, I call you Lord and Saviour and ask that you come into my heart and fill me with your love and Spirit. Let no unclean thing remain! I am yours and yours alone! I am set free! In Jesus name, Amen!" Computers for Christ - San Jose Date: 05-13-96 (19:33) Number: 7707 of 7749 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: don@icon.net, DON Subj: Are you really Christi 1 Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: don@icon.net (Don) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: (ICON) InterConnect Online, Inc. Message-ID: <4n82pi$dq3@news.icon.net> ---------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute. ---------------------------------------------------------------- COPYRIGHT/REPRODUCTION LIMITATIONS: This data file is the sole property of the Christian Research Institute. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute"). This data file may not be used without the permission of the Christian Research Institute for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes all of its content with the exception of a few brief quotations not to exceed more than 500 words. If you desire to reproduce less than 500 words of this data file for resale or the enhancement of any other product for resale, please give the following source credit: Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute, P.O. Box 500-TC, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "The Masonic Lodge and the Christian Conscience" (an article from the Christian Research Journal, Winter 1994, page 20) by John Weldon. The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is Elliot Miller. ------------- *Summary* The Masonic Lodge in America is a highly influential organization claiming some four million members. Masonic leaders argue the lodge is not a religion but merely a fraternal body that seeks to better society and also assist the Christian church. It does this, they claim, by helping Christians become better members of their own faith. The truth is that Masonry is a distinct religion that espouses teachings incompatible with Christian faith in the areas of God, salvation, and other important doctrines. It is therefore inconsistent for any Christian to swear the oaths of Masonry to uphold and support the Lodge when Masonry's own ritual, doctrines, and impact in history have denied and opposed biblical teaching. This is so despite the 1993 recommendation of the Southern Baptists at their annual convention that membership in the Lodge can be left to the Christian's individual conscience. ------------------ "Because of your support, the vote of the Southern Baptist Convention is a historic and positive turning point for Freemasonry. Basically, it is a vitalization of our Fraternity by America's largest Protestant denomination after nearly a year of thorough, scholarly study. At the same time, it is a call to renewed effort on the part of all Freemasons today to re-energize our Fraternity and move forward to fulfilling its mission as the world's foremost proponent of Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God." _The Scottish Rite Journal,_ Aug. 1993. Millions of men throughout the world, including four million Americans, look to the Masonic Lodge for brotherhood and fellowship. They are proud to be part of an organization that engages itself in worthwhile causes, such as children's hospitals. Many of them feel strongly about the Masonic tenets of the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and the immortality of the soul. Masonry (or Freemasonry) claims to be the friend of Christianity, and yet it contains doctrines that are contrary to biblical teaching. As unpleasant as it may be, it is the obligation of the discerning Christian to point this out, both for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of Christian Masons and for those who might yet become Masons. The relationship of Masonry to Christian faith has been controversial for at least 200 years, and over that period the different sides have attempted to defend their positions to the best of their abilities. Therefore, confusion often befalls the layperson who must carefully wade through the arguments on both sides before he or she can hope to resolve the issue responsibly. While this article cannot relieve such laypeople of the task of discerning the matter, its purpose is to provide them with a strong yet concise presentation of the case against Christian involvement with Masonry. (Further documentation and analysis of the claims and arguments of Masonry can be found in _Bowing at Strange Altars_ [an evaluation of the Southern Baptist Study on Masonry] and _The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge: A Christian Appraisal,_ both of which I coauthored with Dr. John Ankerberg. I urge interested readers to secure these volumes for further study in dealing with this issue. This article is primarily excerpted, with some changes, from _Bowing at Strange Altars._) This article was planned for the JOURNAL long before controversial publications on Masonry were released by the Southern Baptists. However, because the Southern Baptist publications bring all of the concerns I intended to address into sharp focus, and because they are of significant contemporary concern, they will play an important role in my evaluation of Masonry. *MASONRY AND THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS* A committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America, concluded in its two 1993 publications, _A Study of Freemasonry_ (hereafter _Study_) and _A Report on Freemasonry_ (hereafter _Report_) -- and at its annual convention the same year -- that it cannot frankly state it is wrong for a Christian to join the Masonic Lodge.[1] In so doing the Southern Baptists are perhaps the only conservative Christian denomination in America not to warn their constituents that membership in the Masonic Lodge is not compatible with biblical teaching. In the coming years many other churches and denominations will face the question of whether their members should participate in the Masonic Lodge. What happened in the Southern Baptist Convention's examination of Masonry points to the necessity for churches and denominations examining this subject to carefully select their investigative committees. Such committees should be composed of individuals who not only accept the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, but who will also not uncritically accept Masonic claims of compatibility with Christianity or be influenced by political pressures -- as was true for the Southern Baptists.[2] In its six-page _Report,_ the Baptist Home Mission Board listed numerous reasons why it is wrong for a Christian to be a member of the Masonic Lodge. For example, it cited several illustrations from the first three degrees of Masonry (the Blue Lodge degrees) concerning the taking of bloody oaths by the Masonic initiate. It warned, "Even though these oaths, obligations and rituals may or may not be taken seriously by the initiate, it is _inappropriate_ for a Christian to 'sincerely promise and swear,' with the hand on the Holy Bible, any such promises or oaths, or _to participate_ in any such pagan rituals" (emphases added).[3] The _Report_ also stated, "Many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity and Southern Baptist doctrine...," and again cited examples such as the teachings of salvation by personal character/good works and the doctrine of universalism.[4] In fact, both the _Study_ and the _Report_ offered solid reasons why Masonry and Christianity are incompatible and why Christians shouldn't participate in the Lodge. But then, illogically, they gave the contradictory advice that membership in a Masonic Order should be a matter of personal conscience. In what follows I demonstrate the problems with this conclusion. *MASONRY AND SALVATION* It is my contention that the Masonic ritual (i.e., Masonry's ceremonial rites of initiation that all Masons must pass through) of the First, Second, and Third Degrees teach all Masons exactly what God condemns as a false gospel, namely that a person is saved and goes to heaven as a result of his or her personal character and good works. As all Christians know, the Bible places such a teaching under God's curse. Paul said in Galatians 1:8-9: "But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that we have preached to you, let him be accursed." The Bible clearly teaches how a man is saved: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9. Cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; Rom. 3:28-4:6; 11:6). Proof of Masonry's false gospel can be found in standard "Monitors" -- the official textbooks containing authoritative Masonic ritual which are more or less uniform for each state. In the ritual, the Masonic symbol of the lambskin or white leather apron is explained, in part, to each candidate as follows: "The lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence; he, therefore, who wears the lambskin as a badge of Masonry, is thereby _continually reminded of that purity of life and conduct, which is essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge Above,_ where the Supreme Architect of the Universe [God] presides (emphasis added).[5]" Please keep in mind that the instruction concerning the lambskin can be found in the Ritual book of all the Lodges in all 50 states. _None_ exclude it, although it may be placed in different rituals in the manuals of different states. When a Mason is told that his purity of life and conduct is necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge Above (i.e., heaven), how can anyone deny that Masonry is teaching another way of salvation than what the Bible teaches? How can anyone deny that this is a _works_ gospel? In the Second Degree (the Fellow Craft Degree) and elsewhere the candidate is instructed further in the importance of the lambskin as follows: "You are to wear it as an emblem of that _purity of heart and conscience that is necessary to obtain for you the approval of the Grand Architect of the Universe"_ (emphasis added).[6] Moreover, as even some Masonic authorities have admitted, Masonry has, in all, some 40 degrees implying or teaching its candidates salvation by personal merit.[7] What did the Southern Baptist _Report_ conclude on this issue? The Committee that engaged in the study agreed that such teachings were "not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine."[8] The _Report_ likewise concluded that Masonic writings and rituals imply that "salvation may be attained by one's good works," and therefore that some "Masons...may be led to believe they can earn salvation by living a pure life with good conduct."[9] In addition, the _Study_ confessed that Masons "insist the lambskin [i.e., lambskin apron, used in Masonic ritual] does not bring salvation, but rather, _'the purity of life' it symbolizes brings salvation"_ (emphasis added).[10] The Committee stated that there was "the prevalent use of the term [Masonic] 'light,' which some may understand as a reference to salvation rather than knowledge or truth."[11] The _Report_ further conceded that "the heresy of universalism (the belief that all people will eventually be saved), which permeates the writings of many Masonic authors...is a doctrine inconsistent with New Testament teaching."[12] In its mention of former Mason Jack Harris, the _Study_ noted that "Harris was _typical_ of other Masons _who hope Freemasonry will take them to heaven"_ (emphasis added).[13] Here it is acknowledged that Masons can indeed believe that Masonry alone is sufficient for salvation. But Masonry also teaches that individuals may be saved by being good members of their respective religions -- whether Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, or other. For example, Dr. Jim Tresner, director of the Masonic Leadership Institute, affirmed that Masonry "leaves the member to devote himself to his own religious faith to receive...salvation."[14] In light of the above confessions I am perplexed. In 1992 the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution entitled, "On Christian Witness and Voluntary Associations," encouraging Christians everywhere to (1) "maintain Christian witness _openly_ before the world"; (2) avoid "_any association which conflicts with clear biblical teaching_"; and (3) "affirm that biblical doctrine is to be open and public knowledge and that the Christian faith is to be a clear and public expression of the truth _that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation,_ that _the Bible_ is our infallible guide..." (emphases added).[15] By stating such confessions and conclusions in its resolution in 1992, the SBC had effectively _prohibited_ Christians from joining the Masonic Lodge. In light of these admonitions to Christians everywhere, how can the Home Mission Board and the Southern Baptist Convention a year later conclude that Freemasonry does _not_ ultimately oppose Christian doctrine and that individual Christians are _free_ to join the Masonic Lodge?[16] *THE MASONIC GOD* During the ritual, Masonry has its candidates swear that they believe in God, typically called the "Great Architect of the Universe." It also informs them that all Masons are to bow before the sacred name of Deity, and explains that all Masons of every country, religion, and opinion are united in the belief that they have been created by one Almighty Parent. The question is, Is this Almighty Parent or Great Architect -- the God of the Masonic Lodge -- also the God of the Bible? The answer is clearly _no._ In the "Masonic Bible," published by the A. J. Holman Press, we are told this "Almighty Parent" is the one true God that all men worship. This is so regardless of the name by which He is identified: Jehovah, Krishna, Buddha, Allah, or some other. The Masonic Bible is actually the King James Version bound with a special cover stamped with the Masonic insignia. In the front of this Bible there is a lengthy preface made up of articles concerning Masonry and the Bible. One of these articles is entitled, "The Great Light in Masonry," written by Masonic authority Joseph Fort Newton, who states: "For Masonry knows, what so many forget, that religions are many, but religion is one...therefore, _it [Masonry] invites to its altar men of all faiths, knowing that, if they use different names for 'the nameless one of a hundred names,' they are yet praying to the one God and Father of all"_ (emphasis added).[17] But when a Hindu prays to Vishnu or Shiva, is he really praying to Jesus? When a Muslim prays to Allah, is she really praying to Jehovah? When Buddhists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons pray, are they really praying to the same God the Christian prays to? The answer is _no,_ because all these concepts of God are opposed to the concept of God as revealed in the Bible.[18] Another Masonic authority, Carl H. Claudy, writes: [The Mason] must declare his faith in a Supreme Being before he may be initiated. But note that he is not required to say, then or ever, _what_ God. He may name him as he will, think of him as he pleases; make him impersonal law or personal and anthropomorphic; Freemasonry cares not..._God, Great Architect of the Universe, Grand Artificer, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge Above, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Vishnu, Shiva, or Great Geometer_ (emphases added).[19] And, Masonry does not specify any God of any creed; she requires merely that you believe in some Deity, give him what name you will....A belief in God is essential to a Mason, but..._any God will do,_ so [long as] he is your God (emphasis added).[20] Masonry thus argues that all people of varying faiths are really praying to the one true God, the universal Father of humankind, regardless of the name they give him. Nevertheless, this "Almighty Parent" of Masonry is a different God than Christianity teaches -- a fact conceded by both Masonic sympathizers as well as Masons themselves. The Baptist _Study_ agreed that the Great Architect of Masonry is not the Jehovah of the Bible: "The Masonic Great Architect of the Universe appears more like the Aristotelian 'First Cause' than the personal God who has revealed Himself in the Bible."[21] In his encyclopedia on Masonry, Masonic authority Henry Wilson Coil refers to the biblical God as "a partisan, tribal God" and implies that such a God-concept is far inferior to the God of Masonry, which is a boundless, eternal, universal, undenominational, and international, Divine Spirit, so vastly removed from the speck called man, that He cannot be known, named, or approached. So soon as man begins to laud his God and endow him with the most perfect human attributes, such as justice, mercy, beneficence, etc., the Divine essence is depreciated and despoiled....The Masonic test [for membership] is a Supreme Being, and _any qualification added_ is an innovation and distortion (emphasis added).[22] Coil even admits that "monotheism... _violates_ Masonic principles, for it requires belief in a specific kind of Supreme Deity" (emphasis added).[23] Of course, at this point Coil has just excluded the God of biblical teaching and Christian faith for being too specific _despite_ the fact that he has ascribed a _specific_ doctrine of God (eternal, unknowable, etc.) to Masonry. Masonic authority[24] Albert Pike also denies the biblical God. He argues that "if our conceptions of God are those of the ignorant, narrow-minded, and vindictive Israelite...we feel that it is an affront and an indignity to [God]...."[25] Anyone who has ever read what Albert Pike and other Masons have taught about God in the higher degrees of Masonry knows that the God of Masonry has nothing whatever to do with the God of the Bible.[26] For example, Pike categorized the God of Scripture as a false god and an idol when he wrote that "_every religion and every conception of God is idolatrous,_ insofar as it is imperfect, and as it substitutes a feeble and temporary idea in the shrine of that Undiscoverable Being [of Masonry]..." (emphasis added).[27] If Masonry rejects the God of Christianity, however, how can it logically claim to be the true friend of Christian faith? Further, if it offers an unknowable, unapproachable, and undiscoverable God beyond the different concepts of God found in other religions, how can it appropriately or logically ask the men of those religions to join its local lodges? Masonry does this because it seeks to develop a worldwide religious brotherhood _beyond_ the sectarian religious beliefs of humankind. To further this goal it must, at one level, accept all religions, while simultaneously pointing and leading to a "higher" truth beyond separatist religion -- a truth that is capable of uniting all men in a common universal brotherhood, that is, the fraternity of Masonry. Masonry therefore encourages all members of different religions to pray to and worship their own respective gods: Brahma, Krishna, Allah, Buddha, Jehovah, Vishnu, Jesus, and so forth. This is the means by which Masonry can appeal to the members of all the different religions in the world and attempt to unite them in a universal "common brotherhood." But then Masons cannot possibly all be praying to the _same_ God because all these gods are different in nature and in what they expect of humans (if they expect anything). In other words, the Masonic doctrine of the spiritual "Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of man" is only valid if there is some _larger_ God beyond the contradictory lesser gods that people worship. On the one hand Masonry claims it is an organization of tolerance that accepts the different religions of all people; on the other hand, it offers a supreme God that is supposedly the one true God that all people are really praying to, who is beyond the inferior, primitive concepts of individual religion -- whether Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, or any other.[28] At whatever level Masonry approaches God, however, its theology presents irresolvable conflicts for the Christian. If the Christian God is merely an inferior and false concept, then Masonry denies that the God of the Bible is the one true God. Further, if Masonry points Christians to an unknowable "Almighty Parent" beyond all religion, then it encourages Masons to worship a _false_ god, and this is idolatry. This violates the first commandment in which God warned His people, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (_see_ Exod. 20:4-6; Deut. 13:1-5). Even at a surface level Masonry actively encourages idolatry. The Baptist _Study,_ for example, cites _The Freemasons' Diary_ as setting "this priority for a Mason concerning his faith and religious practice: a Freemason is encouraged to do his duty first to his God (_by whatever name he is known_) through his faith and religious practice..." (emphasis added).[29] To encourage Masons to do their religious duty to their various gods is to encourage the Muslim Mason to worship and serve _Allah;_ the Hindu Mason to worship and serve _Brahma, Vishnu,_ and _Shiva;_ the Buddhist Mason to worship _Buddha_ and various Buddhist deities; the Mormon Mason to worship Mormonism's own gods; and the pagan Mason to worship any variety of additional gods. This is unacceptable for the Christian in that it promotes spiritual deception under the guise of alleged spiritual brotherhood. Jesus emphasized, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, _the only true God,_ and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3). God Himself declares, "I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no savior besides Me....I am the Lord and there is no other; besides Me there is no God" (Isa. 43:11; 45:5). Jesus also emphasized that "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit _and truth"_ (John 4:24). How, then, can Christian Masons logically join and swear allegiance to actively support Masonry when it encourages people to believe in false gods and to deny the truth that God has revealed in the Bible? *MASONRY AND PAGAN RELIGION* The previously mentioned 1992 SBC resolution that encompassed Freemasonry stated: "Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge all Southern Baptists to refrain from participation or membership in organizations with teachings, oaths, or mystical knowledge which are contrary to the Bible and to the public expression of our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which must be above all reproach."[30] Further, the _Study of Freemasonry_ submitted to the Baptist Home Mission Board conceded that "a Christian Mason who takes the higher degrees of the Scottish Rite will be exposed to beliefs and practices quite different from his own. For example, the candidate is introduced to Egyptian deities Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Amun; to Scandinavian deities Odin, Frea, and Thor; to Hindu, Greek, and Persian deities; and to Jewish Kabbalism [i.e., occultism]...._It cannot be denied that some of the religions studied in these degrees are pagan and that their teachings are totally incompatible with Christianity"_ (emphasis added).[31] The _Report on Freemasonry_ concluded that paganism is not only found in Masonic rituals, but it also discovered paganism in many readings that Masonry encourages its initiates to pursue: "[Many of] the recommended readings, in pursuance of advanced degrees, of religions and philosophies..._are undeniably pagan and/or occult..."_ (emphasis added).[32] Among those mentioned are the writings of Masonic authorities or authors Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, Manley Hall, Rex Hutchins, and W. L. Wilmshurst. Even some official Masonic Monitors encourage paganism. The Texas _Monitor,_ for example, tells us: These [aspects and teachings of Masonry] were practiced from remote ages, in ancient temples of many nations....The most learned among Masonic scholars...conclude that Masonry is of very ancient origin, and is, in some aspects, the modern successor of, and heir to, the sublime Mysteries of the Temple of Solomon, and of the Temples of India, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as the basic doctrine of the Essenes, Gnostics and other mystic Orders.[33] Because the Texas _Monitor_ argues that Masonry is related to ancient paganism, it advises that every candidate for the Mysteries of Masonry, at the proper time and in an appropriate manner, should be taught the truth that the _rite of Initiation_ means much more than a formal ceremonial progress through the Degrees...._Initiation_ is to be attained only after real labor, deep study, profound meditation, extensive research and a constant practice of those virtues which will open a true path to moral, intellectual, and spiritual illumination.[34] In other words, the Texas _Monitor_ itself maintains that the initiate is to be informed as to and/or practiced in the deeper pagan meanings of the Masonic Ritual. *JESUS CHRIST* The Baptist _Study_ comments, _"it is not true_ that Freemasonry ignores or denies Jesus Christ" (emphasis added).[35] The _Study_ nevertheless admits that "Freemasonry today does not see Jesus as the unique Son of God and Savior of the world."[36] The Masonic Ritual of the First, Second, and Third Degrees never instructs its members that Jesus is the only mediator between God and men. It never tells them they can't truthfully call God their Father until they have a relationship with His Son. It doesn't tell initiates that they can't build their spiritual house until they ask Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and build it for them. No Mason is ever told officially that a man can never do enough good deeds or live a pure enough life to gain admission into the Celestial Lodge Above, or that entrance into heaven comes only by faith in Jesus Christ. The truth is that by its ritual, teachings, and prayers, Masonry _does_ ignore and deny Jesus Christ.[37] *IS MASONRY A RELIGION?* One of the key issues in this discussion is whether or not Masonry is a religion.[38] The Baptist _Study_ concluded: "Strong feelings have been expressed on both sides of this difficult issue...._the overwhelming majority of Masons reject the idea that Freemasonry is a religion._ The various monitors of the Grand Lodges and statements from the overwhelming majority of Masonic leaders in the past and today _deny that Freemasonry is a religion"_(emphases added).[39] No one denies that the vast majority of Masons _say_ Masonry is not a religion, but one must go beyond mere claims. For example, virtually all Mormons _claim_ their religion is Christian, which is demonstrably false.[40] Masonry claims it has the _qualities_ of a religion but is still not a religion; or that it is _religious_ but still not a religion. However, the latter point makes as much sense (as even Coil pointed out) as to say that a man has no intellect but is intellectual, or that he has no honor but is honorable. _Religious_ is defined as "imbued with or adhering to religion or a religion."[41] While it is possible for an organization to have a religious quality and yet not be a religion -- such as Christian groups that specialize in missions or research and have daily periods of prayer, Masonry is more than this. The religious quality of Christian organizations is based on Christianity while the religious quality of Masonry is based on Masonry itself, which qualifies it as a religion. The _Study_ wrongly concluded that Masonry is not a religion. Nevertheless it was forced to confess that "many men make the Lodge their religion."[42] The major issue in determining whether Masonry is a religion is to look at its demands on the candidate. Masonry _requires_ the candidate to believe in God, obey Him, worship Him, seek His guidance, and so forth, which qualifies it as a religion. And, as I have already documented, Masonry claims its members will earn admittance to heaven based on personal character and good works. This also classifies the Lodge as a religion. In fact, any standard dictionary or encyclopedia definition of religion proves beyond doubt that Masonry is a religion.[43] Dr. Shildes Johnson is only one of many scholars of comparative religion who have concluded: "A comparison of the moral, allegorical, and symbolic teachings of Freemasonry with these definitions of a religion reveals that the lodge is a theistic, non-Christian, man-centered, and universal religion."[44] All this is why numerous leading Masonic authorities have publicly confessed that Masonry _is,_ in fact, a religion. For example: _Albert G. Mackey:_ "The religion of Masonry is cosmopolitan, universal...."[45] _Henry Wilson Coil:_ "Religion is espoused by the Masonic Ritual and required of the candidate"; and, "Freemasonry is undoubtedly religion"; and, "Many Freemasons make this flight [to heaven] with no other guarantee of a safe landing than their belief in _the religion_ of Freemasonry" (emphasis added).[46] _Albert Pike:_ "Masonry...is the universal, eternal, immutable religion...."[47] _Joseph Fort Newton:_ "Everything in Masonry has reference to God, implies God, speaks of God, points and leads to God. Not a degree, not a symbol, not an obligation, not a lecture, not a charge but finds its meaning and derives its beauty from God the Great Architect, in whose temple all Masons are workmen."[48] Doesn't all this constitute evidence that Masonry is a religion? Yet the _Study_ of the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board concluded it is not a religion.[49] The Baptist _Study_ offered a number of reasons to allegedly substantiate its claim that Masonry is not a religion. For example, it points out that in a 1921 decision the Supreme Court of Nebraska ruled that Freemasonry is not a religion. But all this means is that the Supreme Court of Nebraska was wrong. State Supreme Courts and even the Supreme Court of the United States have frequently been wrong, as can be proven by the number of opinion reversals enacted by those bodies. The United States Supreme Court has reversed itself no less than 200 times in its history. These are admissions of error. The _Study_ next cites the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. It points out that not all Scouts are Christians. Yet Christians may become members of the Scouts without worshipping the gods of those in the Scouts who follow other religions, such as Mormons and Hindus. "Baptist youth certainly do not worship the physical god of Mormonism or the impersonal god of Hinduism, yet they join with youth and leaders from these religions to earn religious emblems. They have certain rituals that identify them as Scouts anywhere in the world...."[50] What if the Boy Scouts of America claimed it was not a religion when it was? What if the Scouts had an agenda that they kept hidden? What if the Scouts had their own plan of salvation? What if the Scouts actively taught members that they could be saved and go to heaven by good works? What if the Scouts had bloody oaths requiring secrecy on pain of death?[51] Who would argue that Christian youth should join such an organization? Next, the _Study_ claims that those individuals who allow Masonry to become their religion do so only because of their own misinterpretation or misunderstanding of Masonry and (quoting a Southern Baptist Mason) "not due to Masonic teaching."[52] In _The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge,_ however, John Ankerberg and I devoted some 200 pages showing that the reason individuals _do_ make Masonry their religion _is_ "due to Masonic teaching." Perhaps it is worth noting that of all the conservative Christian bodies who have studied Masonry, I discovered almost unanimous agreement among them that Masonry is a religion and that Masonry and Christianity are not compatible.[53] The conclusion of a Presbyterian report is only one of almost two dozen denominational inquiries that concluded Masonry is a religion: "In our study of Freemasonry's promotional literature, through personal interviews with Masons, and by letters received from Masons, we were told that Freemasonry is not a religion. _However, a close scrutiny of the ritual of the lodge and books written by authoritative Masons points to the contrary_...(emphasis added).[54] In its section on the position of other Christian denominations relative to Masonry, even the Baptist _Study_ documents that Masonry has been rejected by the Roman Catholic church, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Presbyterian Church in America, the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Church of the Brethren, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Assemblies of God, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, "and other Christian denominations have also taken positions against Freemasonry, or against secret societies without mentioning Freemasonry."[55] One must wonder, "Didn't this near-unanimous condemnation tell Baptist committee members something?!" If Masonry and Christianity are really compatible (as the Baptist _Study_ implies), and if individual Christians can actually become Masons "in good conscience," then why all the negative conclusions condemning Masonry and urging Christians _not_ to join the Masonic Lodge from all these widely varying Christian bodies? The _Study_ acknowledges that "this issue has divided Baptists for two centuries."[56] But _why_ has it divided Baptists for two centuries? We think the reason is evident -- because the Baptist tradition has never officially taken a position on Masonry, thereby allowing individual Christians in every generation to be deceived by its false claims. This would seem to explain why, as the _Study_ itself concedes, half a million Southern Baptists (at least) are now Masons -- including many Southern Baptist pastors, ministers of education, deacons, and directors of missions.[57] But even if there were ten million Christians in the Lodge, this fact alone would not justify Masonry. I can only agree with the conclusion of the Presbyterian report and many others that say: a) Joining Masonry requires "actions and vows out of accord with Scripture." b) "Participation in Masonry seriously compromises the Christian faith and testimony." c) "Membership in Masonry and activity in its Ritual lead to a diluting of commitment to Christ and His kingdom."[58] Certainly the Baptist stress on individual freedom of conscience cannot be carried so far as to accept the right of Christians to join the Mormon church or the Baha'i Faith. On what basis, then, can the Southern Baptist Convention say it is permissible for a Christian to join the Masonic Lodge? The issue is not individual conscience. The issue is, Can Christianity and Masonry be logically joined together without violation of scriptural teaching and Christ's glory? If not, then the verdict of each Christian's conscience must be to abstain from the Masonic Lodge, and the obligation of each church body must be to proclaim this basic incompatibility of Masonry and Christianity. *NOTES* 1 In the text and endnotes, the term _Study_ refers to the 75-page analysis, _A Study of Freemasonry_ (Atlanta, GA: Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993), available from the Home Mission Board, SBC, 1350 Spring Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30367-5601 (1-800-634-2462). The term _Report_ refers to the six-page _A Report on Freemasonry,_ published by the Home Mission Board, SBC, 17 March 1993. 2 _See_ John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _Bowing at Strange Altars_ (Chattanooga, TN: Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, 1993), 10-12. 3 _Report,_ 5. 4 _Ibid.,_ 5-6. 5 Code Revision Committee, _Masonic Manual of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, Free and Accepted Masons,_ 10th ed. (n.p.: Grand Lodge of the State of Georgia, 1983), 17. 6 Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Arkansas, _Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and MasterMason_ (n.p.: Grand Lodge of Arkansas, 7th ed., 1993), 17. 7 _See_ John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge: A Christian Appraisal_ (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 86, cf. 78-92. 8 _Report,_ 4. 9 _Ibid.,_ 5-6. 10 _Study,_ 34. 11 _Report,_ 5. 12 _Ibid.,_ 6. 13 _Ibid.,_ 54. 14 Jim Tresner, "Conscience and the Craft," _The Scottish Rite Journal,_ February 1993, 23. 15 _Study,_ 2-3. 16 _Ibid.,_ 70. 17 Joseph Fort Newton, "The Great Light in Masonry" (title of the section containing: "The Words of a Great Masonic Divine: The Bible and Freemasonry," in _The Holy Bible: The Great Light in Masonry_ (Nashville: A. J. Holman, 1940), 3-4. 18 _See_ Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ 194-95. 19 Carl H. Claudy, _Introduction to Freemasonry,_ vol. 2 (Washington: The Temple, 1984), 110. 20 Carl H. Claudy, "Belief in God," in "A Master's Wages," in _Little Masonic Library,_ vol. 4 (Richmond: Macoy Publishing, 1977), 32. 21 _Study,_ 43. 22 Henry Wilson Coil, _Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia_ (New York: Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply, 1961), 516-17. 23 _Ibid.,_ 517. 24 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Bowing,_ chs. 7, 9. 25 Albert Pike, _Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry_ (Charleston, SC: Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, 1927), 223. 26 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ chs. 8-9. 27 Pike, 516; cf. 226, 295-96. 28 Tresner, 18. _See_ also J. N. D. Anderson, _Christianity and Comparative Religion_ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977), 11-12. 29 _Study,_ 26. 30 _Ibid.,_ 3. 31 _Ibid.,_ 32. 32 _Report,_ 5. 33 Grand Lodge of Texas, _Monitor of the Lodge: Monitorial Instructions in the Three Degrees of Symbolic Masonry_ (Waco, TX: Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F.&A.M., 1982), xiii, xiv. 34 _Ibid.,_ xv, xvi. 35 _Study,_ 48. _See_ also Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ 126-29; Jim Shaw and Tom McKenney, _The Deadly Deception: Freemasonry Exposed by One of Its Top Leaders_ (Lafayette, LA: Huntington House, 1988), 72. 36 _Study,_ 48-49. 37 For further information on Masonic views of Jesus Christ, _see_ Ankerberg and Weldon, _Bowing,_ ch. 4, and _Secret Teachings,_ ch. 10. 38 _Study,_ 23. 39 _Ibid.,_ 70. 40 _See,_ e.g., John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mormonism_ (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1991) for detailed documentation. 41 _Macmillan Dictionary for Students_ (1984), 842. 42 _Study,_ 26. 43 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ 37-38. 44 Shildes Johnson, _Is Masonry a Religion?_ (Oakland, NJ: Institute of Contemporary Christianity, 1978), 21. 45 Albert G. Mackey, _An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences,_ vol. 1 (Chicago: Masonic History Company, 1921), 301. 46 Coil, 512, 158; Henry Wilson Coil, _A Comprehensive View of Freemasonry_ (Richmond: Macoy, 1973), 186. 47 Pike, 219. 48 Joseph Fort Newton, _The Religion of Masonry_ (Richmond: Macoy, 1969), 58-59. 49 _Study,_ 70. 50 _Ibid.,_ 26. 51 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ chs. 2, 13-16. 52 _Study,_ 26. 53 Ankerberg and Weldon, _Secret Teachings,_ 269-71; cf. ch. 16, Epilogue; and James Holly, _The Southern Baptist Convention and Freemasonry_ (Beaumont, TX: Mission and Ministry to Men, 1993), ch. 3. 54 Minutes of the General Assembly, appendix R, The Report of the Ad-Interim Committee to Study Freemasonry, 16th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, 6 June 1988, 466. 55 _Study,_ 63. 56 _Ibid.,_ 64. 57 _Ibid.,_ 64-65. 58 Presbyterian Report, 473. ------------- End of document, CRJ0168A.TXT (original CRI file name), "The Masonic Lodge and the Christian Conscience" release A, August 31, 1994 R. 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Date: 05-13-96 (19:46) Number: 7709 of 7749 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: don@icon.net, DON Subj: Baptist Battle over Freemasonry Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: don@icon.net (Don) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: (ICON) InterConnect Online, Inc. Message-ID: <4n83j2$dq3@news.icon.net> *Baptist Battle over Freemasonry Erupts Anew* For centuries, Christians convinced of the pagan and universalist assertions of Freemasonry have sought to counter its influence worldwide. In the second half of the last century, Jonathan Blanchard, first president of the evangelical Wheaton College and a former Mason himself, debated Masonic thinkers. And as recently as 1985, Christian Research Institute founder Walter Martin debated Bill Mankin, a 32 degree Mason and professing Christian, extracting seeming inconsistencies between Mankin's Christian and Masonic beliefs. Perhaps no debate over the matter has garnered such attention nationwide, however, as the recent fire set under the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) by a medical doctor and layman from Beaumont, Texas. Last year, James "Larry" Holly requested at the Indianapolis SBC annual meeting that the convention conduct a formal study of the compatibility -- or, as he asserted, the lack thereof -- between Freemasonry and biblical Christianity. The result was a whirlwind of controversy and media attention which did not begin to abate until June of 1993, when the SBC met for its annual convention in Houston, Texas. By an estimated 80 percent margin the denomination approved a study stating that Freemasonry's ideals and activities are, in part, compatible and elsewhere incompatible with Christianity. The convention messengers went so far as to say, among other things, that Freemasonry's use of solemn oaths; its recommendation of "readings" of "undeniably pagan and/or occultic...writings"; its implication "that salvation may be attained by one's good works"; and the permeation through Masonic writings of "the heresy of universalism," are not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine. To the astonishment of many, however, the six-page statement from the SBC Home Mission Board concludes by saying that Freemasonry membership should be "a matter of personal conscience," "consistent with our denomination's deep convictions regarding the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local church." All in all, the SBC's action was very "naive," said Holly. While affirming that he has been faithful to the Lord and will not challenge the matter further, others have told him that they will. "There is absolutely no question that what the convention did was short of what they should have done and was, in fact, compromise. The problem is the convention is always looking over their shoulder." Ironically, in one fell swoop, what started as a well-intentioned attempt to weed out the effects of Freemasonry within the denomination has seemingly resulted instead in a strengthening of allegiance among American Masons. Indeed, Masons have heralded the SBC statement as ultimately a "positive" affirmation of their movement. "The final report vindicates Freemasonry from the charge of being a religion or of being anti-Christian," said Fred Kleinknecht, Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction of Freemasonry, in the June issue of the Masonic monthly _Scottish Rite Journal._ "In fact, the report advocates Masonic membership by Christians as an opportunity to witness in the Lodge for Christ by their example of Christian living." During the controversy, many closet Masons pulled out their pins and proudly displayed them upon their lapels during services in local Southern Baptist churches. At Parkway Baptist Church in St. Louis, 12-year pastor Stoney Shaw resigned and the church was thrown into turmoil after conducting its own investigation of Masonry. Shaw became convicted of Masonry's "cultic and anti-Christian" stance, but church members who were Masons rose up and strongly opposed him. Holly believes that even though Masons are claiming an immediate boost from the SBC's outcome, it will not be sustained. "That kind of emotional response will not sustain the Lodge for long. Much of what they have published themselves has, in fact, proved the reality and truth of what we have said." *Masonry's Influence.* The truth is that Freemasonry's membership -- estimated by Scottish Rite representatives at 2.5 million in the United States and six million worldwide -- has been dropping by two to three percent annually in recent years. The average age of a Mason is 63, according to the organization's own estimates. Still, Holly estimates there are between 500,000 and 1.3 million Southern Baptist Freemasons alone, with 14 percent of SBC pastors and 18 percent of deacons being Masons. Masons have claimed the allegiance of scores of well-known members, which the _Scottish Rite Journal_ paraded through its pages in the issues preceding the SBC vote. One writer in the _Scottish Rite Journal_ said that calling Masonry satanic is folly, asserting that "if Dr. James Holly of Beaumont is right, George Washington, the father of our country, was a devil worshiper." The writer goes on to mention the names of 13 U.S. presidents who were Masons, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and most recently, Gerald Ford. He also notes the Masonic membership of Irving Berlin and John Wayne. Moreover, journal articles were written defending the "gentle craft" by members Jesse Helms, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, and the presidents of both Baylor and Furman universities. Every president of the Southern Baptist-run Baylor since its founding has been a Mason. Abner McCall, president emeritus of Baylor, asserted in his article that "membership and work in the Masonic Lodge and the Baptist Church have supplemented and supported each other and in no way supplanted nor subverted each other. They conflict only in the mind of a person who subscribes to a perverted version of Freemasonry, the church, or both." But if McCall's assertion is true, he has just condemned a great many of the denominations in the United States and Europe with whom one might think he would share an affinity. For while the Southern Baptists balked at taking a strong stand against Masonry, a large number of other denominations have not hesitated to make plain their opposition. Based on information gathered by a Roman Catholic physician who prefers to remain anonymous (and printed in a recent book by Holly), the following denominations are publicly opposed to Freemasonry: the Roman Catholic Church; the Methodist Church of England; the Wesleyan Methodist Church; the Russian Orthodox Church; the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod; the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; the Synod Anglican Church of England; the Assemblies of God; the Church of the Nazarene; the Orthodox Presbyterian Church; the Reformed Presbyterian Church; the Presbyterian Church in America; the Christian Reformed Church in America; the Evangelical Mennonite Church; the Church of Scotland; the Free Church of Scotland; and the Baptist Union of Scotland. In statement after statement, the same concerns are listed by denominations opposed to Freemasonry, virtually all of which are also found in researchers John Weldon and John Ankerberg's book _Bowing at Strange Altars: The Masonic Lodge and the Christian Conscience:_ * Masons endorse taking secret and bloody oaths, one of which says, "All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear,...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the sands of the sea, at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-five hours, should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly violate or transgress this my Entered Apprentice obligation." * Masons teach that heaven can be attained in unbiblical ways. In official Masonic rituals, initiates are given a "white leather Apron" symbolizing "that purity of life and conduct, which is necessary to obtain admittance into the celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides." Other statements indicate salvation by works, critics assert. * The Lodge teaches universalism. Perhaps nowhere is this more clearly seen than in a series of articles written recently by Masons in defense of Masonry. Furman University president John E. Johns, in his article defending Masonry in the February 1993 _Scottish Rite Journal,_ says: "Masonry...causes one to think more about what his religious beliefs really are and what he must do to obtain salvation through his religion. For [Southern Baptists], it is to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior." Johns also states: "[Masonry] is a fraternity of men who, first of all, must believe in one God. It is a religious organization in that it encourages members to support each individual's faith whether he is a Christian, Muslim, Hebrew, or other monotheistic believer. Masonic teachings are based largely on Old and New Testament principles, but also on other religious teachings -- all honorable....Masonry teaches toleration of others' beliefs." * The God of the Masonic Lodge is not the God of the Bible. A common name Masons use in reference to the Deity is "Supreme Architect of the Universe." Wrote popular Masonic author Joseph Fort Newton: "For Masonry knows what so many forget, that religions are many, but Religion is one...therefore, it [Masonry] invites to its altar men of all faiths, knowing that, if they use different names for the nameless one of a hundred names, they are yet praying to the one God and Father of all." According to Ankerberg and Weldon, Masons are also introduced to such pagan and occultic deities as the Egyptian gods Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Amun; the Scandinavian deities Odin, Frea, and Thor; and to Hindu, Greek, and Persian deities, as well as Jewish Kabbalism. *The Bottom Line.* Since the writings of Freemasonry and its rituals are difficult to defend as Christian, Masons in recent months have mostly asserted that, on the contrary, Masonry is not a religion at all. The debate has, by the players' admissions, turned into a game of semantics, with critics quoting the likes of highly touted Mason writer Albert Pike in his definitive book, _Morals and Dogma,_ where he says, "Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion," and, moreover, "Masonry...is the universal, eternal, immutable religion." Masons have protested that Pike -- who also said somewhere in the same book, "Masonry is not a religion" -- has never been considered the sole and definitive defender and creator of Masonic teaching, nor has anyone else. Ankerberg and Weldon note, however, that Grand Commander Fred Kleinknecht said himself in 1988 that Pike's _Morals and Dogma_ is "the most complete exposition of Scottish Rite philosophy," calling Pike "the master builder of the Scottish Rite." Whatever the case, the evidence presented by Masonry's critics raises the question: How could a Bible-believing denomination such as the Southern Baptist Convention confirm such findings in its own 6-page report and yet stop short of thoroughly dissociating itself with such an organization? According to some critics, the answer can be traced to the ongoing battle within the SBC between absolutist inerrantists and more liberal moderates. ------------- End of document, CRJ0162A.TXT (original CRI file name), "News Watch" release A, August 31, 1994 R. Poll, CRI (A special note of thanks to Bob and Pat Hunter for their help in the preparation of this ASCII file for BBS circulation.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Christian Research Journal is published quarterly by the Christian Research Institute (CRI) -- founded in 1960 by the late Dr. Walter R. Martin. While CRI is concerned with and involved in the general defense of the faith, our area of research specialization is limited to elements within the modern religious scene that compete with, assault, or undermine biblical Christianity. 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Date: 05-10-96 (22:58) Number: 7710 of 7749 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: test@test.net, ANNOMYOUS Subj: Re: Freemasonry and Christianity Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: annomyous Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: Voyager Information Networks, Inc. Message-ID: <31942C86.2C91@test.net> Don wrote: > > > SO MOTE IT BE > The question of Freemasonry > > . The question of the Christian stand regarding Freemasonry > seems to confront our ministry at every turn lately................. >............. > Computers for Christ - San Jose Don, This posting (flaming) is rather rude, "He who adds or takes away form the word the same shall be added......." You use so much out of context that you make a fool of yourself. You should also consider the damage you are doing for the witness of "Computers for Christ" by using their material to flame the newsgroups. As a Free Methodist and a Mason please don't imply that all of us Christians are as narrow minded, uninformed, and bigotted as you are. "Blessed are the Peace makers......... I imagine that you have a brand new big hard drive, but you are really making poor use of this resource the Lord has given you, when you continue to fill it and your spirit with such hate. You have to have a life, before you can give it to Christ. GET ONE! please forgive me for not wanted to continue this discussion. alt.freemasonry (2245) Conference Joined Date: 05-20-96 (12:02) Number: 7751 of 7757 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: gs@gstewart.demon.co.uk, GORDON STEWART Subj: Re: Masonry, My Saviour, and me Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: alt.freemasonry (2245) Read Type: GENERAL (+) From: gs@gstewart.demon.co.uk (Gordon Stewart) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry,alt.masonic.members Organization: Datanet Services Message-ID: <832593342.4225.0@gstewart.demon.co.uk> don@icon.net (Don) wrote: SNIP >"Masonry, My Savior, and Me" >(an article from the Christian Research Newsletter, Volume 1: >Number 4, 1988) > The editor of the Christian Research Newsletter is Ron Rhodes. >From the TESTIMONY column: >The personal testimony of Duane Washum. >-------------Snip SNIP SNIP SNIP Nice to see such an open minded view of an 'aberrant' belief system (NOT.) Probably best summed up as part of the genus "I'm right, therefore everybody else must be wrong." If your interested in an alternative view of history try "The Hiram Key" (ISBN 0-7126-8579-0.) It's basic tenet is that Christianity is an aberration of Christ's true teachings and that Freemasonry was founded as a means of protecting and propagating these teachings. The secrecy element came out of the necessity to hide from the rather 'protective' Holy Roman Church. It was noted, as being available, in a recent communication from Grand Lodge, so I assume that they don't find it too shocking. I don't know whether it true or not; but it's as likely as any other "interpretation". Gordon Stewart Camellia Thea #7351 - London, England. St. Christopher #7919 - Hampshire, England.