This day in History: Aug 4, 1753: Washington becomes Master Mason - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Mr. Mojo · 08-04-2004, 09:26 AM

Its from the history channel
http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/t...0&day=10272969

I thought about putting it in General Discussion, but i think it will be appreciated more in this section

August 4

1753 Washington becomes Master Mason

George Washington, a young Virginia planter, becomes a Master Mason, the highest basic rank in the secret fraternity of Freemasonry. The ceremony was held at the Masonic Lodge No. 4 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Washington was 21 years old and would soon command his first military operation as a major in the Virginia colonial militia.

Freemasonry evolved from the practices and rituals of the stonemasons' guilds in the Middle Ages. With the decline of European cathedral building, "lodges" decided to admit non-stonemasons to maintain membership, and the secret fraternal order grew in popularity in Europe. In 1717, the first Grand Lodge, an association of lodges, was founded in England, and Freemasonry was soon disseminated throughout the British Empire. The first American Mason lodge was established in Philadelphia in 1730, and future revolutionary leader Benjamin Franklin was a founding member.

There is no central Masonic authority, and Freemasons are governed locally by the order's many customs and rites. Members trace the origins of Masonry back to the erecting of King Solomon's Temple in biblical times and are expected to believe in the "Supreme Being," follow specific religious rites, and maintain a vow of secrecy concerning the order's ceremonies. The Masons of the 18th century adhered to liberal democratic principles that included religious toleration, loyalty to local government, and the importance of charity. From its inception, Freemasonry encountered considerable opposition from organized religion, especially from the Roman Catholic Church.

For George Washington, joining the Masons was a rite of passage and an expression of his civic responsibility. After becoming a Master Mason, Washington had the option of passing through a series of additional rites that would take him to higher "degrees." In 1788, shortly before becoming the first president of the United States, Washington was elected the first Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22.

Many other leaders of the American Revolution, including Paul Revere, John Hancock, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Boston Tea Party saboteurs, were also Freemasons, and Masonic rites were witnessed at such events as Washington's presidential inauguration and the laying of the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.--a city supposedly designed with Masonic symbols in mind. Masonic symbols, approved by Washington in the design of the Great Seal of the United States, can be seen on the one-dollar bill. The All-Seeing Eye above an unfinished pyramid is unmistakably Masonic, and the scroll beneath, which proclaims the advent of a "New Secular Order" in Latin, is one of Freemasonry's long-standing goals. The Great Seal appeared on the dollar bill during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, also a Mason.

Freemasonry has continued to be important in U.S. politics, and at least 15 presidents, five Supreme Court chief justices, and numerous members of Congress have been Masons. Presidents known to be Masons include Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, James Garfield, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, and Gerald Ford. Today there are an estimated two million Masons in the United States, but the exact membership figure is one of the society's many secrets.

crxforum · 08-04-2004, 03:40 PM

My father is a Free Mason. He is a 33rd degree Mason and has a ring with 33 on it. I know all about the Masons if you guys have any questions. Granted there are things I dont know but I can tell you things that will piss off any Masons that you do know LOL.

scout · 08-04-2004, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Mojo

There is no central Masonic authority, and Freemasons are governed locally by the order's many customs and rites.

.

This isn't exactly a true statement. Each particular lodge is governed by the Grand Lodge of the state in which it resides. The Grand Lodge is governed by all the other Grand Lodges.

scout · 08-04-2004, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crxforum
My father is a Free Mason. He is a 33rd degree Mason and has a ring with 33 on it. .......

The 33rd degree is an honary degree usually bestowed on elderly members that have dedicated their lives to Freemasonry.

scout · 08-04-2004, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crxforum
My father is a Free Mason. He is a 33rd degree Mason and has a ring with 33 on it. I know all about the Masons if you guys have any questions. Granted there are things I dont know but I can tell you things that will piss off any Masons that you do know LOL.

HAHA unless you are a Mason yourself I doubt you know as much as you think you know. If you are not a Mason then where did you learn all that you know about Freemasonry? I'm confident that your Father hasn't told you anything if he in fact is a "33rd" degree.

Xell101 · 08-04-2004, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crxforum
My father is a Free Mason. He is a 33rd degree Mason and has a ring with 33 on it. I know all about the Masons if you guys have any questions. Granted there are things I dont know but I can tell you things that will piss off any Masons that you do know LOL.

...oooooooh, please share

Sun Tzu · 08-05-2004, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crxforum
My father is a Free Mason. He is a 33rd degree Mason and has a ring with 33 on it. I know all about the Masons if you guys have any questions. Granted there are things I dont know but I can tell you things that will piss off any Masons that you do know LOL.

Heh . . . well those are things I think need to be heard.

I have a bunch of questions; but I'll start out with one.

Do masons believe Lucifer is still heaven?

scout · 08-05-2004, 06:53 PM

No, Freemasonry is not a religion.

MSD · 08-05-2004, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Mojo
Masonic symbols, approved by Washington in the design of the Great Seal of the United States, can be seen on the one-dollar bill. The All-Seeing Eye above an unfinished pyramid is unmistakably Masonic, and the scroll beneath, which proclaims the advent of a "New Secular Order" in Latin, is one of Freemasonry's long-standing goals.

Two glaring mistakes in one paragraph. The all-seeing eye is a symbol of the Bavarian Illuminati, not of the Masons. "Novus Ordo Seclorum" translates to "New Order of the Ages." I wonder how much of the rest of the article is statements based on unresearched assumptions used to fill in holes where information was not provided. I would expect a lot more than this from the History Channel.

Sun Tzu · 08-06-2004, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scout
No, Freemasonry is not a religion.

hmmm. . .

Are you familiar with

Manly Palmer Hall

Arthur Edward Waite

Albert Pike

Eliphas Levi . . . all 33 . . .?

scout · 08-07-2004, 02:33 AM

Yes I am familiar with all of the above. Although I can't find any information to confirm Arthur Edward Waite was a Freemason. I'm not saying he wasn't, just that I can't confirm it after a somewhat extensive search. He was a member and Grand Master of a magical society in London, that I have confirmed.

I'm assuming some of your curiosity stems from Pike's statement about Lucifer, ""Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish Souls? Doubt it not!" ??

Here Is a web site that might help explain what the above statement is refering to.

Quote:

.........."Very few people are aware that in the lecture accompanying the second degree in the symbolic lodge all Masons are encouraged to continue their own education and to gain knowledge in the liberal arts, defined in the older context of that term as grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, music, astronomy, and geometry. The Masons emphasize the benefits of continuing education, even to the extent that many Masonic charities provide scholarships for deserving students on a nondenominational basis. Pike was in complete harmony with that approach, but he was somewhat different in that his own fascination was heavily weighted toward the history of religion, the subject of most of his writings."

"Pike was convinced that he had benefited greatly from his lifelong studies of other religions and philosophies, because what he had learned gave him a broader understanding of all humankind. Many of the ancient religions he had studied were gone from the earth, but he was convinced that they had made contributions to later thought and moral systems. He had a good point: There are those who would deny that Muhammad learned anything from the Jews and Christians he met on his trading missions, or that Moses learned anything while growing up at the Egyptian court, but reason indicates the opposite.".........

...."Nothing thrills the anti-Mason as much as Pike's references to Lucifer. Most Christians reading this will immediately recognize Lucifer as the fallen angel, as Satan, the ruler of hell. Why then, does Pike express his surprise in the words "Lucifer, the light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its intolerable light blinds feeble, sensual or selfish souls?" He is upset, referring at one point to "the false Lucifer of the legend." What false legend?"

"I set out to learn for myself, and what I learned may upset many Christians, who have to be told that the King James version of the Bible, which they revere as the literal, precise, correct work of God, is not always so. Some of the error in it was quite deliberate, including the biblical designation of Lucifer as Satan, along with the concordant story of a fallen angel. It is difficult to anticipate the reactions of some believers on being told that there are gross mistakes in the King James version, but, please, do not throw this book across the room in disgust until you have read a bit more."

"Lucifer makes his appearance in the fourteenth chapter of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, at the twelfth verse, and nowhere else: "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!""

"The first problem is that Lucifer is a Latin name. So how did it find its way into a Hebrew manuscript, written before there was a Roman language? To find the answer, I consulted a scholar at the library of the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. What Hebrew name, I asked, was Satan given in this chapter of Isaiah, which describes the angel who fell to become the ruler of hell? The answer was a surprise. In the original Hebrew text, the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah is not about a fallen angel, but about a fallen Babylonian king, who during his lifetime had persecuted the children of Israel. It contains no mention of Satan, either by name or reference. The Hebrew scholar could only speculate that some early Christian scribes, writing in the Latin tongue used by the Church, had decided for themselves that they wanted the story to be about a fallen angel, a creature not even mentioned in the original Hebrew text, and to whom they gave the name "Lucifer.""

"Why Lucifer? In Roman astronomy, Lucifer was the name given to the morning star (the star we now know by another Roman name, Venus). The morning star appears in the heavens just before dawn, heralding the rising sun. The name derives from the Latin term lucem ferre, "bringer, or bearer, of light." In the Hebrew text the expression used to describe the Babylonian king before his death is Helal, son of Shahar, which can best be translated as "Day star, son of the Dawn." The name evokes the golden glitter of a proud king's dress and court (much as his personal splendor earned for King Louis XIV of France the appellation, "The Sun King")."

"The scholars authorized by the militantly Catholic King James I to translate the Bible into current English did not use the original Hebrew texts, but used versions translated from the Catholic Vulgate Bible produced largely by St. Jerome in the fourth century. Jerome had mistranslated the Hebraic metaphor, "Day star, son of the Dawn," as "Lucifer," and over the centuries a metamorphosis took place. Lucifer the morning star became a disobedient angel, cast out of heaven to rule eternally in hell. Theologians, writers, and poets interwove the myth with the doctrine of the Fall, and in Christian tradition Lucifer is now the same as Satan, the Devil, and - ironically- the Prince of Darkness."

"So "Lucifer" is nothing more than an ancient Latin name for the morning star, the bringer of light. That can be confusing for Christians who identify Christ himself as the morning star, a term used as a central theme in many Christian sermons. Jesus refers to himself as the morning star in Revelation 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.""

"And so there are those who do not read beyond the King James version of the Bible, who say "Lucifer is Satan: so says the Word of God," while others with knowledge of the Latin and Hebrew texts say, "No, Lucifer is the classical Roman name for the morning star, and now Jesus is the morning star." This discussion can only anger certain fundamentalists. (I have at hand an evangelical tract from a Baptist church that says, "I believe in the Infallibility and Preservation of God's Word, of which the King James 1611 authorized version is the God-guided faithful translation.")"

"Fortunately, this issue of errors in biblical translations is not one that we have to struggle with ourselves. Generations of biblical scholars of all faiths have been aware of the mistranslations and of the misunderstandings that arise from the use of archaic terms whose meanings have been lost, or have evolved into different usages. To address these problems a conference was held in October 1946, attended by delegates of the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, and the Baptists, Methodists, and Congregationalist churches. At another meeting four months later, delegates from the Presbyterians and Quakers joined the original group, along with representatives of various Bible societies. Still later, observers were sent as representatives of the Roman Catholic Church."

"The work on a new translation of the Bible, direct from the sources, stretched out over several years. The most distinguished biblical scholars and specialists in the world were invited to contribute, and every delegate was given the opportunity to review and express his own views on every verse, every word, as presented by the translators."

"The result of this prodigious joint effort was The New English Bible, of which the New Testament was published in 1969 and the Old Testament one year later."

"That does not mean that I have cast aside my King James version: I have them both. But I must recognize that while God may be the inspirational source of all the Old and New Testament scriptures, He is certainly not responsible for the imperfect translations from the language of the earliest surviving texts. To err is human, and men can become overzealous because of the emotional aspects of the subject."

Albert Pike was very well educated man of his day. All of his writings do not necessarily reflect Masonic teachings, but merely his own interpetation of his vast studies. Things aren't always as mysterious as they first seem.

Leo Taxil is a man that was kicked out of Masonry and started much of the misinformation about the order that people still believe to this day.

password · 08-07-2004, 08:55 PM

That was my b day

SaltPork · 08-09-2004, 10:54 AM

I am a Mason. If anyone has any real questions, let me know. Post here or PM me if you want to.

hiredgun · 08-09-2004, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wrkime
I am a Mason. If anyone has any real questions, let me know. Post here or PM me if you want to.

How did you join the organization? What kind of things does membership involve (that you can talk about, at least)?

scout · 08-09-2004, 06:47 PM

In some states you have to "ask one to be one". In other words you have to ask someone you know to be a mason to join. Some states are now allowing someone to ask you if they believe you have what it takes. You then fill out a petition. A committee will be assigned to investigate and you will be interviewed. Freemasonry is very family oriented and your wife may be asked to be there during the "interview".

For your wife there is the Eastern Star, Job's Daughters for the girls and the Demolay for the boys. It is truly a organization that the whole family can become involved if their interested.

Membership involves things such as but not limited to charity, fundraising for worthy causes such as scholarships, the Shrine Hospitals, Masonic Homes etc., other types of community involvement and a lotta good food.

SaltPork · 08-10-2004, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hiredgun
How did you join the organization? What kind of things does membership involve (that you can talk about, at least)?

I joined by asking for a petition for membership. You will be interviewed and your family probably won't be asked to be there, but they should be since the members will want to meet your family, but it's not a necessity.

You'll have to pay dues and how much that is and what that covers is up to the individual Lodges.

As scout said, some states are allowing Masons to suggest seeking membership. I have mixed feelings about this, but for the most part it's always okay.

Once again, scout hit the nail on the head....charities, scholarships, roadside cleanups, etc. All community events with no pressure to be involved with any of it. I've seen people join and then never see them again after they're first Lodge meeting. Oh well...what are you going to do.

scout, are you a mason?

scout · 08-11-2004, 02:13 AM

wrkime, yes I am a Mason.
We have people join and never set another foot in the Lodge Room also, but still pay their dues every year. Freemasonry is one of those things in life you get back more than you put forward, and the more you put forward the more you get back. I wish now I had joined as a much younger man around 21 rather than wait until I was in my thirties. You know what they say about hindsight.... lol.

saut · 08-11-2004, 07:07 AM

I'm quite interested in Free-masonry -- could any of you recommend some books that might give me some more information on it?

scout · 08-11-2004, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by saut
I'm quite interested in Free-masonry -- could any of you recommend some books that might give me some more information on it?

To be terribly honest I don't know of any books to recommend to someone interested. There are a ton of good reads if you are a Mason. I will however post this request on a Craft news mailing list and see if anyone knows of anything to recommend. Sorry I can't help you right away but give it a day or two and see if anything comes off the mailing list.

Rekna · 08-11-2004, 09:21 PM

What are the goals of the freemasons? What is the purpose of the organization?

scout · 08-12-2004, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by saut
I'm quite interested in Free-masonry -- could any of you recommend some books that might give me some more information on it?

Well that didn't take long, here is the response I got after posting this request . I've never read these books personally but they were highly recommended by more than one response.

........... 3 books by the late John J. Robinson: "A Pilgrim's Path-Freemasonry and the Religious Right", "Born in Blood", and "Dungeon, Fire, and Sword". Bro. Robinson researched Masonry long before he joined the Craft. He was a greatly sought after speaker for Masonic seminars before his death a few years back. .........

scout · 08-12-2004, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rekna
What are the goals of the freemasons? What is the purpose of the organization?

In a nutshell:

Making Good Men Better.

Rekna · 08-12-2004, 09:16 AM

and how does/did the illuminati relate to the masons?

saut · 08-12-2004, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by scout
Well that didn't take long, here is the response I got after posting this request . I've never read these books personally but they were highly recommended by more than one response.

........... 3 books by the late John J. Robinson: "A Pilgrim's Path-Freemasonry and the Religious Right", "Born in Blood", and "Dungeon, Fire, and Sword". Bro. Robinson researched Masonry long before he joined the Craft. He was a greatly sought after speaker for Masonic seminars before his death a few years back. .........

Thanks a bundle, I'll be sure to check those out.

SaltPork · 08-12-2004, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rekna
and how does/did the illuminati relate to the masons?

decide for yourself:
http://www.masonicinfo.com/illuminati.htm

Quote:

"Illuminati, Greek illumination, name given to those who submitted to Christian baptism. Those who were baptized were called "illuminati" or "illuminated ones" by the Ante-Nicene clergy, on the assumption that those who were instructed for baptism in the Apostolic faith had an enlightened understanding.

The Alumbrados, a mystical 16th-century Spanish sect, were among the societies that subsequently adopted the name illuminati. Later, the title of illuminati was used by a secret society founded by Adam Weishaupt that aimed to combat religious thinking and encourage rationalism."
---Microsoft Encarta2000

When creating this web site, we were under the belief that no one with any degree of education would believe there was a secret organization plotting for some 200+ years to control the world - and that the Masons were somehow a part of it. Boy, were we wrong!
Whenever conspiracy theory is spouted, the mysterious "Illuminati" (along with the Bilderburgers, The Trilateral Commission, the Council of Foreign Relations, and others) are most often named as being responsible. Ironically, however, while people can name those ostensibly belonging to the other conspiracy groups, the "Illuminati" is always left hanging as some secret, shadowy entity which no one can quite describe. Interestingly too, no one can quite identify what specific acts can be attributed to them - and no one in 225 years seems to have left the organization to reveal its secrets. Pretty strange..... (If you're not hearing the theme music for the X-Files right now, it's a CONSPIRACY!!!)

It is well established that by the end of the eighteenth century, the Illuminati had been effectively disbanded. Because of Freemasonry's inadvertent involvement and misuse by its founder, Adam Weishaupt, the legends of its continued existence (and influence) persist into the twentieth century. In the 1950s and 1960s, members of the John Birch Society made much of this 'shadow' organization, using it as an effective substitute for their anti-Semitism. Perhaps some of the confusion regarding the organization is due to the fact that over time, the word illuminati came to be used more expansively for many enthusiasts of Enlightenment, including but not limited to the followers of Emmanuel Swedenborg. Nevertheless, the Illuminati's connection with Freemasonry was date-specific (the late 1700s) and place-specific (what is now Germany); it had NO involvement in Freemasonry elsewhere despite fanciful claims. Even the oft-mentioned 'Proofs of A Conspiracy' written in 1797 by a Scottish professor notes that the Illuminati's brand of Freemasonry was NOT the same Freemasonry as found in England and from which all other legitimate Masonic lodges today can trace their ancestry.

We've found an excellent summary of the entire Illuminati Conspiracy theory. We've placed it here with permission of the site owner on which it was found. You'll find this interesting....

The Illuminati Freemason Conspiracy
From Public Eye and Political Research Associates:

The Freemasons began as members of craft guilds who united into lodges in England in the early 1700's. They stressed religious tolerance, the equality of their male peers, and the themes of classic liberalism and the Enlightenment. Today they are a worldwide fraternal order that still educates its members about philosophical ideas, and engages in harmless rituals, but also offers networking for business and political leaders, and carries out charitable activities.
The idea of a widespread freemason conspiracy originated in the late 1700's and flourished in the US in the 1800's. Persons who embrace this theory often point to purported Masonic symbols such as the pyramid and the eye on the back of the dollar bill as evidence of the conspiracy. Allegations of a freemason conspiracy trace back to British author John Robison who wrote the 1798 book Proofs of a Conspiracy Against All the Religions and Governments of Europe, carried on in the secret meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati, and Reading Societies, collected from good authorities. Robison influenced French author Abbé Augustin Barruel, whose first two volumes of his eventual four volume study, Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism, beat Robison's book to the printer. Both Robison and Barruel discuss the attempt by Bavarian intellectual Adam Weishaupt to spread the ideas of the Enlightenment through his secretive society, the Order of the Illuminati.

Weishaupt was appointed a professor at the University of Ingolstadt in Germany around 1772 and elevated to the post of professor of Canon Law in 1773 or 1775 (sources conflict), the first secularist to hold that position previously held by clergy. Weishaupt began planning a group to challenge authoritarian Catholic actions in 1775, the group (under a different name) was announced on May 1, 1776. This group evolved into the Illuminati. The Enlightenment rationalist ideas of the Illuminati were, in fact, brought into Masonic lodges where they played a role in a factional fight against occultist philosophy. The Illuminati was suppressed in a series of edicts between 1784 and 1787, and Weishaupt himself was banished in 1785.

Weishaupt, his Illuminati society, the Freemasons, and other secret societies are portrayed by Robison and Barruel as bent on despotic world domination through a secret conspiracy using front groups to spread their influence.

Barruel claimed the conspirators "had sworn hatred to the altar and the throne, had sworn to crush the God of the Christians, and utterly to extirpate the Kings of the Earth." For Barruel the grand plot hinges on how Illuminati "adepts of revolutionary Equality and Liberty had buried themselves in the Lodges of Masonry" where they caused the French revolution, and then ordered "all the adepts in their public prints to cry up the revolution and its principles." Soon, every nation had its "apostle of Equality, Liberty, and Sovereignty of the People."

Robison, a professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, argued that the Illuminati evolved out of Freemasonry, and called the Illuminati philosophy "Cosmo-politism." According to Robison:

"Their first and immediate aim is to get the possession of riches, power, and influence, without industry; and, to accomplish this, they want to abolish Christianity; and then dissolute manners and universal profligacy will procure them the adherents of all the wicked, and enable them to overturn all the civil governments of Europe; after which they will think of farther conquests, and extend their operations to the other quarters of the globe, till they have reduced mankind to the state of one indistinguishable chaotic mass."
Robert Alan Goldberg, in his book Enemies Within, summarizes the basic themes of the books by Barruel and Robison:
"Writing in the aftermath of the French Revolution, these monarchists had created a counterhistory in defense of the aristocracy. Winning the hearts and minds of present and future readers would assuage some of the pain of recent defeat and mobilize defenses. The Revolution, they argued, was not rooted in poverty and despotism. Rather than a rising of the masses, it was the work of Adam Weishaupt’s Illuminati, a secret society that plotted to destroy all civil and religious authority and abolish marriage, the family, and private property. It was the Illuminati who schemed to turn contented peasants 'from Religion to Atheism, from decency to dissoluteness, from loyalty to rebellion.' "
The major immediate political effect of allegations of an Illuminati Freemason conspiracy in Europe was to mobilize support for national oligarchies traditionally supported by the Catholic Church hierarchy. Across Europe authoritarian governing elites were coming under attack by reformist and revolutionary movements demanding increased political rights under secular laws. The ideas of the Enlightenment were incorporated by the leaders of both the French and American revolutions, and in a sense, these Enlightenment notions were indeed subversive to the established social order, although they were hardly a secret conspiracy. The special status of the Catholic Church in European nation-states was actually threatened by the ideas being discussed by the Illuminati and the rationalist wing of the Freemasons.
Several common conspiracist themes emerge from these two books. The Enlightenment themes of equality and liberty are designed to destroy respect for property and the natural social hierarchy. Orthodox Christianity is to be destroyed and replaced with universalism, deism...or worse. Persons with a cosmopolitan outlook--encouraging free-thinking and international cooperation--are to be suspect as disloyal subversive traitors out to undermine national sovereignty and promote anarchy.

Shortly after the Barruel book was published, conspiracy theories about the Illuminati Freemasons were mixed with antisemitism in Europe. This confluence took place much later in the US.

Adapted from Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons. 2000. Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort. New York: Guilford Publications.

Bibliography

Abbé Augustin Barruel, Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism, second edition revised and corrected, English translation by Robert Clifford, (originally published 1797-1798, reprinted in one volume, Fraser, MI: Real-View-Books, 1995).

John Robison, Proofs of a Conspiracy—against All the Religions and Governments of Europe, carried on in the secret meetings of Freemasons, Illuminati and Reading Societies, fourth edition with postscript, (originally published 1798, reprinted Boston: Western Islands, 1967)

Richard Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” in The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1965).

Norman Cohn, Warrant for Genocide: The Myth of the Jewish World Conspiracy and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, (London: Serif, 1967 [1996].

George Johnson, Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics, (Los Angeles: Tarcher/Houghton Mifflin, 1983).

Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons, Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort, (New York: Guilford Publications, 2000)

Robert Alan Goldberg, Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America, (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2001).

Herm. Gruber, "Illuminati," The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VII, (New York, NY: Robert Appleton Company, 1910).

Our thanks to Public Eye for this material.

tehhappyboy · 08-12-2004, 01:19 PM

Here's a question, my step great grandfather was a mason, I have my great grandmother's masonic widow of honor card. I inherited a set of 8 books in their original shipping crate shipped from the "Masonic history company" with the last copyright date listed is 1909 titled "history of freemasonry" by albert g. mackey 33degree. I don't wish to sell it, but I'm wondering if it is a rarity to be in such good shape or if these are common in existance. Anyone ever seen such a thing? Blue covers, gold embossing. Very turn of the century, the sheafs are hand opened and not die cut so they have rough page edges. It's quite old now. Any info would be helpful.

scout · 08-13-2004, 02:11 AM

I do believe the books remain in print and you can still buy copies. However, I haven't a clue as to the value of the set you own. I would think you need to find an antique book dealer to have them assessed for their true value. Sorry I can't be of more assistance than that.

tehhappyboy · 08-20-2004, 03:20 PM

Thanks, I appreciate the help.

rocclimb28 · 08-23-2004, 08:57 PM

I feel the need to clarify a few things from the HistoryChannel.com article:

Freemasonry is not a true "secret society." In 1717, four lodges banded together and formed the first Grand Lodge. In doing so, the Lodges and their members made Freemasonry public for the first time. Before that time, the existence of all lodges and their members were kept secret. By going public, they effectively changed Freemasonry from a secret society to a Fraternal organization. From that point on, more lodges and members made themselves public. Today you can see signs for Masonic Lodges and their meeting times posted on the welcome signs into many towns. For that matter, any Freemason can freely admit his membership. Were Freemasonry to be a secret society, this would not be the case.

The historychannel.com article claims that members must believe in "the 'supreme being,'" when in fact, to be made a Freemason requires that one believes in A supreme being. It does not matter if you call that being God, Allah, or anything else, just so long as you believe that a being exists. (Sorry Atheists)

As for the eye in the pyramid, a few other individuals have already spoken to the fact that it is not a Masonic symbol. In fact, according to a number of sources, "none of the final designers of the seal were Masons." In addition, "the eye in the pyramid is not nor has it ever been a Masonic symbol. The seal's Eye of Providence and the Mason's All Seeing Eye each express Divine Omnipotence, but they are parallel uses of a shared icon, not a single symbol."

Alright, enough from me. I think its great that people are interested in, and are talking about Freemasonry. It's a fantastic organization that will give back to you what you put into it. It truly does strive to make good men better. For more information, check out websites like: http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/

jwoody · 08-24-2004, 01:14 AM

I grew up just a few miles from the original Washington. It's a bit of shit-hole, to be honest.

Quote:

Possibly one of the lesser known 'great little houses' of Britain but, with an obvious clue in the property's name, and the fact that it is a popular venue for American visitors, it is not surprising to learn that a big history lies concealed within this charming old manor house.Formerly owned by the Bishop of Durham, the estate at Washington was exchanged by him during the 12th century and came into the possession of the first 'William of Washington'.

http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/ma...old%20hall.htm

Sargeman · 08-27-2004, 12:07 PM

Is it true that the lower level masons are essentially kept in the dark about what is really going on? Such as what or who they are really serving?

Also I read this on the net, you know if it's on the net then it has to be true

, that in Albert Pike's edition of Morals and Dogmas that it says this:

"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))

xepherys · 08-27-2004, 08:50 PM

So, I'm curious to further my knowledge of this organization. I may be interested in joining, but I can't imagine that a group of people that so values knowledge would have one do so blindly. If any of the Masons reading this might be willing to PM me or even chat over IM, I'd really like to hear more.

Thank you!

scout · 08-28-2004, 04:12 AM

Sargeman
There's a previous post in this thread that at least partially explains Albert Pike's view on Lucifer and Satan. He believed that things got lost and/or changed in the original translation from Hebrew to the King James Version of the Bible. And no the higher degrees don't keep things in the dark from the lower degrees lol.

xepherys feel free to PM me with any questions you might have.

xepherys · 08-28-2004, 08:18 AM

As for Pike's "Lost in Translation" view, frankly, I've always felt it was obvious in a much more simplistic fashion. This is not a slam against Christianity, it is simply the views and opinions of myself as the poster of this reply.

a) Language changes. The meaning of the same word or phrase in the same language over time has different value. Eighgty years ago, something being cool, in English, meant simply and strictly that it was chilled or colder than room temperature. Sure, it's a lame example but it's the first one that popped into my head.

b) With changing language, interpretation and translation become more difficult. Transcripts translated from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English are going to have some meaning transposed. It's virtually impossible that this would not happen.

c) Even today if a Jewish scholar were to attempt to translate original Hebrew scripture into modern English, the true meaning of some of the concepts would be lost and the English would still stray from the true original meaning.

The end result of the above assumptions is that in today's scripture, what is thought of as the true word of God is well... not. Christians as a much more modern religion than many others fails to take real history into account for a lot of things and assumes that the book they hold so dear is in fact infallible. Can someone explain the opposing viewpoint? How God's hand guides those who translate the book into perfection?

aphroditeskiss1 · 09-01-2004, 08:12 AM

Question to all Mason's reading this. Do you have to be male? I've been curious about that. I know my grandfather was one, but he died when I was two, so I couldn't exactly ask him anything.

SaltPork · 09-01-2004, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aphroditeskiss1

Question to all Mason's reading this. Do you have to be male? I've been curious about that. I know my grandfather was one, but he died when I was two, so I couldn't exactly ask him anything.

To be a mason you have to be a male over 21 years old. There are groups in the Masonic family that are for women (Eastern Star), girls under 21(Rainbow girls) and boys under 21(Demolay).

The Phenomenon · 09-01-2004, 11:07 PM

Freemasons are dumbfucks.

I know a couple -- they tried to recruit me and some other guys from our company. Mothrefuckers should go and play on the freeway.

Hanxter · 09-03-2004, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Phenomenon

Freemasons are dumbfucks.

I know a couple -- they tried to recruit me and some other guys from our company. Mothrefuckers should go and play on the freeway.

well now... seems Tilted Paranoia is the proper place for this thread... i'd be looking over my shoulder if i were you...

aphroditeskiss1 · 09-07-2004, 09:00 PM

How could I get further information about the Mason's sector for women?

scout · 09-08-2004, 02:09 AM

http://www.easternstar.org/ Here's a link to the Grand Chapter.

08-04-2004, 09:26 AM	#1 (permalink)
Mr. Mojo Addict Location: NYC	This day in History: Aug 4, 1753: Washington becomes Master Mason Its from the history channel http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/t...0&day=10272969 I thought about putting it in General Discussion, but i think it will be appreciated more in this section August 4 1753 Washington becomes Master Mason George Washington, a young Virginia planter, becomes a Master Mason, the highest basic rank in the secret fraternity of Freemasonry. The ceremony was held at the Masonic Lodge No. 4 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Washington was 21 years old and would soon command his first military operation as a major in the Virginia colonial militia. Freemasonry evolved from the practices and rituals of the stonemasons' guilds in the Middle Ages. With the decline of European cathedral building, "lodges" decided to admit non-stonemasons to maintain membership, and the secret fraternal order grew in popularity in Europe. In 1717, the first Grand Lodge, an association of lodges, was founded in England, and Freemasonry was soon disseminated throughout the British Empire. The first American Mason lodge was established in Philadelphia in 1730, and future revolutionary leader Benjamin Franklin was a founding member. There is no central Masonic authority, and Freemasons are governed locally by the order's many customs and rites. Members trace the origins of Masonry back to the erecting of King Solomon's Temple in biblical times and are expected to believe in the "Supreme Being," follow specific religious rites, and maintain a vow of secrecy concerning the order's ceremonies. The Masons of the 18th century adhered to liberal democratic principles that included religious toleration, loyalty to local government, and the importance of charity. From its inception, Freemasonry encountered considerable opposition from organized religion, especially from the Roman Catholic Church. For George Washington, joining the Masons was a rite of passage and an expression of his civic responsibility. After becoming a Master Mason, Washington had the option of passing through a series of additional rites that would take him to higher "degrees." In 1788, shortly before becoming the first president of the United States, Washington was elected the first Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22. Many other leaders of the American Revolution, including Paul Revere, John Hancock, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Boston Tea Party saboteurs, were also Freemasons, and Masonic rites were witnessed at such events as Washington's presidential inauguration and the laying of the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.--a city supposedly designed with Masonic symbols in mind. Masonic symbols, approved by Washington in the design of the Great Seal of the United States, can be seen on the one-dollar bill. The All-Seeing Eye above an unfinished pyramid is unmistakably Masonic, and the scroll beneath, which proclaims the advent of a "New Secular Order" in Latin, is one of Freemasonry's long-standing goals. The Great Seal appeared on the dollar bill during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, also a Mason. Freemasonry has continued to be important in U.S. politics, and at least 15 presidents, five Supreme Court chief justices, and numerous members of Congress have been Masons. Presidents known to be Masons include Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, James Garfield, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, and Gerald Ford. Today there are an estimated two million Masons in the United States, but the exact membership figure is one of the society's many secrets. __________________ When I jerk off I feel good for about twenty seconds and then WHAM it's right back into suicidal depression Last edited by Mr. Mojo; 08-04-2004 at 09:29 AM..

08-05-2004, 06:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
scout Psycho	No, Freemasonry is not a religion. __________________ "The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." Thomas Jefferson Last edited by scout; 08-05-2004 at 06:56 PM..

08-09-2004, 10:54 AM	#13 (permalink)
SaltPork Everything's better with bacon Location: In your local grocer's freezer.	I am a Mason. If anyone has any real questions, let me know. Post here or PM me if you want to. __________________ It was like that when I got here....I swear.

08-11-2004, 02:13 AM	#17 (permalink)
scout Psycho	wrkime, yes I am a Mason. We have people join and never set another foot in the Lodge Room also, but still pay their dues every year. Freemasonry is one of those things in life you get back more than you put forward, and the more you put forward the more you get back. I wish now I had joined as a much younger man around 21 rather than wait until I was in my thirties. You know what they say about hindsight.... lol. __________________ "The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." Thomas Jefferson

08-12-2004, 01:19 PM	#26 (permalink)
tehhappyboy Tilted	Here's a question, my step great grandfather was a mason, I have my great grandmother's masonic widow of honor card. I inherited a set of 8 books in their original shipping crate shipped from the "Masonic history company" with the last copyright date listed is 1909 titled "history of freemasonry" by albert g. mackey 33degree. I don't wish to sell it, but I'm wondering if it is a rarity to be in such good shape or if these are common in existance. Anyone ever seen such a thing? Blue covers, gold embossing. Very turn of the century, the sheafs are hand opened and not die cut so they have rough page edges. It's quite old now. Any info would be helpful. __________________ I'm a happy boy, happy boy, way to get when things are going your way. Hey Hey. ...Pretty sure I asked for Pecan Sandies...

08-04-2004, 03:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
crxforum Crazy	My father is a Free Mason. He is a 33rd degree Mason and has a ring with 33 on it. I know all about the Masons if you guys have any questions. Granted there are things I dont know but I can tell you things that will piss off any Masons that you do know LOL.

08-07-2004, 08:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
password Tilted	That was my b day

08-09-2004, 06:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
scout Psycho	In some states you have to "ask one to be one". In other words you have to ask someone you know to be a mason to join. Some states are now allowing someone to ask you if they believe you have what it takes. You then fill out a petition. A committee will be assigned to investigate and you will be interviewed. Freemasonry is very family oriented and your wife may be asked to be there during the "interview". For your wife there is the Eastern Star, Job's Daughters for the girls and the Demolay for the boys. It is truly a organization that the whole family can become involved if their interested. Membership involves things such as but not limited to charity, fundraising for worthy causes such as scholarships, the Shrine Hospitals, Masonic Homes etc., other types of community involvement and a lotta good food.

08-11-2004, 07:07 AM	#18 (permalink)
saut Registered User Location: Pittsburgh	I'm quite interested in Free-masonry -- could any of you recommend some books that might give me some more information on it?

08-11-2004, 09:21 PM	#20 (permalink)
Rekna Junkie	What are the goals of the freemasons? What is the purpose of the organization?

08-12-2004, 09:16 AM	#23 (permalink)
Rekna Junkie	and how does/did the illuminati relate to the masons?

08-13-2004, 02:11 AM	#27 (permalink)
scout Psycho	I do believe the books remain in print and you can still buy copies. However, I haven't a clue as to the value of the set you own. I would think you need to find an antique book dealer to have them assessed for their true value. Sorry I can't be of more assistance than that. __________________ "The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." Thomas Jefferson

08-20-2004, 03:20 PM	#28 (permalink)
tehhappyboy Tilted	Thanks, I appreciate the help. __________________ I'm a happy boy, happy boy, way to get when things are going your way. Hey Hey. ...Pretty sure I asked for Pecan Sandies...

08-23-2004, 08:57 PM	#29 (permalink)
rocclimb28 Upright Location: Virginia	I feel the need to clarify a few things from the HistoryChannel.com article: Freemasonry is not a true "secret society." In 1717, four lodges banded together and formed the first Grand Lodge. In doing so, the Lodges and their members made Freemasonry public for the first time. Before that time, the existence of all lodges and their members were kept secret. By going public, they effectively changed Freemasonry from a secret society to a Fraternal organization. From that point on, more lodges and members made themselves public. Today you can see signs for Masonic Lodges and their meeting times posted on the welcome signs into many towns. For that matter, any Freemason can freely admit his membership. Were Freemasonry to be a secret society, this would not be the case. The historychannel.com article claims that members must believe in "the 'supreme being,'" when in fact, to be made a Freemason requires that one believes in A supreme being. It does not matter if you call that being God, Allah, or anything else, just so long as you believe that a being exists. (Sorry Atheists) As for the eye in the pyramid, a few other individuals have already spoken to the fact that it is not a Masonic symbol. In fact, according to a number of sources, "none of the final designers of the seal were Masons." In addition, "the eye in the pyramid is not nor has it ever been a Masonic symbol. The seal's Eye of Providence and the Mason's All Seeing Eye each express Divine Omnipotence, but they are parallel uses of a shared icon, not a single symbol." Alright, enough from me. I think its great that people are interested in, and are talking about Freemasonry. It's a fantastic organization that will give back to you what you put into it. It truly does strive to make good men better. For more information, check out websites like: http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/ __________________ "Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed." - William Ernest Henley

08-27-2004, 12:07 PM	#31 (permalink)
Sargeman Insane Location: Texas	Is it true that the lower level masons are essentially kept in the dark about what is really going on? Such as what or who they are really serving? Also I read this on the net, you know if it's on the net then it has to be true , that in Albert Pike's edition of Morals and Dogmas that it says this: "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)) __________________ ...because there are no facts, there is no truth, just data to be manipulated. I can get you any results you like, what's it worth to you.....

08-27-2004, 08:50 PM	#32 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	So, I'm curious to further my knowledge of this organization. I may be interested in joining, but I can't imagine that a group of people that so values knowledge would have one do so blindly. If any of the Masons reading this might be willing to PM me or even chat over IM, I'd really like to hear more. Thank you!

08-28-2004, 04:12 AM	#33 (permalink)
scout Psycho	Sargeman There's a previous post in this thread that at least partially explains Albert Pike's view on Lucifer and Satan. He believed that things got lost and/or changed in the original translation from Hebrew to the King James Version of the Bible. And no the higher degrees don't keep things in the dark from the lower degrees lol. xepherys feel free to PM me with any questions you might have.

08-28-2004, 08:18 AM	#34 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	As for Pike's "Lost in Translation" view, frankly, I've always felt it was obvious in a much more simplistic fashion. This is not a slam against Christianity, it is simply the views and opinions of myself as the poster of this reply. a) Language changes. The meaning of the same word or phrase in the same language over time has different value. Eighgty years ago, something being cool, in English, meant simply and strictly that it was chilled or colder than room temperature. Sure, it's a lame example but it's the first one that popped into my head. b) With changing language, interpretation and translation become more difficult. Transcripts translated from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English are going to have some meaning transposed. It's virtually impossible that this would not happen. c) Even today if a Jewish scholar were to attempt to translate original Hebrew scripture into modern English, the true meaning of some of the concepts would be lost and the English would still stray from the true original meaning. The end result of the above assumptions is that in today's scripture, what is thought of as the true word of God is well... not. Christians as a much more modern religion than many others fails to take real history into account for a lot of things and assumes that the book they hold so dear is in fact infallible. Can someone explain the opposing viewpoint? How God's hand guides those who translate the book into perfection?

09-01-2004, 08:12 AM	#35 (permalink)
aphroditeskiss1 Insane Location: Albuquerque, NM	Question to all Mason's reading this. Do you have to be male? I've been curious about that. I know my grandfather was one, but he died when I was two, so I couldn't exactly ask him anything. __________________ "You always said destiny would blow me away. But nothing's gonna blow me away"- Something Coporate " I do not pop pills! I take them and I eat them..." - Foamy's friend

09-01-2004, 11:07 PM	#37 (permalink)
The Phenomenon Psycho Location: I think my horns are coming out	Freemasons are dumbfucks. I know a couple -- they tried to recruit me and some other guys from our company. Mothrefuckers should go and play on the freeway.

09-07-2004, 09:00 PM	#39 (permalink)
aphroditeskiss1 Insane Location: Albuquerque, NM	How could I get further information about the Mason's sector for women? __________________ "You always said destiny would blow me away. But nothing's gonna blow me away"- Something Coporate " I do not pop pills! I take them and I eat them..." - Foamy's friend

09-08-2004, 02:09 AM	#40 (permalink)
scout Psycho	http://www.easternstar.org/ Here's a link to the Grand Chapter.