-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- Because Freemosonry concerned itself with fundamental philosophical and mystical questions, it was bound to be a gathering place for the philosophically and mystically inclined, especially at the time in history when philosophy was is great ferment. But even more important, the lodges provided the brethren with full protection from the authorities by maintaining their rule of secrecy. Robison, a former Mason himself, found that 'this impunity had gradually encouraged men of licentious, principles to become more bold, and to teach doctrines subversive of all our notions of morality'. Let us be quick to say that Freemasonry in England, America and elsewhere was historically, and today is, quited another kind and its members characterized by high standards of morality and spirituality. But it was not surprising that a man like Adam Weishaupt, a professor of considerable renown at Ingolstadt University, driven by an incredible and diabolical ambition to rule the world--no less--would be attracted to the Masonic lodges, where he could find secrecy, protection, and a few like-minded colleagues. Weishaupt was not a military man bent on conquering the world via large armies; nor was he a crude gangster who could organize and lead a band of thieves. Weishaupt was an intellectual, a professor of law at a noted university with the arragant self-conceit of the mentally superior who feel that they should be running the world and everyone in it. And so he devied an ingenious vehicle for world conquest--a secret Order--which would prove immensely attractive to other mentally superior beings of a similar frame of mind. He called it the Illuminati Order and 'grafted it, at selected points, onto Freemasonry--like a fungus'. The ostensible purpose of the Order was to bring universal happiness to the human race. The idea was, in Weishaupt's words to 'form a durable combination of the most worthy persons, who should work together in removing the obstacles to human happiness, become terrible to the wicked, and give their aid to all the good without distinction, and should by the most powerful means, first fetter [i.e. a chain or shackle placed on the feet], and by fettering, lessen vice; means which at the same time should promote virture, by rendering the inclination to rectitude, hirtherto too feeble, more powerful and engaging. Woul not such an association be a blessing to the world?' To be more explicit, the Illuminati Order was built around the novel idea that the end--happiness of the human race--justified the means! That the Order was intended to embrace the entire world was evidenced by Weishaupt's own definition quoted in the Larousse 'Grand Dictionnaire' published in 1873, in which he said that the goal of the Order was to 'unite, by way of one common higher interest and by a lasting bond, men from all parts of the globe, from all social classes and from all religions, despite the diversity of their opinions and passions, to make them love this common interest and bond to the point where, together or along, they act as one individual.' Members of the secret Ordr pledged blind obedience to their superiors and only knew about the organization what their immediate superios would tell them. Their oath read in part: 'I bind myself to perpetual silence and unshaken loyalty and submission to the Order, in the persons of my Superiors; here making a faithful and complete surrender of my private judgment, my own will, and every narrow-minded employment of my power and influence'. Members were required to spy on one anothr and submit reports and autobiographies which could compromise them should they decide to leave the Order. The ultimate despotic purpose of the Illuminati Order was kept secret. Only by degrees--going from the lower 'Nursery' degrees of 'Preparation, Novice, Minerval and Illuminatus Minor' to the higher 'Mysteries' of 'Priest, Regent, Magus and Rex'--could the initiated learn of the true mysteries and purposes of the Order. And each stp of the way was very carefully plotted and planned by Weishaupt and his colleagues, so that the squeamish and gullible never rose higher than the lowest degrees, while the bold, ruthless and cynical, those ready and willing to dispense with religion, morality, patriotism and any other hindrances, rose to the top. It was through this process of selection and careful inculcation that Weishaupt, in a mere decade, was able to gather into his Order the cleverest and most diabolical minds in Europe. THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THE ORDER WAS TO RULE THE WORLD. [emphasis added] To achieve this it was necessary for the Order to destroy all religions, overthrow all governments, and abolish privated property. In order to accomplish this it would be necessary to convince enough people that religion, governments, and privated property were the real obstacles to human happiness. 'This is exactly what the Communists have been doing since 1848!' Please note that Robison makes it clear that the Illuminati Order was quite 'distinct and separate from Freemasonry'. Freemasonry had existed long before Weishaupt had come on the scene. But because the Illuminati 'used parts of Freemasonry as a cover', Robison found it necessary to explain how and why this state of affairs came about. Thus, the first part of the book deals with Freemasonry and provides an examination of the Masonic movement in the places and at the time the Illuminati Order came into being. He gives some of the history of Freemasonry and how it was developed in France, where it had been brought from England. Most important, however, he documents and traces the ideological evolution within the French lodges, which were eventually to become the Jacobin Clubs of revolutionary fame. [like it so far? don't give up-it gets better.] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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