-Caveat Lector- Hi ! Below please find information from the book "The Dark Side of Freemasonry" Sincerely, Neil Brick http://members.aol.com/SMARTNEWS/Sample-Issue-07.htm The Dark Side of Freemasonry (Huntington House Publishers - 1994) is a collection of articles about Freemasonry from a Christian perspective. It was edited by Ed Decker. Further information about the book will follow the article. Please note: all accusations are alleged. Warning: Information in this article may be triggering, please read with caution. In the first article, "Freemasonry and the Church: A Christian Worker's Perspective," Ed Decker begins by discussing his own personal past. He talks about his Masonic relatives and the connections between Masonry and Mormonism. He tells a story about being told by a Mason to stop disclosing Mormon church secrets, because the secrets were so similar to Masonic ones. He gives a brief history of the Masons. The original (Operative) Masons had secret handshakes and signs so Master Masons (Stone Masons) could go from city to city to work and impostors were kept out of the craft. Off the job, non-craftsmen joined them socially. He calls this "Social Masonry." "Spiritual/mystic Masonry goes back to the crusades. Eastern Mysticism came into the church via the Knights Templar. Crusaders brought Kabalah, Eastern Mysticism and Egyptian and Gnostic mysteries into the church. Also, the Essenes and priests of Nimrod (Babylonian mysteries) wore aprons that look like today's Masonic aprons. He mentions the following facts. The early power base of the Masons was the wealthy and powerful Knights Templar. Through the Illuminati the Masons (allegedly) became politically powerful. They helped influenced the French and American revolutions. In 1717 the first Grand Lodge met in England. The Declaration of Independence is written on a Masonic apron made of white lambskin. He describes several of the Masonic rituals, and discusses Manly P. Hall's (a high Mason) (possible) connections with Luciferianism. He mentions the Masonic use of the word "Abaddon," which in the New Testament is "the king of the pit of hell." The Eastern Star emblem is similar to the Goat of Mendes (Baphomet), its initials F.A.T.A.L. stand for the fatal attraction and bondage of Eastern Star. The Congressional Medal of Honor has an inverted star with three dots after each point (Masonic points). The streets around the White House were designed by a Masonic architect and form the Goat of Mendes. Jefferson and Franklin were both Masons. The statue of liberty was given by French Masons to American Masons and has Masonic occult symbols all over it. He discusses several cases where Masons in court had (alleged) 'advantages' over non-Masons. The origin of the red fez (may have) come from when the Muslims defeated the Christians in Fez, Morocco. After they murdered 45,000 people they dipped their white hats in the blood. An article in the Orlando Sentinel mentioned that 98% of the money raised in Shrine circuses was (allegedly) going to Shriner's parties, not their hospitals. The Knights Templar degree includes garments with pictures of a severed head dripping with blood, gory, severed heads, legs and arms, and a human cut skull that can be used as a drinking vessel. "I believe that Masonry is a multi generational curse" (page 30). In Dick Smith's "Freemasonry and the Hew Age World Religion," he talks about the (possible) connections between Masonry, religion and the New Age movement. The article discusses the plan of creating one world religion. He quotes Albert Pike and Manly P. Hall and shows how Masonry itself claims to be a religion and is identical to the mystery religions. Several quotes show a connection between the "Devil" and Masonry. "The Devil... is not a Person, but a force, created for good, but which may serve for evil' (Pike - page 70). Alice Bailey is quoted as saying that certain parts of Masonry will help form a New Age world religion. In Reverend Harmon Taylor's article "Mixing Oil With Water," he describes how the Masons (allegedly) killed a man for exposing their rituals. And I quote, "In the 1800's, Masonry was exposed, and the Masons abandoned their lodges for the shame of it. It cost one man, William Morgan, his life.. This man wrote all of the rituals of Masonry in a book. The Masons (allegedly) kidnaped him from Batavia, New York, then they moved him out to Niagara, stored him in Ft. Niagara for three days, and then they took him out in a beat. They tied a rope - the Masons would call it a cabletow - around his waist...with a weight on it, and gave him one half hour to make his peace with God. Even though he pleaded that he might be spared so that he might be able to care for his wife and his children, they (allegedly) killed him anyway ..... This is the deathbed testimony of Henry Vallance, the men who pushed William Morgan off the bow of that boat." (Pages 103-104) "Let me ... tell you .. more about Henry Vallance. He was never arrested, and never tried for the crime... The justices and law enforcement officials (allegedly) took great pains to conceal and to deceive... The Masons even established two false editions of Morgan's book. They circulated the false editions.. and said, "Why these rituals aren't correct!" Then these Masons would become the spokesmen to prove that the Morgan book was a lie." (Pages 104-105) After this incident 90% of the Masons in this country left their lodges. Rev. Taylor also describes several incidents where Masons (allegedly) illegally protected other Masons when they were peddling drugs, bouncing checks and forging money orders. He describes the alleged illegal destruction of criminal records. As a former 32nd degree Mason he describes Masonic rituals. He also names other Masonic groups, Amaranth, the Eastern Star and the White Shrine. He talks about a debate in Michigan where the Eastern Star openly admits the five pointed upside down star is "evil." In Mick Oxley's 'Freemasonry Around the World" he describes some of the differences between Freemasonry in America and the rest of the world, as well as the history of Freemasonry in Europe. He mentions that the Knights Templar came to the British Isles after being banished from the continent in the 14th century. The knights strongly influenced British Freemasonry. It was mixed with the Illuminati of Germany (Adam Weishaupt). Freemasons were licensed at guildhalls. The guilds met at pubs. In 1726, all the ledges formed the Grand Lodge of England. He mentions that English Freemasonry was expensive and kept him "in the red" until he left the order. (Author's note: cults often keep people dependent on them by financially weakening them.) In England, there are no pins or rings in Freemasonry. It is much more secretive. The three craft degrees and Royal Arch are the whole of the Masonic system. The higher degrees are looked down on in England. Popular degrees are: Mark Mason, Knights Templar, and Rose Croix. Many royalty in England are Masons. In England you have to physically work through each degree. It takes 7 to 10 years to become a Worshipful Master. The blood oaths were removed form the first three degrees in 1986. "Jao Bul On" was removed from the Grand Lodge in 1989. Australia has switched to an "Americanized" Masonry. He also mentions that there is a great conflict building in Masonry, caused in a large part" by the exposure of (alleged) cultic secrets. In Germany, Freemasonry is mostly American in nature. Africa varies, Egypt is heavy on occultism, Moslem nations have no branches for women. Canada was originally under Massachusetts (U.S.) jurisdiction. The oldest lodge in the United Sates was started in 1760 at Prentice House, Massachusetts. In Larry Kunk's "The Secret Doctrine," he describes how rituals are followed and changed. The third degree ritual, Master Mason and its significance are described. He shows how Masonry has a secret doctrine and how this doctrine connects to the Grand Lodges. The lost word in Freemasonry is found during initiation. "Masons who embrace the secret doctrine attain conscious union with the spirit of Antichrist." (Page 153) "The Builders" written by Joseph Fort Newton in 1914 is often given to new Master Masons today. In a chapter called "Secret Doctrine" he extols the teaching of Edward Waite (A Mason). Waite wrote books titled: "Devil Worship in France," "The Book of Black Magic," and "The Way of Divine Union." "The Book of Black Magic" has detailed instructions for conjuring up Lucifer. In "The Great Teachings of Masonry" H. L. Haywood wrote, "The Fraternity itself exists in order to keep fixed on a man a certain set of influences, and in order to bring about certain changes in the world..." (page 156) (Author's note: this sounds very similar to many cults' doctrines, instead of encouraging individuality, conformity is strengthened by threats. Also, cult doctrine may be used in an attempt to change the world.) "Freemasonry: The Witchcraft Connection" by Willian Schnoebelen, discusses the fact that he was a 32nd degree Mason, Shriner and Wiccan high priest. He alleges that Masonic rituals are witchcraft. Witchcraft is "broadly defined as a mystery religion based on the ancient fertility cults of pre-Christian Europe." (Page 163) Witchcraft includes the extolling of the forces of reproduction and the use of tools representing reproduction. Religions are religions where are introduced by degrees and are kept secret from the "profane." "Magic" is when something changes without a visible or tangible cause. Some witches only worship gods or goddesses and don't work magic. "Pagans" believe there is a god force in everything. He believes that Wicca is a lot like Freemasonry because its two principal founders (Aleister Crowley and Gerald B. Gardner) were both Masons. Freemasonry and Wicca have in common: degrees' secret memberships, ceremonial initiations, purifications of ritual space, candidates remove secular clothing and lose all metal, have blindfolds and ropes, stand in some of the same positions during initiation, chest piercing with sharp objects, secret passwords, candidates are led during ritual, oaths are sworn, degrees have tools with uses, have ritual death and rebirth experiences, and candidates are spun or jostled to create altered states of mind. Schnoebelen presents a list of occultists and witches that were also Freemasons. They are: Arthur Waite, Dr. Wynn Wescott (Golden Dawn), S.L. MacGregor Mathers (Golden Dawn), Aleister Crowley, Dr. Gerard Encauss, Dr. Theodor Reuss (O.T.O.), George Pickingill, Annie Besant, Alice Bailey, Bishop Charles W. Ledbetter, Manly P. Hall, Gerald B. Gardner and Alex Sanders. He alleges that a lot of free flawing cash is somewhere up high in the ranks of Freemasonry. He believes the "G" in the Masonic symbol represents sexual potency. In 'Masonic Roots: Christ, Solomon, or Baal?", Keith Harris discusses Masonry's philosophical roots. Masonry claims its roots predate the Solomonic period. To Masons, Nimrod is also considered a founder of Freemasonry. Nimrod was considered rebellious in the Bible and built the Tower of Babel. Masons have also looked towards Egypt and the mystery religions. The ritual of the third degree of Masonry is similar to the story of Osiris, considered "lord of the Underworld." He describes this ritual (the 3rd degree) and its symbolism. "Thus, in the Third Degree of Masonry, the initiate is actually entering the death, burial, and resurrection of Osiris." (Page 183) The all seeing eye is a reverence for the sun and "his" or Osiris. In David Carrico's "Freemasonry and the Twentieth Century Occult Revival" describes how many Freemasons allegedly have aligned themselves with the occult and have participated in occult activities. Anton Levey (Church of Satan) "(alleges) that "Masonic orders have contained the most influential men in many governments, and virtually every occult order has many Masonic roots." (Page 190) John Robinson, in his "Proofs of a Conspiracy" (1798) alleges that Masonry served as a nursery school for the Illuminati. Their goal was to overturn all civil government. He shows how Madame Blavatsky (an occultist) and her philosophies were connected to Masonry and were liked by both Adolf Hitler and Manly P. Hall (33rd degree Mason). Annie Besant, C. W. Leadbeater (both Masons or co-Masons) were leaders of the Theosophical Society. Leadbeater may have been a pedophile and describes demon spirits he received in various degrees of Freemasonry. Alice Bailey claimed Masonry is a training school for occultists. Her husband was 32nd degree Mason Foster Bailey. Aleister Crowley was a 33rd degree Mason. Two of his wives went insane, and his son allegedly died during a ritual they both performed alone. He called himself the "Beast 666". Members of other occult orders can work within Masonry with a lodge leader's knowledge. Crowley was in the O.T.O. (which he called 'true Freemasonry'). O.T.O. teaches sexual magic. To be a Rosicrucian, you needed to be at least a Master Mason. This society gave birth to the Golden Dawn. In the Golden Dawn, ritual magic is practiced. The Golden Dawn was often closely connected to the O.T.O. S. L. MacGregor Mathers helped found the Golden Dawn and was a Master Mason. He wrote books on magical spells and the occult. Arthur Waite was a member of both the Golden Dawn and Freemasonry. He wrote several books on Black Magic and Devil Worship. The original Golden Dawn used a Masonic hall for its rituals. They claim to have worked with evil spirits and pentagrams and Anton LaVey (church of Satan) credits the Golden Dawn for his satanic invocations. Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders were both witches and Freemasons. Gardner was thought of as a sadomasochist and Sanders founded a school of witchcraft which used sexual intercourse in its initiation rituals. Sanders was allegedly abused by his grand mother. Eliphas Levi was a Master Mason and believed for the most part that the Templars were diabolists. He passed much of his doctrine onto Albert Pike (a highly influential Mason of the lath century). Pike took several quotes from Levi's books. Levi believed that Satan is part of God. The last chapter by Ed Decker discusses the Southern Baptists' Convention and discussion on Freemasonry and its findings. This book and other materials about Freemasonry and Mormonism can be received by writing: Saints Alive in Jesus, P. 0. Box 1076, Issaquah, WA. 98027, or calling: 1-800-997-7077, 206-228-0l75, fax 206-228-0235. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! 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 credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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