Now here is another line on the Bnai Brith and Jewish Masons?
One God fits all, sound familiar? Adolph Hitler took all religions and
secret societies and put them into one order - Hitler, was a Zionist for
he paved the way to the oil fields........
Only problem here it is the people of the USA this middle America caught
in a trap of now Communist vs. Fascist when they, are one and the
same.....Communists murdered more people than the Nazis - Hitler was a
piker compared to them.
55 million people died because of WWII? Was it worth it? For road to
a High Hill where God is alleged to have lived? Like John F. Kennedy
climbing the high hill to the Lee Memorial saying "I could stay here
forever" and at the foot of the hill was Arlington Cemetary?
Symbolism is such a wonderful think and the sublime thinking into
pictures - get the picture?
We see what happened to the CIA when they let in bastards without proper
backgrounds?
For one cannot serve, two masters.
In American think about it - government is supposed to serve us, now we
them - for Whe People who cred this government and see how the smut
peddlars like Larry Flynt pushes and pushwill attempt to suppress
Freedom of Speech of the People - and the ADL would be the censors?
Get the picture -how much does Larry Flynt CONTRIBUTE TO THIS front for
organized crime? Someday he will find out who really ordered the hit
on him He is supposed to be dead....come to Columbus, Ohio and do a
little checking - find out who Ralph DeLeo was - the hit man given padon
by Govenor Richard Celeste, CFR Rhodes Scholar? Turned loose a mass
murderer but only nailed on one murder of black doctor and hey they said
they were Masons?
Did they mean Bnai Brith?
Saba
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Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Holocaust, Antisemitism,
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as the infamous "Protocols"?
Question 16.3: What is the connection between Judaism and Freemasonry?
Answer:
The following is extracted from a paper by Paul M. Bessel of
Arlington VA that accompanied presentations in February 1989. The FAQ
would would like to thank David Kaufman ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
for
providing this information; the full text of the presentation may be
obtained from him.
Jews were actively involved in the beginnings of Freemasonry in
America. There is evidence they were among those who established Masonry
in seven of the original thirteen states: Rhode Island, New York,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia.
A Jewish Mason, Moses Michael Hays, helped introduce the Masonic
Scottish Rite in America. Paul Revere served under him as Deputy Grand
Master. There were several other Jews who held the masonic titles in the
late 1700's: Solomon Bush in Pennsylvania, Joseph Myers in Maryland and
later in South Carolina, and Abraham Forst of
Philadelphia in Virginia in 1781. Another Jewish Grand Master was
Moses Seixas in Rhode Island from 1791 until 1800. There were many other
American Jewish Masons in early American history, including one in
George Washington's original Fredericksburg Lodge.
Jewish Masons played an important part in the American Revolution,
with 24 of them serving as officers in George Washington's army. In
addition, several helped finance the American cause, including Haym
Salomon, a Philadelphia Jewish Mason who with others contributed and
raised money for the American war effort and loaned money to Jefferson,
Madison, Lee, and others for their personal expenses. Salomon was
imprisoned by the British and died in his 40's bankrupt and with
penniless heirs.
There is evidence that Jews, including rabbis, continued to be
involved in the Masonic movement in the United States. There have been
at least 51 Jewish American Grand Masters. Today there are many Jews
active in Masonry in America and other countries. Israel has about 60
Masonic lodges with 3,000 members.
Jews had also been involved to a small extent in the formation of
modern Freemasonry in the early 1700's in England. Until then Jews were
not permitted to participate in many of the ordinary activities of life.
Then the Enlightenment concept of the universality of all people brought
about a society where people's religious beliefs did not affect their
rights as citizens. Jews were gradually permitted to exercise the rights
of citizenship and to pursue their lives as they wished.
Many Jews viewed joining Freemasonry as part of their "emancipation"
from the old legal and social exclusions. Modern Masonry was as much a
product of the Enlightenment as the emancipation of Jews. Many society
leaders were Freemasons and if Jews could join this fraternity that
would prove they were being accepted. They could also use the
opportunities presented by their participation in a social
organization with Christians to prove the two could prosper by their
association. Freemasonry's philosophy of the brotherhood of all people
indicated Masonry would accept Jews as members.
There are many common themes and ideals in Masonic and Jewish
rituals, symbols, and words:
* Belief in G-d, prayer, immortality of the soul, charity, and
acting respectfully to all people are essential elements of Freemasonry
as well as Judaism, and of course other religions too.
* Masonry and Judaism, as well as other religions and statements of
ethical standards, teach that we must discipline ourselves and keep our
passions in check. Jewish masons follow rituals in synagogues and in
Masonic lodges to help them develop this ability.
* Judaism and Masonry give the greatest respect and support for
freedom of individuals. Judaism teaches that everyone is capable of good
or evil and attempts to help us use our free will to choose the
righteous path. Masonry teaches that those who are morally fit can find
"light" in Masonry if they desire it of their own free will. The concept
of exercising free will to accept the law and atone for past
transgressions is what Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are about.
* Light is an important symbol in both Freemasonry and Judaism.
Contrast the holiday of Chanukah with the use of light in Masonry, where
it represents the Divine spirit, religious freedom, and rededication of
the Temple in Jerusalem and of the spiritual Temple within us all.
* One of the fundamental symbols of Masonry is the Temple of
Solomon and the Second Temple, which also figured as the central part of
the Jewish religion. King Solomon, one of the greatest figures in Jewish
history, is also one of the most important figures in Masonic rituals.
While there are many common aspects of Judaism and Freemasonry, it
also should be recognized that because of the history of attempts to
force Jews to convert they can be uncomfortable about being asked to say
Christian prayers or otherwise indicate non-Jewish beliefs. Some parts
of Masonry use New Testament prayers, references to Saints, the
cross as a religious symbol (although it is stated that the cross is
being used as a symbol of religion in general rather than the Christian
religion), and one Masonic organization requires aspiring members to
swear to support the Christian faith. Jews must deal with these
references to other religions by remaining quiet or not participating in
those parts of Masonry.
Did Masonry always welcome Jews? No. Although a Jew, Edward Rose,
became a Mason in a London lodge in 1732, this event apparently excited
attention and led to other lodges debating whether they should permit
Jewish members. Eventually, significant numbers of Jews joined English
Masonry where they were apparently welcomed. French Masonic
lodges, and those in different countries affiliated with the French
Grand Orient during the Napoleonic occupations, admitted Jews without
restrictions. In 1869 a Jew was Grand Master of the Scottish Rite in
Paris. However, later in the 1800's French society became more
anti-Semitic, culminating in the Dreyfus affair where a French army
officer was unjustly accused of treason mainly because he was a Jew,
and French Masonry unfortunately also became more anti-Jewish. Today,
some parts of French Masonry are officially neutral about religion and
do not even require a belief in G-d. In Scandinavia, according to some
sources, Masonry is officially Christian and does not accept Jewish
members.
It is probably not surprising that the country with the longest
history of anti-Semitic prejudice in Freemasonry as well as in society
is Germany. Most lodges there did not permit Jews to be members, and
they even questioned visiting Masonic brethren about their religion at
the doors of their lodges and barred Jews even if they were Masons in
good standing in other lodges. This caused lodges in England, the
Netherlands, and the United States to protest but they did not retaliate
against visiting German Masons.
German officials feared secret societies as potential sources of
subversion, so the Prussian government became involved in Masonry as a
means to watch and control it. The future Kaiser Wilhelm I was the
patron of the three Berlin Grand Lodges for many years, and he decided
that Jews would only be permitted if there was unanimous agreement.
Since one of the Grand Lodges was known to be adamant against accepting
Jews, this forced the others who wanted to be more tolerant to maintain
anti-Jewish policies.
In Russia, Freemasonry was also suppressed because of the belief it
might be used to support political activity against the Csarist regime,
at the same time that Jews were prevented from obtaining rights of
citizenship in that country.
Various claims were made by those who wanted to keep Jews out of
Masonry. Some said Masonry was a Christian institution and Jews could
not become members unless they converted. Some said only Christians
could possess the good character necessary to achieve Masonic ideals.
Others said Masonry has Christian symbols and prayers but Jews could
become Masons if they simply complied with requirements such as swearing
on the Christian Gospels and eating pork at Masonic meals (both
violations of halacha), without having to convert. However, there was
also an argument that if a Jew voluntarily complied with Christian
practices he showed he was contemptuous of his own religion
and had a bad character, and was thus unworthy to be a Mason.
Another argument was that Jews preferred to be in their own social
groups. It was said they should not try to push their way into Masonic
lodges where they were not wanted, would be uncomfortable, and would
make others uncomfortable by their presence. Some Jews did join lodges
that were primarily Jewish and the B'nai B'rith organization in its
early days had a ritual parallel to Freemasonry.
Finally, there were the rawest antisemitic arguments. Some of those
who wanted to keep Jews out of Masonry said the Jewish religion was
inherently evil, or that Jews were racially and genetically evil and
could never be permitted in Masonry even if they converted.
In general, Freemasonry's attitudes toward Jews mirrors those of the
rest of society. Jews became more acceptable from the late 1700's until
the 1870's. From that time on, anti-Semitism increased in many
countries. This also occurred in Freemasonry, but by then Judaism and
Masonry were being jointly attacked.
Freemasons and Jews always had critics. Eventually the bigots
realized they could promote their ideas by tying Masons and Jews
together as objects of hatred.
Critics said Freemasonry and Judaism were dedicated to undermining
the institutions of existing society, including Christianity and the
State, and pointed to the secrecy associated with both as proof of their
evil intentions. Masons and Jews were said to be involved in, or
benefited from, radical efforts such as the American, French, and
Russian revolutions. Masonry and Judaism promoted free will of men,
contrary to efforts of those who sought to insure that people had the
"correct" thoughts. (This may explain why the Roman Catholic Papacy has
expressed its antagonism toward Freemasonry so frequently and strongly
since 1738, and why extreme conservatives in other religions also oppose
Freemasonry.) Gradually the charge was made that Freemasons and Jews
were both evil and they were purposely supporting each others' radical
schemes.
Ironically, Masons and Jews were also sometimes accused of being too
reactionary. Aristocrats often belonged to Masonic lodges, and some
German Masons promoted the return of the Kaiser after World War I
brought about a republic. Also, some Jews still dressed and acted in the
same conservative ways as their ancestors in the middle ages and thus
kept themselves apart from modern society.
Increasingly Jews and Freemasons were accused of being disloyal to
their countries, keeping strange secrets, and designing to take over the
world.
The ultimate form of this hatred was the sinister "Protocols of the
Elders of Zion", which originated in Russia and received wide
circulation after it was translated into German in the 1920's. Some
bigots claimed this document was a transcript of a meeting of Jewish
leaders plotting world domination, in partnership with Freemasons.
Although this document was not even a clever hoax, its influence was
unbelievably widespread and long-lasting in whipping up hatred against
Jews and Masons by many, including Henry Ford in the United States
during his long anti-Jewish campaign in the 1920's and 1930's.
It was a short step from this to the ideology of the Nazis. Hitler
attacked Masons as well as Jews, and after taking control of Germany and
other European countries Nazis used the slogan "All Masons Jews--all
Jews Masons", and persecuted Masons, Jews, and others. The Soviet Union
and other totalitarian regimes have consistently attacked Freemasonry,
because they cannot tolerate an organization whose basic beliefs are
freedom of individuals and tolerance and generosity toward all people.
Dictatorships have regularly attacked and persecuted Masons and Jews,
and these attacks on Masons and Jews together are not all in the past.
Last year a group called the "Islamic Resistance Movement--Palestine"
said that Freemasonry and other "Zionist-affiliated" organizations are
about to be liquidated.
Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Holocaust, Antisemitism,
Missionaries (9/12)
Previous Document: Question 16.2: Is there any truth to the myth of the
Jewish American Princess?
Next Document: Question 16.4: How do I counter antisemitic postings such
as the infamous "Protocols"?
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