Freemasonry

Freemasonry is, according to its supporters, based on a philosophy of “the nature of the Creator, the origins of the universe, and humanity’s universal destiny.” [1] Allegorical symbols are used, if only because of the limitations of language. While most religious doctrines are designed to satisfy the basic needs of a general population, Freemasonry believes that a truer understanding of the nature of the Creator/Deity requires a long term commitment of study.

Norman Williams Crabbe, in his essay of the “Fundamentals of Freemasonry” [1] claims that, “The Freemasonic initiate is put on the path of this study by being initiated into the fraternity of Masonry, a Westernized religious Mystery school. If the initiate studies the ritual, he will receive, proportionate to his ability to understand, deep mystic revelations regarding the nature of the universe and our mystic journey through it. Freemasonry keeps alive this knowledge from generation to generation until such time as it is understood and accepted by all beings.”

Freemasonry is not without controversy -- the latter being one of the candidates for Most Outrageous Understatement Award (the famous “MOUA” -- pronounced “Moooooooo”).

Besides Crabbe’s essay, there is an extensive list of links/references in Reference [2], an essay connecting “Freemasonry and the Druids” by W. Winwood Reade [3], and perhaps more anti-Freemasonry material at one site than you might ever want to encounter [4].

On the more positive side, Reade, for example writes that Freemasons “have no narrow-minded prejudices; we do not debar from our society this sect or that sect; it is sufficient for us that a man worships God, no matter under what name or in what manner, and we admit him. Christians, Jews, Mahometans, Buddhists are enrolled among us, and it is in the Mason's Lodge alone that they can kneel down together without feeling hatred, without professing contempt against their brother worshippers.”

That sounds pretty good. The curious thing is one of the most staunchly anti-Freemason diatribes is the Encyclical of Condemnation issued by Pope Leo XIII of the Roman Catholic Church (“Humanum Genus”, dated April 20, 1884). Leo Baby writes: ‘Today evil doers all seem allied in a tremendous effort inspired by and with the help of a society powerfully organized and widely spread over the world, it is the Society of Freemasons.” Leo goes on to note just some of the his imagined “horrors” of Freemasonry, including:

· “They are planning the destruction of holy Church publicly and openly,” [One can easily understand why this might bother a Pope of the “holy Church”.]

· “the sect of Freemasons grew with a rapidity beyond conception in the course of a century and a half, until it came to be able, by means of fraud or of audacity, to gain such entrance into every rank of the State as to seem to be almost its ruling power,” [Whereas previous to that, the church has such entrance to the State and power.”]

· “They speak of their zeal for a more cultured refinement, and of their love for the poor; and they declare their one wish to be the amelioration of the condition of the masses, and to share with the largest possible number all the benefits of civil life.” [The Pope is actually condemning Freemasons for the above!]

· “to simulate and wish to lie hid; to bind men like slaves in the very tightest bonds, and without giving any sufficient reason; to make use of men enslaved to the will of another for any arbitrary act; to arm men's right hands for bloodshed after securing impunity for the crime -- all this is an enormity from which nature recoils.” [These actions of the Freemasons were, of course, based on a history, wherein the Church had attempted and was continuing to do its best to utterly destroy Freemasonry.]

· “they declare to the people and contend that Church and State ought to be altogether disunited. By this means they reject from the laws and from the commonwealth the wholesome influence of the Catholic religion; and they consequently imagine that States ought to be constituted without any regard for the laws and precepts of the Church.” [Basically, the separation of church and state. While this is a fundamental tenet of the Constitution for the United States of America, it should not be assumed that every person in the world thinks this is a good thing. Many, for example, would much prefer to have the law-making and law-enforcement powers of the State in order to enforce their religious laws upon the entire population. The most widespread example of this might be thought to be in countries with a predominant Moslem population, but a better example is the USA and its current Bush Administration.]

· “Again, as all who offer themselves are received whatever may be their form of religion, they thereby teach the great error of this age -- that a regard for religion should be held as an indifferent matter, and that all religions are alike. This manner of reasoning is calculated to bring about the ruin of all forms of religion, and especially of the Catholic religion, which, as it is the only one that is true, cannot, without great injustice, be regarded as merely equal to other religions.” [The latter statement is, of course, the problem. Which religion is the true one for the State to follow? The Freemasonry answer is none of the religions, but their common principles of morality.]

· “But the naturalists and Freemasons, having no faith in those things which we have learned by the revelation of God, deny that our first parents sinned, and consequently think that free will is not at all weakened and inclined to evil. On the contrary, exaggerating rather the power and the excellence of nature, and placing therein alone the principle and rule of justice, they cannot even imagine that there is any need at all of a constant struggle and a perfect steadfastness to overcome the violence and rule of our passions.” [This is basically a disagreement of religious philosophy, as to whether or not free will implies a weakening and inclination to evil.]

“in the education of youth nothing is to he taught in the matter of religion as of certain and fixed opinion; and each one must he left at liberty to follow, when he comes of age, whatever he may prefer.”

· “in the education and instruction of children they allow no share, either of teaching or of discipline, to the ministers of the Church.” [Wherein lies the key: the Church wants the right to instruct and educate children to follow the Church, and not to choose for themselves when they come of age. This is basic to any tyranny: educate the children and eventually you’ll have a controllable population. Such was a basic premise of communism -- but they apparently were unable to eradicate free thought. In fact, such brainwashing never works; but it’s almost always tried by people who do not have an open mind (and little ability to think), and assume everyone else is so afflicted.]

· “Then come their doctrines of politics, in which the naturalists lay down that all men have the same right, and are in every respect of equal and like condition; that each one is naturally free; that no one has the right to command another; that it is an act of violence to require men to obey any authority other than that which is obtained from themselves. According to this, therefore, all things belong to the free people; power is held by the command or permission of the people, so that, when the popular will changes, rulers may lawfully be deposed and the source of all rights and civil duties is either in the multitude or in the governing authority when this is constituted according to the latest doctrines.” [The Pope’s concern with Freemasonry thus includes the idea of Democracy, political equality, and so forth! Many of the founding fathers of the United States of America -- such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson -- were Freemasons, and thus, obviously, had created something quite at odds with the Catholic Church of the last half of the 19th Century.]

· “their endeavor to obtain equality and community of all goods by the destruction of every distinction of rank and property.” [Thus a threat to the Aristocracy!]

· “In like manner, no one doubts [the Church’s position] that all men are equal one to another, so far as regards their common origin and nature, or the last end which each one has to attain, or the rights and duties which are thence derived. But, as the abilities of all are not equal, as one differs from another in the powers of mind or body, and as there are very many dissimilarities of manner, disposition, and character, it is most repugnant to reason to endeavor to confine all within the same measure, and to extend complete equality to the institutions of civil life.” [The Church’s position thus assumes that the Aristocracy should be treated better than the Commoners.]

· “they are prepared to shake the foundations of empires, to harass the rulers of the State, to accuse, and to cast them out, as often as they appear to govern otherwise than they themselves could have wished.” [Instead of kings for life, the Freemasons were advocating elections and self-governance by the people!]

All of the above quotes were taken directly from a translation of Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical of Condemnation. Freemasonry was considered by Leo as an horrific beast, bent upon the destruction of the Catholic Church. Historically, of course, the Catholic Church was bent upon the destruction of Freemasonry.

Returning to Norman Crabbe’s essay [1], we might note Freemasonry is not an attempt to be a religion, nor is the Masonic Lodge a place of worship (although there are numerous references to the Lodge being a “Masonic Temple”). Ideally, the Lodge is a classroom, where a philosophy of the occult is taught [Astrology, Wicca, prayer, etceteras], in order to lead to the essence of religious thought. Any initiate is required to believe in a higher intelligence (God); thus, no atheist need apply. “Religions in and of themselves are made by mankind to explain Deity. Freemasons come in all colors and nationalities and may worship Jehovah, Jesus, Mohammed, or Krishna, to name a few.” [1]

The history of Freemasonry is clothed in mystery, in large part because it was operating with a host of Secrets most of the time -- hiding in large part from the Catholic Church. Freemasonry origins are thus imagined to have occurred as recently as 1717, and as early as 5000 B.C.E. -- which is a fairly wide margin of possible error. Of course, in the earlier years, there were other names, including -- depending upon differing scholarly opinions -- the Knights Templar, the Prior de Sion, Mystery Schools of Ancient Egypt, and Barney the Dinosaur’s fan club. [Just kidding about the last one!]

“Freemasonic ritual is secret because men throughout history have persecuted their fellows for having opinions different from accepted doctrine; secrecy protects life, limb, and the message. Most Freemasons, however, do not understand the allegorical, mystic significance in the ritual work. For them it is a fraternal club with a secret ritualistic initiation which meets once or twice a month for fellowship and to sponsor charities.” [1]

The latter point is significant, in that there can be construed to be 2 forms of Freemasonry: one with mundane activities for the larger mass of individuals, and the other the truly secret, esoteric (“for the few”) Freemasonry, the latter being the better of the two. Reade [2], for example, phrases it in this manner:

“THERE is a divine and hidden science whose origin can only be discovered by the wavering lights of tradition, whose doctrines and purposes are enveloped in sacred mysteries. It is now degenerated into a society of gluttons and wine-bibbers, who yawn while their Masters expound to them those emblems which have excited the wonder of the greatest philosophers of the past, and who deem that the richest gem of freemasonry, is the banquet which closes the labor of the Lodge.

“And yet this order can boast of some learned and intellectual men, who endeavor to find the key to the hidden language of symbols, and who appreciate at its true value the high honors which the initiated are permitted to enjoy. In spite of the abuses with which it has been degraded, in spite of the sneers with which the ignorant revile it, this institution still possesses much that is holy and sublime.”

This is where it’s all about. And for the moment, we will dispense with the mundane part. Instead, as deemed to be one of “the most important duties of a Master Mason” being to “seek truth” [1], we will also so endeavor.

For example, “The book of holy law symbolizes the Rule of the Masonic Order. And, as the Knights Templar of old, Masons also have a rule from which to work: the Sacred Book of Law, the Holy Bible, the Koran, the Upanishads, and so on. For, in fact, Freemasons are self-ordained holy men, and true holy men seek harmony and balance in the universe.” “First and foremost, Freemasonry is a philosophy based on the position that there is a Supreme Being and that all human beings are of the same family.” [1]

“The search for truth... is a Masonic mainstay. In all worldly endeavors Masons are reminded to be truthful to others, to follow the path of truth, and ever to look for the truth in their daily lives. As one’s knowledge grows, the search becomes easier. Freemasonry leads toward truth by giving the student ‘working tools’ to find true answers. As one grows in the study of Freemasonry, one also grows in the knowledge of all religions. Within all ancient religions the student will discover gnosis: knowledge or fundamental true principles. Truth is learned. From true knowledge, wisdom is born. To be wise is to be godly, and to be godly is to know ourselves, our universe, and our Creator.” [1]

In searching for truth, one way is to consider the history of Freemasonry. According to Reade [3], one of the traditional teachings of the origin of the Freemasonry craft includes:

“After the sun had descended down the seventh age from Adam before the flood of Noah, there was born unto Methusael, the son of Mehujael, a man called Lamach who took unto himself two wives. The name of the one was Adah, of the other Zillah. Now Adah his first wife, bare two sons -- the one named Jabel and the other Jubal. Jabal was the inventor of geometry and the first who built houses of stone and timber, and Jubal was the inventor of music and harmony. Zillah, his second wife, bare Tubal Cain, the instructor of every artificer in brass and iron, and a daughter called Naamah who was the founder of the weaver’s craft.

“All these had knowledge from above, that the Almighty would take vengeance for sin either by fire or by water, so great was the wickedness of the world. So they reasoned among themselves how they might preserve the knowledge of the sciences which they had found, and Jabal said that there were two different kinds of stone of such virtue that one would not burn and the other would not sink -- the one called marble and the other latres. They then agreed to write all the science that they had found upon these stones.

“After the destruction of the world, these two pillars were discovered by Hermes, the son of Shem. Then the craft of masonry began to flourish, and Nimrod was one of the earliest patrons of the art. Abraham, the son of Jerah, was skilled in the seven sciences and taught the Egyptians the science of grammar. Euclid was his pupil, and instructed them in the art of making mighty walls and ditches to preserve their houses from the inundations of the Nile, and by geometry measured out the land, and divided it into partitions so that each man might ascertain his own property. And he it was who gave masonry the name of geometry.”

The material goes on from there, but we might consider for a moment the validity (or fantasy) of the above. If we reference other sources, such as the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian records, the stories of Enki and Enlil, as well as Greek mythologies and Biblical descriptions, we see the commonality of the various accounts. It would appear that Enki provided mankind with the secrets and knowledge of civilization, e.g. giving Jabel and Jubal, instruction in geometry, construction of buildings, music and harmony. Tubal Cain, meanwhile, was instructed in brass and iron metallurgy, while Naamah learned weaving.

Enki’s rival and half-brother, Enlil, then becomes the “Almighty”, who is incensed by Enki’s gifts of mankind (analogous to Prometheus sharing fire, and being punished for his actions). Enlil is then determined to correct the situation by wiping out mankind. Enki’s team thus decides to preserve the knowledge, even if they go the way of the Dodo Bird.

The destruction of the world is thus likened to the Great Flood or Deluge, with Enki’s boy, Noah (the Sumerian Ziusudra) being given the plans for the Ark. Hermes, from the Greek tradition, is of course the messenger, shuttling between the Gods and the mortals. The Egyptians quickly benefited by learning geometry and how to benefit from the annual inundations of the Nile, instead of suffering from it.

The histories of Freemasonry are thus taken from the known histories. As to whether or not Freemasonry can thus claim a long lineage is questionable of course. But it probably doesn’t matter all that much. What counts is what does Freemasonry currently know and do with what it knows?

According to Crabbe [1], “If Freemasonry does nothing else, it will continue to shape world events by bringing together men of different races, creeds, and nationalities under the auspices of the Masonic teachings of brotherly love, friendship, relief, and truth. In this one act, it will have served mankind on a grand scale by promoting a dialogue among all members of the human race.”

As to what Freemasonry knows, the esoteric (“for the few”), occult knowledge that might truly improve the condition of the human race -- and the timing of when such knowledge can be disseminated and thereafter practically implemented -- is unknown. Freemasonry has always had a longer term view of world affairs, and may be in no hurry. Particularly, when the state of the world is such that giving almost any government access to really valuable information would likely constitute the gravest error in history. Freemasonry -- if it has access in some small sector by some very selective individuals to really worthwhile information -- is more likely to make Pope Leo XIII it’s first saint, than it is to release what it knows to the current crop of crooked politicians.

The caveat, however, is that knowledge which is held secret for long periods of time is often rediscovered or recreated by others, independent of the holders of the secrets. One can maintain control of knowledge and power just so long. Then it becomes pretty much public domain. It may be time for more assertive, directed actions.

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References:

[1] <http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/modeur/ph-crabb.htm>, Norman Williams Crabbe, “Fundamentals of Freemasonry”, Sunrise magazine, October/November 1998. (Copyright © 1998 by Theosophical University Press.)

[2] <http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Esoteric_and_Occult/Freemasonry>

[3] <http://www.tarot-decks.com/freemasonry-druids.html>, W. Winwood Reade, “Freemasonry and the Druids”,

[4] <http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Opposing_Views/Freemasonry>

Freemasonry

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