Drunk driver charged with battery on police officer for farting

As if West Virginia hasn't already embarrassed itself with the friction that has developed between Masonic factions, with brother suing brother, today the state is in the headlines over an "offended" South Charleston police officer who has charged a drunk driver he was fingerprinting with the crime of battery, for "passing gas on" him.

Yep. Farting is now considered battery.

From Law.com:

battery
n. the actual intentional striking of someone, with intent to harm, or in a "rude and insolent manner" even if the injury is slight. Negligent or careless unintentional contact is not battery no matter how great the harm. Battery is a crime and also the basis for a lawsuit as a civil wrong if there is damage. It is often coupled with "assault" (which does not require actual touching) in "assault and battery."

Image: Jose Cruz, the alleged Farting Terrorist

West Virginia | Farting Terrorist | Jose Cruz | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

What's this $#!+ about Masonic harmony?

This is the fifth in a series of guest essays by Masonic bloggers. This one is from Bro. John Ratcliff, publisher of the self-titled John Ratcliff's Blog.

My thanks go out to Bro. John and to all who are participating in this project.

— W.S.

What's this $#!+ about Masonic Harmony?
by Bro. John Ratcliff

I was asked by "The Widow's Son" to write a guest editorial on the topic of, so called, "Masonic harmony." I don't really mean to go off on a rant, but I have to be frank when I say that this seriously pisses me off!! I mean, the absolute nerve of this guy! It just blows me away! He doesn't even use his real name! "The Widow's Son" might as well call himself "The Masonic Shit Disturber" if you ask me. And, what kind of "Brother" is this guy anyway? Brother, my ass. I have never seen him in any lodge I've ever been in. He lives in one of those jurisdictions that conducts bizarre rituals and would hardly be considered "regular" by anyone I have ever associated with.

What really gets my goat about this "request" (and it really came more in the form of a demand) is that I haven't had time to write a blog post on my own website in ages but this joker thinks I have nothing better to do then compose prose for his backwater blog. It just steams me to have to deal with this outrageous individual. He is demanding, self centered, and absolutely nothing but trouble.

Nevertheless, this evening, it just so happens that I have a little bit of free time on my fingers so I've decided to go ahead and respond. I suppose it doesn't ultimately matter which soapbox I stand on to voice my opinion on this topic, so I will shout from the high hills and low vales of The Burning Taper in a pathetic attempt to reveal the real truth about Masonic harmony.

And what is the truth about Masonic harmony? The truth is that every Freemason I know, every Freemason I have ever met, and every Freemason I have interacted with has been so harmonious that being in their presence has been like a soothing balm on a troubled soul.

In point of fact, when in the presence of the author of The Burning Taper I felt a bond of harmony which quickly seemed like it would become a true and abiding friendship. Now how did the bastard accomplish this feat? It must have been some sort of trick.

Well, it turns out that it was a trick. The trick was that we actually met and spoke upon the level. The trick is, in fact the trick which has been foisted upon all of us, is the complete artificiality of Internet communication.

I don't know what it is about our psychology that makes us behave like teenage chimpanzees tossing shit at each other when we "converse" online but, the fact of the matter is that this is exactly what we do. The "art of writing" has devolved into the "art of ranting" and the "art of personal attack" when transformed from pen and ink to instant electronic communication.

Sure, there is a problem of Masonic harmony, but I believe that problem is restricted, and shaped, primarily by the medium of online communication. Is there really such major discord in your local lodge? I doubt that very seriously or you wouldn't bother to show up. I attend a ridiculous number of lodge meetings every year, and when you add in Installations, Rainbow Girl meetings, DeMolay meetings, and special events, I probably average more than a couple of meetings each week the entire year round.

Would I be so involved and engaged if the experience was full of discord? Of course not, who would? The primary reason I attend meetings which, to be frank, might best be described as boring and repetitive, is due to the fact that participating in a shared ritual is highly harmonious and ridiculously relaxing. I have experienced no arguments, or raised voices, nor political or religious debate, in all of the years I have attended a vast number of Masonic events.

I strongly suspect the same is true for the vast majority of the members of the Masonic fraternity across all jurisdictions, as I simply cannot imagine why anyone would attend a meeting if it were otherwise.

In my opinion there is no real problem of Masonic harmony within the lodge itself. And, while I am sure there are specific lodges which do suffer from discord (I have heard stories) I am also sure that those lodges cease to exist fairly quickly (the conclusion of most of those stories I have heard).

A functioning lodge is almost by definition a harmonious one. Unfortunately, the collection of Internet gathering places for Freemasons from jurisdictions far and wide most certainly does not function as any sort of "lodge." They instead operate as dysfunctional vehicles for destructive dialectic; subject to the common scourge of flames, trolls, and virulent exchanges which seemingly infect all Internet discourse.

The opening paragraph of this editorial made intentional use of the techniques of "rant" and "flame" to make a point. In the past, I myself have taken issue with our humble host. On occasion I have taken "The Widow's Son" to task for focusing on negative stories about the Fraternity without a corresponding balance towards the positive. One might imagine heated and emotional exchanges as fevered fingers stroking keyboards with a pounding pace try to win the dialectic struggle. And, while this could have been the outcome, instead, quite something else happened instead.

On a cross country trip from Saint Louis, Missouri to Cape Canaveral, Florida, I drove a few hours out of my way to meet with the author of this blog. In perfect Masonic harmony we met and shared our lives, our stories, and our Masonic experiences building a bond of friendship that can only be constructed through direct personal contact.

And, rest assured, Internet communications is quite impersonal indeed. Recently, on my own blog, I have made a series of posts about an odd young man who lives in Thailand and hosts a virulent anti-Masonic conspiracy website. During this process some exchanges have occurred which were anything but harmonious in their tone and little education or understanding resulted from it. Nevertheless, I am quite confident that were we to meet, over a couple of beers or just relaxing with tea in the living room, we would probably have an incredibly entertaining and enlightening exchange filled with good humor and warm thoughts. How could we not, we share far too many interests in common to do otherwise.

Not that long ago I was a guest on a podcast for a Masonic themed conspiracy radio show and that interview was entirely harmonious from beginning to end as basic etiquette took the place of the rants and raves of online verbiage. As an experiment, on the same day, I called into a conspiracy talk show where the host was ranting about some of the most outlandish topics imaginable yet still, while introducing myself as a Freemason, we had a pleasant, polite, and often humorous exchange.

The simple fact of the matter is that Internet communications, especially in the form of blog comments and message forums, is so low, so foul, so full of discord, that those engaging in it should make a great effort to divorce themselves from it emotionally. Instead retain a good sense of humor and try to remember that "arguing" on the Internet carries about as much weight and seriousness as an episode of H.R. Puff'n Stuff.

The next time you are tempted into an unharmonious online argument with a Masonic brother, maybe you should instead try to call him on the telephone and carry on a civilized conversation where the basic rules of etiquette should help shape the tone? Better yet, try to meet in person at a bar or restaurant for lunch.

Now, to be fair, I must admit that I myself quite often abuse Internet communications with great abandon, glee, and self-driven purpose. As a form of entertainment I rant, rave, and argue for my own juvenile amusement. That said, I am fully aware at all times that I am engaging in a childish pursuit and, if I ever find myself taking any of it too seriously, I send myself my own personal cease and desist order.

Perhaps this topic of Masonic harmony would best be served in another forum. Maybe we can get some of those Internet brethren involved in these high octane exchanges to participate in a forum that requires a modicum of civilized and even mediated discourse. I strongly suspect that the entire tone of the conversation would change rather dramatically and, quite possibly, some real exchanges of shared understanding on disparate points of view might take place.

Or, maybe you are all just a bunch of stinking idiots.

Masons | Masonic Harmony | Freemasonry | John Ratcliff | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Enlightened harmony and discord

This is the fourth in a series of guest essays by well-known Masonic bloggers. This one is by Bro. Tom Accuosti of the Tao of Masonry. My thanks to each of you who is participating.

Enlightened Harmony and Discord
by Bro. Tom Accuosti

I'm one of those people that used to be a rarity in our Craft, but are becoming more numerous. I did not join the fraternity because an older, respected relative was a member. I do not have any long family tree of Masons, nor was I surrounded by them when I was a child. Indeed, all I remember when I was younger was driving by the lodge in the center of Waterbury, Conn, seeing the symbols on the front, and asking about them several times. Neither my parents nor grandparents could tell me anything about them. I didn't think about the Freemasons until I was in my late teens and would run across references to them in various books on the occult and esoteric. When I was in my 20s in the late 1970s, Freemasonry was at one of its low points with regard to new members and public activity, and again, my only awareness of them was due to books and articles on esoterica, occult, and in my new discovery of conspiracy theories.

By the time I was out of school, my impression of the Masons was mixed: They were kindly, older men who were usually well-respected in the community... but who were also on the lower rungs of the various mystic circles having to do with alchemy and esoteric spirituality. In my mind, one became a Mason, then eventually one went on to become a Rosicrucian, join the OTO, and perhaps go on to dabble in the Kabbalic traditions and some alchemical mysteries. This view was further bolstered by my having read Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum when I was in my 30s. My view of the Fraternity, in fact, didn't change until I joined in 2001. I had expected to find lodges full of men who were interested in intellectual discussions about philosophy, science, human nature, religion, and politics over a quiet cigar and a few fingers of single malt.

Right. But I'll leave that discussion for another time.

When I think about my previous conception of the Craft, I don't, as so many of we Americans tend to do, think about the Founding Fathers and the Revolutionary War. I think further back, to the early days of the Enlightenment period in which men were first learning about Natural Philosophy, and were busily making discoveries in chemistry, biology, physics, medicine, mechanics, and other natural sciences. I think about the men who, sometimes at risk to their lives and fortunes, traded and published this information, making it available for others, and hoping that they, themselves, would receive more materials and information with which to improve their own minds. Anonymously published treatises and public lectures all contributed to the growth of general scientific knowledge, and there is no doubt that society benefited by this. Hundreds, nay, thousands of men, many unknown to each other - many not even speaking a common language — were able, over the course of two centuries, to work together in order raise the level of society from a primarily agrarian culture to the Industrial Revolution.

That, my brothers, is harmony.

Did men disagree with each other? Of course they did — the history books on science are full of stories about how certain groups split off over seemingly small differences. One can read hundreds of stories about men who disagreed on topics ranging from the construction of molecules, to the nature of electric current, to the methods of determining geological ages, to the proper reconstruction of dinosaur bones. Some of these disagreements became bitter feuds, and if one wants to read some sad commentary on human nature, one need only read the biographies of some of these great thinkers who refused to change their own theories and beliefs, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

This, my brothers, is discord.

But amazingly, the little bit of discord did not derail the entire Enlightenment movement, nor did the discord cause society in general to abandon their principles and applications. In fact, society in general never even noticed many of the arguments and disagreements that took place between the learned men of the age; they were too busy reaping the benefits of better medicine and machinery.

If there is any lesson at all to be learned from this, it is that few people care about the petty squabbles, except the few people who happen to be embroiled in them. Those of us (and I'm including myself in this group) who dwell on the disagreements should once in a while remember to take a step back in order to place our disagreements in perspective.

— Bro. Tom Accuosti

Masons | Masonic Harmony | Tom Accuosti | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of Connecticut | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

We're still living in the Crazy Years

I won't even pretend to understand (or care, for that matter) what this woman's real issue with Freemasonry is, but it's a hoot to read.

In a single email reprinted on a blog where she rants about the Masonic conspiracy against her, she invokes the late conspiracy nut William Cooper, Catholic priests, her "mafia lawyer," Hitler, the Thule Society, George Washington, the Rockefellers, the Illuminati, the IRS, the NSA, P2, ritual murder initiations, the U.N. flag, Shriner fezzes, 9/11, the Magna Carta, the Bohemian Grove, the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Islamic purge of Christians in 80 A.D., native Americans, and... then closes with a list of Bible verses.

Enjoy!

Masons | Masonic Conspiracy | Conspiracy Theory | Freemasonry | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Are we Solomonic?

This is the third in a series of guest editorials by Masonic bloggers on the topic "Masonic Harmony, Unity and Discord." My thanks go out to Bro. Greg Stewart for this essay, and to all who are participating in this project.

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Are we Solomonic?
By Greg Stewart, aka Masonic Traveler

What is Masonic Harmony?

In the tradition of Freemasonry, each of us undergoes a trial of initiation. In most modern traditions, that initiation illustrates the damage wrought at the blatant exhibition of unrestrained and unregulated passion. We witness first hand the results, which include reproach, shame, and death under the ever-watching eye of the Great Architect of the Universe. But the aspect of the initiation, ritual, and trials do not lead us to the wisdom of Solomon. We are not to be made perfect, nor capable of proclaiming our ability to be flawless. Rather, we are encouraged to find the means to bring us closer to that state, just as the man of whom we are said to be in emulation of. Still, as men, our passion can become unbridled, which reorients how we are perceived consequently effecting how our work is adjudged. Is this a fair means to assess by, or a result of the way in which the work was created?

No matter our position in seeking the divine, we in fact are not diefic. But, to seek that spark of our spirit, there must exist a degree of peace to quell the noise of our existence and harmonize with our surroundings. And, as above so too it follows below, if in a state of disharmony within our community there can be no means to connect with that divine resonance together as a community.

It is said that Solomon had that peace, and that Master Hiram practiced it, then so too is it incumbent for us, who are on this same philosophical path, to seek it.

Harmony, however, is difficult to achieve and necessitates a strong will to actualize. At times the interest of justice can seem to be ignored, while at others prudence may be forgotten. Even temperance is forsaken as a way to measure our tone. Further, we lack fortitude to weather the storms instead lashing out and asserting our individual will. To be harmonious requires discipline, which comes from dedicating ones self to the study of Masonry.

The act of being a Master Mason is not a rank title or privilege but a Solomonic-like mantle of self-discipline that necessitates our balance in polar opinion. In that balance we can achieve that harmonious state, and in that state can we then come closer to that divine perfection. The house of the great Architect requires that, and so too does the fraternity of its builders. And no matter the name of the order of builders, without harmony NO house of the adytum can be erected, let alone lived in. Not even by the Great Architect Himself.

So then, what is Masonic harmony? It is the peaceful construction of the Holy of Holies, not the admonition of how it should be built.

— Bro. Greg Stewart, aka Masonic Traveler

Masons | Masonic Harmony | King Solomon | Freemasonry | Masonic Traveler aka Greg Stewart | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Christian mag hidden under counter by Southern Baptist Convention stores for featuring cover-girl pastors

It's been a while since I have commented on the Southern Baptist Convention, but today's a good day to do so, it being Sunday and all.

In 2006, you may recall, the Southern Baptist Convention tried to bring back Alcohol Prohibition to the nation with a resolution calling for their membership to actively seek the enactment of legislation to ban alcohol manufacture, sales and consumption in America.

Today's story about the antics of the SBC cracked me up. I mean, LOL and LMAO and ROFL don't begin to describe how funny I found this article about trying to hide an "offensive" magazine because of its cover story.

Lifeway Christian Bookstores, owned by the Southern Baptist Convention, pulled this month's issue of Gospel Today magazine from their racks and hid it behind the counter because its cover featured the photos of five female Baptist pastors!

Chris Turner, a spokesman for Lifeway Resources, which runs the stores for the Southern Baptist Convention, said, "It is contrary to what we believe."

The Southern Baptist Convention officially doesn't support women being pastors. Each member church retains autonomy, though, and a few churches — apparently five, including Decatur (Ga.) First Baptist — have ordained women to be their ministers.

The press is playing up the "pornographic" angle of hiding a magazine under the counter because it had women on its cover. It's hysterical, the lengths the Bizarro Baptist Cult will go to maintain and enforce their insane view of God, the Bible, and the world.

Inside the denomination — and Christianity in general — is a divide that makes Masonic discord and disagreements pale in comparison.

And Southern Baptists aren't even the most extreme of these extremists in a Cult Gone Wild. The fundamentalist arm of Christianity is truly wacko.

The website Jesus Christology gives kudos to Lifeway Christian Bookstores for pulling the Gospel Today magazine (a staple of Christendom for 20 years), but in the same sentence attacks Lifeway for carrying the "heresies not only of Rick Warren, but also oneness pentecostal prosperity doctrine word of faith T.D. Jakes." In the same paragraph, this nutball religious website also trashes Gov. Sarah Palin for not decrying homosexuality.

There's the countless wacko Christians who hate Freemasonry, though they know nothing about it. Here's a recent hatchet job on Masonry from In Jesus, where once again Albert Pike is quoted out of context, and a fictitious "33rd degree high-ranking Mason" tells the world that "Masonry claims to provide salvation without Jesus." It's fresh — posted in the past couple of days — yet it contains nothing new under the Sun. Just more of the same ol' anti-Masonic blather in the name of Jay-zus.

And then there's Rev. Fred Phelps and the "God Hates Fags" Christians of Westboro Baptist Church whom I referred to as "sick bastards" back in a 2007 article. My opinion hasn't changed.

Sorry... didn't mean to get on a roll against the entire Christ Cult. It's just too funny, the Southern Baptist bookstores banning a Christian magazine for "promoting" female pastors. Which of the Ten Commandments was it that said, "Be intolerant of your brothers and sisters in Christ who interpret the Bible differently"?

Christians | Gospel Today Magazine | Southern Baptist Convention | Lifeway Resources | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Guest editorial -- The Ballot: Protector of Harmony

On Friday, I invited several Masonic bloggers to submit a guest editorial or essay on the topic of Masonic harmony, unity and discord. This is the second post in this series. This one is by South Carolina Freemason "The Palmetto Bug," who publishes The Masonic Line blog. My thanks goes out to him and to all the bloggers who participate in this series.

— W.S.

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The Ballot: The Protector of Harmony
by The Palmetto Bug

In response to Widow's Son invitation for a guest essay I have agreed to wade into somewhat hostile territory in the hopes that his suggested exchange will at least provide a break from some of the petty sniping that has infiltrated our little Masonic oriented piece of the Internet.

Widow's Son posed the topic for the essays: Masonic harmony, unity, and discord. I'm going to stick with the harmony aspect of his suggestion since the absence of harmony automatically destroys unity and creates discord.

Whose harmony are we talking about? I submit that you must start at the Lodge level when discussing this word. Therefore, I'm talking about the Lodge's harmony. If harmony does not exist at the Lodge level then it cannot exist at the district level, the Grand Lodge level, or across Grand Jurisdictional lines.

Without harmony, all else will suffer or be nonexistent. Masonic education, charity, wholesome fellowship, and trust between Brothers will all become secondary and unimportant. The Senior Warden's comments during the opening and closing — at least in the ritual of most jurisdictions — allude to the importance of having harmony in the Lodge. Based on the Senior Warden's words, one could almost say that harmony should be the number one tenet of the Fraternity.

Now, we all know that one cannot make all of the people happy all of the time. With that said, what is a Lodge's greatest tool in preserving harmony? I say it is the ballot. The ballot is the tool, when used properly, that the Lodge employs to preserve its harmony. Please notice that I did not say "spread" harmony. The Fraternity is not currently in the business of spreading harmony. Though the spreading of harmony sounds like a laudable endeavor, it is an utopian ideal that is impossible to implement at this point. A Lodge is only in the business of preserving it own harmony. Attempts at the spreading of harmony would involve allowing just about anyone into the Fraternity and that would actually pose a risk to the existing harmony of a Lodge.

I'll close now by including a portion of a previously published piece of mine. The following was also used in as a Masonic education oral paper that I delivered to my Lodge. Hopefully this will help to illustrate the importance of the ballot and its impact on the harmony of a Lodge.

What is the "will of the Lodge?" More importantly, what is the Lodge?

The Lodge is all of its members... collectively and individually. The Three Musketeers would recognize what I am saying here. "Unus, pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (One for all, all for one)."

This relates directly to the process of electing new members to the Lodge. The creators of the secret, unanimous ballot knew what they were doing and they had it right when they created the system. They knew what some seem to have forgotten, which is that the Lodge is more important than the petitioner. The harmony of the Lodge is more important than the petitioner. Remember, the petitioner is not yet a Brother. He is not yet of the Lodge and he is just a profane who is seeking light. That may sound harsh, but it is the naked truth.

Now, let me speak on the reason the ballot must be unanimous, or nearly unanimous in certain Jurisdictions. The Lodge decides who becomes a member. Not a majority of the Lodge... but THE Lodge (I wish I could emphasize that even more). Remember the phrase, "All for one, one for all." The creators of the ballot system knew that the task of deciding on whether or not to admit new members was so important, and had such far-reaching implications, that it could not be left to the few or even to a majority. All of the members have to decide. The Lodge has to decide. Majority rule, though currently the best system for society, creates conflict. Unanimous rule, though utopian at this time for general society, creates harmony.

I'll now examine why the ballot is secret. Too easy. Why is your vote for the next President secret? See, even the profane have figured this one out. A voter or a balloter must have complete freedom to go with his conscience. Requiring him to divulge his vote or ballot and/or provide a reason for his decision can influence his action and, thereby, remove some of the freedom that a secret vote or ballot guarantees.

Are good men sometimes denied membership? Of course. It happens. You have to keep in mind, though, that the harmony of the Lodge trumps any perceived "rights" of the petitioner. Masonically speaking, the petitioner has no rights.

— The Palmetto Bug

Masons | Masonic Harmony | Small Town Freemasonry | Freemasonry | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Bro. David Barrett, Civil War historian, passes away

A brother Georgia Freemason died on Friday.

I never met him. I'd never even heard of him. I'm sorry I didn't know him. It sounds like he was an interesting man.

Bro. David Barrett, 69, was well-known by thousands of metro Atlanta school children as "Soldier Man."

Called a "walking Civil War history lesson," Bro. Barrett spoke at elementary and middle schools throughout the area, and taught at the Gwinnett History Museum's Civil War Camp.

"He was interested in teaching them about the common life of the soldier," said his wife, Brenda Barrett. "He portrayed both sides. Lots of times he would do a Confederate soldier, then switch right over and do federal."

Bro. Barrett was a retired plumber. He was a member of Clarkston Masonic Lodge No. 492.

For the past 25 years, he had taken part in numerous Civil War re-enactments.

And now, just as we all will one day become, he is one of The Passersby on the road home.

Image: Bro. David Barrett

Masons | David Barrett | American Civil War | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of Georgia | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Text of NC resolution recognizing Prince Hall

The text of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina's resolution recognizing North Carolina Prince Hall Masons was posted Friday on Mastermasons.com. I'm re-posting it below.

The first comment in response to the Mastermasons.com posting was by South Carolina blogger Palmetto Bug, who posted the exact same words on the Mastermasons forum as he did here on The Taper in response to the news of Prince Hall recognition:

"The train wreck continues."

Here's the wording of the resolution, as reported by a NC brother on the Mastermasons.com forum:

Resolution of Mutual Recognition of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina and Its Jurisdictions, Inc. by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina

WHEREAS, The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina (hereinafter The Grand Lodge) desires to insure a continuing harmonious relationship between it and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina and its Jurisdictions, Inc. (hereinafter The Prince Hall Grand Lodge); to provide for the successful coexistence of both Grand Lodges and to promote Masonry in general among all peoples; AND

WHEREAS, The Grand Lodge, for all the reasons set out in Brother James G. Martin’s statement to The Grand Lodge dated September 29, 2001, believes that it is altogether right and proper and in the best interests of Masonry everywhere and particularly in North Carolina that these two Grand Lodges exercising Masonic jurisdiction in this state mutually recognize each other while each retains its own autonomy and jurisdiction hereafter as heretofore; AND

WHEREAS, The Grand Lodge is satisfied that The Prince Hall Grand Lodge meets all Masonic requirements for recognition; AND

WHEREAS, The Grand Lodge desires to remain autonomous within its jurisdiction and to operate hereafter as heretofore with its own Grand Master and other Grand Lodge Officers, Constitution, By-Laws, Ritual, Rules and Regulations, and to retain its absolute and supreme sovereignty over its own Subordinate Lodges and Membership; AND

WHEREAS, The Grand Lodge is advised that The Prince Hall Grand Lodge entertains the same desires and possesses the same satisfaction with regard to recognition by it of The Grand Lodge and desires that both Grand Lodges mutually recognize each other as duly constituted Masonic Grand Lodges; AND

WHEREAS, The Grand Lodge is advised that The Prince Hall Grand Lodge at its Annual Communication in 2004 passed a resolution extending fraternal recognition to The Grand Lodge in the same manner and on the same terms as the present resolution,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE OF ANCIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF NORTH CAROLINA THAT:

1. It hereby extends fraternal recognition to The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina and Its Jurisdictions, Inc., as a duly constituted Masonic Grand Lodge;

2. It will remain autonomous within its jurisdiction and will operate hereafter as heretofore with its own Grand Master and other Grand Lodge Officers, Constitution, ByLaws, Ritual, Rules and Regulations and will retain its absolute and supreme sovereignty over its own Subordinate Lodges and Membership.

The front page of the website of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina proudly tells the world that "The mission of Freemasonry in North Carolina is to raise the moral, social, intellectual, and spiritual conscience of society by teaching the ancient and enduring philosophical tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, which are expressed outwardly through service to God, family, country, and self under the Fatherhood of God within the Brotherhood of Man."

Congratulations and kudos, North Carolina Grand Lodge. It looks like you're finally practicing the brotherly love that you've been preaching.

Well, except for those 328 North Carolina Masons who voted against the resolution and then stomped out in a mass Exodus when they lost the vote.

Update, Sunday, Sept. 21: Here's a link to a story in Sunday's News-Observer about the Masonic recognition between mainstream and Prince Hall Masons, which includes a bit about the friendship that has developed between the Grand Master of the Prince Hall Masons and a Past Grand Master of the white Masonic group.

Masons | Masonic Recognition | Prince Hall Freemasonry | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of North Carolina | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

'If Masonry were perfect, what would we have left to do?'

Earlier this week I was talking on the phone with my friend and brother Don Tansey, publisher of the excellent Masonic blog Movable Jewel. We were discussing the current state of the comments section of The Burning Taper, where a "non-civil war" continues to rage between Masons from different jurisdictions, arguing about what I, at least, generally consider petty differences, but what they seem to think of as massive walls and gulfs between them.

I asked Bro. Don to write a guest editorial about the meaning of harmony within Freemasonry, using as a springboard the extreme non-harmony we've seen in the comments section of several articles on The Taper lately. Bro. Don's non-participation in commenting on various Taper articles has been noticed, and his often wise input has been missed. He told me that while he has continued to read the articles, he did not want to be caught up in the negativity of the comments section in recent months.

After receiving Bro. Don's excellent editorial below, I asked several other Masonic bloggers if they would also submit editorials of their own, with the suggested topic of "Masonic harmony, unity and discord."

This begins a series of guest editorials from Masonic bloggers, posted here in the order they are sent to me.

My thanks to my Masonic blogging brothers for their input and assistance, and for their continued contributions to Freemasonry with their own blogs.

— W.S.

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If Masonry were Perfect, What Would We have Left to Do?
by Bro. Don Tansey

The following editorial does not reflect the official position of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State of Connecticut or any other Masonic body. They are the opinions of an individual Brother.

When the Widow's Son suggested that I write a guest editorial about not reading or participating here for The Burning Taper, I agreed with some trepidation. After all, with the recent activity here, I believed I would be placing myself "in the line of fire," as it were.

Before going further, let me dispense with a few formalities first. For those who would discount my opinions because I usually use the nom de guerre "Traveling Man" I will give my real name and Lodge affiliation. My name is Don Tansey and my Mother Lodge is St. John's Lodge #2 A.F.& A.M. in the Grand Jurisdiction of Connecticut. I am also a Research Member and the Senior Warden of The Philosophic Lodge of Research and a member of the Grand Lodge Committee For Masonic Education in the same jurisdiction.

I generally post under a pseudonym because I value my privacy. If anyone wishes to question why I place such a high value on my privacy, may I suggest doing a Google search on Rebecca Schaffer.

Upon reflection, I decided to write this piece because I really don't read much of this blog anymore. There has been more heat than light here recently, and while the articles published provide information I would have difficulty unearthing myself due to time and current familial constraints, the comments on these articles have left me cold.

Let me also state for the record that I refuse to be drawn into the various arguments that have occurred here. I prefer to take my cue from Marcus Aurelius:

From my tutor: not to be a Green or a Blue partisan at the races, or a supporter of the lightly armed or heavily armed gladiators at the Circus; endurance and frugality; to do one's own work and not be a busybody: not to welcome slanderous gossip.(1)

As for being a busybody, remember, I was invited to write this.

Some here have taken umbrage at the number of articles which highlight the misdeeds of Masons. They believe that this casts the Fraternity in a negative light.

There are others who cite these same misdeeds as evidence that the Fraternity as a whole, in all Grand Jurisdictions of the United States is, down to the very last Brother, corrupt and morally bankrupt.

To members of both of these groups, allow me to employ the words of Carl Claudy, (through the mouth of the Old Tiler):

"Yes, Masonry failed to make an impression on these men to suit you, even as Masonry has failed to make an impression on you to suit me!" snapped the Old Tiler. "That last remark you made was an unadulterated scandal! Does Masonry teach you to talk scandal? But never mind that! Let me dig a few weeds out of the scrubby, ill-tended, and unwatered garden you miscall your mind and see if we can't get it ready to grow one straight thought!

"I know Jones. He is a member of the city club, the country club, Dr. Parkin's church, and a luncheon club. Neither church nor luncheon club teach deception or foster lies. Both instruct in morality, one by precept, the other by practice. By what right do you blame Masonry for Jones' failure to tell the truth, any more than the church or the luncheon club? Is Jones' mother to blame because she didn't teach her boy never to tell a lie? How about his Sunday School teacher and his wife? Are they to blame? If not, why is Masonry to blame?

"Roberts has been accused of forgery. I don't know whether he is guilty or not. Williamson seems to have had some real justification for feeling enmity toward his doctor, although nothing justifies murder, of course. Burton may be a sinner or sinned against... I don't know. As for Larson, it will take more than your whispers of scandal to make me believe ill of a brother until I know something.

"But let us suppose Roberts a forger, Williamson a murderer, Burton a Don Juan. All these men grew up, went to school, got out in the world, joined clubs, societies, orders, became Masons, members of a church.... Why pick on Masonry as the failure when these men go wrong? Is it just? If the church of God can't keep a man straight how can Masonry be expected to?

"It is rankly unjust to blame Christ for the failures of those who profess to follow Him. Was it Christ's fault that Peter denied Him and Judas betrayed Him? Was it the fault of the religion they professed? Or was it the fault of the man, the character, the up-bringing, the times?

"Men fail, and fall, and rise and try again... or fall and stay in the mud. To those who rise Masonry has a helping hand to extend. To those who fail and stay fallen, she has charity. Not hers the fault that humanity is frail. She holds the torch; if they close their eyes to its radiance and refuse to see the narrow path that the torch illumines, will you blame the torch?

"Masonry does not fail men. Men fail Masonry. Masonry has the teachings, the thought, the ennobling influence, the example to set, the vision to show those who have eyes to see. If they close their hearts to the ennobling influence, will not profit by the example and shut their eyes to the vision, is that the fault of Masonry?

"You, my brother, have just talked scandal without proof; a whispered slander against the good name of a Mason. Has Masonry failed with you that it has not taught you tolerance, brotherly love, reticence, charity of thought? Or is the failure in you as it may be within these men you mention?"(2)

I submit to the readership of this blog that it is Masons who have failed, not Masonry. I further submit to the readership of this blog that Freemasonry is a human construct. As good, as venerable as it is — by the its very nature as a human construct it is imperfect and that to expect perfection from it flies in the face of reason. If Masonry were perfect, what work would there be for us to do?

I can envision the rebuttals already: "This blog publishes allegations! That contradicts what you wrote!"

Well, does this blog make those allegations or does it report the fact that allegations have been made? For any allegations that have been made, are there proven facts that refute them? If there are, by all means respond.

"But {insert name here} did/wrote/said {insert bone of contention here}!"

I would reply that if this is the case and you are completely consumed by the matter; you have allowed someone to fashion a prison cell for you that you have cheerfully entered, locked, and discarded the key for. Such a person, Mason or not, could hardly claim to be "free."

To quote another of my favorite works: "'Well, you asked for it,' I said. 'If your happiness depends upon what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem.'"(3)

I imagine the reply to that would be, "But {insert name} did {insert action} to a Brother in {insert jurisdiction} and that can't be allowed to stand!" In such a case there are methods available to redress wrongs. There are also ways to employ those methods that do not depend on vitriol, bitterness, or ad hominem attacks disguised as biting sarcasm.

I can anticipate the reply that "I tried all the methods available to me and I still did not get justice! What about that?! WHAT ABOUT ME?!!!" I would say that there exist methods to seek justice that do not rely on base language and ad hominem attack. Public opinion can be courted in such a way as to win support and right a wrong. I have always believed that Truth armed with the dedication to see it made known can right almost any wrong.

I cannot imagine the high minded individuals we so often cite as role models resorting to long diatribes filled with invective that so often characterize the exchanges here. When I turn to the public utterances and writings of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and many others, I find examples of the English language used to stir emotion, motivate action, incite thought and cause one to stop and reflect. By and large I find little in the way of ad hominem attack or vulgarity. They stand in very sharp contrast to the material I find here.

I understand that as Masons, we are taught to control our passions — not eliminate them. But, I believe that impassioned debate should be characterized by both emotion and reason. I see no need for the level of debate to deteriorate into personal attack. Is it really to much to ask members of a supposedly civilized society to make the case for their point of view employing logic, a degree of passion that does not exceed the boundaries of polite society, and an adherence to fact?

Perhaps it is. I fully expect my words to be picked apart. It is characteristic of the times. In both the public and private arena there is the total commitment to being right. Not only to be right for one's self and maintain one's internal consistency; but to be right for all. I expect that debate over the issues that affect Freemasonry to be contested here and elsewhere as they have been. In short, I believe I will be either ignored or disparaged because so many are so firmly committed to being right. But, I can dream and hope that the dialogue in the on-line Masonic community will elevate itself to a higher plane. A level of discussion and debate that those characters in history that we admire would be proud to claim as originating from a Brother Mason, even if they wouldn't agree with it.

Recent postings here, for the most part, do not give me much cause for hope. If they continue as they have then I like so many storied aficionados of Playboy have said, will,"only read it for the articles."

References:

(1) The Meditations , Marcus Aurelius, Translated by G.M.A. Grube, Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis IN, p.3

(2) Old Tiler Talks, Carl H. Claudy

(3) Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, Richard Bach, Dell, p.96

— Bro. Don Tansey

Masons | Don Tansey | Masonic Perfection | Freemasonry | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Grand Lodge of Georgia's 222nd Annual Communication to be held Oct. 28-29

The Grand Lodge of Georgia will hold its 222nd Annual Communication in Macon, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, and Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008.

Outgoing Grand Master Bro. Ted Collins recently posted his message for the year, telling what he and Georgia Freemasonry have accomplished during his reign.

• Four new Masonic lodges were chartered, increasing the number of mainstream GLofGA lodges in Georgia to 425. (The number of mainstream Masons in Georgia dropped in 2007 by 1,084 brethren, or 2.3% from the previous year, to 46,914, according to recently released figures from the Masonic Service Association of North America. Nationwide, mainstream Masonic membership continues to drop by about three percent a year. U.S. mainstream Masonic membership in 2007 was 1,483,449.)


• Nearly one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) found its way into the Endowment Fund for the Masonic Home of Georgia in Macon, which serves as a residential child care facility. "Residential child care is defined as the appropriate placement of children whose care cannot be provided in their own home or for whom group care is a positive alternative," according to the Home's website. There is no requirement for a child to be related to or an orphan of a Mason. Children between the ages of six and 16 are accepted, if sponsored by a Georgia Masonic lodge. To my knowledge, fewer than 40 children live at the home.


• The Georgia Child Identification Program (GACHIP) has held over 85 events across the state in the past year, and will have "processed" over 10,000 Georgia children by the time the Grand Lodge meets at the end of October.


• Three new DeMolay chapters have been formed in Georgia this year.


• Nearly 150 Georgia Masons have ponied up 21 times their annual lodge dues to become part of the Perpetual Membership Program. This program guarantees its members lifetime paid-up membership as a Georgia Mason, unless they are expelled/suspended/erased, in which case, I don't think you get your money back.


• During the year, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America chose Atlanta to be the host of its 2012 annual conference.

Notably missing from the Grand Master of Masons in Georgia's 2007-2008 list of accomplishments was the introduction of a Masonic Resolution to recognize Prince Hall-Associated Masons in Georgia... you know, the "nigra Masons." Maybe next year....

Tickets for "Family Night Cookout" (Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 6 pm) at the Macon Farmer's Market are available in advance (write to the Grand Secretary, P.O. Box 4665, Macon, GA 31208-4665) or at the gate for $5.00 each. Food is provided and served by at least one Masonic lodge from each of Georgia's 12 districts.

I'm looking forward to this year's Grand Lodge events. I had a great time attending last year's events.

Masons | Masonic Vittles | Small Town Freemasonry | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of Georgia | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Previously unknown Mozart music comes to light

Bro. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was apparently into writing church music in the years leading up to his death at age 35, researchers suggest, after a single sheet of musical notation in his handwriting was re-discovered recently.

The musical keys of the sketch indicates it was written in a style usually used in music designed for use in Catholic Mass.

The type of paper on which the music appears wasn't in use until 1787, an Associated Press article reports. Bro. Mozart died in 1791.

Masons | Mozart | Music | Freemasonry | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

NC Freemasons recognize Prince Hall as brethren

Yesterday the Grand Lodge of North Carolina officially passed by a vote of 642 yeas to 328 nays the Resolution for Mutual Recognition of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina and Its Jurisdictions, Inc., according to an article posted on Bro. Chris Hodapp's blog on Friday.

"Bravo, brethren. Bravo," he wrote.

Brother blogger Palmetto Bug, a Mason working under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina, writing in the comments section to the announcement, responded to the news by saying, "The train wreck continues," evidently refering to the past decade's trend towards recognition between maintream Masonry and Prince Hall Masonry.

The Grand Lodge of South Carolina, along with those of nine other states — all in the South — still remains steadfastly against mutual recognition between mainstream and Prince Hall Masonry, much to my continued embarrassment. I am a member of a Georgia lodge working under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Georgia.

Besides South Carolina and Georgia, the mainstream grand lodges of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia do not recognize Prince Hall Masons as "true and lawful brothers" or as even being Masons.

Within moments of my being raised a Master Mason in a Georgia lodge several years ago, I was official told, while the ceremony was still being conducted, that I was not to hold "Masonic discussion with clandestine Masons, and the only clandestine Masons that we know of are the black Masons."

I join with Bro. Chris and open-minded Masons throughout the world in saying "Bravo!"to the North Carolina Masons who have joined the 21st century by finally accepting brother as brother, based not on the color of his skin but the content of his heart.

Masons | Masonic Recognition | Southern Racism | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of North Carolina | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Illuminati Special Agent fails to defuse nuke hidden in cow

Police and firefighters rushed to the scene after a burglar stuck in an air vent at the Knoxville Museum of Art dialed 911 from his cellphone.

Before his rescuers had even lifted him up the 45-foot airshaft, Richard Anthony Smith, who later identified himself by showing his Illuminati Special Agent No. 0931 badge, said, "Mission failed."

He told police he had rappelled onto the museum's roof from a helicopter, on a mission to "defuse and confiscate" a "MERV6SS-22AN" Soviet-made nuclear warhead "He said he was following orders to "defuse and confiscate" a Soviet-made nuclear warhead, specifically a "MERV6SS-22AN" warhead "with 14.5 kg of enriched uranium and a plutonium trigger, capable of delivering a 40-kiloton yield." The bomb was believed to be hidden in a blue, plastic cow sculpture in the museum basement, he said.

While in the shaft, Smith told police, his "agency" called to tell him there had been a mistake — the nuke was actually in a museum in Memphis, 400 miles away.

Smith is being held on $2,000 bond on charges of aggravated robbery.

Sources:

Ashville Citizen-Times
Yahoo News/Associated Press


Illuminati | Nuclear Warhead | Richard Anthony Smith | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Are we really a nation that believes in the rule of law?

We hold ourselves to be a nation of laws, but are we? Apparently, it's perfectly okay these days for a government official to off-the-cuff decide which laws will and which laws won't enforced.

Here are a couple of examples where the law apparently means nothing.

• Under Georgia and federal law, the influenza vaccine is held to be a "dangerous drug" that requires a prescription by a licensed medical doctor. Despite this law, you can get a flu shot just by walking into most any chain pharmacy in the state, and have been able to for years.
  
  Georgia's Gov. Sonny Perdue (a Freemason, by the way), when asked why this protective law isn't enforced, said that the State wasn't going to be "persnickety" about the law, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last week.
  
  "This administration will not call for sanctions against those acting in the best interests of Georgians and in a manner consistent with past practices," he said in a prepared statement. "It is my expectation that health care professionals will act in the best interests of public health and continue prior practices."



• Former Congressman Bob Barr, who is running for President of the United States as a Libertarian, has filed a lawsuit in Texas demanding that both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain be removed from the Texas ballot because neither candidate met the official filing deadline.
  
  "The seriousness of this issue is self-evident," the lawsuit states. "The hubris of the major parties has risen to such a level that they do not believe that the election laws of the State of Texas apply to them."

Sonny Perdue | Barack Obama | John McCain | Bob Barr | Vaccinations | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Bro. Haas' lawsuit moves to discovery phase after judge denies motion to dismiss

The lawsuit by expelled Past Grand Master of West Virginia Bro. Frank Haas against the Grand Lodge of West Virginia and Past Grand Master Bro. Charles Coleman and current Grand Master Bro. Charlie Montgomery will go on, the Charleston Gazette reported today, after Circuit Judge Irene C. Berger denied motions to dismiss by the defendants.

The case will now move to the discovery phase.

Bro. Haas' deposition is scheduled for October 8. He is suing for reinstatement as a West Virginia Mason and for unspecified damages.

The Taper posted the complete text of Bro. Haas's lawsuit on June 5, 2008.

Masons | Masonic Trial | Frank Haas | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of West Virginia | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

List of charities servicing Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Ike

If you would like to help those who have suffered during the recent storms and hurricanes in Texas and the Caribbean, follow this link to a list of national, international and Gulf Coast charities provided by CNN.

This list includes some of the highest-rated charities by CharityNavigator.org, an independent and non-profit organization that evaluates and rates thousands of charity groups based on effectiveness and financial stability.

Charities | Gulf Coast Storms | Hurricane Ike | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

'Leave Sarah Palin alone!'

Now that word is out about Sarah Palin being a Satan-worshiping Freemason, apparently she's being hounded by, well, by some rich bastard, according to the person of indeterminate gender in this video.



Sarah Palin | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Reptilians from Area 51 control the weather using sweet iced tea served by O.E.S. worthy matrons

The friendly folks over at Welcome to the Machine wrote the other day about a new game they've invented. For lack of a better title, it's called "The Conspiracy Theorist Nutjob Game."

Simply put, you earn points in the game by going onto conspiracy theorist forums, websites, and blogs, and engaging conspiracy theorists in dialog. You earn five points, for example, by getting someone to call you "sheeple," and three points if you're called a "lemming." Getting a conspiracy theorist to admit he's wrong about something is worth 20 points, but getting him to actually change his mind gets you 500 points.

Inspiring a conspiracy theorist to use the phrases "psy ops," "mind control," or "thought police" gets you 10 points each. If they use the phrase "JFK," "Area 51," or "Freemason," you only get one point, since conspiracies involving these topics are so common and intertwined.

The Burning Taper occasionally receives comments by a few anti-Masonic conspiracy kooks, but mostly, this site has become a free-for-all where Masons attack and insult other Masons.

I thought maybe we could at least have a little fun with it here while every one is still hell-bent on bashing each other. I mean, the terms "sock puppet" and "racist" and "clandestine" and "real Mason" and "unmasonic" and "obligations" get bandied about here so often they should be worth a couple of points each time they're used, or provoked. "Douchebag," which one Mason recently called another Mason here, is another word that points should be awarded (or deducted) for.

And of course, per Godwin's Law, the first person who mentions Hitler or Nazis loses.

Calling Bro. Ed King names, or being called names by him, isn't worth much, it's been done so much. What would really be worth a couple of hundred points would be for Bro. King to actually show the world his brotherly side and write something venom-less on his website or blog about anyone outside his personal circle of lodge brothers and junior steward lackeys.

Likewise, GOUSA members who want to tell the world that Grand Orient Masonry is better than Grand Lodge Masonry could probably earn more points in the minds of regular Masons — or stop collecting so many — if brotherly love for those who disagree with them seemed to be one of their tenets.

I haven't yet decided if earning these points makes you a winner or a loser.

Masons | Conspiracy Theory | Ed King | Freemasonry | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Third Jester pleads guilty to transporting hooker to Jester party

Following in the footsteps of his mirthful pals former state prosecutor Bro. Michael Stebick and former police captain Bro. John Trowbridge, former New York State Supreme Court judge Bro. Ronald Tills pleaded guilty last week to violations of the federal Mann Act, for transporting a prostitute across state lines to provide sexual services to fellow members of the Masons-only Royal Order of Jesters, the Department of Justice reported in a press release on September 4.

Bro. Tills further admitted to five additional instances of hiring and transporting prostitutes to Royal Order of Jesters parties in other states and to Ontario, Canada.

According to the DOJ press release, the "men's organization... held weekend meetings where it was their custom to make women available to the members for sexual activities in exchange for money."

Investigative reporter Sandy Frost has been covering this story for months. You can read her latest article and a recap of previous articles about this issue on her news site.

It is unknown at this time whether the Grand Lodge of New York or the local lodge(s) of these brothers have taken any steps toward bringing charges of unmasonic conduct against these or other brothers who may have been involved.

Bro. Tills, 73, who was one of the toughest sentencing judges ever in western New York during his ten years on the bench, will be sentenced on January 21, 2009. He could face up to 21 months in prison, the Buffalo News reported.

As the story of these three former public servants has unfolded, many Masonic commentators on this blog and elsewhere have continually insisted this was an "isolated" case involving "individual Masons who are making these poor decisions." The latest such comment attempting to whitewash Jester activities was posted here just hours ago.

That the former judge admitted to at least six instances of impropriety in several different locales pretty much discredits the idea that Jesters enjoying the services of prostitutes is an "isolated" event. To the contrary, there is every indication that the primary nature and reason for existence of Royal Order of Jesters events is that of a sexual festival.

Even dismissing for the moment the moral implications of married Masons f***ing hookers in front of each other, one must ask a simple question: Are these three men, all trained in law and/or law enforcement, so ignorant of the law that they'd violate a federal statute just to get laid? I mean, c'mon, there are whores everywhere! Why hire one in New York and take her to Kentucky, when I'm sure there were hookers available in Kentucky that weekend? Were the Kentucky brothers tired of the local girls, and in need of some fresh poontang? Or was there some sort of Jester tradition where out-of-state visitors (such as Bros. Stebick, Trowbridge and Tills) earn "points" or "bragging rights" for bringing with them a "gift" or "the best lay of the weekend"? The mind boggles....

The FBI investigation is continuing into the Jesters' involvement in human trafficking and prostitution. Bro. Tills has agreed to provide "proactive cooperation" in the ongoing probe, and the length and nature of his sentence may depend on how helpful he is in the ongoing investigation.

Image: Former state Supreme Court judge and Freemason/Jester Ronald H. Tills arriving at federal court in Buffalo, NY on Thursday, Sept. 4

Masons | Royal Order of Jesters | Ronald Tills | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of New York | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Hurricane Ike to create need for Masonic 'help, aid and assistance'

The following is guest commentary by long-time reader and Freemason known as Diogenes.

Perhaps this might be a good time to mention that in the immediate future, many brethren and others in the Texas Gulf Coastal region will be in extreme distress [during and after the landfall of Hurricane Ike]. Some will probably lose their lives, while many others will probably lose their homes and jobs.

It seems to me that it would be prudent to acknowledge the pending disaster, and begin gearing up to assist with the relief efforts. Particularly if I was a Mason in Texas, or an officer of the Grand Lodge of Texas, I'd already be soliciting donations and raising funds to assist in any way possible, and I'd be organizing teams of volunteers to assist with rescue, recovery, and relief efforts, etc.

Hurricanes don't strike unexpectedly like earthquakes and many other natural disasters. There's always a warning of several days, and that should give people an opportunity to prepare.

Why not take advantage of that opportunity to "aid and assist" fellow Masons, fellow Americans, and fellow human beings in a time of crisis?

Indeed, what practical benefit is any "philanthropic" organization that fails to recognize such pending disasters, and attempt to assuage the resultant suffering?

— Diogenes

Image: Hurricane Ike, Friday afternoon, Sept. 12, 2008

Masons | Masonic Assistance | Hurricane Ike | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of Texas | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Sports or sex: America's real pastime?

Yesterday's Sports Illustrated ran a story, and the BBC posted an interview with historian Julian Pooley, indicating that "America's pastime," the game of baseball, may actually have been imported from England.

A diary entry from 1755, 84 years before Abner Doubleday mythically "invented" baseball, suggests that it was commonly played in the British Isles. (I found no evidence that Doubleday, the U.S. captain later promoted to general who fired the first Union cannonball at Fort Sumter which began the American Civil War, was a Freemason, but he was a prominent member and president of the Theosophical Society.)

During this time period in Britain, a "new" group called the Freemasons also became a popular way to wile away the hours.

The numerology-and-conspiracy obsessed blog Through the Looking Glass today upped the ante with a reference to baseball's origins being Masonic. Quoting Randy Lavello's article on PrisonPlanet.com, they give us:

"Baseball was obviously created by Freemasons, as it bears the unmistakable marks of Freemasonry. The field, from home plate to the left and right field wall forms a compass; the entire outfield wall is the semicircle which this compass draws. Upside-down, overlapping this compass, the bases form the square. Thus, the baseball field is the emblem of Freemasonry. Three strikes and three outs were assigned because three is the principle sacred number of Freemasonry. Four is a number of significance because it represents a square (the shape) and deals with the four directions, thus: four balls, four bases. Nine is sacred because it is three squared... there are nine fielding positions and nine innings. This brings us to a total of twenty-seven outs per team a game…and guess what? Twenty-seven, along with eighty-one, are the only two sacred numbers greater than ten. Though eighty-one doesn't occur in baseball, because of the presence of two nines (fielders and innings) it's appropriate to mention the reason eighty-one is so revered: the multiples of nine, 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, and 90 form a mirror image between the numbers 45 and 54. Also, each one of these numbers equal nine when adding the two integers which comprise the number: 18- 1+8 = 9; 27- 2+7 =9; etc. Because of this, nine times nine was deemed a 'high' number. This further explains the near obsession with numbers surrounding baseball averages, home runs, ERA's, etc. It is truly a game for numerologists.

The diary entry by English lawyer William Bray dated Easter Monday, 31 March 1755, reads like this:

Went to Stoke Ch. This morning. After Dinner Went to Miss Jeale's to play at Base Ball with her, the 3 Miss Whiteheads, Miss Billinghurst, Miss Molly Flutter, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Ford & H. Parsons & Jelly. Drank Tea and stayed till 8.

Six women, four men, and jelly? Hmmm....

As most of us know, playing baseball has another meaning, a sort of code for sex.

Remember the first time you "got to first base"? Or "scored"? Or "drove it home."

As we've supposed here on The Taper before, the Masonic square and compasses may represent the merging of earth and sky, and by extension, the sexual union between man and woman which results in new life, or "Generation," symbolized by the letter G.

And as our brothers in the Royal Order of Jesters have shown us over and over, the Jesters' use of the word "mirth" is code for "sex."

Therefore, it is not without merit to contemplate whether attorney William Bray, the diarist, was a Mason — highly likely given his profession, location and era — and that the "base ball" game he "played at" with six women and three other men was a sexual orgy or group sexual ritual.

After all, sex is America's (and the world's) real pastime.

Masons | Masonic Ritual | Sex| Baseball | Freemasonry | Sports Illustrated | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Sarah Palin 'linked' to Satan via Prince Hall Eastern Star

Politics makes for strange bedfellows, or so they say.

The paranoid black helicopter shortwave radio crowd is now convinced that Gov. Sarah Palin is part of the Masonic New World Order Conspiracy.

They base this "fact" on a document one of the writers at 12.160 Mhz Social Network website found.

The bannerhead of this site says "Fighting Tyranny with Truth... Because There's a War for Your Mind."

What's their evidence?

In March, 2007 Gov. Palin issued a proclamation designating April 14-17, 2007 as "Prince Hall Masonic Week," in honor of the "35th Annual Communication of the Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Order of Eastern Stars, beginning April 14, 2007, in Anchorage, Alaska."

Bro. Paul Bessel's Masonic site indicates there are approximately 170 Prince Hall Masons in all of Alaska. The number of members of the Eastern Star is probably the same, or less. Prince Hall members are generally African-Americans.

Art Carran, who maintains a blog on the 12.160 website, says in the comments section to his article that Ben Franklin was a Satanist, and that whenever "ANY" politician invokes God, he or she is really referring to Satan.

Of course, he also brings up "Albert 'Seething Energies of Lucifer' Pike" to support his "Palin is a Satanist" stance.

Too funny. I suppose if she had proclaimed June as Dairy Month that would make her a cow.

Image: Sarah Palin in 1984 (age 20)

Masons | Masonic Proclamation | Prince Hall | Freemasonry | Sarah Palin | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com