When is a Man a Mason?

When is a Man a Mason?

When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and courage — which is the root of every virtue.

When he knows that down in his heart every man is as noble, as vile, as divine, as diabolic, and as lonely as himself, and seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellowman.

When he knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yea, even in their sins — knowing that each man fights a hard fight against many odds.

When he has learned how to make friends and to keep them, and above all how to keep friends with himself.

When he loves flowers, can hunt birds without a gun, and feels the thrill of an old forgotten joy when he hears the laugh of a little child.

When he can be happy and high-minded amid the meaner drudgeries of life.

When star-crowned trees and the glint of sunlight on flowing waters subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead.

When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid without response.

When he finds good in every faith that helps any man to lay hold of divine things and sees majestic meanings in life, whatever the name of that faith may be.

When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something beyond mud, and into the face of the most forlorn fellow mortal and see something beyond sin.

When he knows how to pray, how to love, how to hope.

When he has kept faith with himself, with his fellowman, and with his God; in his hands a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of a song — glad to live, but not afraid to die!

Such a man has found the only real secret of Masonry, and the one which it is trying to give to all the world.

— Joseph Fort Newton

Joseph Fort Newton | Masonic Poetry | Manhood

Masonic Truthiness

I've been finding some fascinating Masonic blogs the past few days. It seems there are many intelligent Freemasons out there, eager to learn, study and teach the esoterics of Freemasonry, but who have been as stymied and rejected in their lodges as I was in my own.

There comes a time when "peace and harmony" must take a backseat to "truth and morality." That time is Now.

The blog Reform Freemasonry rails against the Ohio Grand Master, and the "insane refrain" of "Freemasonry is not a secret society, but a society with secrets." He makes no bones about what he sees as the cause of his state's problems with loss of membership and interest — the managerial ignorance of the Ohio Grand Master and Grand Lodge.

He writes: "Our fraternity is dying because our leaders have failed us, and they continue to fail us utterly! Grand Lodges mandate this and that and send out minions of deputies to inspect and punish any nonconformity with official dictates. Woe to any lodge that dares to try something new!"

The Masonic blogger from Alabama at Seeker's Observation touches on an issue that strikes a chord with me — the "takeover" of Masonic lodges and Grand Lodges by "nearsighted and dogmatized leaders" who are "destroy[ing] the meanings behind our ritual by systematically whitewashing it with vague religious references." Or in my lodge's case, not so vague. The Seeker discusses "corruption and bureaucracy" in his state's Grand Lodge as well.

Another Alabama brother writes in Free-Masonry-Alert that there is a "coming storm" in Freemasonry. He describes what he calls "the Unfit," the men who are being allowed to become Masons un-tested and un-investigated.

"Trooping through the doors of our preparation rooms we find an ever increasing company composed of those from whose faces is missing the stamp of high intelligence, in whose eyes the torch of education has lighted no fires, and whose halting steps are led by friendly suggestion or quickened by the hope of gain. Have committees forgotten to report whether these have sufficent education and intelligence to understand and value the doctrines and tenets of Freemasonry? Was it demanded of them if they came unbiased by improper solicitation and uninfluenced by mercenary motives? When they answered the inquiry did they know that truth is a divine attribute and the foundation of every virtue? Has not bitter experience yet taught us that it is better that no workman be added to the roll than ever one unworthy foot allowed to cross the threshold?"

The blogs Ars Marsonica and the Masonic Traveler have provided exceptional information about what's been called the Masonic Massacre, where the Grand Master of Florida demanded that W. Bro. Tim Bryce take down dozens of Masonic websites he had created, some as informational sites, some as sites for individual lodges.

Spartacus hasn't even completed his Three Degrees yet, but is already blogging about his adventures and discoveries in Freemasonry. It's wonderful watching his eagerness unfold.

The courage of expression in these Masonic bloggers is great to see. The Fraternity needs more men of honor like these men, who are unafraid to say the Emperor has no clothes.

Masonic Traveler | Reform Freemasonry | Tim Bryce

Mr. Smith orders a pizza

Found on the Internet....

Operator: Thank you for calling Pizza Hut. May I have your national ID number?
Customer: Hi, I'd like to place an order.
Operator: I must have your NIDN first, sir.
Customer: My National ID Number? Yeah, hold on, eh, it's 6102049998-45-54610.
Operator: Thank you, Mr. Smith. I see you live at 1742 Meadowland Drive, and the phone number is 494-2366. Your office number over at Lincoln Insurance is 745-2302 and your cell number is 266-2566. Email address is smith@home.net. Which number are you calling from?
Customer: Huh? I'm at home. Where'd you get all this information?
Operator: We're wired into the HSS, sir.
Customer: The HSS? What is that?
Operator: We're wired into the Homeland Security System, sir. This will add only 15 seconds to your ordering time.
Customer: (sighs) Oh well, I'd like to order a couple of your All Meat Special pizzas.
Operator: I don't think that's a good idea, sir.
Customer: Whaddya mean?
Operator: Sir, your medical records and commode sensors indicate that you've got very high blood pressure and extremely high cholesterol. Your National Health Care provider won't allow such an unhealthy choice.
Customer: What?!?! What do you recommend, then?
Operator: You might try our low-fat Soybean Pizza. I'm sure you'll like it.
Customer: What makes you think I'd like something like that?
Operator: Well, you checked out 'Gourmet Soybean Recipes' from your local library last week, sir. That's why I made the suggestion.
Customer: All right, all right. Give me two family-sized ones, then.
Operator: That should be plenty for you, your wife and your four kids. Your two dogs can finish the crusts, sir. Your total is $49.99.
Customer: Lemme give you my credit card number.
Operator: I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid you'll have to pay in cash. Your credit card balance is over its limit.
Customer: I'll run over to the ATM and get some cash before your driver gets here.
Operator: That won't work either, sir. Your checking account is overdrawn also.
Customer: Never mind! Just send the pizzas. I'll have the cash ready. How long will it take?
Operator: We're running a little behind, sir. It'll be about 45 minutes, sir. If you're in a hurry you might want to pick'em up while you're out getting the cash, but then, carrying pizzas on a motorcycle can be a little awkward.
Customer: Wait! How do you know I ride a scooter?
Operator: It says here you're in arrears on your car payments, so your car got repo'ed. But your Harley's paid for and you just filled the tank yesterday.
Customer: Well, I'll be a %#*$@!
Operator: I'd advise watching your language, sir. You've already got a July 4, 2003, conviction for cussing out a cop and another one I see here in September for contempt at your hearing for cussing at a judge. Oh yes, I see here that you just got out from a 90 day stay in the State Correctional Facility. Is this your first pizza since your
return to society?
Customer: (speechless)
Operator: Will there be anything else, sir?
Customer: Yes, I have a coupon for a free two-liter of Coke.
Operator: I'm sorry sir, but our ad's exclusionary clause prevents us from offering free soda to diabetics. The New Constitution our country started using in 2006 prohibits this. Thank you for calling Pizza Hut!

Civil Rights | Constitution | National ID

The drinker you get, the player you are

Brother Greg Stewart over at the Masonic Traveler blog just posted some very amusing paintings of Shriners as 1950's party animals. The artwork is from the collection of Josh "Shag" Angle.

Far from decrying the depiction of Masons / Shriners having a good time, Brother Greg asks if perhaps it is the modern day "looking down on this sort of thing" by American Masons that has made Freemasonry the stodgy old men's coffee and donut club that it has mostly become today. While our brothers around the world celebrate and enjoy each other's company with a Festive Board after meetings ("To the Queen!"), complete with toasts all around, many Grand Lodges in the USA have outlawed the consumption of alcoholic beverages on lodge property.

Alcohol | Festive Board | Josh Angle

The Holy Order of the Lemon

From 1991 to 1996, Robert Anton Wilson and I were penpals. Before email, even. We used to write and type letters to each other and then put them into envelopes and put stamps on them and put them into little slots at the post office. Once in his magazine Trajectories, he referred to me as "the bravest man in America." I never believed what he said, about me being brave, especially since no book has ever scared the hell outta me quite like his novel Eye in the Pyramid did, the first time I read it back in the late 1970s.

Eye in the Pyramid is the first part of his (and co-author Robert Shea's) massively entertaining Illuminatus! Trilogy. It's a cosmic tale of Good vs. Evil, with many secret societies of various shades of Gray competing for control of the World. Each group is either trying to Immanentize the Eschaton, or stop another group from doing so. It's a must-read for anyone interested in, well, in ANYTHING. It's a great book.

Bob Wilson (who likes that his initials spell RAW) has been called by people more famous than I "a super-genius" (by fellow super-genius Dr. John Lilly), "the funniest, most insightful social critic around," "the most important philosopher of the [20th] century" (by important philospher Dr. Timothy Leary), "deliberately annoying," and a "21st century Rennaisance Man."

RAW wrote in Everything is Under Control:

The Holy Order of the Lemon, another offshoot of Freemasonry, was either founded by Lord Glendale in 1798 or by a group of pranksters in 1996, who performed the first public Lemon Order event by dumping lemons — lots and lots of lemons — into the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. This mystic brotherhood declares itself frankly devoted to seeking large grants from corporations dealing in lemon products (such as Lemon Pledge) to sponsor rituals, primarily consisting of long, dour marches wearing drab suits and "lemon-colored derbies," through "places of no historical interest," holding aloft "rampant or couchant, fresh lemons in hands sinister." Patron saint of the order is 19th-century French socialist Charles Fourier, who believed in the overthrow of civilization and the founding of a "society of harmony" in which all passions and manias would be encouraged, after which the ocean would turn to lemonade.

According to another version, the actual founder of the Lemon Order was Elizabeth Adworth (1695-1775), the only woman ever initiated into Freemasonry (in Doneraile, County Cork) after being discovered asleep behind some curtains in the lodge. In her memory, the Lemon Order is bisexual, i.e., open to all genders.

The manifesto of the Holy Order of the Lemon begins, "Razorryn orderruin, XTCronny rocket..., John Lemon, lemon soda pop, Bellemon Laswellemon, Lemon flesh, Irish Spermanent lemonadelic, AC/DCitron, Vincent Van Gogh: Teller und citronen, The Lemonheadfucks, Babelllemon, Prince Lemon Crush, Better Lemonade..., Make Lemon not Orange...," etc. (We don't have enough space to quote it all here.)

See also: Golden Apple Corps, Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Noon Blue Apples

Obviously, RAW likes to amuse himself by amusing others.

The man can write some powerful fiction. His Historical Illuminatus Chronicles — three novels: The Earth Will Shake, The Widow's Son, and Nature's God — are set in the 17th and 18th centuries. Characters include several Freemasons. These three books shaped much of my early thoughts and beliefs about Freemasonry. My real life adventures in Masonry haven't been nearly as exciting as his books, though.

Another of Robert Anton Wilson's thought-provoking novels is Masks of the Illuminati. This book follows the fictional (?) friendship of drinking buddies Albert Einstein and James Joyce. Pay attention to your dreams while you're reading this book. You will be stunned by their intensity and by what you learn about yourself through analyzing those dreams.

And finally, on the subject of RAW's books: reading the original Volume 1 of Cosmic Trigger will change your Life, and the way you view (and experience) Life. You will be forever changed. Be ready.

Illuminati | Illuminatus Trilogy | Robert Anton Wilson

Happy 300th Birthday, Benjamin Franklin!

Benjamin Frankin

January 6, 1706 O.S. - April 17, 1790

American printer — he published the first book in the colonies, the Masonic Anderson's Constitutions of 1723 — author, postmaster, statesman, scientist and philosopher, Franklin was instrumental in the formation of the United States. He invented the Franklin stove, the medical catheter, the lightning rod, swimfins, a glass harmonica, and bifocals.

His Masonic resume' includes:

• Initiated: February 1730-1


• Secretary: 1735-38


• St. John's Lodge, Philadelphia


• Junior Grand Warden: June 24, 1732


• Grand Master: June 24, 1734


• Provincial Grand Master, Boston: June 10, 1749


• Provincial Grand Master, Philadelphia: June 1760


• Deputy Grand Master: March 13, 1750


• Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Venerable Master: 1779-80, 1782


• Loge des Neuf Soeurs, Paris

Franklin wrote his own epitaph for his gravestone:

The body
of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
(Like the cover of an old book,
Its contents torn out,
And stript of its lettering and guilding.)
Lies here, food for worms.
Yet the word itself shall not be lost.
For it will, as he believed, appear once more,
In a new
And more beautiful edition,
Corrected and amended
By
The Author

Quotations from Benjamin Franklin:

• He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner.


• He that lives upon hope will die fasting.


• Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed.


• There is a difference between imitating a good man and counterfeiting him.


• Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.


• If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.


• Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.


• To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.


• If you would be loved, love and be lovable.


• Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!


• Fear not death, for the sooner we die the longer we shall be immortal.


• A man is not completely born until he is dead.


• A penny saved is a penny earned.


• I will speak ill of no man, and speak all the good I know of everybody.


• Joy is not in things! It is in us!


• Anger warms the Invention, but overheats the oven.


• They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.


• While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.


• Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.


• God heals and the Doctor takes the fee.


• Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.


• Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?


• Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none.


• Remember that time is money.


• Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!


• They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.


• I will speak ill of no man, and speak all the good I know of everybody.


• Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes.

Ben Franklin | Quotations | Anderson's Constitutions

Mystery man leaves roses and cognac at grave on Poe's birthday every year since 1949

For the 57th straight year, a mystery man paid tribute to Edgar Allan Poe by placing roses and a bottle of cognac on the writer's grave in Baltimore, Maryland to mark his January 19 birthday, reports CNN.

Poe was not known to be a Freemason. However, in his short story The Cask of Amontillado, he made a quite humorous reference to Freemasonry while discussing building a wall.

Excerpt from The Cask of Amontillado:

I broke and reached him a flagon of De Grave. He emptied it at a breath. His eyes flashed with a fierce light. He laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I did not understand.

I looked at him in surprise. He repeated the movement — a grotesque one.

"You do not comprehend?" he said.

"Not I," I replied.

"Then you are not of the brotherhood."

"How?"

"You are not of the masons."

"Yes, yes," I said "yes! yes."

"You? Impossible! A mason?"

"A mason," I replied.

"A sign," he said.

"It is this," I answered, producing a trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire.

"You jest," he exclaimed, recoiling a few paces. "But let us proceed to the Amontillado."

"Be it so," I said, replacing the tool beneath the cloak, and again offering him my arm.

You can read Poe's entire short story The Cask of Amontillado here.

Dan Brown's "The Solomon Key" to blend fact and fancy of Freemasons and Mormons

Reprinted from the Salt Lake Tribune, January 13, 2006
By Peggy Fletcher Stack

Dan Brown clearly enjoys playing with legends, history, symbols and secrets. And readers' minds. In his best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code, Brown wove all these — real and imagined — into a breathless mystery about Christianity, Mary Magdalene and the Divine Feminine that has spawned an industry of de-coders eager to separate fact from fiction.

Now that he has turned his attention to the mysteries of Freemasonry, the centuries-old fraternal order, the new book also might deal with Mormonism.

But rather than announce the Da Vinci sequel in a news release, Brown embedded tantalizing clues to its subject on the book's jacket. Written in typeface that is slightly larger and bolder than the rest (it requires a magnifying glass to find them all) are the words: is there no help for the widows son.

"O Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son?" was used historically as a Masonic distress call, but when journalist David Shugarts plugged it into Google, the first hit was a 1974 speech given by an LDS Institute of Religion teacher, Reed C. Durham, at the University of Utah.

Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reportedly began to utter the call as he fell from a second story window after being fatally shot by a mob in a Carthage, Ill., jail in 1844, Durham said.

In an electrifying presidential address to the Mormon History Association meeting in Nauvoo, Ill., he traced close parallels between Smith's account of digging gold plates out of a New York hillside and Masonic tales of Enoch and buried treasure. Smith wore a "Jupiter talisman," or what his wife called "his Masonic jewel," and LDS temple ceremonies bear a striking resemblance to Masonic rituals, he said.

The speech was so controversial that Durham's superiors in the LDS Educational System forced him to issue a public apology.

The speech was never published but was surreptitiously taped and has floated around on the Internet for years.

It may have also caught Brown's attention, Shugarts speculates, and may provide one plot twist in Brown's next book, tentatively titled The Solomon Key. Brown confirmed in a speech last year that the book's mystery will be set in Washington, D.C., where many architectural features were drawn from Masonry, and will feature the same lead character, Harvard-professor-turned-detective Robert Langdom.

Getting a jump on the novel's historical context, Shugarts has written Secrets of the Widow's Son: The Mysteries Surrounding the Sequel to The Da Vinci Code.

He provides a broad history of Mormonism, including its brush with Masonry in the 19th century. It also offers nuggets about Masonic history such as these: At least eight signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons, as were 13 U.S. presidents including George Washington. A Freemason released Paul Revere from British custody on the night of his famous ride, after he determined that Revere was a Mason. Mozart's "Magic Flute" and Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King were written as Masonic allegories.

The Washington Monument and a similar monument on Bunker Hill in Boston, were not just coincidentally shaped like an Egyptian obelisks, but intentionally designed to honor Masonic allusions to ancient Egyptian mystical wisdom.

Much of the symbolism is mathematical, even geometrical, which could explain why the fraternity has attracted rationalists such as Voltaire, Goethe, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain.

"We've heard from Masons that they feel that [Brown is] going to do them justice," says Dan Burstein, who wrote the introduction to Shugarts' book. "He seems to be favorably disposed to thinking of Masons as an important historical underground movement, pushing the world towards democracy and enlightenment."

Today there are nearly 2 million Masons in the United States, with 2,250 members in 29 Utah lodges.

"We have a lot of Mormons who are Masons in this state, but we don't know exactly how many," says Ridgley Gilmour, Grand Master of Utah Masonic Lodge. "Anyone with a belief in God can petition to join but we don't ask what religion they are."

Gilmour was adamant the Masonry is not a "secret society," but a fraternal order with large-scale charitable giving built on deeply held American values of family, God and country.

"The only secrets we have are little signs and passwords which we use because it's an ancient custom, and, frankly, it's fun," Gilmour says.

It remains to be seen how much Mormon history will feature in the novel (Brown's wife reportedly was raised in the LDS Church), but if the reaction to Durham's 1974 speech is any indication, any link between the two could be controversial in Utah.

For his part, Nicholas S. Literski, an active Mormon and Mason living in Nauvoo, thinks Latter-day Saints misunderstand the similarities. But they are significant.

"Everybody wants to obsess over supposed similarities in ritual," he says. "But that's just one aspect. Everything about Joseph and his family was tied into Masonic legends."

The Mormon connection: Smith's father, Joseph Smith Sr. joined a Masonic lodge when the family moved to Palmyra, N.Y., in 1816. Later, Smith's brother Hyrum also joined. From them, Smith heard the story of a lost sacred word that was engraved upon a triangular plate of pure gold. The word was the name of God.

It makes sense that he would go searching for such treasure in the large American Indian burial mounds near his home, says Literski, author of the forthcoming book, Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration.

And when Smith reported finding an ancient record written on plates of gold, he used "distinctively Masonic language to describe the experience," Literski says.

The church, which claimed to restore ancient truths of Christianity lost through the ages, attracted many members of the Masonic fraternity who traced their own roots back centuries and had similar esoteric teachings.

By the 1840s, many Mormon leaders in Nauvoo, including Smith and apostles Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, became Masons and organized a lodge there under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. It wasn't long before nearly every male member of the church in the area had joined. At the same time, Smith introduced LDS temple rituals that included secret handshakes, signs and symbols like the all-seeing eye, the compass and square (tools of the mason's trade) and the sun, moon and stars that echoed Masonry.

Soon, though, other Masons felt that the Mormons were dominating the fraternity. In 1842, the Nauvoo Lodge was suspended. Many Mormons believed that Masons contributed to the murder of their prophet.

Antagonisms built up between the two groups. In Utah in 1860, Masonic lodges were established but they prohibited Mormons from joining. At the same time, Young forbade Mormons from joining and refused to allow any Mason to hold priesthood leadership positions in the church, Literski says.

It wasn't until 1984 that LDS President Spencer W. Kimball removed the prohibition against Latter-day Saints becoming Freemasons. Later that year, the Grand Lodge of Utah removed its own ban on Mormon membership so that, in the ensuing years, many Latter-day Saint men have returned to this part of their heritage.

In the novelist's mind: Shugarts says it was not his intention to be a plot spoiler for Brown's sequel. He couldn't do that if he wanted. But he did offer a primer on Masonry and Mormonism for those who will want to explore, as they did with Da Vinci, just how much of what Brown writes is really history.

"I had to push out in every direction possible," Shugarts said in a phone interview from his Connecticut home. "I read five books about Mormon history and thousands of Internet Web sites. I tried to be thorough and fair."

Though he only dedicated four or five pages to Mormons in a 200-page book, he's already heard from unhappy Latter-day Saints who accuse him of misreading or a biased approach to LDS history, a charge he rejects.

"Prior to embarking on my research, I had no particular opinion of Joseph Smith or the details of the founding of the [LDS ]Church," he wrote to one critic. "But I had met a few Mormons and they always impressed me as fine people. After delving into the story of Joseph Smith, I understood a lot more about LDS. I remain impressed that Mormons are fine people."

It will be interesting to see if Brown sees them that way as well. Literski isn't worried.

"He'll weave a good conspiracy," Literski says, "but no matter how inventive Dan Brown gets in terms of the connection, he will fall short of just how deep that story does go."

Even in Smith's day, there were Masons who believed the legends were historical truth and saw Freemasonry as a deeply spiritual, mystical quest. Other, more sophisticated members, discounted the old stories, wanting to refocus it along the lines of a charitable and benevolent institution.

The Smiths were about as far into mysticism as you can get, Literski says. "Joseph was rebuilding Solomon's temple with all the legendary baggage that came along with that."

Seeing the relationship between the two groups forces Mormons like Literski to revise his ideas about how God interacts with a prophet.

"You cannot understand what is going on in Joseph's mind unless you can know what he is seeing, hearing, feeling and touching," he says. "That gives me a stronger position of faith than would this idea that revelation is ex nihilo. Joseph was not a puppet."

Related articles:

Codebreakers rack their brains to solve Dan Brown's new poser

Hermes Trismegistos

by Adrian Gilbert

Throughout history intelligent men and women have searched for a higher meaning to life, something over and above the daily struggle for survival. In the past, this quest for truth mostly took place within the confines of organized religion.

It was generally believed that, living within the religious community, there were wise men who knew the way and could therefore guide others towards the goal of enlightenment. For millennia such initiates, as we must call them, were accorded high status amongst the communities that they served.

It goes without saying that the philosophy of the ancient world was very different from that of today. Science, art, literature, music and drama were almost entirely the province of the priesthood.

The object of these endeavors was very seldom concerned with novelty for its own sake, and still less with the cult of personality, but rather with the preservation of knowledge. It was believed, as a matter of faith, that in the dim and distant past the gods themselves had walked the earth.

In Egypt in particular these mighty beings were looked upon by the faithful as human avatars of divine intelligence who had come from the stars. The gods Osiris and Isis were credited with having brought civilization to Earth at a time when mankind was steeped in barbarism.

However, they were not alone. The god Thoth (or Tehuti as his name should more properly be pronounced) had a cult at least as important as that of Osiris. In later traditions he was called the “recorder of souls”. In this function he is often shown on Egyptian papyri attending the “Weighing of the Heart” ceremony. This, however, was only one of his many functions. He was the Egyptian god of intelligence and among other things was credited with the invention of hieroglyphic writing, mathematics and astronomy.

Shortly before the time of Jesus, Thoth’s works — or at least works attributed to his pen — were studied closely by the Greek Egyptians of Alexandria in schools somewhat similar to Plato’s Academy in Athens. The Greeks recognised that Thoth had much in common with their own Hermes. He was the Greek god of the written word, who is perhaps better known by his Roman name of Mercury. However, in recognition of the special attributes of the Egyptian Hermes they gave him the epithet Trismestos meaning “Thrice Greatest.”

Thereafter, written documents purporting to contain the teachings of Hermes Trismegistos were known as Hermetica. The religious beliefs on which these were based was called Hermeticism. The people who studied these esoteric teachings were called Hermits. Though hidden, Hermeticism has been one of the major currents of ideas that has infused later Western thinking right up until the present.

The Philosophical code that underpins Hermeticism is, at core, very simple and not much different from what is taught in the Bible. This is that the First Man (and here we are referring to the collective soul of mankind) was made in the image of his maker. Unfortunately for this First Man (though perhaps in fulfilment of some greater plan), he transgressed. Either through pride or youthful folly he desired creative power: he wanted to act like one of the planetary gods. He descended from his place at the side of God and, passing down through the planetary spheres, fell into the embrace of Nature. For this transgression mankind as a whole was punished.

Thereafter, the souls of men and women were to be imprisoned in animal form as the earthly primate we call homo sapiens. Thenceforward, men and women, whose souls had previously lived as discarnate entities in an abode above the stars, were condemned to live, die, and be reborn in seemingly endless cycles of reincarnation.

Men and women were blind to their true origins. However, according to the Hermeticists, in each and every human there was the possibility of “waking up." With proper training, even while still alive, they could achieve gnosis: “knowledge of the divine.” If this “waking up” occurred and man remembered who he really was, he could receive spiritual food from God. This food was Light and the person so fed became “enlightened.” His “subtle-bodies,” made of Light, would grow within him.

On death, his soul would be stripped of its physical shell but he would not be naked. Clothed in his Light Body it would be able to ascend through the astral spheres surrounding the earth and once more join God in spheres “above” the stars. This liberation of the soul was, and is, the ultimate goal of all true schools of Hermeticism.

In the Hermetic Schools of Alexandria, Thoth/Hermes was revered not so much for his god-like qualities but as the first such initiate to have made this journey. He was credited with writing many books, including what is now generally referred to as The Egyptian Book of the Dead.

There is a long tradition (spoken of, for example, by the fourth century writer Ammianus Marcellinus) that Pythagoras and others learned their philosophy by studying the secret writings of Hermes. These, he tells us, were inscribed on the walls of subterranean chambers. “There are certain underground galleries and passages full of windings, which it is said, the adepts in the ancient rites (knowing that the flood was coming, and fearing that the memory of the sacred ceremonies would be obliterated) constructed in various places, distributed in the interior [of the buildings], which were mined out with great labour. And levelling the walls, they engraved on them numerous kinds of birds and animals, and countless varieties of creatures of another world, which they called hieroglyphic characters.” [1]

There is another reference to secret writings of Hermes in a passage contained in a collection of Alexandrine writings today called the Hermetica. These predate Marcellinus by several centuries:

“ ‘They’ ” [Isis and Osiris], said Hermes, “will get knowledge of all my hidden writings, and discern their meaning; and some of these writings they will keep to themselves, but such of them as tend to the benefit of mortal men, they will inscribe on slabs and obelisks.” [2]

Hermes Trismegistos was not entirely forgotten when the traditional religion of Egypt gave way to Christianity during the 5th century AD. Later commentators, such as the Christian Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria (AD 412-44), still held Hermes Trismegistos in high regard. He writes: “…have you not heard that our Hermes divided the whole of Egypt into allotments and portions, measuring off the acres with the chain, and cut canals for irrigation purposes, and made nomes [i.e. provinces], and named the lands [comprised in them] after them, and established the interchange of contracts, and drew up a list of the risings of stars, and the proper times to cut plants; and beyond all this he discovered and bequeathed to posterity numbers, and calculations, and geometry, and astronomy, and astrology, and music, and the whole of grammar?” [3]

The above, in its talk about Hermes measuring out the land of Egypt, hints at another most important idea that dominates all Hermetic thinking throughout the ages. This is the theory of correspondences.

This doctrine is most clearly expressed in an alchemical document, which being translated into Arabic survived the burnings of libraries that characterized the Dark Ages and eventually found its way back to Europe. This document is called the "Emerald Table of Hermes" and was highly regarded by 17th century alchemists. It begins: “True, without deceit, certain and most true. What is below, is like what is above, and what is above is like that which is below, for the performing of the marvels of one thing.”

This is not the place to discuss the finer points of the philosophy contained in the Emerald Table, suffice it to say that the Alchemy or "Al-Chemia", from which our modern science of Chemistry derives, takes its name from Al-Khem or Khemmis, the ancient name for the Delta region of Egypt. In this sense we could say that Hermes is the patriarch of modern Chemistry as well as all the other achievements listed by Cyril of Alexandria.

It cannot be stressed enough that the doctrine of correspondences, "As above, so below," dominated Egyptian thinking and indeed that of most other philosophical traditions right up until fairly modern times. It was taken for granted that the workings of heaven were—or should be—reflected in what happens on earth. This indeed is the subtle meaning contained in the Lord's Prayer where it is said "Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven". To the Egyptians, trained as they were in the Hermetic doctrine of correspondences, such a statement was both obvious and to be taken quite literally. The way this was done was by ordering the land of Egypt so that it would be a more perfect reflection of the stellar landscape of heaven.

Thus, we read in another Hermetic document, the Asclepius, of Hermes upbraiding a pupil called Asclepius: "Do you not know, Asclepius, that Egypt is an image of heaven, or, to speak more exactly, in Egypt all the operations of the powers which rule and work in heaven have been transferred to earth below? Nay, it should rather be said that the whole Kosmos dwells in this our land as in its sanctuary." [4]

In another intriguing extract from G.R.S. Mead's Thrice Greatest Hermes, he quotes from an author called W. Marsham Adams [a former Fellow of New College, Oxford] whose The Book of the Master, or the Egyptian Doctrine of the Light born of the Virgin Mother was published in 1898. In this book Adams claims to be drawing on textual sources which unfortunately he does not cite. Nevertheless, what he says is very interesting in the possible light it throws on Hermetic mysteries.

According to Adams, the true name for the texts now called The Book of the Dead is The Book of the Master of the Secret House. He says that the "Secret House" is the Great Pyramid, otherwise called the Light. In the paragraph before, Mead quotes from Adams' book in a section headed “The Holy Land of Egypt and its initiates,” he tells us the following:

"The Holy Land of those who had gone out from the body, watered by the Celestial Nile, the River of Heaven, of which the earthly river was a symbol and parallel, was divided into three regions, or states: (1) Rusta, the Territory of Initiation; (2) Aahlu, the Territory of Illumination; and (3) Amenti, the Place of Union with the Unseen Father.” [5]

Quoting Adams, he then goes on:

“In the religion of Egypt, the deepest and most fascinating mystery of antiquity, the visible creation, was conceived as the counterpart of the unseen world. And the substance consisted not of a mere vague belief in the life beyond the grave, but in tracing out the Path whereby the Just, when the portal of the tomb is lifted up, passes through successive stages of Initiation, of Illumination, and of Perfection, necessary to fit him for an endless union with Light, the Great Creator.” Mead himself adds to this:

“Thus we are told that at a certain point in Aahlu, the Territory of Illumination, the Osirified, the purified soul, has achieved the ‘Passsage of the Sun’ — that is to say, has passed beyond the mortal mind-plane; he opens the Gates of the Celestial Nile and receives the Atf-crown [viz. normally worn by the god Osiris], fashioned after the form of the Zodiacal light, the glory of supreme heaven.This is presumably the ‘crown of lives’ referred to in our sermons, which he receives in the sphere called ‘Eight,’ and with which he goes to the Father. The guide and Conductor through all these grades was Thoth the Eternal Wisdom.” [6]

Doubtless we would know much more about all this if we had before us the original “Books of Thoth” transcribed from the walls of whatever secret chamber in which they may lie hidden. But, even without this help, we are able to see that the Egyptians really did take these teachings into account when building such structures as the Pyramids of Giza.

In 1994 I co-authored, with Robert Bauval, a book called The Orion Mystery. This presented a novel theory for why the Egyptians built the pyramids of Giza. We argued that they were a symbolic representation of the Belt of Orion. This is a group of bright stars, named Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka, which are arranged in a row in the center of the Orion constellation. Alnitak and Alnilam are aligned, while Mintaka is slightly off-set. The first two are also somewhat brighter than the last. In a corresponding manner, the two largest pyramids, Khufu (the Great Pyramid) and Khafre (the Central Pyramid), are aligned on their diagonal axes, while the third, smaller pyramid is slightly off-set from this line.

This arrangement of pyramids implied to us a Hermetic intention underlying their design. The correlation between these bright stars of Orion on the “banks” of the celestial “river,” the Milky Way, and the building of the pyramids on the banks of the Nile was obvious. It was a clearly a case of the Hermetic dictum in action: “As Above, So Below.”

The Memphite Necropolis and the Giza Plateau in particular seems to have been the “Territory of Initiation,” i.e. ‘Rusta’ or Rustau. The role of the Great Pyramid in Hermetic initiation was further made clear by the orientation of the “air shafts”: narrow passages proceeding from the King’s and Queen’s Chambers inside the pyramid itself. In particular, the southern shaft from the King’s Chamber pointed towards the culmination point of the Belt of Orion.

We know from other sources that Orion, or Sahu as the Egyptians called this constellation, was looked upon as the star-form of their god Osiris. We know also that Sahu was the name they gave to the golden body of Light, the highest accomplishment in personal self-transformation. From this, we can read that the region of Orion was what they called “Amenti, the Place of union with the Unseen Father.” How the soul would get there, and what the ancients meant by the “opening of the gates of the celestial Nile,” will be the subject of a future article.


Copyright 2004 Adrian Gilbert. Reprinted from Phenomena Four.

For more on this subject and details of how to buy some of the books mentioned, visit Adrian’s website at www.adriangilbert.co.uk.

1. G.R.S. Mead, Thrice Greatest Hermes, vol. I, pp. 77-8, Watkins, London, 1906.

2. Walter Scott (trans.), Hermetica, Dorset, 1992, p. 191.

3. Thrice Greatest Hermes, Vol III, p. 162.

4. Hermetica, p. 136

5. Thrice Greatest Hermes, Vol I, p.49

6. Ibid.

The Masonic Manifesto: Will Freemasonry Survive? Or Are We Fading into Obscurity?

This excellent essay was censored by the Grand Master of Florida because he found it to be offensive.

THE MASONIC MANIFESTO
by W. Br. Tim Bryce, PM, Editor, Freemasonry for The Next Generation

Cover illustration by W. Bro. Joe Duhamel, PM

"People can be divided into three groups: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened." — John W. Newbern

INTRODUCTION

For a moment, imagine what it would be like to live In a utopian world of Freemasonry: Our ranks would swell with quality men, Lodges would proliferate, and peace and harmony would reign throughout the world. But, as we all know, the state of Freemasonry is far from this; our numbers have diminished, we are struggling financially, members are apathetic, and our image with the public is tarnished and lacks credibility. Why? Because we have failed miserably to adapt to changing times. How can we expect the world to take Freemasonry seriously if we do not take ourselves seriously? If we truly want to make the world a better place, we must first get our own house in order.

Whenever I consider the state of Freemasonry I am reminded of the movie "No Time for Sergeants" (1958, starring Andy Griffith) where Will Stockdale (Griffith) confounds Sergeant King (Myron McCormick), a "lifer" pleased with the ease and repetition of his path, who inevitably counters with the line, "Don't make waves." Frankly, the Sgt. Kings of the fraternity have lulled us to sleep and seem to be more concerned with chasing their next apron as opposed to solving the problems of Freemasonry.

Back in the 1970's, Bro. Gerald Ford was the last U.S. President who had the courage to go before the nation in his state of the Union address and say in effect, "My fellow Americans, I am afraid to tell you the State of the Union is not very good." It was honest, it was candid. But it ultimately cost him his re-election.

The lesson here is that people do not want to hear the truth. They do not want to face reality. They cannot deal with it. However, as Masons I would like to believe we are strong enough to accept the truth. And the truth is, the state of the fraternity is not very good. If we can accept this, we can then seek remedies to correct it. After all, you cannot treat a patient if he doesn't know he is sick. Attacking symptoms with band-aid solutions is simply not going to hack it anymore. I am afraid we need to perform some surgery.

I chose the name "Masonic Manifesto" carefully, because it grabs your attention, and accurately reflects what I propose to describe. A "Manifesto" is simply a public declaration of intention or of principles; things that should be accomplished if we want to move forward.

I am not one to criticize for the sake of criticism. In fact, one of the things I preach in my consulting practice is not to criticize unless you can offer some sort of alternative. In other words, "Put up or shut up." I don't believe in destructive criticism; I believe in constructive criticism. As Brother Winston Churchill once said, "Any idiot can see what's wrong with something; but can you see what's right?"

For example, I do not believe you have the right to criticize your country if you do not exercise your basic right to vote. If you are not willing to go down to the polling station and cast your vote, don't come whining to me about this country.

The Masonic Manifesto is simply a list of ideas for how to improve the fraternity in no particular order. Some items you might like, some you will probably hate. This is based on my observations as a Mason (both here in Florida and with all of the other jurisdictions I am in touch with). It is also based on my experiences as a management consultant, and as someone who has participated on over 30 Board of Directors for various non-profit organizations. None of the items are designed to violate the basic tenets of Freemasonry. In anything, they would enhance our purpose if implemented.

1. THINK OF FREEMASONRY ON A GLOBAL BASIS

Masons have been meeting upon the level and parting on the square well before the formation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717. The invention of the Grand Lodge system was inevitable as it afforded Masons a means to administer Freemasonry on a consistent basis to suit local geographical and cultural requirements. Establishing Grand jurisdictions to conform with political boundaries makes sense in that it allows Masons to legally operate under the particular laws of the state they are living. But where do we ultimately owe our allegiance; to the Grand Lodge where we took our obligation or to the Brotherhood overall? Although there is probably as many interpretations of Masonic ritual as there are jurisdictions, all support the basic tenets of Freemasonry: Friendship, Morality and Brotherly Love. It is this basic underlying philosophy that is too often forgotten. Instead, we have become too territorial in nature and have trouble thinking of Freemasonry for what it truly is, a universal Brotherhood.

I am baffled by those Brothers who cannot think of Freemasonry beyond the four walls of their Lodge room, or beyond a district or Grand jurisdiction. Are we too old or set in our ways that we cannot learn a thing or two from our neighbors, or they from us? Is there some Masonic law prohibiting cooperation towards a common endeavor? I think not.

Freemasonry is a special society separated by jurisdictional walls which we have built ourselves. Now is the time for us to find ways to work together in a concerted effort as opposed to autonomous units. Our strength lies in our unity, not our division.

Devices such as "traveling gavels" are nice for promoting visitations and understanding between jurisdictions, but we need to think bigger, much bigger. We should aspire to lead the world towards peace and prosperity, but this can only happen if we think globally as opposed to locally.

2. CREATE A WORLD CONGRESS OF FREEMASONRY

In today's global society, where communications and transportation are no longer obstacles as they were for our forefathers, the concept of establishing a forum for grand jurisdictions to meet and work together is the next logical step towards unifying the fraternity.

A "World Congress of Freemasonry" should be organized along the lines of the League of Nations or the United Nations. True, there are elements of this present, such as the upcoming World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges to be held in November in Sydney, but I am talking about establishing a more formal organization that meets more frequently and routinely.

Such a Congress would have no direct authority over a jurisdiction or Grand Master. In fact, the Grand Master of the Jurisdiction would appoint a formal representative to serve in this Congress, a body that would do such things as:

1. Establish standards for such things as maintaining Masonic records, the preparation of financial reports, and degree work.


2. Establish the criteria for Grand Lodge recognition. Further, any Grand Lodge participating in this forum would have to recognize all member Grand Lodges.


3. Help reconcile disputes between Grand Lodges.


4. Design an overall framework to promote charity and world peace, not world domination. Each Grand Lodge has its own local charities, but, instead, a global and centralized relief effort would be able to more effectively support relief efforts such as the tsunami disaster of last year. This would be akin to something like the Masonic Service Association of North America, but on a global scale.

Bottom-line, the intent here is to establish a voting body to help formulate global policy and support member Grand Lodges.

3. DEVELOP A GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR FREEMASONRY

As a systems consultant, I am appalled at what I see in the administration of Grand Lodges and Blue Lodges. Not only are our information systems horribly antiquated, they lack consistency from Blue Lodge-to-Blue Lodge, Blue Lodge-to-Grand Lodge, and Grand Lodge-to-Grand Lodge. Instead of devising a standard and consistent system that can be universally applied, Grand Lodges keep reinventing the wheel at incredible costs. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the administration of our Lodges, Grand or Blue; we need to know about:

• Grand Lodges — jurisdiction, contact and address data, legal governmental definition, officers, areas/zones/districts, local Masonic laws, history.


• Grand Lodge administration — payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, membership, banking/investments, budgeting, charities, home/hospital administration, etc.


• Blue Lodges — jurisdiction, contact and address data, officers, legal governmental definition, bylaws, history, dues, inventory, banking/investments, budgeting.


• Members — status, contact and address data, events (e.g., degrees, offices held, awards, etc.), skills inventory.


• Miscellaneous — news, schedules, projects, charities, job portal.

Not only would such a system reduce our administrative burdens, it would be viewed as a vital communications link between Grand Lodges, Blue Lodges, members, and the outside world. Of course, security/privacy precautions would have to be implemented to safeguard unauthorized access to data, but this is simple to do. Even the Shrine has a central location for such processing.

Imagine: the ability to verify a member's status regardless of the jurisdiction; to communicate between jurisdictions; to report sickness and distress wherever it occurs; to have a common and consistent approach shared by all; quite simply, it would be mind-boggling. It would greatly reduce the financial burden for administering records at both the Grand Lodge and Blue Lodge level, yet bring a level of consistency never dreamt possible.

It is certainly feasible to do all of this. Establishing a universal system architecture shouldn't be too hard to figure out. There is also some slick technology now available to make all of this happen. What makes this viable though is for us, as Freemasons, to implement it on a global basis. Allowing our lodges to work more productively can have a dramatic effect on our ability to act as Freemasons.

4. IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE WORLD

To improve publicity and public relations we have to move from a reactive position of communicating to a pro-active approach. Only in this way, can we begin to overcome the misconceptions of the fraternity, enlighten the public, and attract new members. Although there are instances where it is necessary to protect the anonymity of our membership, a lot of our work is certainly newsworthy. And we cannot be leaders if the world doesn't know anything about us. To this end, I propose a centralized Masonic news agency who can plug into the world news outlets and spread our word. I am not talking about a global newspaper/magazine, although I am sure this wouldn't hurt, but rather a news organization that gathers and distributes news and announcements in the same manner as the Associated Press or United Press International (which we should join as well).

A standard and consistent approach for distributing news could greatly dispel the myths surrounding us, and provide the press with a single outlet to obtain news on the fraternity.

5. IMPROVE IMAGE WITH THE PUBLIC

The distribution of Masonic news can certainly help in public relations, but a more personal touch is needed for people to see Freemasons up close and personal and to dispel any misconceptions about our intentions. To this end, I propose that every Blue Lodge ally itself with at least one non-profit organization and take an "active" role in that organization, be it a school, or civic/volunteer organization (such as a local chamber of commerce, Little League, library, scouting, meals on wheels, etc.). I am not suggesting engaging in local government or politics, but rather to select a high profile cause that would give us visibility. This would demonstrate our leadership abilities and help spread the word of Masons.

I also have no problem with performing joint ventures with like-minded organizations, such as the Oddfellows, Knights of Columbus, Rotary, Lions, Elks, Jaycees, etc. Again, this would help dispel misconceptions about Freemasonry while performing some much needed work.

6. IMPROVE FINANCIAL REPORTING

Grand Lodge officers have a fiduciary responsibility to its membership to accurately report all income and expenses in a consistent and timely manner. Such reporting must come with the approval of an audit committee, either in-house or independent. This is no different than how a corporation has to report to its shareholders. Failure to do so, only casts suspicions on our Grand Lodge officers.

7. EMPOWER THE BLUE LODGE

I am a firm believer that the Blue Lodge should be allowed to make more decisions at the local level. For example, although I am not necessarily a fan of it, I believe the decision for holding a one-day class is the responsibility of the Blue Lodge, not the Grand Lodge. As long as the Blue Lodge doesn't violate any governmental laws, rules or regulations, I have no problem with the Blue Lodge soliciting funds from the public or serving alcohol on its premises.

Many Lodges feel paralyzed because they live in fear of the Grand Lodge. Such gridlock frustrates and inhibits Freemasons and is the root cause for creating apathy. Instead, the emphasis should be on simplifying Blue Lodge life as opposed to creating overhead or other burdens.

In other words, I believe it is time we got the Grand Lodge off the back of the Blue Lodges (Gee, I guess I sound a little like Ronald Reagan here). We need fewer bureaucratic rules and more Freemasonry.

I do not suggest the Grand Lodge's role is insignificant, far from it. It is important but I believe we have gone overboard. I see the Grand Lodge's role as one of providing administrative support; as well as guidance and leadership. To illustrate, I believe the lion's share of proposed legislation should come from those who are more intimate with such things as charity, finances, membership, etc. If our Grand Lodge officers are only going to administer what we currently have and lack the foresight of where we should be going, then we have some serious leadership problems.

8. PROMOTE BROTHERHOOD OR "HELP A BROTHER"

A couple of years ago, there was a fine article written in the "Empire State Mason" by the Grand Secretary describing how we, as Masons, have to learn to take care of ourselves; that charity begins at home. Good point. Such initiatives as the Florida Skills Inventory, and the Freemasons Job and Service Portal are small steps in the right direction. The more we can help our Brothers succeed in life, the more they will be able to help the fraternity in return.

But let's take it another step forward; how about establishing a general fund to help Brothers in distress? Further, if we organized ourselves properly, we could also establish insurance plans for our members and a credit union. Again, our strength is in our numbers and such devices can only be created if we pool our resources on a global basis.

9. REVAMP OUR ELECTORAL PROCESS

Anyone who believes there are no politics in Freemasonry is taking it in the arm. In fact, we have the worst kind of politics: gossip, rumor mills, and good old fashioned arm twisting. So much so, I believe our approach to electing officers is detrimental to the fraternity. It should come as no surprise that many Grand jurisdictions now suffer from political machines where the cream doesn't necessarily rise to the top. Consequently, the talented men we desperately need to lead us are going elsewhere. I am not a believer of the concept of "progressing through the chairs." Only the most qualified should progress.

Our electoral process doesn't have to be this way. Some simple, common-sense solutions are available to change this and help put the right men in the right chairs. For example, nominations, position papers, debates, questions and answers, proficiency tests, etc. should be included in our electoral process at both the Blue Lodge and Grand Lodge levels. Without such processes, we are left with political machines, certainly not an intelligent way for electing officers.

One area I would have a problem with though is expending money on campaign advertising (e.g., published ads, buttons, pins, etc.); frankly, I think we can make better use of our money helping the needy, than spending it on campaign advertising.

10. LODGE MERGERS/CONSOLIDATIONS

If your Lodge has less than 300 members AND if your average attendance is less than 10% of your membership, then your Lodge is probably recycling Past Masters, your membership is declining, and your meetings are about as interesting as watching grass grow. If this scenario is true, some serious thought should be given to either merging your Lodge with another or consolidating into another Lodge (sharing quarters). Your only other alternative is electroshock therapy to wake people up which, in all likelihood, is beyond rejuvenation.

Many Masons resist the concept of mergers simply due to the longevity and heritage of their Lodge. But as one Brother pointed out to me, "What is more important, our allegiance to the fraternity or to our Lodge?" Good point. Sure we don't like to lose our charters, but if our Lodge is in decline, it would make more sense to merge with another than to painfully watch it die a slow death. As any businessman will tell you, if a franchise is suffering, you cut your losses and merge it with another.

11. MAKE THE BLUE LODGE FUN AND INTERESTING

Blue Lodges too often fall prey to the tedium of repetition. If a Blue Lodge does nothing more than open, read the minutes and bills, and little else, it should come as no surprise to see our sidelines empty. After all, most people have an aversion to watching reruns.

Are we too steeped in tradition or too rigid to try something new? In order to make Lodge meetings meaningful, they have to be fun and interesting. True, the business of the Lodge has to be discussed, but this should be done as expeditiously as possible and give way to other programs, such as a guest speaker, a presentation, or Masonic Education. Masonic speakers are interesting as are outsiders who might describe some local program or activity of interest to the Lodge. Even a simple change in clothing can make a difference. Instead of tuxedoes, I know of a Georgia Lodge that has a night where members are encouraged to wear the jersey of their favorite team to mark the start of the football season.

As we have mentioned in past issues, music can play a significant role in the liveliness of a Lodge meeting. Instead of an organist or piano player, why not try someone who plays another instrument, such as a guitar or something else? Don't have a musician? Try a CD player, tape recorder, iPod, or computer.

I am a big believer in promoting Masonic Education, either through presentations or written exams. This helps raise the consciousness of the Craft as well as providing for a stimulating meeting. We should always aspire to learn and improve ourselves, our communities, and our world.

Want to bolster attendance at degrees? Try a different venue, such as an outdoor degree or at another Lodge (a joint degree). Themes are also useful, such as a "Black-Light" degree where the ritual is performed under black-lights. Amelia Lodge No. 47 F.& A.M. in Fernandina Beach holds an annual "Fort Clinch" degree in a Civil War fort that is always well attended. The degree team is dressed in both Union and Confederate clothing. I would also love to see South Florida's legendary "Gator Degree" held at an alligator farm.

Also key to attendance is refreshment. You might be pleasantly surprised to see what effect a good sit-down meal, either before or after a meeting, has on attendance. Sutherland Lodge No. 174 F.& A.M. in Palm Harbor has an annual "Spam Fest" cooking competition that has generated considerable interest.

Perhaps the best piece of advice that can be offered to anyone aspiring to be Worshipful Master is the old adage, "If you tried to do something and failed, you are vastly better off than if you tried to do nothing and succeeded." A Lodge should not discourage new ideas and innovation but, rather, embrace them. Creating the proper culture to adopt new ideas is essential to a Lodge's survival.

But above all else, create a hospitable environment where every member and visitor is warmly welcomed and made to feel at home. A firm handshake and some simple conversation can go a long way to improving attendance.

Bottom-line, you want to make the Lodge a place where Brothers WANT to come to, not avoid. If Lodges are boring and repetitious, this simply will not happen.

12. INTRODUCE A RECERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Periodically, professionals such as doctors, lawyers and contractors must attend special programs to bring them up to date on the latest developments and renew their certification. This keeps them abreast of developments and renews their commitment to their profession. I do not see why Freemasonry should be any different.

We have too many card-carrying members who do nothing more than pay their annual dues and little else. Freemasonry is not your typical "club" or civic organization. If we truly believe in the purpose of the fraternity and are interested in perpetuating it, it might not be a bad idea to establish a similar program to recertify our members, thereby recommitting themselves to its ideals. I am therefore proposing an international program to be held in a variety of venues where Masons are brought up-to-date of the state on the fraternity, and Masonic Education is taught (not Masonic catechisms).

Attendance at such a recertification program should be considered a requirement for being a Mason and be periodically renewed, such as every three years. Re-certification would stimulate the Craft, overcome apathy, and renew their commitment to the fraternity.

13. RUN FREEMASONRY LIKE A BUSINESS

People cringe whenever I mention this; not just Masons but other non-profit organizations as well. However, the fact remains that Lodges are legal entities recognized by the State and must conform to its laws, rules and regulations. Further, consider the sizeable sums of monies managed by the Grand Lodges. Consequently, we should organize ourselves and behave like the major corporations that we are. Obviously, we do not want to lose our Brotherly touch for humanity, but it is time we acted more professionally in our business affairs. It is the only logical way to survive in the years ahead.

CONCLUSION

Behind all of this is a deep-seated belief that Freemasonry was once a noble society who helped forge countries and nourished the needy. But our image has tarnished and our effectiveness weakened with the passing of time. Do we believe more in the strength of the universality of the fraternity or the rules and regulations of a particular jurisdiction?

In order for us to return to glory we need to get out of the apathetic rut we are in. It is time for a fresh perspective. What worked for our forefathers years ago doesn't necessarily work in today's world. I am certainly not suggesting we abandon our past; far from it. But I am contesting our organization and effectiveness in today's world. Do we want to be viewed as "custodian's of the past" or as a vibrant organization who plays a vital role on the world's stage? I know our younger Brothers and potential candidates are interested in the latter.

Bottom-line, the Masonic Manifesto is saying "Shapeth up and geteth thine act together" for we will inevitably perish if we do not. Frankly, I do not believe we are up to the task of implementing a fraction of what I have proposed herein. But I do know this: we are beyond the point of making superficial changes; radical decisions and changes in policy are inevitable if we are going to survive. As any surgeon will tell you, do not try to apply a band-aid when a tourniquet is required to stop the bleeding. Let's move away from a reactive mode of operating to a pro-active philosophy with visionaries who want to see the fraternity evolve into a higher level of effectiveness.

Let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes; something I have framed and hangs in my office. It is from President Calvin Coolidge, who said:

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

Prince Hall lodges recognized — and not recognized — by U.S. Grand Lodges

Grand Lodges of states marked in blue, plus Alaska, Hawaii and the District of Columbia, have extended recognition to Prince Hall lodges, which are totally or predominently composed of black (Negro, African-American, Men of Color — choose your phrase) Masons (as of 11-8-2004, source http://bessel.org/masrec/phachart.htm). My point is — the states marked in white have chosen not to recognize these men as Masons. Why?

The New Enlightenment

Recently inspired by something I read on a Masonic website, I googled "The Enlightenment," and discovered some most interesting pages, including "Enlightenment" and "A Study Guide for Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary.

It was this paragraph, on the second of the two pages mentioned above, that made me fully realize that the new breed of Masons, the "outcasts" from the tired old "establishment," those trying to refocus Freemasonry to its original goals and ideals, are indeed part of today's New Enlightenment.

"It has been said that 'Voltaire criticized the Bible, but now everyone reads the Bible and no one reads Voltaire.' Besides being wildly overstated, this jibe misses the point: we no longer read most of Voltaire's writings because the ideas he fearlessly promoted have mostly become commonplaces which we take for granted. The agenda of the Enlightenment is a familiar one to anyone studying classic American values: freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, and opposition to the cruel caprices of unenlightened monarchs, to militarism and to slavery."

In publishing blogs like this, in bouncing back as websites are banned by Grand Lodges, as Brothers are stricken from their lodge's records upon order of Grand Masters, as a new United Grand Lodge of America is established, as I continue to experience the anti-intellectual roadblocks in my own lodge, it is obvious that we are doing what the Enlightened thinkers mentioned in the quote above were doing in the 17th and 18th centuries, trying to gain, within the established Masonic world, freedom of speech, press (websites), assembly, and freedom of thought, in opposition to the unenlightened.

It's odd that today's "regular" Freemasonry, once the leading edge of the Enlightment, helped lead the Civilized World to enjoy these freedoms, but now itself denies its own members these same freedoms with capricious edicts by unelected monarchs.

May the Light be with each of us.

And as Brother Todd Drew is fond of saying, "Namaste'."

Masonic "Recognition"

This article reprinted from the United Grand Lodge of America's website:

During the Masonic schism between the Grand Lodges (1751-1813) of the ‘Moderns’ and the ‘Antients’ the concept of Masonic recognition was introduced into Free-Masonry. Each Grand Lodge claimed that only those Lodges and Masons recognized by them were truly Masonic. Thus Lodges and Masons under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the ‘Antients’ were considered clandestine by the Grand Lodge of the ‘Moderns,’ with the same being true for the Grand Lodge of the ‘Antients.’ Needless to say the concept of “recognition” served the political aims of the Grand Lodges while dividing individual Free-Masons into separate camps.

The most unfortunate result of the schism between these two Grand Lodges was that the concept of recognition was carried forward by future generations of Free-Masons and used by Grand Lodges to divide men who would otherwise have no natural animosity towards one another.

The concept of “recognition” is, in itself, un-Masonic and against the primary aim of Free-Masonry — the Brotherhood of all mankind under the All-Seeing Eye of Deity. The concept of recognition is made possible only when men agree to place their loyalty to an organization above what they owe to both God and their fellow human beings. Thus Free-Masons engaged in such a practice have abandoned the concept of the brotherhood of man and replaced it with the brotherhood of the chosen. In many respects this is no different than the Nazis or the KKK. The Grand Lodges will decide who are the perfect and chosen men and out of blind loyalty Free-Masons must agree or be punished.

From the time of the great schism between the ‘Moderns’ and the ‘Antients’ the concept of recognition has been used to discriminate against men. The English have used it to denounce the French and the Anglo-Americans have used it to denigrate their African American counterparts. All of this was done in the name of Free-Masonry, a fraternity founded upon the principle of brotherly love.

The founders of the United Grand Lodge of America have wisely prohibited it from engaging in the process known as “Recognition” through constitutional law. Further, they have firmly established God and the brotherhood of man as the basis for all Masonic law. The Grand Lodge cannot enact any rule or regulation that would divide men and/or Free-Masons because it goes against the primary aim of Free-Masonry (the brotherhood of man), and because it violates the universally accepted idea that God created all men equal.

The United Grand Lodge of America opens its doors to all men regardless of Race, Religion, or Masonic Affiliation and seeks to unite them into one great brotherhood under God.

Da Debbil's Bidness

I remember standing around the Holy Altar once, leaning on my staff when I was Senior Deacon, during a ritual practice. While the Master was practicing his lines, a Past Master standing near me asked, "Have you read that Da Vinci Code book?"

I said, "Yes. Have you?"

"Naw," he replied. "I ain't gonna read that. It's un-Christian and... it's crazy!"

I recall wondering how he knew so much about something he hadn't read, and then it dawned on me that that is exactly what the anti-Masons think about what we were doing, and they were forming opinions and reaching conclusions without knowledge, understanding or evidence, just as this Brother was doing.

Stealing fire, bringing Light

"I have read of a man who lived many thousands of years ago, and of all the names in these books, his is the one I wish to bear. He took the light of the gods and he brought it to men, and he taught men to be gods. And he suffered for his deed as all bearers of light must suffer. His name was Prometheus." — Ayn Rand, in Anthem

A closer look at the new United Grand Lodge of America of Accepted Free-Masons

On December 27, 2005 the United Grand Lodge of America of Accepted Free-Masons was established by Freemasons from Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucy, Indiana and Texas. Masonic ties were dissolved between these Masons and the Blue Lodges they were members of and the Grand Lodges which have jurisdictions over those lodges.

There is historical precedence for this type of schism, but you have to look back to 1751 to find the last major split among the Brethren, when the Antient Masons established their own Grand Lodge in defiance of the Moderns.

According to its website, the new United Grand Lodge of America (UGLA) wsa established with the goal of and for the purpose of returning "to the principles of the Grand Lodge of 1717 and the true spirit of Speculative Free-Masonry." Its mission? To further the "Brotherhood of All Mankind under the All-Seeing Eye of Deity through the enlightenment of humanity."

Just as Martin Luther and other reformers created Protestantism by protesting against the Catholic Church because they felt the Church had overstepped its authority and become tyrannical, so those Masons who formed the new Grand Lodge of America believe the Grand Lodge of Georgia (and those of certain other states) have attempted to establish "an absolute Temporal and Spiritual Tyranny over the Free-Masons."

As evidence, UGLA's Declaration of Independence lists 13 Facts, or grievances against the Grand Lodge:

• The Grand Masters have convened clandestine committees for the purposes of spreading ill will, false rumors, and conducting character assassinations against lawful brother Master Masons, thus disrupting the Peace and Harmony of the Craft, and bringing into question the moral integrity of the Masonic brotherhood.


• The Grand Masters have refused to answer repeated appeals for clarification of the recognition process in this jurisdiction, and have forbidden other Grand Lodge officers and Free-Masons from discussing it, thereby allowing and promoting racial segregation and religious intolerance.


• The Grand Masters have issued un-Masonic and unreasonable Edicts to punish and expel brothers without the benefit of due process, and to usurp the judicial authority that has always been vested in the lodges.


• The Grand Masters have usurped every Mason’s right to a Masonic trial before his peers within his own lodge, and replaced it with a commission of judges chosen by the Grand Masters who hold their respective offices at the pleasure of the sitting Grand Master.


• The Grand Masters have denied all attempts to restore a system of Masonic education that would educate the brethren in the history, philosophy and symbolism of the Craft, the better enabling the Grand Lodge to control the Masonically ignorant brethren and usurp further powers away from them and their lodges.


• The Grand Masters have violated General Regulation XII of the Ancient Constitutions, which clearly states that “The Grand Lodge consists of, and is formed by the Masters and Wardens of all the regular particular Lodges upon record,” by replacing the sitting Wardens with Past Masters who have no authority in the governance of the Lodges, and are not the elected representatives of the brethren.


• The Grand Masters have engaged in electioneering within the individual Lodges through character assassination and the spreading of misinformation, allowing only those who agree with their Regime a voice and vote at the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge.


• The Grand Masters have purposefully attempted to drive away all educated and professional men who would question their actions, resulting in an overall decline in membership of over fifty percent since 1963 and reducing the financial viability of the order.


• The Grand Masters have purposefully misinformed the youngest and newest members of the Craft about their Rights as Free-masons, and have seduced them into a blind obedience of their Dictates and Edicts based on their obligations before God and the Craft, without regard to the limitations stated before those obligations were contracted.


• The Grand Masters have promoted and allowed the Lodges to collect monies from the public for the purpose of keeping and maintaining the Lodges and not for the benefit of any real charity, thus perpetrating a fraud against the public and bringing into question the moral integrity of the institution.


• The Grand Masters have failed to act swiftly to expel and remove known felons from the fraternity, and in some cases have chastised the brethren who attempted to have them expelled, thus bringing into question the moral principles of the institution.


• The Grand Masters have failed to intervene and stop the spread of rumors against brothers thereby creating confusion and disharmony in the Craft and the Lodges, thus allowing disharmony and un-brotherly conduct to prevail.


• The Grand Masters have acted to protect the financial interests of the York and Scottish Rites by illegally declaring the thirty-five other known Rites of Free-Masonry “clandestine,” thus depriving the Free-Masons in this jurisdiction of their right to advance their understanding of universal Free-Masonry.

I have no personal knowledge of some of these "Facts," but I do know that my lodge, under direction of at least one officer of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, has attempted to "run me off" by threatening charges against me for the "crime" of following the Masonic Code regarding a convicted felon in our midst, and for speaking up about certain violations of Masonic Code going on in our lodge. As an "educated and professional" man, I have definitely been shunned by my Brethren, one of which has publicly declared that I "read too much."

The new United Grand Lodge of America has also published online its Rights of Free-Masons and Lodges statement. The Grand Lodge is to simply serve as an administrative body; its primary function is to charter new lodges. Authority and decision-making remains where it should — the local lodge. This Bill of Rights should serve well to assure the Brethren that the politics and manipulations of a Grand Lodge will not again despoil the name or the reputation of Free-Masonry.

The Rights of Free-Masons & Lodges

I. Free-Masons shall not be compelled by any Masonic authority to do anything they deem to be in conflict with what they owe to the Deity, Their Self, Family, Neighbor or Country.

II. Free-Masons shall not be compelled by any Masonic authority to reveal their religion.

III. All Free-Masons shall have the right to a Trial by their Lodge, and no other Masonic authority shall have the power to try them for Masonic offenses, or to Suspend or Expel them.

IV. All Free-Masons shall have the right to demand in writing any and all Charges against them signed by their accuser(s).

V. All Free-Masons shall have the right through their Lodge and the Grand Lodge to compel other Free-Masons as witnesses to testify in a Masonic trial.

VI. All Free-Masons shall have the right to freely speculate upon and interpret the ancient Symbols of Free-Masonry and to present their conclusions before the Craft.

VII. All Free-Masons shall have the right to Freedom of the Press, limited only by those things which all Free-Masons agree are Secrets of the Craft.

VIII. All Free-Masons shall have the right to refuse to sit in any Lodge, of which they are a member, with another Free-Mason who is not a member of that Lodge.

IX. All Master Masons shall have the right to run for any office in their Lodge or in the Grand Lodge, and no Grand Master, Master or other officer shall have the authority to appoint any Mason to any office.

X. All Master Masons shall have the right to belong to any of the various Masonic Rites.

XI. All Lodges shall have the right to choose the Symbolic Rituals they will use to initiate candidates so long as those rituals comply with the Ancient Landmarks of the Craft or Masonic Tradition.

XII. All Lodges shall have the right to establish their own By-Laws and conduct business in a way that best suits the needs of their members.

XIII. All Lodges shall have the right to conduct Festive Boards in the traditional manner with beer, wine and spirits.

XIV. All Lodges have the right to be represented at the annual communication of the Grand Lodge by their elected Master and Wardens.

XV. All Lodges shall have the right to determine the Masonic status of any visitor or petitioner and the Grand Lodge shall never usurp this authority through granting itself the power of recognition.

XVI. No Lodge’s Charter can be arrested unless three-quarters of the members of the Grand Lodge at its Annual Communication are in agreement.

Wonderful ThingsP.S.: It's as simple as ABC

Designed by Washington, D.C. artist James Sanborn, and encrypted with the assistance of Ed Scheidt, known as the "Wizard of Codes," Kryptos is a sculpture located on the grounds of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Installed in 1990, its thousands of characters contain encrypted messages, of which three have been solved (so far). There is still a fourth section at the bottom consisting of 97 or 98 characters which remains uncracked, and is considered to be one of the most famous unsolved codes in the world. Kryptos is composed of several sections. The most famous is a wavy copper screen covered with about 1800 encrypted characters, next to a petrified tree, a gently rippling circular pool, and various types of rocks. Other pieces include several large slabs of granite with sandwiched sheets of copper with Morse code messages, a landscaped area with granite slabs and a duck pond, and an engraved compass with a needle pointing at a lodestone.

The First Passage (K1) has been decoded to say: BETWEEN SUBTLE SHADING AND THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT LIES THE NUANCE OF IQLUSION.

The Second Passage (K2): IT WAS TOTALLY INVISIBLE. HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE? THEY USED THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD. X THE INFORMATION WAS GATHERED AND TRANSMITTED UNDERGRUUND TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. X DOES LANGLEY KNOW ABOUT THIS? THEY SHOULD. IT'S BURIED OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. X WHO KNOWS THE EXACT LOCATION? ONLY W.W. THIS WAS HIS LAST MESSAGE. X THIRTY-EIGHT DEGREES FIFTY-SEVEN MINUTES SIX POINT FIVE SECONDS NORTH SEVENTY-SEVEN DEGREES EIGHT MINUTES FORTY-FOUR SECONDS WEST ID BY ROWS.

The latitude and longitude points to an area within the CIA compound, but not to the sculpture itself.

The Third Passage (K3): Slowly, desperatly slowly, the remains of passage debris that encumbered the lower part of the doorway was removed. With trembling hands I made a tiny breach in the upper left-hand corner, and then widening the hole a little I inserted the candle and peered in. The hot air escaping from the chamber caused the flame to flicker, but presently details of the room within emerged from the mist. X Can you see anything Q?

The Third Passage is an abridged and misspelled quotation from Howard Carter's diary entry of November 26, 1922, describing the opening of King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. It was reprinted in his 1923 book 'The Tomb of Tutankhamun.' The question with which it ends is that posed by Lord Carnarvon, to which Carter famously replied "wonderful things."

The Fourth Passage consists of 97 or 98 characters, and has not yet been decoded.

The phrase "P.S.: It's as simple as ABC" is an anagram made from the two keywords PALIMPSEST and ABSCISSA.

For more information on Kryptos, check out Wikipedia.

Surrender Dorothy!

"Well, the downside to Intellectual Freedom is encountering a Wizard of Oz reference every single damn day." — Simon Moon, Masonic scholar, Digitarian Pope and publisher of GrouchoGandhi.com

Intellectual Freedom

"Heresy is only another word for freedom of thought." — Henry Graham Greene

"A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider God-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side." — Aristotle

"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there is one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded faith." — Thomas Jefferson, probably a Freemason

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." — Thomas Jefferson

"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you." — Harlan Ellison

"...[T]his is a hard world to be ludicrous in, with so many human beings so reluctant to laugh, so incapable of thought, so eager to believe and snarl and hate." — Kurt Vonnegut in Mother Night

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." — Mark Twain, a Freemason

"The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character.
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love Born out of concern for all beings." — Siddhartha Gotoma, the Buddha

"Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent." — Robert A. Heinlein, possibly a Freemason, in Time Enough for Love

"I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don't have as many people who believe it." — George Carlin

"The truths of religion are never so well understood as by those who have lost the power of reasoning." — Voltaire, a Freemason

"The most preposterous notion that H. sapiens have ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by their prayers, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest, and least productive industry in all history." — Robert A. Heinlein in Time Enough for Love

"Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it." — Thomas Jefferson

"Tho' we are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are, —
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." — Alfred Lord Tennyson in Ulysses

"He that complies against his will, Is of his own opinion still." — Samuel Butler

"A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood." — Chinese proverb

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." — Galileo Galilei

"The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within." — Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi

"You can muffle the drum, and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who shall command the skylark not to sing?" — Kahlil Gibran

"Intellectual liberty is the air of the soul, the sunshine of the mind and without it, the world is a prison, the Universe is a dungeon." — Robert G. Ingersoll

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." — Thomas Jefferson

"New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not common." — John Locke

"Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently." — Rosa Luxemburg

"Opinions cannot survive if one has no chance to fight for them." — Thomas Mann

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds." — Bob Marley

"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man." — Bertrand Russell

"Everyone takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world." — Arthur Schopenhauer

"I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind." — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking; where it is absent, discussion is apt to become worse than useless." — Leo Tolstoy

"Lock up your libraries if you like, but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind." — Virginia Woolf