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FROM WWW.NEWDAWNMAGAZINE.COM: The origins of Freemasonry - as would be expected of such a "venerable secret society" - are shrouded in myth, legend and almost impenetrable obscurity. Since at least the late 18th century Masonic writers have sought to establish a link between the Knights Templar and the Freemasons. Freemasonic lore and symbols have been traced to ancient Egypt and Phoenicia. Yet, despite all the books and articles exploring Freemasonry published over the last hundred years, there is one area that has not received attention. It concerns Freemasonry's debt to Islamic mysticism and a shadowy tradition connecting the Masons with the Moors of North Africa.
THE INVOLVEMENT OF FREEMASONS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS WELL DOCUMENTED. IN FACT MASONS FEATURED SO PROMINENTLY IN DRAFTING THE AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THAT MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED IT A THOROUGHLY 'MASONIC PROJECT'. NOT ONLY GEORGE WASHINGTON BUT ALSO THE US FOUNDING FATHERS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND THOMAS JEFFERSON WERE HIGH-DEGREE MASONS. MASONRY HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETY, BUT THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER SECRET POWER WHICH HAS GONE COMPLETELY UNNOTICED.
The Kingdom of Morocco under the leadership of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdullah, known as King Mohammed III, was the first country in the world to recognise the United States of America as an independent nation in 1777. This historic act by the North African Muslim kingdom highlights the relationship then existing between America's Masonic leaders and the Moors. Before exploring this strange connection further we need to understand the part played by the Moors in the transmission of knowledge to Europe.
Moor is the classical name in Europe of the Muslim people of North Africa. In Spain, where Muslims ruled for over five hundred years, Arabs are still called Moros. The term "Moor" came to be synonymous with "Muslim" in many contexts, for example the Muslim communities in the Philippines are known to this day as Moros. The Supreme Wisdom of the Moors, much of it derived from ancient Egypt, has come to be known as "Moorish Science".
The Moors provided the vital link between ancient and modern civilisation. The light of knowledge which illuminated the Moorish lands of Spain and Sicily was instrumental in dispelling the gloom of ignorance that enveloped mediaeval Europe.
"It was under the influence of Arabian and Moorish revival of culture," writes Robert Briffault in The Making of Humanity, "and not in the 15th century, that the real renaissance took place. Spain and not Italy, was the cradle of the rebirth of Europe. After sinking lower and lower in barbarism, it had reached the darkest depths of ignorance and degradation when the cities of the Saracenic world Baghdad, Cairo, Cordova, Toledo, were growing centres of civilisation and intellectual activity. It was there that the new life arose which was to grow into a new phase of human evolution. From the time when the influence of their culture made itself felt, began the stirring of a new life."
The Orientalist Stanley Lane-Poole acknowledged the great impact Moorish civilisation had on Europe when he wrote:
FOR NEARLY EIGHT CENTURIES UNDER HER MUSLIM RULERS SPAIN SET TO ALL EUROPE A SHINING EXAMPLE OF A CIVILIZED AND ENLIGHTENED STATE. ART, LITERATURE AND SCIENCE PROSPERED AS THEY THEN PROSPERED NOWHERE ELSE IN EUROPE. STUDENTS FLOCKED FROM FRANCE AND GERMANY AND ENGLAND TO DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAINS OF LEARNING WHICH FLOWED ONLY IN THE CITIES OF THE MOORS. THE SURGEONS AND DOCTORS OF ANDALUSIA WERE IN THE VANGUARD OF SCIENCE; WOMEN WERE ENCOURAGED TO DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO SERIOUS STUDY, AND A LADY DOCTOR WAS NOT UNKNOWN AMONG THE PEOPLE OF CORDOVA.1 The 19th century French writer on the esoteric sciences, Gerard Encausse, known as "Papus", noted how "the Gnostic sects, the Arabs, Alchemists, Templars" form a chain transmitting ancient wisdom to the West. This explains why within the Ritual of Freemasonry there is the admission "we came from the East and proceeded to the West." A Masonic author Bernard H. Springett says:
THE PLAIN FACT THAT MUCH OF WHAT WE NOW LOOK UPON ALMOST ENTIRELY AS FREEMASONRY HAS BEEN PRACTISED AS PART AND PARCEL OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE MIDDLE EAST FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS, LIES OPEN FOR ANYONE WHO CARES TO STOP AND READ, INSTEAD OF RUNNING BY. BUT IT IS FREQUENTLY AND SCORNFULLY REJECTED BY THE AVERAGE MASONIC STUDENT...2 So we find that just as Europe borrowed considerably from the learning of the Moors, European Freemasonry took its "secret wisdom" from the Muslim East.
With the end of Moorish rule in Spain, the Europeans began to colonise Africa, Asia and the Americas. In time European Christians conquered Muslim territories and the great debt Western civilisation owed to the Moors was quickly forgotten. By the 18th century European Christians saw themselves as the predestined rulers of the world with a divine mission to "civilise" the heathen. Western historians conveniently ignored the immense contribution of the brilliant and energetic Moorish civilisation in delivering Europe from mediaeval barbarism. We can only conclude this is a result of the pride and presumption of Westerners, which prevent them from recognising the truth or importance of their debts to the East.
For the rest of this article, HERE.
FULL 2 HR SHOW:"What is the secret agenda of high level Freemasonry? Listen to this excerpt from our Red Ice Radio program with Christopher Knight from July 2011 for a fascinating and disturbing insight. BBC's articles Would you want to be a Freemason? & Freemasons: Your questions answered is more or less a recruitment campaign. We wrote BBC Continues Recruitment Campaign for the Freemasons - What is Really Going on Inside the Brotherhood? to address this. Christopher became a Freemason in 1976. Today he believes there is a Masonic agenda, yet another group is pulling the strings. We talk about the founding of America as the Masonic experiment and Washington, DC as Zion and the Pentagon as the Stonehenge of USA, designed according to ancient megalithic measurements. Maryland and Virginia flank DC as goddess worship is an important part of Freemasonry. Chris will also discuss the Masonic belief about The New Jerusalem and Yahweh coming back to rule the Earth.Listen to the first hour: Christopher Knight & Alan Butler - Civilization One, The Moon & The Megalithic Yard Listen to the second hour: Christopher Knight - Washington District of Zion, Pentagon Stonehenge & The Masonic Agenda " Source: http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=19177 PEACE...
An star about Freemasonry has been published on BBC Intelligence site and seems to similar to over show gauzy self-possessed members of the British majesty really are about our Company. The star by Tom de Castella is entitled, Would You Hunger after to Be a Freemason?
From the article:
Persistent by story theories, Freemasons work to rule theirs is a modern, open organisation. But can this male-dominated reliant cast off its solid image and win anew a sceptical public?They designed the pyramids, plotted the French Mayhem and are detention the sparkle enliven for the Knights Templar. These are fair some of the wilder theories about the Freemasons. In this day and age they are connected with secret handshakes and held corruption in the make conform and judiciary.But resolute by this "secret sophistication" image, the Freemasons wear launched a rebranding mistreat. On Friday, the Amalgamated Big Villa of England, the prevalent Masonic group in Britain, publishes its beforehand autonomous put to death. The Complex of Freemasonry, researched by the Expressive Issues Research Centre, aims to start an "open and plain" rumor send on of the group's tercentenary in 2017.
I'm always astounded by the even titles in articles about Freemasonry in England."Would You Hunger after to Be a Freemason?" The editor state as well wear assumed, "Would You Hunger after to Get Cancer?" The star starts at a run of odd and unexpected, ends the same way.
As an American Freemason, I wear stylish some Anti-Masonic notes. More or less always they come from ultra-conservative holier-than-thou types. Customarily the notes say that we service some magic deity named Baphomat or that we're agents of El Diablo. Furthermost in the state group say to me either, "who are you guys?" or "I didn't know a Masonic padlock was roughly speaking." (these are every one real responses that I understand for instance I'm in Farmington repetitively.)
Let me put forward an state of affairs that you can either fundraiser or depart at your diplomacy. I shock if, so we are a Company that teaches "a course of upright law, concealed in symbol, and illustrated by symbols", we go through take over to signification upsetting. It's not apprehension so of our symbols or our allegories but so we teach uprightness. We be real in a sophistication of ad men who catch a glimpse of us that we're so bad, we acquire to be repaired, not well again, repaired be devoted to injured toys. We crack to signification good and make comatose choices to nation at that "good hunch."
Brickwork doesn't make you signification bad. As you improvement dictate the degrees, you see a framework mold, a filament that tendency help you make good choices in your life. As someone who was a goody two-shoes, I can catch a glimpse of you that it's tough and you acquire secure post models to go adjoining the Jersey Seashore be careful. (Wow, do I ever hard-wearing be devoted to Tony Robbins) Maybe the majesty sees this as a difficulty, that we are acting "too good." If that's the dogfight, I won't apologize. Brickwork gives my life supplemental meaning and percentage as soon as my true happiness of existence a good onset and partner. Why ought to we apologize for limber men a mooring adjoining this care of hostility?
I guess the nominate therapist makes a good run and one that American Masons won't unreservedly understand, together with myself, "[p]eople attach the Masons not so it is a community group raising money for benevolence but for its "snob building block" and history." I guess he's exact. Nearby is no matter which singular about existence a Freemason.
I'm astounded that story theorists are feature an correspond place with Freemasons in any of these tidings articles. An star be devoted to this begs the partnership, what is our task to the majesty dressed in our birthplace activities? The majesty tendency tribute what they wish to tribute and we tendency wear to be real with that be devoted to we wear for hundreds of living.
Men tendency find our lantern tired on the Temple's loggia. They tendency see the light to allow them the tools for self expansion and happiness. They tendency find us. Looking for approval or goodbye up adjoining story theorists basically leads to gaunt time and key in. We are who we are and we ought to be remote of that.
"Have to we go up adjoining the pressures of society? How best can our Company deal with scrutiny? Conviction a view underside."
These basic principles have been the means of attracting the most highly respected persons to Masonry for over three centuries. Their simplicity confounds and confuses those who see a conspiracy lurking behind every bush; those who want 'religious purity' and those whose own motives are constantly self-oriented. As a result, this quiet fraternity continues - as do its detractors.
- Being a man, freeborn, of good repute and well-recommended
- Masonry began as a male organization. There are women's groups and groups of mixed male-female membership who use rituals similar to that of the major body of Freemasons throughout the world. Some of these groups receive acknowledgement (but not 'recognition') due to their adherence to high moral principles etc. while others are frowned upon. It is, after all, quite easy for anyone to claim that they are the head of a Masonic group and begin to obtain members. (Check our list of regular/recognized Grand Lodges here and you may wish to browse our section on Fake Masonry here.)
- The requirement of being "freeborn" harkens back to the earliest days of Freemasonry. It became a requirement since only those free from indentured service as an apprentice or bondsman (as many were in 17th century England, for example), could truly make decisions for themselves.
- Being of good repute is another essential requirement. Masons do not wish to encourage membership by those whose actions would stain the reputation of the fraternity. In some jurisdictions this is specifically stated but in all, it is practiced!
- A well-recommended person is one for whom another is willing to vouch. Those who become Freemasons have been recommended by a proposer and then examined by lodge members to ensure that the candidate will benefit from his membership.
Belief in a Supreme Being
- The major 'bone of contention' for some detractors, Masonry does not attempt to define or delineate how a person should pray or to whom worship should be addressed.
- The term "Great Architect of the Universe" (or "Grand Architect of the Universe") is used to permit offerings of prayer in a non-offensive manner regardless of the varied religious beliefs of those present. All Masons understand this concept and when a prayer is said in lodge (a blessing before a meal, a word of prayer for the sick, for example), they understand that regardless of the person speaking the words or the usual form of prayer of others present, the prayer is addressed to their Supreme Being.
- Once a candidate professes such belief, no further investigation or interrogation is made. This fact stymies Freemasonry's detractors who seem to be constantly engaged in wars of 'religious correctness' and who consequently wind up in contradiction with each other as a result.
Ability to support one's self and family
- Although not specifically stated by all jurisdictions, this 'requirement' comes from a time when many would join fraternal organizations in the hope there would be financial and other benefits available for them in their old age. Masonry did want to become a benevolent association and thus the requirement appeared. Now, this is important to ensure that those who seek membership understand the priority of Freemasonry is secondary to religious and family obligations!
Of Lawful Age
- It's a simply understood concept: if you are not old enough to make legal commitments, then the concepts and precepts of Freemasonry might be a bit too much for you to comprehend. Although this isn't always true, there is a conceptual basis for separating 'adults' from 'children'.
- In most US jurisdictions, this age is now 18. There are, however, some jurisdictions where the age might be 19 or 21. Canadian and other jurisdictions vary as well. Check with your local Grand Lodge. A quick summary of US/Canada ages can be found here.
"Own Free Will and Accord"
- You won't find recruiting posters or 'membership bars' on a medal although one jurisdiction has put 'advertisements' on various web locations including search engines like Google. Masons simply don't get awards for bringing in new members. It's a voluntary organization, sought out by those with a positive impression of the organization.
- Masonic membership has always been an intensely personal experience and in times when "feelings" weren't discussed publicly by men, the need for a person to ask for membership was often not communicated to those who might otherwise be interested in the fraternity. Accordingly, there are many who became Masons much later in life than necessary: they had thought the proper thing to do was to wait to be asked to join!
- Some grand jurisdictions, recognizing the problem arising from false perceptions ("I must be asked to join such a good organization."), have begun to loosen prior strict prohibitions. They may now have a provision for Masons to let those who they may feel would be appropriate candidates know that they are 'welcomed' to join. This does not, however, in any way mitigate or diminish the requirement that a man make the choice to join under his 'own free will and accord' not actuated by unworthy motives!
Books You Might Enjoy:
Richard Weiss - Recipes For Immortality
Solomonic Grimoires - The Testament Of Solomon
Pansophic Freemasons - Masonic Symbolism
Anonymous - Basic Principles Of The Craft
Credit: masonsofheaven.blogspot.com
