The very real conspiracy against Freemasonry

@ Skyfloating:
I didn't realise you were a Mason. I've always very much enjoyed your input on ATS, since before you became a mod and all. I've always found that your views and thoughts compare closely with my own. Out of interest, what book did you pledge on when you joined?

Regarding the OP, the bottom line is that with so much corruption at the highest levels, people are desperate to find a scapegoat. Freemasonry provides that and probably always has done - hence why it has always been marginalised and banished. People see the mysterious symbolism, the occult tinges, and they assume there must be something evil behind it.

If I didn't already have so much on my plate I'd seek membership. Traditions are important, and I suspect that the tradition of Freemasonry is among the wisest of traditions.

Thanks. Ive been enjoying your posts too.

To answer your question:

I very reluctantly pledged on the bible.

reply to post by freight tomsen

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You are truly the only person I know that can take 2+2 and make it equal 5.99999. Each time you ramble on and make conections that make no sense to the normal person, the value of what you say drops greatly. If you can produce some decent research to prove your points, then someone might leason to you. So far all I see from you is a buch of dust and smoke. Do you make these statments just to hear yourself talk?

Really? I'd love to know what you make of my avatar and my apparent underlying rationale for using it to cite my membership in Masonry.

Haha, I thought there'd have been a little reluctance on your part there. I suppose it can be seen as a traditional formality and a means to an end (the end being all the positive, non-religious aspects of Freemasonry).

reply to post by Cythraul

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Just to add, so there is no misunderstanding by the humourless stiffs frequenting these pages:

At our initiation we kiss the "VSL" (Volume of the Sacred Law), which is a Bible...

...but symbolically representative of "a belief in a supreme being" and not necessarily an indicator of having to be a member of a certain religion.



[edit on 1-5-2008 by Skyfloating]

I aplogise if this has already been covered, but what would be the point of an anti-Mason conspiracy? What possible benefit to these supposed 'anti-Mason's' could there be? If Mason's are indeed a bunch of lovely chaps do great and charitable works for the good of society, what do these anti-Mason's get out of their conspiracy, which as a reminder, is 'a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act'?...

Those are excellent questions. A look at the history of Freemasonry will answer them.

There are several famous anti-Masonic conspiracies. One that has gotten a lot of attention here on ATS concerns the Illuminati, which was a quasi-Masonic rite that was formed in Bavaria in 1776.

The founders of the Illuminati wanted to promote Enlightenment ideals, guarantee equal rights fro women, separate church and state, and institute freedom of speech. These ideas were met harshly by the Bavarian government, who ruled in a religious dictatorship. So they conspired to defame the Illuminati, knowing that if they could make the people afraid of them, the Illuminati could not get the popular support they needed. They were more or less successful in their propaganda campaign, and even today, a couple of centuries later, many (though not all) anti-Masons still fall for the "Illuminati conspiracy" scam.

Another famous anti-Masonic conspiracy comes directly from the Vatican, through various papal bulls, and most notably, Leo XIII's "Humanum Genus", which I recommend you read, along with its rebuttal, "A REsponse To Humanum Genus" by Brother Albert Pike. Incredibly, Pope Leo condemns Freemasons for standing up for individual rights and freedom of religion.

Much as I'd like to puff-up my breast and get all cocky, the simple fact is that I'm a very average and typical man both among men at large and Masons in particular and far from exceptional.



In society today, it's much easier and more deliciously fun to believe the worst about people. Why? Because it gives the teller a usually unwarranted presumed superiority over the 'evil' individual or group. The simple fact is that it's bad news we pay the most attention to: dog bites man is much more engaging than dog licks man's hand (even though the latter is far more prevalent than the former).



Any ritual viewed from an uninformed perspective is off-putting and can be characterised as odd. Tell me that any Catholic or Anglican or just about any religion's rituals can't be viewed through the same filter. In fact, every human interaction is ritualistic to one degree or another. Take the act of shaking hands when introducing one's self. Why that ritual? To prove no weapon was being secreted. Do we worry about that now? No. Yet still we do it. Why? It's a ritual.

As for the "sane minded" comment, don't get ahead of yourself.
Wouldn't want to disappoint a certain demographic.



Reasoned study from a reasoned mind is never something to be feared.



Any statistically identifiable group is bound to have individuals that bring discredit to the group as a whole. However, tarring the entire group as having the same traits as the individual just isn't on and any cool-headed, rational review would show this to be the case. It's when the brain goes 'hot' that we get the likes of "The Troubles" or Freedom Fries or insert-your-favourite-illogical-group-against-group-fracas-here. In my Lodge among the officers in line right now, our Senior Warden's black, our Senior Deacon Sikh, our Junior Deacon and Inner Guard Catholic, I'm Anglican and the brethren are a mixed bag of races and religions. Yet we all get along pulling for the betterment of ourselves and society at large as well as rendering us more worthy to the Supreme Deity whom we as Catholics or Sikhs or Anglicans or what-have-you understand him.

This is a bad thing?



Knock yourself out. I'm at a loss to think of anything I've ever written as poetic but far be it for me to interfere with art.

He didn't. The letter is a hoax written by an anti-Masonic Catholic priest in the 20th century.

It would help if you actually did a little research before posting that stuff.

Freemasonry encourages it's members to educate themselves and to put morality into their decision making, it can lead to spiritual enlightenment. I cannot think of any force of 'good' that would oppose such practices. This is enough for me to realise that the enemies of freemasonry are my enemies too.

Freemasonry, not only offers a route to enlightenment but it brings like-minded people together. People who can trust each other, rely (somewhat) on each other in times of need. A support network. I can only think that whoever would oppose such a system would wish to isolate that group from society as a whole, for fear that such a system would spread. Therefore it may be assumed that those who oppose freemasonry favour divide and conquer rather than enlightenment of the masses.

Thanks for your post.

There is nothing unlawful about wanting to expose the secrets of a society whose tenticles reach as far as the boyscouts, rainbow girls, girls scouts, lyon, elks, shriners,

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, Queens, judges, lawyers, ceo's, pastors, doctors, congressmen.......

No, what they want is the "useless eaters", or anyone outside the circle, to be kept in the dark, to go to work, and to pay their taxes, thanks to George Washington.

No conspiracy here.

Nice of the forum moderator to be unbiased though, isn't it?

We dont actually moderate our own threads.

Oh...and what would your response to the opening post be, considering you are one of the more outspoken anti-masons here?

[edit on 1-5-2008 by Skyfloating]

No conspiracy here.

Yes, there is an effort to bring down the masons.

I happen to be part of the effort.

But the usual gang of 5 or so masons here on ATS seem to be getting
a kick from it, so by all means, have a good time.

It's laughable at most. Sorry, no star young man.

reply to post by cutbothways

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The kind people in history who have been trying to bring down masons...

...not suspicious at all?

SF isn't a mod of this forum. I guess you've never noticed this at the bottom of every page

"This thread is in a forum moderated by: TheBorg, lombozo, WyrdeOne, benevolent tyrant, HarlemHottie, lombozo, yeahright, Cuhail, Sauron, NGC2736, khunmoon, JacKatMtn, Spiderj, GAOTU789, junglejake, kleverone"

And in case you're wondering, Mirthful Me is a Mason although, again, not a mod of this forum. Intrepid's been accused a number of times but alas and alack he isn't a Mason.

HTH

Well, in order to answer that question you would have to be knowledgable about where all anti-masonry claims originate:

1. (1300s) The Knights Templar Confessions
   
2. * The Knights Templars exonheration of these charges by the catholic church.
   
3. (1828 - 1838) Anti-Masonic Party
   
4. (1890) The Leo Taxil hoax
   
5. ...etc...
   

Pick, pick, pick.

You cleave on little.

GAOTU789 is a mason.

Mirthful Me is one of the "three amigos", or founders of this forum, correct me if I'm wrong.

And since this is the largest conspiracy forum on the internet by a long shot, I would suggest the instillation of mason moderators/shadow knights is no accident.

Extreme and Unjustified Paranoia is a mental illness

man, i think freemason's behaviour are fascinating, here it is a conspiracy forum site, so i thought, every members were conspiratist interested in finding hidden truth behind conspiracies. some members are really different. they never explore, dig, or debate to put light over conspiracies, all they seems to want and their only goal seems to be to promote freemasonry or to protect freemasonry that seems to be the only reason they hang around. man it is like having a forum site on Greenpeace interest with whales hunters members trying to convince all the others that they do not arm the ecosystem balance.

man, i spoke to a freemason, 2 week ago, he was the father on my friend girlfriend he was at my friend's house. my friend told he was a freemason since thirty years. i had a car accident so the assurance rent me what they have left available a ‘’ 2008 Chrysler 300’’ , he told me that he once had a nice car but over the years he invest in, his self instead. i asked him what exactly and he told me he invest his economy in his self evolution, after i told him i knew he was a freemason, he told me that he is a 32 degree mason and that all his level to get degrees cost a lot of money additionally to the annual fee of 120.00$. i ask him how much he invest in freemasonry and he told me, it wa more than the Chrysler 300 value...

man, it make me think, that it is very similar to indoctrinated scientology members because of the level ( degrees) you have to pay for the attitude of the members are very similar to some around here who are always trying to deny all conspiracy around freemason.

take a look man and see the attitude of those 3 guys in the video defending their fraternal organisation it is very similar to those around here,

the same attitude and the same strategy, check this video