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Title: A Pilgrim's Path: Freemasonry and the Religious Right by John J. Robinson ISBN: 0-87131-732-X Publisher: M Evans & Co Pub. Date: October, 1993 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (28 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: The Immaculate Combination: An Apology by John Robinson
Comment: This is an attempt to demonstrate that there is nothig wrong with Freemasonry, that it is merely a philanthropic organization and that the real villains are the Christians, what the author calls "the religious right".
I am ready to believe that most Freemasons are peace-loving people who want to improve their neighbour's lot. Having said that, what about the highest levels of Freemasonry? Something one needs to bear in mind is that one may be a member of an organisation while being completely unaware of the evil goals it pursues. Most secret societies give you just as much information as you may be trusted to handle safely and nothing more.
In secret operation jargon such an "innocent" person is called a cutout.According to Jon Rappoport(read his "Secret behind Secret Societies), a cutout is "a person or group used by a more powerful group to carry out the dirty work. The cutout does not usually know what agenda he is really serving, having been given a cover story. And the cutout also provides a buffer of deniability for the "higher power" behind him."
About secret societies in general, Jon rappoport has the following to say:
"One point which some people miss: there are groups which, while maintaining a very public face, and while doing good works, conceal an entirely different agenda behind the scenes.
This tends to cause confusion.
People say, "Well such and so group does good things. How can they be bad?"
That's exactly the point. If you want to hide your core efforts and programs, you show a public persona that is admirable.
I have known, for example, many people who were educated in school by Jesuits and came out of the experience with superior skills.
Occasionally, researchers show up at Council on Foreign Relations meetings in NYC and come away with the impression that these Council folks are boring, shallow, and ineffectual.
Events in the wake of 9/11 tend to leave the impression that the CIA is nothing more than a bumbling bunch of information collectors. Well, that's what you're supposed to think.
Secret societies, of course, are all about conspiracies. People often don't get how a major conspiracy can operate without having a million participants in on the game.
Actually, it's easy. You compartmentalize functions, so that most of the dupes are just "doing their jobs." They don't realize the true agenda they are serving.
Some of the more amusing emails I've received are from people who say that big-scale conspiracies are impossible to maintain. These people are actually part of a conspiracy, but they don't know it. They're just going to work every day."
The role played by Freemasonry in the French Revolution and other bloody insurrections (one is documented in great detail by Robinson in his "Born in Blood") shows that its members are ready to use extreme violence in order to attain their goals. People who really love peace like Gandhi or Martin Luther King use non-violence. And they do not form secret societies. Secrecy and benevolence do not go together well.That is sooo obvious.
Finally, I recommend readers to read Captain Morgan's indictment of Freemasonry. The poor chap was murdered by fellow Masons for revealing the secrets of the organisation on Sept.11th 1826 AD.
A charitable organisation? Naive people may believe that but not a keen observer of reality and a serious student of history...!
Rating: 4
Summary: A GREAT READ
Comment: Talk to your friends and to your neighbors, and ask them what they think of the Freemasonry. I am sure that you will receive answers that are both positive and negative. Then, pick up this book and read it. If you are a person that loves to do good for people and for those in need then read about Freemasonry. Although, some things are left out this book does a wonderfuol job of protraying Masons.
Mr Robinson, for example tells you a story about him going to a Shriners meeting. A little girl had severe burns all over her body. One man stood up and said that they needed to discuss what was in their budget for this little girl. Another Shriner stood and replied, "No whatever this girl needs is our budget." For those that feel Masonry is a negative. Is helping a burn victim a negative?
Hurray for Mr Robinson. And, Greetings to all Masons reading this review. For I am not a Mason yet, but hope to be soon.
Rating: 4
Summary: Though Problematic - Still a Great and Needed Book
Comment: John J. Robinson has written an interesting read on Freemasonary. His book is a popular apologetic for the Mason order. Before going any further, it must be said, that this is a diffcult book to rate. Though at times I may agree with him, his use of loaded langauge against many fundamentalists taints perspective (I'll give an example later)and his historical assertions that Masonary may go back further than 1717 is lacking strong evidence (I have been informed that his other book "Born in Blood" is much more detialed).
On the flip side, he makes many fine arguements and his writing style is interesting and, well, enjoable. His book is essentially divided in two parts: One- deals mostly with what he terms the Religious Right, which is a problematic statement in and of itself. He also uses the term fundamentalist, which I think is much more appropriate for this text and his assertions. The chapter on "what is a Mason" is well written and dispells the myth that Masonary is Satanic or inherently religious. His points about many of our founding fathers being Masons are pretty well documented elswhere and his point should be well tanken', although he does possibly overstate his case.
He does rightly critque people like Pat Robertson and John Ankerberg. Both fundamentalists religious leaders have attacked Masonary and they have largely made their reviews based on many presuppositions, though he does use loaded langauge which I find disturbing; after all, he is doing the very thing he dislikes about their reviews of Masonary (calling Ankerberg's ministry a "strange" ministry). It is a polemic, and although I disagree with many of Ankerberg's positions (including his position on Masonary), he has produced some good work and his TV show is one of the few where people on the other side get to make their case. There are other criticisms as well, but the over all tone of the book is a good balance to many misconceptions. He puts Masonary in its proper perspective - that of a fraternal order. Although some members may treat it as a religion, the evidence points that it was founded by individuals who were like minded in certian areas such as charities and fraternity. His theological analysis of the Christian tradition and text is, well not always sound, but his critisms of many popular fundamentalists are pretty much correct. His review of Pat Robertson's assertion in "New World Order" is very accurate.
Part Two is an interesting read as well and the chapter "Its a Secret", though short, is a good counter to the "secret ritual" nonesense. Lastly, I say these things as a non-mason. I have had no desire to ever even be one, and I think there could be conflicts "religiously" speaking, but that is not the fault of Masonary per see, but the person who joins it (where does the indivdual's true alliance belong). I think the true Mason would say, "one's God and Faith."
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Title: Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry by John J. Robinson ISBN: 0871316021 Publisher: M Evans & Co Pub. Date: October, 1990 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Meaning of Masonry by W. L. Wilmshurst ISBN: 0517331942 Publisher: Gramercy Pub. Date: 02 December, 1995 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Dungeon Fire and Sword: The Knights Templar in the Crusades by John J. Robinson ISBN: 0871316579 Publisher: M Evans & Co Pub. Date: January, 1992 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Freemasonry: A Journey Through Ritual and Symbol by W. Kirk MacNutly, W. K. Macnulty ISBN: 0500810370 Publisher: Thames & Hudson Pub. Date: September, 1991 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Duncan's Ritual of Freemasonry by Malcolm C. Duncan ISBN: 0679506268 Publisher: Crown Pub. Date: 12 April, 1976 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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