We all know that there is tons of anti-Mason prejudice out there. The web is filled with rumors of Masons engaging in all kinds of evil, and wicked activity. In many ways it reminds me of Anti-Semetic myths about the Jews. 

My question is where does all this come from? Why do people single out and attack the Masons? Is it just ignorance? Fanaticism? Ignorant Fanaticism? Is it the secrecy of Masonry that attracts this kind of hate? Is it the good the Masons do that makes them a lightening rod for negativity from darker parts of society? I am interested in hearing brothers’ thougts on this.

newmason80 - 26 January 2012 09:49 AM

We all know that there is tons of anti-Mason prejudice out there. The web is filled with rumors of Masons engaging in all kinds of evil, and wicked activity. In many ways it reminds me of Anti-Semetic myths about the Jews. 

My question is where does all this come from? Why do people single out and attack the Masons? Is it just ignorance? Fanaticism? Ignorant Fanaticism? Is it the secrecy of Masonry that attracts this kind of hate? Is it the good the Masons do that makes them a lightening rod for negativity from darker parts of society? I am interested in hearing brothers’ thougts on this.

Historically, Masons were very secretive. Also, we are taught to not engage with those who are trying to ridicule the Craft. the combination of those factors made it very easy for unscrupulous people to lie about Masonry to make money or lead their followers away from us. The most famous of these con artists was a man who called himself “Leo Taxil”. There are several great wikipedia entries about him and his hoax that I encourage you to read. Put simply, Taxil wrote several tracts that accused Masons of everything from sexual perversion to human sacrifice. He conned the Pope (Clement) and the King of France (Philip the Fair) into providing him with near endless cash for 12 years using these devil worshiping accusations. Finally, he made an announcement that he would reveal his source inside the Fraternity (supposedly a woman) during an event at the National Geographic Hall. At the event, Taxil took the stage and revealed that it was all a hoax. Of course, the anti-mason crowd forgets to mention that last part.

Another source of rumors was the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church. When again, Pope Clement, ordered the arrest and persecution of the Knights Templar, the torturers used the image of the demon “Baphomet” and forced many of the Knights to confess to worshiping it. That’s where we get that image. Confusing, I know.

The question of why people persist in these accusations is interesting. It didn’t take me a long time to find that most of these accusations were lies, but I was willing and able to do serious research. Those who believe youtube is a reliable reference library are probably not willing to do a lot of reading. they like the excitement of the scary music and evil accusations against a group that would never do them any harm. I’m often amused by this and have said that if the things they accuse us of were true, why aren’t they frightened that the Masonic Ninja Lizard people hit squad will come calling on them?

Others are taught by their religious leaders that we are evil. I believe this is a result of a “my way or the highway” kind of religious leader. Masons believe that all men should find their own path to salvation through the faith of their choice. Religious tolerance is not the hallmark of some fundamentalist faiths be them Christian, Muslim, etc.

Ok, I’ve said more than enough to bore you to tears. I’ll stop here but if you still have questions and a lot of time on your hands I can go on and on about this :)

windrider - 26 January 2012 10:59 AM

newmason80 - 26 January 2012 09:49 AM

Another source of rumors was the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church. When again, Pope Clement, ordered the arrest and persecution of the Knights Templar, the torturers used the image of the demon “Baphomet” and forced many of the Knights to confess to worshiping it. That’s where we get that image. Confusing, I know.

The question of why people persist in these accusations is interesting. It didn’t take me a long time to find that most of these accusations were lies, but I was willing and able to do serious research. Those who believe youtube is a reliable reference library are probably not willing to do a lot of reading. they like the excitement of the scary music and evil accusations against a group that would never do them any harm. I’m often amused by this and have said that if the things they accuse us of were true, why aren’t they frightened that the Masonic Ninja Lizard people hit squad will come calling on them?

Others are taught by their religious leaders that we are evil. I believe this is a result of a “my way or the highway” kind of religious leader. Masons believe that all men should find their own path to salvation through the faith of their choice. Religious tolerance is not the hallmark of some fundamentalist faiths be them Christian, Muslim, etc.

Ok, I’ve said more than enough to bore you to tears. I’ll stop here but if you still have questions and a lot of time on your hands I can go on and on about this :)

Windrider,

thanks for your response. I find it both insightful and helpful. There are some things I don’t fully understand though. You said that Pope Clement accused the Knights Templar of devil worship. I was aware of that, but what do the Knights Templar have to do with the Masons. I know there are some theories that the Knights Templar went underground after being outlawed, and then resurfaced again as the Masons. Are you suggesting there is truth to this story?

I had assumed that the Knights Templar story was adopted to create a symbolic connection between the Masons and medieval knights, with all the chivalric values that entails. I also see that the Knight Templar link is used by the detractors of the Masons.

Thanks.

By the way, it was two different Pope Clements, one persecuted the Templars and the other got conned by Taxil. Sorry about the confusion.

newmason80 - 26 January 2012 11:52 AM

windrider - 26 January 2012 10:59 AM

newmason80 - 26 January 2012 09:49 AM

Another source of rumors was the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church. When again, Pope Clement, ordered the arrest and persecution of the Knights Templar, the torturers used the image of the demon “Baphomet” and forced many of the Knights to confess to worshiping it. That’s where we get that image. Confusing, I know.

The question of why people persist in these accusations is interesting. It didn’t take me a long time to find that most of these accusations were lies, but I was willing and able to do serious research. Those who believe youtube is a reliable reference library are probably not willing to do a lot of reading. they like the excitement of the scary music and evil accusations against a group that would never do them any harm. I’m often amused by this and have said that if the things they accuse us of were true, why aren’t they frightened that the Masonic Ninja Lizard people hit squad will come calling on them?

Others are taught by their religious leaders that we are evil. I believe this is a result of a “my way or the highway” kind of religious leader. Masons believe that all men should find their own path to salvation through the faith of their choice. Religious tolerance is not the hallmark of some fundamentalist faiths be them Christian, Muslim, etc.

Ok, I’ve said more than enough to bore you to tears. I’ll stop here but if you still have questions and a lot of time on your hands I can go on and on about this :)

Windrider,

thanks for your response. I find it both insightful and helpful. There are some things I don’t fully understand though. You said that Pope Clement accused the Knights Templar of devil worship. I was aware of that, but what do the Knights Templar have to do with the Masons. I know there are some theories that the Knights Templar went underground after being outlawed, and then resurfaced again as the Masons. Are you suggesting there is truth to this story?

I had assumed that the Knights Templar story was adopted to create a symbolic connection between the Masons and medieval knights, with all the chivalric values that entails. I also see that the Knight Templar link is used by the detractors of the Masons.

Thanks.

People make links where none exist. the Baphomet image is one. Baphomet was used by the Inquisition as the demon that the Templars worshiped. Today, I see the very same image linked to Freemasons. I don’t see a connection, but the tin foil hat crowd does.

An other connectionless accusation is that Freemasons put messages on the dollar bill including the eye on top of the pyramid and “New World Order” in latin. The truth is that the only Mason on the design committee for the dollar bill was our friend and brother Ben Franklin and all his ideas were rejected. The latin phrase actually translates into “New Order for the Ages”.

I also wanted to ad something else. I have kind of my own theory about why the Masons are attacked and persecuted. The theory is that the Masons represent values of tolerance and good morals. As proponents of values like that we will always be at war with the dark elements of society as well as with our own vices. Masons are naturally going to attract enmity from others. For example, take the religious detractors of Masons. Within religion there is always a tendency and danger that controlling leaders will abuse their authority to establish a cult like control over their followers. Masons present an obstacle to that type of religious leader. So, for example, a clergyman who wants to have absolute control over his congregation probably would want to prevent any of those congregants from joining the Masons, which might lead them to question his control.

In short, maybe the fact that the Masons are attacked means that the Masons are doing something right.

windri - 26 January 2012 11:54 AM

By the way, it was two different Pope Clements, one persecuted the Templars and the other got conned by Taxil. Sorry about the confusion.

I also believe Phillip (the fair) of France died in 1314 about 8 months after Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake in front of Notre Dame. And Leo Taxil conned Pope Leo XIII as he served as Pope from 1878-1903. The last Pope to take the name Clement was Clement XIV (1769-74).

Just thought it was relevant because of Pope Leo’s “Humanum genus” (1884) against Freemasonry.

I myself trace the beginning of anti-masonic prejudice to the papal encyclicals In Eminenti of Clement XII (1738) and Providas of Benedict XIV (1751) both of which were politically motivated. These Popes noticed the new and growing popularity of Masonry in Austria (a key battleground of the counter-Reformation) and Germany as well as in Italy and in other Catholic countries and determined to crush what they perceived as a rival to the Church’s grip on civil society. This came to it’s highest point in Humanum Genus of Leo XIII in 1884. In that encycilical, Leo not only condemned Freemasonry, but also democracy in general, freedom of religion, public schools, and trade unions. He was a true follower of pope Innocent III, the medieval Pope who held that as Vicar of Christ on Earth, he had ultimate authority over all civil rulers on Earth, that Roman Catholicism was the only true religion, that no science or philosophy could be other than false and damnable unless totally congruent with Catholic principles (as defined by the Vatican).

Opposition to Masonry by the Vatican over 100 or so years (there were a number of other pronouncements published by various popes between 1738 and Leo XIII) encouraged others to join in with their own peculiar perceptions of what they thought Masonry is. Once a ball like that gets rolling, there is usually no lack of others to help. Some of the modern opposition stems from the notion that if you’re not 100% with us, then you must be against us. This, in my opinion, is really the basis of the opposition of Lutheran and Baptist leaders. It’s unfortunate, but there it is. It means that Lutherans and Baptists and some other Protestants as well as Roman Catholics have to make a choice if they desire to be Freemasons. The choice may be difficult, or it may be simply uncomfortable or inconvenient; but in any case, who loses by it?  The best that we, as Masons, can do is to do what this Forum is dedicated to:  publish the real facts (not the imagined ones) about Freemasonry and leave it to every man to make up his own mind about joining or supporting us.