Brother,
Your question regarding insinuation can be only answered by the authors/Bro Knight and Lomas. I read both books you have mentioned and currently "forcing" myself to read their latest, "The Book of Hiram." Reading the latest one is akin to reading the Pike's Morals and Dogma. One has to like reading both books to get it done not to mention trying to make sense of what they are talking about. But that's me, maybe my mind is not "into it."

Having said that allow me to say what I think and please bear in mind that I am not defending nor attacking the authors since they also have the right to form their own opinion just like we all
have. We all have to agree to disagree.

On the issue of "most Freemasons have no idea of what is going on," yes, it is interesting to note that the very idea of such comes from Pike himself. In Morals and Dogma,(pg 819) he described that the "Blue Degrees of Freemasonry are but the outer court or portico of the Temple." That the symbols are there for us to imagine that we/Masons know the meanings while, the "true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry." (Whoever they may be!). As I mentioned before, the preface of Morals and Dogma wished that Pike should "extracted more and written less." Pike doesn't have a nice word about Knights Templar whom he called as "unintelligent" with a "watchword (was,) to become wealthy, in order to buy the world." For a different view, I recommend for all Masons to read Bro. John Robinson's Born In Blood. For me, The Hiram Key theory is a tad far fetching to really believe in it. Egyptian King-making ritual, Joseph and Moses maybe, but Brother Jesus? maryosep, Give me a break!

Knowing what the hell is going on is a relative expression, who is making the statement and what kind of "going on" were being referred to. Being both Scottish and York Rite, I could jump in and ask a Brother Price of Royal Secret/32nd degree if he know the actual Lost Word---not the Substitute which we learn as Master Mason/3rd Degree. Then we could ask a York Rite Mason of what the "real" Word stands for as he applied it to his everyday life. Knowing "it" is not the end of the search, what makes the difference is what happened after knowing the "it."

Scottish Rite did not originate in Scotland nor that popular in England. In Morals and Dogma, a reader would encounter words such as, gnosis, esoteric, Gedulah, Kabalah, etc... and some scholars do agree in its political leanings. If there is a "leaning" in York Rite I could describe, it is the religious overture i.e. Christian belief, or at least willingness to defend it is a requirement to be a Knights Templar. I wish I could say that for A&ASR. And this is where I think both Rite separates. While Politics and Religion have the same reserve seat in the Blue Lodge--- in the North chair, we regular Masons know the meaning of Three Great Lights of Freemasonry.


F/


Rudy Olano
Lincoln Lodge No. 34


--- In glphils@yahoogroups.com, "ferrer_alfredo"
ferrer_alfredo@y...> wrote:


Brethren,

Most of you have read the books "The Hiram Key" and "The Second Messiah". Both books are quite thrilling, interesting, and, many would say, informative. I just wish to post a few questions regarding the contents of the two books without prejudice to the authors, whom, I suppose, wrote and acted in good faith and with the best of intentions. However, the utter lack of footnotes and references in both books, most especially the first book, leaves me more questions than answers in my mind, specially because the books were obviously being presented as historic, not fiction or novels. The authors maintain that they are Freemasons and even reached degrees beyond the third degree. But:

1) Why is the insinuation so strong, that most Freemasons practically have no idea of what is going on or what are the real meanings of the symbolic acts and ceremonies, not only in the conferral of degrees, but the Masonic rites as they are?

2) Why is the insinuation so strong, that many degrees of the Scottish Rite Masonry were blatantly cut short, if not unjustly dismissed, and therefore quite incomplete and dissatisfying? My interpretation of the books, so well written and informative as they seem to be, is that, in the end, they convey the message that the Scottish Rite Masonry is a castrated one, being based on the politics of those times, and moreover severed by no less than Albert Pike himself.

The two questions above are inseparable. It hurts when some say that we Freemasons appear to be clowns, not knowing what the hell is going on with our ancient and symbolic rites; and, as a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, the wound gets deeper, when one virtually says that our Rite is practically a castrated one.

I will just let the ball roll. Please give your opinions, comments or conclusions. I will be thankful if many would find time in replying. You can send your messages either through this forum or directly to ferrer_alfredo@y... and I will be eagerly waiting for all kinds of posts. BUT NO ATTACHMENTS, PLEASE. Do understand that I know not your names, and my account would automatically reject unknown mails with attachment.

With best wishes,

Alfredo Ferrer
Malinaw Lodge No. 25
San Pablo City
Laguna
Philippines