|
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IT IS TRUE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT FREEMASONRY?
ART de HOYOS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mrs. Inge Baum, retired Librarian of the Supreme Council 33º, S.J., for her
always gracious assistance.
Bro. David Blackey Board, for his detailed research on and bibliography of
Léo Taxil.
Bro. John W. Boettjer, for his permission to use the articles "Garden of
Evil?" and "Stones of Evil."
Bro. Roger Kessinger, Kessinger Publishing Co., for permission to use
extended quotations from The Cloud of Prejudice: A Study in Anti-Masonry,
by Art deHoyos.
Bro. Irwin Kirby, General Secretary, Valley of Miami, A.&A.S.R., for
information on Rev. James D. Shaw's Scottish Rite membership in Florida.
Ms. Joan Kleinknecht, Librarian of the Supreme Council 33º, S.J., for her
kind assistance.
Bro. Rollin O. Simpson, Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Indiana, F.&A.M.,
for information on Rev. James D. Shaw's Masonic membership in Indiana.
Bro. Eric Serejski, for his assistance in translating passages from Le
Femme et L'Enfant dans le Franc-Maçonnerie Universelle.
Bro. Arthur Schechner, Secretary, West Dade Lodge No. 388, for
information on Rev. James D. Shaw's membership in Allapattah Lodge No. 271.
Bro. William G. Wolf, Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Florida, F.&.A.M.,
for information on Rev. James D. Shaw's Masonic membership in Florida.
Bros. Sidney Baxter, John W. Boettjer, Richard Curtis, Richard E. Fletcher,
Wallace McLeod, Pete Normand, James T. Tresner, II, and Thomas E. Weir for their
invaluable textual corrections and suggestions.
back to top
FOREWORD
It is not an unmixed blessing, being asked to write a foreword for this book.
On the one hand, it is a high honor to be asked to contribute a few words to
the work of Masons I so greatly respect. Art deHoyos and Brent Morris are two of
the very best Masonic writers Freemasonry has produced in a long time.
On the other hand, some tasks are simply distasteful, no matter how exalted
the company in which they are done. (Unstopping a clogged toilet springs to mind
as an example.) Dealing with the attacks of anti-Masons is a similarly
distasteful task, for similar reasons.
It is a sense of betrayal which makes me so personally angry with some of
these individuals. I came of age in a time when policemen were your friends,
your father knew best, and ministers lived by high moral codes. And I still
believe that.
But it's getting harder.
St. Luke says (16:10) "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also
in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much."
As you will see in this book, anti-Masons are often dishonest in both little
and much.
That's the betrayal! I don't expect a banker to steal my money, I don't
expect a physician to prescribe poison, and I don't expect a minister to lie to
me.
And these men do lie. They are not innocently mistaken; they are not led into
error; they are not merely confused. They lie.
Suppose Brent Morris writes a letter to me, and he writes, "I don't think Art
deHoyos is stupid." And, later in the letter, he writes, "I was watching one of
our local politicians on television last night, and I was strongly reminded of
the line by the ancient poet-philosopher, Sadi, 'Verily, he is like a jack-ass
among men, a calf, a body which is bleating.'"
Then I sit down and write a letter to Art deHoyos, with Brent's letter in
front of me, and I write, "Dear Brother deHoyos, I got a letter today in which
Brent Morris wrote, 'I . . . think Art is stupid.' 'He is like a
jack-ass among men.'"
If I do that, I have told deliberate, malicious lies. And if I add to my
letter, "so you can see what Brent really thinks about you," I have lied again.
Bear that in mind as you read the examples of what anti-Masons do when
"quoting" Masonic writers.
Dishonest in little-dishonest in much.
To sell a book, or a tape, claiming it reveals truth while knowing it to
contain lies is cheating. Soliciting or accepting contributions in the name of
truth while telling a lie is stealing.
It's hard for us to believe that of men of the cloth. But when a man presents
us, in writing, with repeated proof of his deceit, we ultimately must conclude
that he is deceitful.
This book is not intended to be an exhaustive defense of Freemasonry. None is
needed. It is intended to show, by example, just what anti-Masons are
capable of doing.
There may be some readers who, in spite of the proof of the lies told by the
anti-Masons examined in this book (and in spite of the fact that they can get
the original sources themselves and check them out if they doubt the integrity
of Brothers deHoyos and Morris), still continue to believe in the honor and
integrity of the anti-Masons. If so, there is little that can be said to them.
But for readers who resent being lied to and resent even more the implication
that they are too stupid to know the difference, this book will come as
something of a revelation.
What motivates such men? Part of it may simply be unreasoning hatred. But a
very large part of it can be explained in financial terms. Anti-Masons are fond
of selling audio and video tapes. One can do a video tape, even in fairly small
quantities, for about $5, and that includes the cost of the tape, its
reproduction, a sturdy hinged plastic case, and a color title card for the box;
an audio tape costs about $1.25. Since these earnest entrepreneurs sell their
video tapes for $2030 and their audio tapes for $56, there is a useful
bit of change left over.
Freemasonry, therefore, is a profitable target.
It is not that Freemasonry considers itself above criticism. It is a human
institution and, like all such institutions, imperfect and open to improvement.
Criticize us if you wish--most Masons do. Examine us in depth--we have
nothing to hide.
But do not lie about us.
And, especially, do not lie about us and then dare to claim you are doing the
work of God.
James T. Tresner, II
Master Mason
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
In the three short years since the first edition of this work was published
we have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the majority of our
readers, to whom we extend our sincere appreciation. We have also heard from a
few anti-Masonic detractors who have accused us of both insincerity and a
motivation to write this work for personal financial gain. These charges are
completely unfounded. As we wrote in the first edition, we are willing to admit
to and correct any verifiable errors if provided with proper documentation. We
also hasten to add that neither of the authors receives any royalties or
financial remuneration in consideration of this work.
This second, enlarged edition includes updates, new material and several new
chapters.
One of the most contested matters relative to the first edition concerns the
allegations of the late Rev. James D. Shaw. Among the many claims in his
anti-Masonic book The Deadly Deception, was his alleged reception of an
Honorary Thirty-third Degree from the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction. As
will be seen, co-author Tom McKenney now admits that the emphasis on Rev. Shaw's
alleged status as a "top leader" was a marketing ploy. We will provide
additional documentation and evidence demonstrating that Rev. Shaw lied about
this, as well as other aspects of his Masonic standing and career. A lengthy
correspondence related to the matter is also included.
The increased popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web has not only
provided Freemasonry with a ready medium to disseminate information, but also
allows anti-Masons the opportunity of spreading misinformation. It is notable
that most of Freemasonry's critics prefer to hide under a cloak anonymity on the
Internet, such as Enchanter!, an anti-Mason whose criticisms are also
herein addressed.
This edition includes a more detailed examination of the tactics used by John
Ankerberg and John Weldon in their anti-Masonic book, The Secret Teachings of
the Masonic Lodge: A Christian Perspective. Since our first edition was
published they have made some alterations to their book, but failed to publicly
acknowledge their errors.
A sad and distressing example of the "fruits" of anti-Masonry appears in the
epilogue which contains two articles, "The Garden of Evil?" and "Stones of
Evil," kindly provided by Bro. John Boettjer. These articles are a poignant
reminder that the innocent are most often the victims of brutal, ignorant and
superstitious fanaticism.
PREFACE
Freemasonry is a unique human institution, generating deep loyalty in its
members and great misunderstandings among its detractors. It is difficult for
some people to imagine that a group of men meeting behind closed doors could be
doing anything good, much less encouraging each other to live lives of greater
religious, family, and civic service. And yet this is what Freemasons have done
since at least 1717, when the premier grand lodge was formed in London.
Recent critics, however, have gone beyond stating their differences with the
Craft to fabricating vicious lies to defame the fraternity and its members.
These detractors have convinced themselves that Freemasonry is the work of the
devil. Thus they apparently justify their perversions of truth with the thought
that they are doing the Lord's work--saving an unsuspecting world from Satan. No
misquotation, no distortion, no lie is too great to accomplish what they
perceive as their holy mission. All this is done in the name of Him who said, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:18).
Freemasonry teaches its members tolerance, even of its assailants. The normal
Masonic response to detractors has been to turn the other cheek, letting them
wallow in their own ignorance. The maliciousness and deceitfulness of current
attacks have grown to the point, however, that some reasoned reply is needed. It
is not too demanding to expect the critics of Freemasonry to state their
credentials accurately or to quote Masonic authors correctly and in context.
Surely that is being faithful in very little. The hatred of some anti-Masons is
so great, however, that even this little faithfulness is too much.
This book points out several common misrepresentations made about Freemasonry
and shows specific examples of willful fraud. We do not attempt to answer every
charge, because this is an ultimately fruitless task. Anyone willing to overlook
the easily verified lies presented here can just as easily rationalize away
whatever other corruption they might encounter.
We have tried to be scrupulous in citing our sources and in accurately
representing the exact words and context of quotations. Despite our best
efforts, it will not surprise us if inadvertent errors have crept into our text.
All mistakes of quotation and citation will be acknowledged and will be
corrected in subsequent editions of this work. Please send such errors to the
Masonic Service Association of the U.S., 8120 Fenton St., Silver Spring, MD
20910-4785.
We hope this book will give pause to fair-minded readers who may be caught in
the headlong rush to condemn Freemasonry. The evidence presented here calls into
question the research abilities of many Masonic critics as well as their
integrity.
back to top | 
