A new attack on Dan Brown

This from the Sunday Catholic Herald

A new attack of Dan Brown
Wlodzimierz Redzioch talks to Professor Massimo Introvigne, the founder and director of the Italian Centre for Studies on New Religions.
Wlodzimierz Redzioch: – You have dealt with Dan Browns’ literary works for many years. What is your opinion about them?
Prof. Massimo Introvigne: – I am not a literary critic but as a sociologist of religion I am interested in the fact that many people regard Dan Brown’s books both as novels and texts showing historical truths. Brown himself uses this ambiguity. One day he says that his books are only novels and on other occasions he tells people that what he writes about is the truth. From the sociological point of view it is not important whether his books are written well or badly. What counts is the fact that millions of people change their religious convictions under the influence of his books.
– Nowadays fewer and fewer people study manuals of history and more and more people read Dan Brown’s books. Is there a risk that the public opinion is convinced that the events depicted by Brown begin to be seen as historical facts?
– When the film ‘The Da Vinci Code’ was very successful in Great Britain, a survey was conducted. It showed that most British people thought that Jesus had married Mary Magdalene and had children (I noticed a similar conviction among secondary school students in Italy). If a similar question had been asked before the publication of the book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ probably nobody would have answered that Jesus had a wife. What is worse, probably millions are convinced that Jesus never regarded himself as God. This would have been the idea of Emperor Constantine. Of course, we mean notorious nonsenses but people read such nonsenses in the book ‘The Da Vinci Code.’
– You publicly accused Dan Brown of anti-Catholicism. What was his reaction?
– Brown answered to my accusations in his interview for the Italian weekly ‘Panorama’, ‘The objections of this critic meet the truth – I favour freemasonry more than the Vatican’ (‘Panorama’, 29 October 2009).
– This diplomatic statement conceals the whole truth about Dan Brown, namely the fact that he is a fervent enemy of Christianity, especially the Catholic Church. At the same time he is in favour of freemasonry about which he wrote his latest book. What should one know about the ‘The Lost Symbol’?
– ‘The Lost Symbol’ advertises and promotes freemasonry. My last book ‘The Found Symbol’ answers the question what freemasonry really is. First of all, Catholics should know that freemasonry rejects all dogmas and principles which could be discussed. It uses the method of democratic discussion in which everyone can present his/her point of view in order to find ‘the truth’ through mediation. This method can be good, for example during a session of some city council that is to decide where to build the sewer system. But when we use it in discussions concerning big ethical and philosophical questions we fall into relativism, which John Paul II and Benedict XVI so often condemned. The freemasonry method is like a computer programme. What comes from the computer depends on what is ‘put’ into it. The Church condemns the ‘programme’ itself, the so-called freemasonry method, regardless of the results because it introduces relativism and creates the danger of losing one’s faith. That’s why in the declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Masonic associations (Quaesitum est: de associationibus massonicis), prepared by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and promulgated by John Paul II, the Church teaches, ‘Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden.’ The new Code of Canon Law (1983) does not expressly speak about excommunication. The declaration states, ‘The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.’ Some Masons claim that because the new Code of Canon Law does not use the term ‘excommunication’ Catholics could belong to Masonic associations without any problems. But of course, this is only the view of freemasonry and not of the Catholic Church. Naturally, referring to this matter Catholics must respect the teaching of the Church and not the opinion of freemasonry. Even if the Code does not use the expression ‘excommunication’ the fact that the faithful who enroll in Masonic associations ‘may not receive Holy Communion’ explains everything. Besides, the above-mentioned declaration stresses that ‘It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations’ and the local bishops cannot change the definite decision of the Holy See.
– What is the convergence between the idea of Dan Brown and the idea of freemasonry?
– Brown is not a deep thinker but in his latest book ‘The Lost Symbol’ he reveals his ideas quite clearly. He thinks that the Catholic Church afflicts his believers by such concepts as sin and grace whereas the spirituality that sets man free should be centred on the fact that man is a divine being. This is an old thesis of the eternal enemy of the Church – the Gnostic heresy with which Brown identifies himself. In his book ‘The Lost Symbol’ he states that the only difference between you [man] and God is that you have forgotten that you are a divine being. Brown gives a simplified picture of freemasonry because he does not show the differences between various Masonic associations, various historical epochs or geographical contexts. Nevertheless, ascribing to the wide trend of freemasonry the statement that man is a true God is not wrong. In this case the views of freemasonry are identical with Brown’s ideas.

Masonic cartoon

This cartoon is coming up for sale with a pre-sale estimate of up to £30. It is being sold by T. Vennett-Smith in Nottingham on February 2.

The catalogue description reads: "Comedy set by Glanville, Are You A Mason, National Series, 1614-1619, complete."

Weather vane

This weather vane is being sold in Maine, US, and is expected to fetch almost £1,000 - for charity.

The catalogue description reads: "Weathervane - 19th c. gilt copper and zinc banner, full sunflower top over banner with black painted Masonic emblem, set on custom museum base. 46" high, 36 1/2" wide, 6 3/4" deep, good condition, untouched surface. "

Masons, Jews and the Middle East

This from the Jerusalem Post:

One of the cornerstones of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policy has been his belief that economics is an integral part of any peace process. He has claimed that "we must weave an economic peace alongside a political process... [It] will support and bolster the achievement of political settlements down the line."

Freemasons' Hall in London. Reports from the British Mandate period state that the lodges in Israel "stand for peace."
The idea that free-market principles and a strong economy mitigate both nationalism and political extremism - especially the resort to violence - has long been a staple of those who argue for democratization and free trade. What Netanyahu and his advisers may not know is that the theory of economic peace has been alive and well in the Holy Land since the 19th century, among Jewish, Arab and Christian Masons.
Few are aware of the connections that exist between Masons, Jews and the conflict in the Middle East. The fascists, such as Francisco Franco, and the Nazis were fervently anti-Mason. The militant Islamist movement has typically seen the Masons as a threat. Hamas describes Freemasonry as a "secret society" controlled by Zionism, and the term "Freemason" is mentioned three times in the Covenant of Hamas adopted in 1988. Israel's most potent enemy in the 1960s, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser, closed all the Masonic lodges of Egypt in 1962.
THE MASONS are an international fraternal order whose beginnings are traced to Scotland in the 16th century. The movement spread quickly to England and thence to the Americas, where many of the founders were Masons. Freemasonry has been influential in inspiring westernization and secularism among military and political elites in such diverse places as Mexico, Russia and Liberia. However, it has been perceived as deeply threatening to religious groups and conspiracy theorists.
Since its inception, Freemasonry has welcomed Jews as members, and initially most Jewish Masons were from prominent Sephardi families. One of these, Moses Montefiore, is important because of his connection to 19th-century Palestine, where he helped improve the living conditions of local Jews. However, the first Masonic ceremony held in Jerusalem was conducted by a Kentucky-born Mason named Robert Morris at the Cave of Zedekiah (popularly known as King Solomon's Quarries) near Damascus Gate in east Jerusalem. Another Masonic lodge, the Royal Solomon Mother Lodge, was founded in Jaffa in 1873 by American settlers of the Adam's colony. The colony failed, and the lodge was maintained by Rolla Floyd, a survivor of the colony. Another lodge was founded in 1890 in Jaffa by middle-class Jews and Arabs.
The Masonic lodges at this time included Jewish and Arab notables. One example of these, according to an article written by Israeli Mason Leon Zeldis, was a Christian Arab hotel owner named Iskander Awad who was also an agent for the Thomas Cook travel agency. Lodges were founded in Haifa (1911) and Jerusalem (1931), and in each case the membership was composed of leading Jews, Arabs and Europeans.

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Dr. Daniel Farhey, a Mason based in Haifa, has written that "Freemasonry is one of the few institutions that actively promotes better understanding between the different ethnic and cultural segments of Israel society, particularly between Jewish and Arab brethren, and also assists in the social integration of immigrants."
DURING THE British Mandate, the Masons in Palestine experienced a huge influx of British members. It may be no surprise that many of the leading voices behind the establishment of the Mandate, such as Lord Arthur Balfour, and Mandatory administrators such as High Commissioner Herbert Samuel were Masons. The lodge in Jerusalem attracted Jerusalem's business and political elite, among them David Abulafia (Sephardi Jewish leader), Daniel Auster (a General Zionist politician and Jerusalem mayor), the Yeshaya family (Jewish businessmen), S.T. Rock (Arab Catholic businessman), Nagib Mansour (Christian Arab engineer) and members of the Muslim elite who, according to information supplied to the author, may have included the Dajani family. This was a coexistence fraternity based on shared economic values.
Reports from the period state that the lodges "stand for peace." A clipping from The Palestine Post published in 1939 describes the death of Samuel Hashimshoni, who was a "fine exponent of Masonry" and who did not travel with a firearm "as an example to his colleagues of his faith in his fellow man. He maintained and sought contacts with Arab friends."
Prof. Ruth Kark of the Hebrew University and Dr. Joseph Glass have documented how the Sephardi Valero family were prominent Masons and maintained close relationships with Arabs throughout the Mandate. This was the essence of Freemasonry in the Holy Land, and is maintained today in the Grand Lodge in Israel where the Koran, Bible and Torah are displayed together.
FREEMASONS HAVE been integral to the Land of Israel from the time of Charles Warren (archeologist in 19th-century Jerusalem) to the continued activities of the dozens of lodges, including eight in Jerusalem alone.
However as history has shown, the early attempts at "economic peace" enshrined in the Masonic ideology did not prevent the 1948 war. Communal leaders like Abulafia, Auster and their Arab counterparts stood by as war engulfed their communities.
The question is whether Netanyahu will be more successful at achieving economic peace than his forebears.

Less is More

From the "Runcorn and Widness World"

"MEMBERS of Runcorn Freemasons have donated £750 to Help for Heroes.

"The group, which meets at The Masonic Temple, York Street, presented the money to David Roberts, the Merseyside co-ordinator for the charity at the Runcorn Cenotaph.

"David Roberts, lodge secretary, said: “The Beacon Lodge has only 22 members but everyone dug deep and contributed to this wonderful donation. I am proud to be able to demonstrate the commitment freemasons have to the communities in which they live and to be able to support our brave young heroes who protect us.” "

Globes

If you've got £20,000 to £30,000 to spare why not get hold of a splendid pair of celestial and terrestial globes.

They are to be sold at Bonhams in London on January 20.

The catalogue description reads: "An impressive pair of Vincenzo Coronelli 42 1/2-inch (108cm) facsimile terrestrial and celestial globes, 20th century

Stone laying ceremony

This photograph (click to see a bigger version) comes from the Vanessa Sykes collection and shows a Masonic stone-laying ceremony at New Brighton Grammar School on 13th June 1912.

It will be sold by Trevor Vennett-Smith auctions in Nottingham on January 12 and is estimated to go for up to £30.