The Initiations a Detailed Look.

The following few sections are more or less a blow for blow account of the initiations.

Freemasonry has never disputed the sources accuracy. The accuracy of the scripts was confirmed to a special working group of the Synod of the Church of England in 1987 by the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Every Christian denomination which has seriously studied Freemasonry has declared it incompatible with Christianity. As of 1998 the Church of Englands verdict was still awaited (about a decade after the investigation).

Why is this? Perhaps an understanding may be arrived at if a negative verdict is considered. A negative verdict would implicitly state that numerous members of the Royal family are heretics. The Queen of England would be married to a Masonic heretic( although the queens husband is no longer a practising Mason). A heretic being defined as someone at odds with the teachings of a Church.

As the ancient and symbolic head of the Church of England, this would put the Royal family, or the Queen, and the Church of England directly in opposition. Further more, what would the Church of England have to say regarding the numerous Masonic members who had risen to high ranks within its organisation?

Therefore, discretion in this case is silence, and the better part of valour. The Church of England cannot embrace Freemasonry because it is simply  not acceptable to Christianity. Yet it cannot dennounce it because it has too many current and previous links with Freemasonry.

It would seem that the officialdom of the Church of England has buried its head in the sand hoping the controversial issue of Freemasonry will go away.

However, this is besides the point and is mentioned here merely to stimulate the readers interest.

This section, of initiation, is written from the point of view that the initiations are not simply what they appear to be and contain a hidden meaning. There is some evidence for this assumption.

Albert Pike, one of the most popular, famous and prolific writers of American Freemasonry serves to illustrate this. There are many other famous quotations by this prominent Freemason which Freemasonry has attempted to distance themselves from and attribute as being forgeries, a hoax or written by Pike in his old age and of unsound mind. However, the quotations below are taken from sources which are recognised by Freemasonry as being representative of the body as a whole

‘Masonry jealously conceals its secrets and intentionally leads conceited interpreters astray.’

‘Part of the symbols are displayed.. to the Initiated, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations’

‘The initiated are few though many hear the thyrsus’

‘ The meaning of the symbols is not unfolded at once. We give you hints only in general. You must study out the recondite and mysterious meaning for yourself’

‘It is for each individual mason to discover the secret of Masonry by reflection on its symbols and a wise consideration of what is said and done in the work.’

‘The masonry of the higher degrees teaches the great truths of intellectual science; but as to these, even as to the rudiments and first principles, Blue Masonry [ first three degrees] is absolutely dumb. Its dramas seem intended to teach the resurrection of the body.’

‘The pretended possession of mysterious secrets, has enabled Masonry to number its initiates by tens of thousands. Never were any pretences to the possession of mysterious knowledge so baseless and so absurd as those of the Blue and Royal Chapter Degrees.’

Masons ‘ may be fifty years Masters of the Chair and yet not learn the secret of the Brotherhood. This secret is, in its own nature, invulnerable; for the Mason, to whom it has become known, can only have guessed it and certainly not have received it from any one; he has discovered it because he has been in the lodge, marked, learned and inwardly digested. When he arrives at the discovery, he unquestionably keeps it to himself, not communicating it even to his most intimate Brother, because, should this person not have the capability to use it, if he received it verbally. For this reason it will forever remain a secret.’