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ryberst's review against another edition
3.0
An overview of the history and symbolism of Freemasonry. Kinney favors the historical-critical view of the origins of Freemasonry, while still recognizing the relationship of the Craft to earlier societies. Kinney’s greatest contribution in this book is the last chapter discussion on the future of Freemasonry and the emphasis on the formal and spiritual nature of the Craft, rather than the social or philanthropic aspects to which Masonry is now turning.
rebus's review
funny
sad
fast-paced
0.25
Kinney, formerly an atrocious underground artist who wrote for the often brilliant Anarchy Comix, has clearly abandoned all sense and reason to become part of the crypto-fascist elite.
He would ludicrously have us believe that the Masons have never been anything other than a benign fraternal organization that brings men of all walks of life together for bonhomie, a civilized brotherhood dedicated to morality and spiritual study, and men of goodwill who serve the community by building our homes and engaging in charitable works. This view is utterly ludicrous--and not for the reasons of conspiracy and occultism that litters the proper interpretations of their depredations--and mere apologia for the evils they have perpetrated. He also calls himself and others within the organization's past 'Masonic Historians' when they are mere propagandists, and he attempts to demonize intellectuals like Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh (both of whom possess advanced degrees in valid fields) as 'alternative historians' when in fact Kinney has no degree of any sort and did not attend college according to my research (which includes having read all of his comic work). He also perpetuates the myth that Jews were once enslaved in Egypt, which has been resoundingly disproven by recent excavations of slave graveyards (they were ALL Egyptian!). He also lauds 'historian' Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs who had no academic credentials whatsoever and was given an honorary degree before teaching for a few years late in life before she died. Masons are said to be dedicated to logic, yet he quotes her as saying that it is rational to seek god via study of nature, when in fact she has created the conclusion that god exists as a premise in advance, making this an utterly senseless proposition (if one studies nature and finds god, let me know since it has yet to happen). Academic frauds and students of bizarre cults are exalted in Kinney's universe.
The foundational flaw in the organization is that it is ONLY open to people of religious faith who have money and no criminal history, at one time only to those of white Christian faiths (he claims to have seen Hindus and Muslims at lodges, but this too is a lie, as their numbers are too insignificant for this to be possible; it's just PR). Atheists and pagans are not allowed, nor are Buddhists, and despite requiring faith, the Masons hypocritically and in fascist manner ban all discussion of religion or politics at the lodge (not surprising, since monotheistic religion IS the foundation of all fascism and world government systems since its inception with Judaism). His claim of universality is equally ridiculous, as it is open only to a small elite of white men of privilege who spoke only English, thus also making it an early foundation of white supremacism (he laments that it is now all old white, conservative men near the end of the book, but that is the way of history).
ALL of the information about rites and rituals and how they differ from state to state in the US--he also falsely claims that each European nation has a standard set of rites from the others, failing to see that European countries are tantamount to US states--is mere distraction. The symbols are meaningless and speculation about them is intentional obfuscation intended to create controversy and get the masses to argue over obscure details of no import whatsoever. All Masons came from the upper middle classes, the top 20% or better in income, as evidenced by 1/7 of the military in the US Revolution being Masons. He risibly says it's not a secret society, but a society with secrets, a classic distinction without a difference! The exhortations that they meet 'on the level' and part 'on the square' is literal, as their actions were hidden by meeting in secret rooms in pubs and they literally said their good byes on the public square in order to allay suspicion by appearing normal.
The Masons organize everything around the number 3, the main reason being that there are 3 sides to a triangle, the strongest component in building and the foundation of the pyramid (not to mention the holy trinity; for proof of my claim to strength see the new discoveries about nature's 'cone of power'). Anarchist theory, which our author should know, sees religion as the foundation of all human oppression, the temples, monasteries, castles, and churches Kinney exalts as something that diminishes, not elevates, the human spirit. Architecture asserts the power of the State and creates a class based society in which few can thrive (which is why all charity is for show, mere PR). In fact, the foundation of Trigonometry was recently dated back another 1700 years by a Babylonian stele with a primitive trinomial on it. This particular figure was used to enslave the land and animals and draw property lines that benefited only the owners, much as Anarchists recognize that cities were built to kidnap and enslave the masses to work for the true elites and make them vastly wealthy (for they do all seem to want to become immortal, making temples to themselves and not engaging in any of what Kinney would describe as Christian charity). Indeed, the entire program of geometry and city building (masonry, small case) was to obliterate nature and our animal nature. It is a program of destruction and utterly amoral. As John Dominic Crossan points out: even Jesus had to have been a stone mason. John Zerzan would also point out that all architecture is an abomination, a point amplified by the fascist Ayn Rand's love of it (UGLE, the London Lodge, is an apt nickname).
Masonic ties to the KKK are bad enough, but the consolidating of speculative Masonry on June 24th, 1717 in the four pubs--I would also point out that revolution comes from the coffeehouses, which Kinney derides as the realm of the idle by quoting a 1676 pamphlet, while Statism comes from drunks--in the shadow of St. Paul's cathedral is the ultimate proof that civilization is not so civilized and is a white supremacist program that uses a deity to enslave the masses (the pub names are one of the few symbolic features with any meaning, as they are the Goose and Gridiron, The Crown, The Apple Tree, and the Rummer and Grapes, ALL identifying with Masonic, Statist, Religious or Greek ideals, in that order). It is not irony or coincidence that scarcely 2 months later the Crown offered amnesty to the Pirates, who had created a largely egalitarian and democratic society in the Caribbean that included granting personhood to black slaves and making them equal partners. Jump forward 150 years, and we see that over 60% of all new Masonic lodges during the Civil War were created in the FAR less populated south. The Masons were always dedicated to principles of money and white supremacy. Indeed, Masons are largely bankers, architects, builders, and landlords, the ultimate evil in society, those who made their livings through exploitation and oppression, giving the fundamental human right of housing only to those who could pay a hefty price. If religion is the greatest evil in human history, masonry is not far behind in its intrinsic form (the non speculative). And all religion is a death cult.
Only an artist of such meager skill would want all symbols to have multiple meanings (that wouldn't keep us safe now, would it?). Masonry does seem to want to consolidate all religions into a homogenous whole--evil on the very face of it and fascist since all are white--but to suggest that it became some subjective hero's journey of spiritual enlightenment is just silly. It's a bunch of drunken fat cats and meat eating savages in dark rooms exploiting the masses (indeed, animal husbandry was part of their program, responsible now for everything in our Extinction Event, from COVID to Global Warming). He freely admits that Masons are now all old codgers who watch FOX News and celebrate war, that the new Masons have dress codes, higher dues, and more formality and gatekeeping. They are elites and elitists, fostering brotherhood and cooperation ONLY amongst themselves in a competitive world because they have already won and secured their places in the upper middle classes (and it is only money that makes a Mason a Freemason, or anyone else 'free' for that matter, though it is merely a freedom to exploit).
And why does he gloss over and never articulate what he mentions several times as the William Morgan episode/incident?
Kinney is an utter fraud as an intellectual, citing the rise of Masonry in the 1920s and 1950s--the former funded by Oklahoma oil wealth--as a product of the great wars, then contradicting it in the next clause of that sentence by falsely stating that their rising numbers began DURING the wars. In the same manner, he misinterprets the words of St. Paul from 2nd Corinthians 5:2, which clearly were not metaphor, a direct proclamation that god would take care of those who had LITERALLY lost their tents (a common occurrence in desert culture, proven by vast archaeological evidence). The fact is that the vast destruction of the world by the 2 World Wars necessitated vast building projects and hence a rise in Masonic membership. Nothing more or less. Not spiritual quests or personal searching, for which other fraudulent means, like Scientology, would soon come to reign.
ALL religion is a cult, and Judaism is the foundation of all monotheistic and patriarchal religion on the planet, the font of all government, fascism, banking, architecture, and the entirety of the world's great evils that offer only the very few a good life (and Kinney denies any ties between Judaism and Masonry, which is insane thinking). We live in a world based on the psychotic delusion of a god and the oppression of the people by a fascist religious cult. Kinney is an idiot and an apologist for civilization, which is now destroying us all.
He would ludicrously have us believe that the Masons have never been anything other than a benign fraternal organization that brings men of all walks of life together for bonhomie, a civilized brotherhood dedicated to morality and spiritual study, and men of goodwill who serve the community by building our homes and engaging in charitable works. This view is utterly ludicrous--and not for the reasons of conspiracy and occultism that litters the proper interpretations of their depredations--and mere apologia for the evils they have perpetrated. He also calls himself and others within the organization's past 'Masonic Historians' when they are mere propagandists, and he attempts to demonize intellectuals like Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh (both of whom possess advanced degrees in valid fields) as 'alternative historians' when in fact Kinney has no degree of any sort and did not attend college according to my research (which includes having read all of his comic work). He also perpetuates the myth that Jews were once enslaved in Egypt, which has been resoundingly disproven by recent excavations of slave graveyards (they were ALL Egyptian!). He also lauds 'historian' Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs who had no academic credentials whatsoever and was given an honorary degree before teaching for a few years late in life before she died. Masons are said to be dedicated to logic, yet he quotes her as saying that it is rational to seek god via study of nature, when in fact she has created the conclusion that god exists as a premise in advance, making this an utterly senseless proposition (if one studies nature and finds god, let me know since it has yet to happen). Academic frauds and students of bizarre cults are exalted in Kinney's universe.
The foundational flaw in the organization is that it is ONLY open to people of religious faith who have money and no criminal history, at one time only to those of white Christian faiths (he claims to have seen Hindus and Muslims at lodges, but this too is a lie, as their numbers are too insignificant for this to be possible; it's just PR). Atheists and pagans are not allowed, nor are Buddhists, and despite requiring faith, the Masons hypocritically and in fascist manner ban all discussion of religion or politics at the lodge (not surprising, since monotheistic religion IS the foundation of all fascism and world government systems since its inception with Judaism). His claim of universality is equally ridiculous, as it is open only to a small elite of white men of privilege who spoke only English, thus also making it an early foundation of white supremacism (he laments that it is now all old white, conservative men near the end of the book, but that is the way of history).
ALL of the information about rites and rituals and how they differ from state to state in the US--he also falsely claims that each European nation has a standard set of rites from the others, failing to see that European countries are tantamount to US states--is mere distraction. The symbols are meaningless and speculation about them is intentional obfuscation intended to create controversy and get the masses to argue over obscure details of no import whatsoever. All Masons came from the upper middle classes, the top 20% or better in income, as evidenced by 1/7 of the military in the US Revolution being Masons. He risibly says it's not a secret society, but a society with secrets, a classic distinction without a difference! The exhortations that they meet 'on the level' and part 'on the square' is literal, as their actions were hidden by meeting in secret rooms in pubs and they literally said their good byes on the public square in order to allay suspicion by appearing normal.
The Masons organize everything around the number 3, the main reason being that there are 3 sides to a triangle, the strongest component in building and the foundation of the pyramid (not to mention the holy trinity; for proof of my claim to strength see the new discoveries about nature's 'cone of power'). Anarchist theory, which our author should know, sees religion as the foundation of all human oppression, the temples, monasteries, castles, and churches Kinney exalts as something that diminishes, not elevates, the human spirit. Architecture asserts the power of the State and creates a class based society in which few can thrive (which is why all charity is for show, mere PR). In fact, the foundation of Trigonometry was recently dated back another 1700 years by a Babylonian stele with a primitive trinomial on it. This particular figure was used to enslave the land and animals and draw property lines that benefited only the owners, much as Anarchists recognize that cities were built to kidnap and enslave the masses to work for the true elites and make them vastly wealthy (for they do all seem to want to become immortal, making temples to themselves and not engaging in any of what Kinney would describe as Christian charity). Indeed, the entire program of geometry and city building (masonry, small case) was to obliterate nature and our animal nature. It is a program of destruction and utterly amoral. As John Dominic Crossan points out: even Jesus had to have been a stone mason. John Zerzan would also point out that all architecture is an abomination, a point amplified by the fascist Ayn Rand's love of it (UGLE, the London Lodge, is an apt nickname).
Masonic ties to the KKK are bad enough, but the consolidating of speculative Masonry on June 24th, 1717 in the four pubs--I would also point out that revolution comes from the coffeehouses, which Kinney derides as the realm of the idle by quoting a 1676 pamphlet, while Statism comes from drunks--in the shadow of St. Paul's cathedral is the ultimate proof that civilization is not so civilized and is a white supremacist program that uses a deity to enslave the masses (the pub names are one of the few symbolic features with any meaning, as they are the Goose and Gridiron, The Crown, The Apple Tree, and the Rummer and Grapes, ALL identifying with Masonic, Statist, Religious or Greek ideals, in that order). It is not irony or coincidence that scarcely 2 months later the Crown offered amnesty to the Pirates, who had created a largely egalitarian and democratic society in the Caribbean that included granting personhood to black slaves and making them equal partners. Jump forward 150 years, and we see that over 60% of all new Masonic lodges during the Civil War were created in the FAR less populated south. The Masons were always dedicated to principles of money and white supremacy. Indeed, Masons are largely bankers, architects, builders, and landlords, the ultimate evil in society, those who made their livings through exploitation and oppression, giving the fundamental human right of housing only to those who could pay a hefty price. If religion is the greatest evil in human history, masonry is not far behind in its intrinsic form (the non speculative). And all religion is a death cult.
Only an artist of such meager skill would want all symbols to have multiple meanings (that wouldn't keep us safe now, would it?). Masonry does seem to want to consolidate all religions into a homogenous whole--evil on the very face of it and fascist since all are white--but to suggest that it became some subjective hero's journey of spiritual enlightenment is just silly. It's a bunch of drunken fat cats and meat eating savages in dark rooms exploiting the masses (indeed, animal husbandry was part of their program, responsible now for everything in our Extinction Event, from COVID to Global Warming). He freely admits that Masons are now all old codgers who watch FOX News and celebrate war, that the new Masons have dress codes, higher dues, and more formality and gatekeeping. They are elites and elitists, fostering brotherhood and cooperation ONLY amongst themselves in a competitive world because they have already won and secured their places in the upper middle classes (and it is only money that makes a Mason a Freemason, or anyone else 'free' for that matter, though it is merely a freedom to exploit).
And why does he gloss over and never articulate what he mentions several times as the William Morgan episode/incident?
Kinney is an utter fraud as an intellectual, citing the rise of Masonry in the 1920s and 1950s--the former funded by Oklahoma oil wealth--as a product of the great wars, then contradicting it in the next clause of that sentence by falsely stating that their rising numbers began DURING the wars. In the same manner, he misinterprets the words of St. Paul from 2nd Corinthians 5:2, which clearly were not metaphor, a direct proclamation that god would take care of those who had LITERALLY lost their tents (a common occurrence in desert culture, proven by vast archaeological evidence). The fact is that the vast destruction of the world by the 2 World Wars necessitated vast building projects and hence a rise in Masonic membership. Nothing more or less. Not spiritual quests or personal searching, for which other fraudulent means, like Scientology, would soon come to reign.
ALL religion is a cult, and Judaism is the foundation of all monotheistic and patriarchal religion on the planet, the font of all government, fascism, banking, architecture, and the entirety of the world's great evils that offer only the very few a good life (and Kinney denies any ties between Judaism and Masonry, which is insane thinking). We live in a world based on the psychotic delusion of a god and the oppression of the people by a fascist religious cult. Kinney is an idiot and an apologist for civilization, which is now destroying us all.
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