Thursday, November 18, 2004
MASONIC TRADITIONALISM
If religious decide to do what Rene Guenon proposed and adopt the concept of looking for a basic philosophy shared by all religions, so as to find common ground on which to build peace, the Masons will be joining the discussion.
In previous blogs I've shown the European version of Masonic Traditionalism. Now for the American stuff.
TraditionalFreemasonry.org, a site sponsored by Lodge New Isis:
TraditionalFreemasonry.org is the official website of the North American Freemasonic Conference. On 1 August 2003 women and men from diverse Masonic bodies in America, Canada, and Mexico gathered in Los Angeles, California following the message of the Founders of Freemasonry in 1723 to meet together. At that assembly, the North American Freemasonic Conference was established respecting the strength and vitality of difference. It is, therefore, open to all Freemasons.
In _Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East_, James S. Cutsinger puts it this way:
Schuon, who was a teacher and guide for many people, including both Muslims and Christians, throughout the world, was one of the most forceful and influential voices in our day in describing what he referred to as the "transcendent unity of religions" and in underscoring the importance of an "esoteric ecumenism", a form of interfaith dialogue which, while fully respecting the integrity of traditional dogmas and rites, "calls into play the wisdom which can discern the one sole Truth under the veil of different forms". (p. ix)
Lodge New Isis is not listed in Google, but New Isis Lodge is. It is mentioned in this O.T.O. History:
Grant asserts that Karl Germer was acting improperly when Germer expelled Grant from O.T.O. in the 1950s e.v., and that Grant never recognized Germer as paramount in O.T.O. This assertion is flatly contradicted by Grant's own "Manifesto of New Isis Lodge": "New Isis Lodge i s in accord with the Master Therion (a Past Grand Master of O.T.O.); with the present Master S.'., who is World-Head of O.T.O. in the Outer, and who operates in the United States of America; and with the aforementioned Lodge in Germany controlled by the Master G.'.", p. 6, (S.'. = Frater Saturnus, Karl Germer).
Therefore, Traditional Freemasonry would be compatible with esoteric Orthodoxy and Sufism according to Cutsinger's definition, which may explain why the word "Traditional" is suddenly showing up in esoteric Masonic websites. If you look around the website for TraditionalFreemasonry.org, you will see that these are Grand Orient lodges.
An article in Issue 29 of the magazine "Freemasonry Today," edited by Michael Baigent, titled "Dennis Chornenky Discusses Masonic Decline And The Initiatic Tradition" points out that:
Dennis V. Chornenky is President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation (MRF), a non-profit organization providing education and support for Masons and lodges in recognized US jurisdictions interested in practising traditional Freemasonry and promoting its study and understanding. ... (He) continues to regularly travel throughout the United States and Europe as part of his commitment to gathering accurate information and promoting discourse on the initiatic tradition of Freemasonry.
Nelson King, Editor of "The Philalethes Magazine", a Masonic Research Society publication, speaks repeatedly of Traditional Freemasonry revealing that:
...four years ago this Traditional style of Freemasonry was tried in Australia, and in four years this one Lodge has spawned 2 Daughter Lodges and two other Lodges have changed to the Traditional concept. I know that this style of Traditional Freemasonry is being tried in the USA, and it is working. The response to this Traditional Style of Freemasonry has been over whelming.
According to the Philalethes Society website, the society:
was founded on October 1, 1928, by a group of Masonic students. It is designed for Freemasons desirous of seeking and spreading Masonic light. ...The sole purpose of this Research Society is to act as a clearing house for Masonic knowledge. It exchanges ideas, researches problems confronting Freemasonry, and passes them along to the Masonic world.
Dragon Key Press - Tracy Twyman's publishing house - also speaks of Traditionalism on the website:
Dragon Key Press exists to present the world with new and exciting research into history, esoterica, and Traditionalist thought.
If it shares her religious thinking, Dragon Key Press is dedicated to Liciferianism. She makes no secret of the fact that she opposes Catholicism.
In the first essay in _Paths to the Heart_, Bishop Kallistos Ware says:
The whole world becomes a sacrament. In the words of the Gospel of Thomas, "Split a piece of wood, and there am I; life up the stone, and you will find Me there." (p. 18)
Gospel of Thomas? It's Gnostic. An Orthodox bishop turns to a Gnostic source to make his point. Tracy Twyman and Boyd Rice might find this use of a Gnostic Gospel compatible with their enthusiasm for Grail questing, since the Gnostic Gospel of Philip supports the idea that Jesus married MM, turning her womb into a Holy Grail.
Where, then, will embracing the concept of Traditionalism in interreligious dialogue take us?
John Kerry came under fire during the campaign for claiming to hold the Catholic belief that abortion is wrong while voting for it in his public life because he did not want to deny freedom to those who believe there is nothing wrong with abortion. Catholics across America condemned him.
Now come the supporters of interreligious dialogue who gather round a conference table and claim that they hold fast to a specific tradition while not wanting to deny freedom to those who believe in a different tradition. If Kerry could not think one way and vote another, why is it ok for Christians to support those who deny Christ?
Either Dominus Iesus is true or it isn't. How can it be true in our hearts while the words of acceptance of other religions fall from our lips? It is wrong to kill in the name of God. But isn't it equally wrong to pretend that all religions are equal and humanity needs merely to pick one of them and stick with it? Sure, there are aspects of faith we all share. But it is a very fine line between discussing this commonality and denying Christ.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
