Men And The Monsters They (Allegedly) Made

Book Review by Ray Palm
Friday, September 16, 2011
http://xrayer.blogspot.com/2011/09/men-and-monsters-they-allegedly-made.html

Man, the Freemasons can't catch a break.

Almost every conspiracy theory smears the Masons with some sort of shadowy evil. In the book, Man-Made Monsters by Dr. Bob Curran (2011), that apparently harmless fraternal order is tied in with the artifical creation of life.

What kind of life? Take a look at the book's sub-title: A Field Guide to Golems, Patchwork Soldiers, Homunculi, and Other Created Creatures. So we're not talking about cute little beings like Smurfs or Teletubbies.

The author doesn't buy in to all the negative stories told about the Freemasons, especially the one that says the Masons inherited the secret of artificial life from the Knights Templar. Dr. Curran only describes the tales, questionable records and urban legends he encountered when researching his work. The book is categorized as Paranormal/Mythology which the emphasis on the mythology part.

Back in year 1119 the Templars were founded in the Holy Land just after the First Crusade. Apparently this military monastic order uncovered buried artifacts and documents from the Temple of Solomon, objects with mystical power such as scrolls written by Melchezidek, the legendary priest king of Salem. It was whispered the Templars used this power to create homunculi that they worshipped.

The reason for such stories is that some wanted the Templars destroyed. The Order was involved in early banking and amassed a great fortune. Besides religious enemies, such as rival orders, the Templars also had secular enemies, monarchs greatly in debt to them.

When a new pope came to power, there was an opportunity to portray the Templars as secret practitioners of witchcraft and other satanic acts. The order was accused of creating homunculi to act as spies, thieves and assassins. Under torture some Templars confessed to evil but improbable acts.

So what happened to the creatures created by the Templars?

Conspiracy theories surround Berenger Sauniere, the priest of Rennes-le-Chateua in Southern France who officially served from 1885 to 1909. Somehow this priest had access to all sorts of money, building many projects around the village. What was the source of his wealth?

Dr. Curran relates the tale that Sauniere found a Templar homunculus within his church and he sold it to the Vatican for a tidy sum. The creature is hidden somewhere in the Vatican.

And the Templars' mystical knowledge? 400 years after the downfall of the Templars the Freemasons rose to power, learning the secrets of Solomon's Temple, or so says the legend. The Masons kept the secrets in various lodges throughout the world. Dr. Curran observes:

"Hints and directions leading to such secrets were to be found not in hidden texts, but in the geometry and symmetry of Masonic building and ornamentation, and throughout the years here have been attempts by non-Masons to decode these and to discover what these supposed 'secrets' might be."

As far as I know no non-Mason has cracked the code.

But the Freemasons aren't the only secret society that is tied in with conspiracy and man-made monsters. Dr. Curran mentions rumors about Rosicrucianism, that some modern-day followers are secretly working for the government in stem-cell and cloning projects.

I don't think the government needs Rosicrucians on the payroll to create monsters. It does a fine job on its own.

Dan Brown's conspiracy theories

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/6198574/The-Last-Symbol-author-Dan-Browns-conspiracy-theories-six-of-the-best.html

The Last Symbol author Dan Brown's conspiracy theories: six of the best
Dan Brown’s novels The Lost Symbol, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are filled with conspiracy. But how much of it is based on fact?
By Tom Chivers
16 Sep 2009

The Lost Symbol, the new book by Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons author Dan Brown, takes us once again into a world of shadowy cabals, hidden messages and secret conspiracies.

They are works of fiction, but Brown tells us they are based on fact: "All organisations in this novel exist,” says a foreword to The Last Symbol, "including the Freemasons, the Invisible College, the Office of Security, the SMSC, and the Institute of Noetic Sciences”. Similarly, at the beginning of The Da Vinci Code, we learn that The Priory of Sion is a real secret society founded in 1099.

Da Vinci Code sequel criticised by Catholics But how much of Brown's work is fact, and how much is fiction? We take a look at six of his most prominent claims and see how closely they fit reality.

The Freemasons (from The Lost Symbol, 2009)

What Brown says

A secret society, the Freemasons, secretly run America, and the Founding Fathers have concealed a secret portal under Washington where the terrifying Secrets of the Universe are hidden.

In reality:

Rumours that Freemasons control society are widespread. They often overlap with conspiracy theories about the New World Order and the Illuminati.

Apparent Masonic symbols do appear regularly in American culture – most notably the pyramid and eye on the Great Seal of the United States, which appears on the dollar bill and is said to be the Eye of Providence. Furthermore, at least one member of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, was a Mason.

However, the Eye of Providence was not commonly used as a Masonic symbol until 1797, some years after the Great Seal was designed.

1733 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington (from The Lost Symbol, 2009)

What Brown says:

Known as the House of the Temple, this Washington building is a replica of a pre-Christian temple to King Mausolus, and the world headquarters of Freemasonry

In reality:

Designed by John Russell Pope and finished in 1915, the House of the Temple is indeed a model of the Mausoleum of Mausolos. It holds the remains of the Confederate general Albert Pike, author of the 1871 book Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. It is home to the Supreme Council of Freemasonry.

The Priory of Sion (from The Da Vinci Code, 2003)

What Brown says:

An brotherhood founded in 1099, whose members have included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci, and who are the only ones who know that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and has a surviving heir. Mary Magdalene and her descendents are the real Holy Grail.

In reality:

The Priory of Sion was indeed said to be a monastic order formed in 1099. In 1982 Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln's book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail set forth the claim that it protected the knowledge of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. However, the existence of the Priory is now believed to be a hoax created in the 1950s by a Frenchman named Pierre Plantard.

Opus Dei (from The Da Vinci Code, 2003)

What Brown says:

A Vatican-sanctioned Catholic sect that plots to find the Priory's secret and kill the heir/Grail. They carry out a practice of self-flagellation called "corporal mortification". A major villain in the book is the Opus Dei monk Silas, who murders a Priory member.

In reality:

Opus Dei is a real Catholic organisation; the Labour Minister Ruth Kelly is one of its estimated 87,000 members worldwide. But none of those members are monks.

There is no evidence that it hopes to find the Holy Grail in any form. Its stated goal (on its website, www.opusdei.us) is "to spread the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society."

Rosslyn Chapel (from The Da Vinci Code, 2003)

What Brown says:

Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh, was built by the Knights Templar as a perfect copy of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, complete with a subterranean vault which holds the secret of the Holy Grail. A message written in secret code on its ceiling reveals the entrance to the vault.

In reality:

While the Chapel was built 150 years after the dissolution of the Knights Templar, it does have some Templar and Masonic symbols. Links with the Knights and the alleged bloodline of Jesus and the Priory of Sion were put forward by the historian Andrew Sinclair. However, the Priory has now been shown to be a mid-20th century hoax.

The Illuminati (from Angels and Demons, 2000)

What Brown says:

A shadowy secret society sworn to bring down the Catholic Church in revenge for their crimes against scientists like Copernicus, "murdered by the church for revealing scientific truths," and Galileo, convicted of heresy for claiming the Earth moved around the Sun. The Illuminati are described as"a secret society dedicated to scientific truth" and "the most powerful underground organisation ever to walk the earth".

In reality:

The Illuminati were a real organisation. They were founded in 1776 in Bavaria, sworn to ideals of free-thinking and rationalism.

Nicolaus Copernicus was never attacked by the Church. On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres was dedicated to Pope Paul III, and the Church used his theories in their revising of the calendar. He died of a stroke in 1543 at the age of 70; there is no reason to believe that he was murdered.

Galileo Galilei certainly was mistreated – he was subjected to lifelong house arrest following the publication of his 1633 work Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, which argued that the Earth moved round the Sun, although he was only suspected of heresy, never convicted. He died in 1642. The Bavarian Illuminati were dissolved in 1785, although various other groups have used their name since.

6 Craziest Conspiracy Theories

6 Craziest Conspiracy Theories

1. The 1969 NASA moon landing was faked. Skeptics point to everything from missing blueprints to lunar footprints to the mysterious flapping flag in the absence of wind as evidence of NASA pulling the wool over the world’s eyes. Even proof that flags can flap in space without wind (the momentum of planting the flagstaff caused the flapping motion) and thorough examinations of the supposed fake moon recordings cannot placate the naysayers.

2. Secret societies run the world. Behind every successful man and woman is a mysterious cult. At least, that’s what the theory states. Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Skull and Bones Society, and others are all potential secret world powers. Knowing that some leaders were in fact members of such organizations – George W. Bush and John Kerry were both Skull and Bones members – only adds fuel to this occult-fearing paranoia.

3. Lizard people run the world. Followers of British reporter David Icke’s reptilian overlord theory believe that an alien race of reptiles have cross-bred with humans to create shape-shifting creatures that can assume humanoid form. The alien race controls these humanoid half-breeds, some of whom have included Queen Elizabeth and Bill Clinton, and infiltrates them into the unsuspecting human society in an effort to dominate the planet.

4. Paul McCartney is dead and has been replaced by a doppelganger. Forget about Elvis impersonators, the “other” Sir Paul has taken looking like the beloved Beatle to a whole new level. Conspiracy theorists say that the original beloved Beatle died in 1966 in a car crash and was instantly replaced with a lookalike for the recording of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Lennon sprinkled clues to that fact into every post-1966 Beatles recording.

5. Microsoft embeds secret messages of hate in Wingdings font. In 1992’s release of Windows 3.1, users discovered that typing in “NYC” in Wingdings produced the symbols of a skull, the Star of David, and a thumbs up gesture. Font conspiracy theorists accused Microsoft of secretly approving the killing of Jews in New York City. Then, after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, users found that typing in “Q33NY” produced what looked like a plane flying into the Twin Towers, followed by a skull and Star of David. The holes with this theory were that “Q33” did not relate to the attacks despite rumors that it was the bus route or flight numbers of the hijacked planes, and the attacks did not target the Jewish community.

6. KFC or Church’s fried chicken is full of chemicals made to sterilize black men. In both versions, the chicken chains are covertly run by Ku Klux Klan members bent on halting the reproduction of African Americans by pumping the food full of drugs that would make men impotent. Any research into the ownership of the chains would prove this rumor false. No word yet on how the drugs are able to only target African American consumers.

This post was contributed by Amber Hensley, who writes for http://www.online-college-reviews.com

She welcomes your feedback at AmberHensley1980@yahoo.com

Great Seal Secrets Revealed!

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQ-yr_Rooq8JyWd9Q8oDFYQhvyFQD8UP9IHG0

Great Seal Secrets Revealed!
By MATTHEW LEE
2-13-8

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conspiracy theorists take note: The myths surrounding one of America's oldest and most enduring national symbols are about to be debunked ... if you believe the government, that is.

The keepers of the Great Seal of the United States, the familiar emblem on the back of the $1 bill, want you to know what it is not. It is not a sign that Freemasons run the country, it has nothing to do with the occult, and it does not contain clues to a fabulous hidden treasure.

It is rather the nation's stamp of authority, sovereignty and power, gracing our cash and embossing the most important of documents from its home at the State Department, which has held it since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the first secretary of state.

Not that the Seal's symbols — the all-seeing eye, the unfinished pyramid, the Latin phrases, the bald eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows and the number 13 — aren't powerful.

They are, historians say. Yet their meanings have been misidentified, misunderstood and misrepresented almost since the Continental Congress first commissioned the Seal in 1776.

It would be another six years before the original design was approved and another 128 before it evolved into its current form. Along the way, a movement to decipher the Seal's meaning with ancient Egyptian, mystical and otherwise otherworldly explanations has gained currency.

The Internet age has seen an explosion in such conspiracy theories, many which have now been ingrained in public consciousness through the popular "National Treasure" movie franchise that serves up a combination of Masonic lore and historical myths in blockbuster Hollywood fashion.

Among them:

_That the Seal proves the domination of the United States by a powerful, quasi-religious cult. The Ancient Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a perennial favorite of conspiracy theorists as some Founding Fathers were Masons and the Seal uses several Masonic symbols.

_That the Seal draws on Satanism or polytheistic ritual to promote a universal new world order under which Earth would be ruled by a single omnipotent government.

_That repeated references to 13 — the number of steps in the unfinished pyramid, stars in the constellation over the eagle's head, arrows in the eagle's claw, stripes on the eagle's shield, letters in the phrase "Annuit Coeptis" — demonstrate the power of 13 American families.

_That there are two seals: one in which the eagle's head faces the arrows for times of war and another in which the eagle's head faces the olive branch for times of peace.

All rubbish, according to historians, who say the Seal's symbolism is far less ominous or revelatory than many believe.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Seal's 66th and current custodian, on Tuesday inaugurated a new exhibition to commemorate its 225th birthday and trace the history and evolution of the symbolism.

"This exhibit honoring the Great Seal affirms our continued belief in the values of our founding," she said. "The Great Seal symbolizes the unity, strength and independence of a new nation, the United States of America."

The Seal will remain at the State Department but the interactive exhibit is designed to travel and curators hope it will dispel the rumors and educate Americans about the real meaning of the symbols.

Among the highlights:

_That known Masons like the first U.S. president, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin had no role in designing the final seal, which uses elements of traditional heraldry, such as the unfinished pyramid to symbolize a work in progress, arrows for war and an olive branch for peace. Masons share some of those symbols, but they have never been exclusively the domain of the order.

_That the phrase "Novus Ordo Seclorum" below the Roman numerals for 1776 at the base of the pyramid translates as "A New Order of the Ages" that began with independence and does not imply the United States will be the lynchpin of a sinister "New World Order."

_That the words "Annuit Coeptis" ("Providence favors") and the eye of providence that hovers over the pyramid refer to unexpected interventions of fate that assisted the colonists in creating a new country.

_That the references to 13 refer to the number of colonies that formed the original United States.

"People are just not aware of the complexity and intent of the symbolism and what our Founding Fathers were trying to do with it," said Priscilla Linn, senior curator at the U.S. Diplomacy Center. "The hidden treasure in the Seal is the courage and presence of mind of the people who created it and created these values for the whole country."