Cross View on Aurora Masonic Lodge#156
Charly Gnonlonfoun
Community College of Aurora
The birth of Freemasonry can be dated as far back as the 13th century when groups of unionized workers would help one another to build cathedrals, but officially the organization itself was born in 1717.This fraternal order is seen by a certain opinion as evil .So, they classified it as part of the illuminati and secret society which only goal is to lead the world. For them, Freemason has secret and satanic agenda. These points of views are fairly understandable because the order is firmly implanted in covert symbolism, rituals, allegory; metaphors. This creates suspicion and led the outside world to question. Even thought, Freemason claim to be nothing more than a brotherhood of compatible individuals committed to charity, they appear as an enigmatic and controversial order .So, at the beginning of my research project, it became clear that writing about Freemason is going to be an exciting and challenging question because of the controversy surrounding it. As a result, I have been confronted with the reality of numerous and various representations regarding Freemasonry. The discovery of many writings such as books, articles, literature about the topic wasn’t a surprise for me due to its sensitive aspect. However, the diversity of opinion and specially their bias side have confused me a lot .Then the limit between reality, facts and fiction was difficult to understand. So, in order to conduct my research effectively and not to have to work only on the rumors vague or even incomplete information, I decided to visit Aurora Masonic Lodge #156 located at 1625 Florence, Aurora, CO. through the period of October 2010 to find what goi...
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...ors, which raise doubt and suspicion about the goal of this fraternity. “They describe the rituals as a shared experience which binds the members together. The use of drama, allegory, and symbolism impresses the principles and teaching more strongly in the mind of each candidate than if they were simply accepted in the group.”Moreover Freemasons have codes, passwords, jargon, and clues to identify and communicate with each other everywhere, about everything. For instance the: “foot to foot” handshake asks another mason to go and help another brother. The “breast to breast” tell you to keep your secrets. “Hand to back “knows as help your fallen brother, and “mouth to ear” means whisper good council. All these clues and codes may appear odd to a non mason but to masons these codes are a way of life.
Works Cited
Cross View on Aurora Masonic Lodge#156
forefront of time, never waning and never dying out. It has evolved overtime to include interesting ways of worship and faith basis. From the standard worship of God, or he who is all powerful, to the ideological notion that our bodies are occupied by alien spirits who were brought to earth long ago and killed off due to overpopulation of their planet, religion has definitely come a long way. One such interesting religious practice that I’d like to discuss, is the snake-handling Pentecostal Christians of the Appalachian Mountains. Furthermore, I will discuss the relevancy to the groups’ stereotype and attempt to showcase how it’s virtually nonexistent in today’s society as it used to be by comparing and contrasting Mary Lee Daugherty’s piece
Another popular conspiracy theory contains the Illuminati society. The Order of the Illuminati was an Enlightenment-age secret society founded by university professor Adam Weishaupt on May 1, 1776, in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The movement consisted of advocates of freethought, secularism, liberalism, republicanism, and gender equality. In 1785, the order was infiltrated, broken up and suppressed by the government agents of Charles Theodore, However, there is no evidence that the Bavarian Illuminati survived its suppression in 1785 (“History of Beliefs”, 2006).
Jacob, Margaret C. The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts & Fictions. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006.
When the British Army left Boston, this Lodge, # 441, granted Prince Hall and his brethren authority to meet as a lodge, to go in procession on Saints John Day, and as a Lodge to bury their dead; but they could not confer degrees nor perform any other Masonic "work".
Sabina Magliocco, in her book Witching Culture, takes her readers into the culture of the Neo-Pagan cults in America and focus upon what it reveals about identity and belief in 21st century America. Through her careful employment of ethnographic techniques, Magliocco allows both the Neo-Pagan cult to be represented accurately, and likewise, scientifically. I argue that Magliocco's ethnographic approach is the correct way to go about this type of research involving religions.
Additionally, analyzing the overall structure of the Greek System will allow me to understand why students feel inclined to become a member of these organizations, while others don’t. In order to comprehend this student subculture, however, it is imperative to define what the Greek System really is and what core values they are based on. The Greek System, composed of different fraternity and sorority communities, are organizations that focus on academic, social, and professional support.... ... middle of paper ... ...
distinctly the mural of many African Americans and some of their history, and in the middle was a church and a little quote that said "God our father. Christ our redeemer. Man our brother. Woman our sister." This quote along with the mural said a lot about what the churches focus was; and to me it was community and faith. With those two things it is possible to do anything. All of the attributes of F. A. M. E were from the dreams of Biddy Mason, Biddy was born a slave in Mississippi, where she remained until she was older and had children of her own. Biddy raised the kids Mormon and when they were old enough Mason walked with her daughters from Mississippi to California herding sheep and cattle. Four years later she moved into her own house in San Bernardino, where her and her daughters petitioned to be freed, since California was a free state. Mason moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a nurse and midwife. A decade after gaining her freedom, she had saved enough to buy a site on Spring Street for $250, thereby becoming one of the first African-American women to own land in Los Angeles. In 1884, she sold part of the property for $1,500 and built a commercial building on the remaining land. Over the years, her wise business and real estate transactions enabled her to accumulate a fortune of almost $300,000.
The Wiccan religion is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States as well one of the most misunderstood due to the controversies surrounding its history and mystery shrouding its beliefs and doctrines. Due to a series of popular TV series that have shown Witchcraft in a positive light, such as Sabrina, the Teen-aged Witch and Charmed, the popularity of Wicca has grown, especially amongst teenagers; but sadly this popularity has not been partnered with a growth in understanding and respect (Kaminer). Although Wicca offers a nature-oriented, egalitarian belief system with a rich collection of customs and rituals, ignorance and historically-rooted misconceptions still dominate public opinion.
The church of Scientology has been the subject of controversy since its inception. Its methods and beliefs have attracted the attention of scholars from around the world. The church has been under government investigation and has endured a countless amount of lawsuits (Reitman 14). It is also a hot topic by the media with several endorsements by some of the most recognized Hollywood celebrities. However, the main topic of debate regarding the Church of Scientology is its status as a religion. Some members claim that the church has helped them overcome their struggles and that they are happier people, while others condemn it as a dangerous cult (Sweeney). The church of Scientology is a religious group whose purpose is to retain their members with the promise of spiritual enlightenment. Its controversial history, beliefs, and practices reveal the church’s commitment to keep its members.
Cults are dangerous institutions that have existed for many years, corrupting and reforming the minds of innocent people into believing outrageous doctrines that eventually result in disaster. Horrifying cases involving men such as Charles Manson, Jim Jones and David Koresh have bewildered people and raise the question: how could individuals be easily susceptible to the teachings of these men, so influenced that masses go as far as to commit the unthinkable? Individuals who are in a vulnerable position in search for an identity are attracted to cults because they offer a sense of belonging. In addition, isolation from society contributes to the functioning of a cult for it creates an atmosphere where submissiveness and obedience runs high. These two factors seem to hold true for one of the most notorious cults currently established in the United States and Canada. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or, FLDS, is an international polygamist sect that incorporates belonging and isolation along with a dangerous mentality that have resulted in the abuse of women and children in the name of God.
Prior to open practice of Satanism, the Roman Catholic church used Satanism as a label for individuals and groups who held views or ideologies that conflicted with those of the church. This was an attempt to delegitimize their opponents and to strengthen the Church’s following. While these accusations were initially harmless and limited to heretics, they became increasingly frequent and extreme. These wild accusations spread to rumors of violent rituals claimed to be performed by Satanists which built up to widespread fear and panic. Ultimately, this would result in events like the Salem Witch Trials where innocent people were put to death due to false suspicion of individuals performing witchcraft and becoming possessed by the Devil. Ironically, while the church merely intended to bolster both its image and following with these accusations, the widespread panic that resulted put Satanism on the map, and “several scholars identify fundamentalist Christianity as one of the major influences shaping and driving the” onset of the Satanist movement (Underwager and Wakefield, 281). This sheds light on the true relationship between the conflicting belief systems of Christianity and Satanism. Although the two are at odds on even the most basic levels, their relationship is largely codependent. Christianity uses the fear surrounding Satanism and the
There are many theories of hidden secrets in Washington D.C. that some people believe to be real and others to be figments of people’s imagination. The group/fraternity most associated to these theories is the Freemasons. The Freemasons have been revealed in many movies but played a larger role more recently in movies like “National Treasure” and “The Lost Symbol”. With the story lines of these movies being based off of the history of the Freemasons, it has divided people into two separate groups, believers and spectators. The believers think that the masons actually planned and hid symbols into the streets and buildings of Washington D.C. while the spectators believe that these situations just occurred and are only coincidences.
The Illuminati is not a conspiracy theory; it is a real thing that is happening today. With all the facts and information about the illuminati, it cannot still be considered a conspiracy theory. The illuminati symbol can be seen all over the place in all parts of the world, including famous entertainers that have Illuminati symbols tattooed on their bodies. With all the turmoil on this planet, it will soon collapse. When it does, who is going to take over? The illuminati will take over. The illuminati has been an organization for a long period of time and they are just hiding out and waiting for their opportunity to take over. A secret society is what they are right now, and there are many questions that can be asked about them. What exactly is the Illuminati? Who is involved in the illuminati and who is taking charge? There are various rumors that the Devil has influence and power in the illuminati, but is this really true? These are all questions that can catch one’s attention. The illuminati is a broad subject in which there are many theories about it. Those questions will be answered in the remainder of this paper.
The occult is on the rise; many young people are seeking their spiritual identity through Satanism. Satanism has become an issue of great concern in our society. It is a phenomenon that crosses the city limits into the rural areas of our nation. Satanism is not just a big city problem. The news wires carry story after story about young children being kidnapped, only to be found later as victims of some bizarre ritualistic crime. This paper will analyze and will come to a conclusion to the most frequently asked question “What makes a person to convert his/her religion to Satanism?” To do so, this paper will examine the following areas: Effects of Satanism on our youth and society, does power attracts young people to become a Satanist? And is music a factor in changing one’s religion to Satanism?
... like Child Services, and trickle down to educating our youth, in classes like ours, Magic and the Spirit World. I have hope that this can be achieved, and that these communities can keep their culture alive, specifically in places like New York City. Through our readings, we learned about botanicas, for example, and how they are still around and people continually visit them, even if only for a single candle purchase. This assures me that there is still a substantial level of ethnic and spiritual unity. Furthermore, this religion proves to serve several positive effects, like loving concern in the community, societal problem solving, and individual and group security and sense of belonging. It only takes a small effort on our part to gain so much more in return. As Wade Davis stated in The Serpent and the Rainbow, “risk discomfort and solitude for understanding.”