Michael G. Maness    

Michael G. Maness    ~   For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
  Home                       My Books ... about the heart

facebook   linkedin   twitter

Maness3@att.net

Patriot Page


 
Testamentum Imperium
International  Theological Journal

 

Woodville Lions Club 

How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011

Character Counts

Heart of Living God

Heaven - Treasures  

Ocean Devotions

Would You Lie to Save a Life?

Precious Heart - Broken Heart

Queen of Prison Ministry

Fringes of Freedom

     

 

Revised Second Edition ... HERE - ORDER TODAY!

 

^ click to see larger ^

click here to see back

Hardcover $29.50 - Paperback 23.50

HB ISBN 9781456714383    SB ISBN 9781456714369

Order Character Counts NOW


Character Counts  

Freemasonry Is a National Treasure
and a Source of Our Founders'
 Constitutional Original Intent

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Forewords by

Nelson King

Founder of Masonic Relief for Cuba
Editor 1992-2009 The Philalethes Society
Journal of Masonic Research

M. Douglas Adkins

Of Counsel Attorney with
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Dallas, Texas
Deacon and Mason

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Order Character Counts NOW

Hardcover $29.50 - Paperback 23.50

HB ISBN 9781456714383    SB ISBN 9781456714369

Flag over Woodville

   

Freemasonry is the philosophical fraternity on the tradecraft of character, and character counting in Freemasonry is a U.S. National Treasure.

Against it, several have sewed together one Frankenstein concoction after another, and several religious powerbrokers have bought into the concoction hook, line, and stinker bait. The shallowness of the critics' best authors would amaze many.

More of our Founding Fathers were members of Masonry than any single Christian denomination, and no extant institution informed their original intent on the Constitution more.  Character counting needs more light today—much more light. 

 

Contents of Character Counts

See Forewords and Preface here 

See FULL Contents of Character Counts here

Foreword by Nelson King 
Founder of Masonic Relief for Cuba, Editor 1992-2009 Philalethes Society Journal of Masonic Research

Foreword by M. Douglas Adkins 
Of Counsel Attorney with Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Dallas, Deacon and Mason

Author’s Preface

Contents of Character Counts

Charts, Pictures, Wedges, & More Light

PART ONE - Character and Freemasonry’s Religious Side

1. Character Counts—Always Has, Always Will
2. Is Freemasonry a Religion?—Not if You Have One
3. Freemasonry Not Universalism or New Age

PART TWO - Most Influential Critics & Closing Frankenstein's Caslte

4. SBC Closer Look Frankenstein—Squeak Heard Round the World
5. David Barton’s Question Concoction
6. Albert Pike—Most Misrepresented Mason
7. Most Influential Frankenstein Concoctions—8 1/2 Categories of Critics
8. Real Paganism and the Critic’s Challenge

PART THREE - Freemasonry’s Symbolic Core

9. Freemasonry’s Beginnings in Honor and Cathedrals
10. Freemasonry’s Vast Array of Symbols of Honor
11. Secrecy—Treasure of the Home, Wisdom of the Mature

PART FOUR - Freemasonry’s Legion of Legends

12. George Washington—Foundingest Father of All
13. SBC Magnificent Seven—Legends in Their Own Time
14. A Few More Legends—Patriots to Scientists

PART FIVE - Roots, Intent, and Conscience—Critical History

15. USA’s Divisive Christian Roots Prior to 1791
16. Founding Fathers’ Original Intent—Freedom
17. First Amendment, Wall of Separation, and Masonry Unifying

PART SIX - Freemasonry’s Contribution to Foundations of the USA

18. Freemasonry Cornerstones of the USA
19. The Enlightenment and Freemasonry
20. The American Revolution and Freemasonry

ConclusionFreemasonry is an American National Treasure


Auxiliary Papers on Character Counts

Bibliography Collections

Index to Character Counting

Internet Sites Referenced

Book Stats, plus Bonus 275 Free Books - Fully Searchable at Google Books

Other Books by Author

NEW - 275+ Free Books Linked to Google Books for fully downloadable titles
related to Character Counts
NEW - 1,047 Footnotes in 12pt type in Character Counts

Original, Old, FULL Contents of Character Counts here


  CHARACTER - 31 Organization Lists of Character Traits Deemed Essential


Order Character Counts NOW

HB ISBN 9781456714383    SB ISBN 9781456714369

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ^  < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <


Special Items Originally in Full First Edition of Character Counts Here

These were cut from or drastically reduced from version one

Ref. Chap. 2
Freemasonry a Religion? - No - E. R. Johnston & A. C. Monette's Religious Side of Freemasonry -- A masterpiece that distinguishes precisely how Freemasonry is not a religion, among the many fine pieces that anti-Masons ignore.  This is answer #787 of 1,025 answers in 933 pages in their massive Masonry Defined:  A Liberal Masonic Education (Shreveport, LA: National Masonic Press, 1930, with appendix and dictionary 1939; pp442-445). 

Freemasonry and Wall of Separation ~ Ghost hunting and scholars Leonard Levy and Bishop Thomas Curry on the Wall of Separation between church and state.

Religious-Christian - How Barton Erroneously Equates "Religious" with "Christian Denomination"

Barton's Question of Freemasonry & Founding Fathers - a Critique ~ includes 21 oddities in his small book

Barton's Original Intent--Critique -

Barton's Response -

Barton and Maness' E-mails -

Critique of James L. Holly's Freemasonry in the Southern Baptist Convention 
and Holly's Response to Book ... Little Doubt Left 

Barton and Washington's Inaugural 

Chapter 8. Real Paganism and the Critic’s Challenge - this whole chapter was designed to be utterly clear on what Paganism is today. Since so many of the critics for centuries are found linking Freemasonry to it, without so much as a word from Pagans on Paganism, we give you a full tour.  Still, Freemasonry is not a religion nor against any religion, not even against Paganism.  

Treaty with Tripoli - initiated by Washington, signed by Adams, ratified on Jan. 3, 1797

Sociology of Secrecy by Georg Simmel, "The Sociology of Secrecy and of Secret Societies," American Journal of Sociology (AJS) 11 (Trans. Albion W. Small; 1906): 441-498. 

Five-Pointed Star in Freemasonry - including the Divine Proportion and Golden Ratio of Phi was a large section in the First Edition, and it was cut down in the Second Revised Edition with a link here

 

Original 1993 SBC Freemasonry Report, voted on 1993 SBC, author unknown, which has changed sites in the last five years, currently as NAMB Site Report as of 7-2010, though this one does not show page numbers, it is better than the one placed in 2009 that was a poorly scanned PDF without accurate pages numbers -- the bibliographic reference is Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993 (Nashville: Executive Committee, SBC, 1993): 224-227, by the Interfaith Witness Department of the Home Mission Board for the 1993 SBC).

SBC Closer Look at Freemasonry - by Bill Gordon of the SBC against Freemasonry, cheaply expanding upon the 8 negative items in the 1993 Original SBC Report above and occulting the 8 positive items, and deleting respect for conscience. 

Critique of SBC Closer Look - 24 Franken-Bones, Bone by Old Bone - a full critique, part of the original chapter 4 of the first edition of Character Counts.

24 Franken-Bones, Bone Special Edition - 24 serious problems with the 8 incompatibilities of the SBC Closer Look, yes, that is 3 times 8, for 24 old bones in lampoon of the SBC 8

Character Traits Lists - 30 lists from as many sources

 

Appendices 1-8 -- see all original eight appendices here, including Freemasonry Founding Fathers 

old Appendix 6. E-Mails to SBC Experts & Paige Patterson -

old Appendix 7. Gary Leazer's Fundamentalism & Freemasonry -

Old FULL Contents of Character Counts  

Founding Fathers - All of Barton's, LaHay's, and more, Including Others Who Were Masons

 

Order Character Counts NOW

 

Bibliography in 8 Categories a Little Annotated

Red light indicates where you are in each section.

Intro to Little Bibliography 

1. Top Shelf Freemasonry References & Few Others

2. List of Bibliography Compilations

3. Main Freemasonry Bibliography

3.a. Books on Freemasonry — 463 Authors of 931 Books

3.b. Ph.D. Dissertations on Freemasonry — 58 Authors

3.c. Pro Articles on Freemasonry — 137 Articles, w 50 Bk Rws

3.d. Foreign Books on Freemasonry — 226 Authors of 265 Books

3.e. News Articles 1985-2005 in Chrono Order — 226 Articles

4. Historical-General References — 374 Authors in 720 Books

5. Baptist References

6. Character Counts Bibliography — 251 Authors in 295 Books

7. Great Hoax—Léo Taxil’s Luciferian Doctrine

8. Anti-Mason Bibliography — 92 Authors

Click here to See Full Expanded Contents of Character Counts

Masonic Blue Slipper

 Order Character Counts NOW

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ^  < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

 

Special--David Barton's WallBuilders

Barton's The Question of Freemasonry and the Founding Fathers--Critique -- Barton is a new brand of anti-Mason, here believing it good in the Founding of the USA and not today, and he accomplishes through market-based history making, the molesting of quotes, and the occulting of his own best source.  

Barton's Original Intent--Critique -- In this partial critique, we address Barton's market-based history making his attempt to catch the ghost of the original intent of our USA Constitution, and his several twists that actually prove the opposite of his efforts.

Barton's Response to first version of Character Counts -- His letter that he sent back with the book, dated January 28, 2008.  That all folks, but says volumes more in the light.  Check out his 2005 Form 990.

Founding Fathers - All of Barton's, LaHay's, and more, Including Others Who Were Masons

Other Resources

Mark A. Tabbert, A Deserving Brother: George Washington & Freemasonry (Unversity of Virginia Press, 2022; 299 pp.), a well-researched work on all of Washington's connections with Freemasonry, including Tabbert's methodology.  Cover: "This valuable book brings together a variety of documents and images of objects that are scattered and sometimes not easily available but which are central to understanding George Washington’s relationship to Freemasonry. It also offers substantial research about the topic, making it a work that all future biographers of Washington—and students of a range of related issues—will need to consult." Tabbert is Director of Archives and Exhibits at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial and author of American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities.  

Quote from Rob James & Gary Leazer's The Fundamentalist Takeover in the Southern Baptist Convention: a Brief History -- The quote is from Rob James and Gary Leazer's The Fundamentalist Takeover in the Southern Baptist Convention: a Brief History (Impact Media, 1999): 114-115.  The quote outlines the history of the $110,000 SBC study of Freemasonry, which was abbreviated and summed in 1993 SBC Report to 8 positive and 8 negative points, ending in a respect of conscience.  Since 1993, the study was "deep-sixed" according SBC expert Bill Gordon -- no longer available.  From the abbreviated version in 1993 SBC Report, Bill Gordon as the SBC expert from now North American Mission Board's Interfaith Witness Department used only the 8 negative points to launch his Closer Look at Freemasonry.  Gordon's Closer Look mutilation is one Frankenstein dismantled in the my book above.  

Old Chapter - Uuedited - Special on Freemasonry & Wall of Separation - pdf -- This analyzes the Wall of Separation metaphor through the eyes of Law Professor Leonard Levy & Bishop Thomas Curry --

National Problems Part Religion's Fault -- an on-line section from Character Counts that helps put into perspective some the nutty Religious Right corkscrewing

Barton's New Book Occults Freemason Founding Fathers -- Critique of Barton's Question of Freemasonry & Founding Fathers -- Barton's new book is 132 pages, filled with 3-5 pictures per page, and is given a thorough thumping here.  This is the full critique, intended for the book, but condensed in the book to save space for more important items.  Barton shows anti-Mason colors here, engages in market-based history making, and shows forth a secret third agenda in his little book--tailored to innocent readers, his third agenda is to pull in the founding era Freemason Founding Fathers into his current Christian establishment agenda.  He is deceitful and molests quotes to suit him, clearly, and causes one to wonder what kind of country he is truly wanting.

Analysis of Jonathan Blanchard Freemasonry Illustrated—A Complete Exposition ... (7th edition; Chicago, IL: Ezra A. Cook, 1886;  1st edition, 1879; 640p) with excerpt from Character Counts pages 273-278.

Paige Patterson and SBC Expert E-Mails -- In 2004, I sought clarification on the SBC document, then known as the Closer Look at Freemasonry, and was treated not as a fellow Southern Baptist but like a burden.  I told them I was chronicling as I went, and this was the full text of Appendix 6 of the of my book, was condensed in the book to make room for more important material.  These 14 e-mails tell a great story of avoidance and unwillingness to detail substance.

Gary Leazer's Fundamentalism and Freemasonry -- This book is crucial to an understanding of the SBC history on Freemasonry from 1993, as Leazer then wrote the first SBC study, then was harassed for seeking expert opinion.  This is the text of Appendix 7 in my book.

George W. Truett on Freemasonry, namely, his message to the Texas Grand Lodge, Waco, Texas, 1940, on his history with and impressions on Freemasonry.

Harry Carr's article 22, "When did the word 'Bible' first appear in Masonic literature?" in a compilation of some of his best 200 answers in The Freemason at Work (London: Burgess & Son, 1976; 425p.; 51-54), as part of his work for Quatuor Coronati Lodge 1961-1973, considered one of the foremost lodges of research in the world.

War & Peace Article -- detailing SBC Baptist Faith and Message view on peace and war, the relevant Scriptures therein and throughout the O.T. and N.T., quotes from several experts, and some of the relevant literature.  Among the three Christian views on war, namely pacifism, just war, and crusaderism, Christians are to be peacemakers that sometimes must use war to restore order and insure peace.

Patrick Henry's Speech on American Liberty -- he may have been a Freemason, but he certainly knew, respected, and knowingly followed and worked with Freemasons, and knew the difference between the anti-Mason Frankensteins and the nobility of Freemasonry--and had the courage to say so, "Give me liberty or give me death" was rooted more in Freemasonry than in most of the Christian colonial sects that demanded conforming more than liberty.

Freemasonry a Religion? - No - E. R. Johnston & A. C. Monette's Religious Side of Freemasonry -- A masterpiece that distinguishes precisely how Freemasonry is not a religion, among the many fine pieces that anti-Masons ignore.  This is answer #787 of 1,025 answers in 933 pages in their massive Masonry Defined:  A Liberal Masonic Education (Shreveport, LA: National Masonic Press, 1930, with appendix and dictionary 1939; pp442-445).

Critique of James L. Holly's Freemasonry in the Southern Baptist Convention -- a substantial and rather gentle challenge to Holly's most significant points.  Holly is a wealthy and influential medical doctor in Beaumont, Texas, and was the spur that got the SBC study off and running.  The degree of his occulting behavior and shallowness of his work would amaze many, most especially coming from a successful medical doctor.  Scary.

Holly's Response to My Book -- No Doubt Left -- James L. Holly responded to the advance copy of my book, essentially assailing the whole book as a diatribe and self-serving, practically admitting he did not read it or understand how character counts.  Like his previous work, Holly simply complained and failed to address the issues, leaving no doubt as to his subjective feelings and inability to address the issues straightforward.
Click < Holly HERE > if page does not show.

David Hunt's Response to My Book  --  Dave Hunt's associate, Edwin L. Newby, validates our point on character counting, as if through the back door.  Newby's well-crafted letter tried to appear like he read the book, but fails to encounter the substance, does not even try.  By accident, Newby reveals a incredible theological deficit by Hunt, almost impossible to believe by someone of Hunt's usually profound theological acumen--Newby said Hunt did not know Paige Patterson.  Newby thumbed through the advance draft, complaining about the lampooning and totally ignoring the main theses.  A trait too common in the anti-Mason literature.
Click < Hunt HERE > if page does not show.

Challenge & Small Critique of Paige Patterson's Work -- as seen in my book, Heart of the God, which includes a previous review of his commentary, Troubled Triumph Church, and more with respect to Patterson's criticism of lack of defense of our real-time relationship with God in Christ inside of Classical Theism versus Open Theism.  Patterson is president of Southwestern Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.  Patterson is a good and inspiring preacher.  Yet Patterson criticizes Freemasonry, though he has not written nothing truly substantial theologically and nothing on Freemasonry.  Truly ironic, the first president of Southwestern Seminary, Freemason B. H. Carroll, wrote more theology and biblical commentary than Patterson and all of the current SBC seminary presidents combined (perhaps in the history of SBC seminaries), and much of Carroll's work was re-published 40 years later--something no seminary president and no SBC theologian has matched in SBC history!  Why is the history and character of Carroll occulted?

Critique of L. Rush Bush's The Advancement -- as seen in my book, Heart of the God, and Bush's low level humming at the dynamism of our relationship with God and initial slamming of the country preacher.  Not directly applicable here, but part of the spirit of isolation and control infecting the SBC hierarchy and directly connected to Paige Patterson.  Bush is academic v.p. at Southeastern Seminary, Paige Patterson's last presidency.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense from 1776 - referenced in Character Counts as one source of our U.S. Constitution's original intent in the common person's mind

 

NEW - 275+ Free Books Linked to Google Books for fully downloadable titles
related to Character Counts

NEW - 1,047 Footnotes in 12pt type in Character Counts

CHARACTER - 31 Organization Lists of Character Traits Deemed Essential

 

Order Character Counts NOW  

 

One of the great histories of Anti-Masonry, perhaps the greatest

Alphonse Cerza, Anti-Masonry: Light on the Past and Present Opponents of Freemasonry (Fulton, MO: Ovid Bell Press, 1962; 410p.). Cerza was a law teacher and past master of a lodge.  It is truly ironic that a Freemason scholar is the writer of the best history on anti-Masonry, and more so ironic that most of the best anti-Masons leave out most of their own anti-Masonic predecessors;  that is, in the anti-Masonic literature, book by book, you can see how they have occulted their own predecessors for the last 200 years.  Freemason Cerza's work a uniquely substantial, and no anti-Mason has answered anything in it to date.  Here are a couple of sections from this great work.

Alphonse Cerza's on "Is Freemasonry a Religion?" - Which is a small portion of lawyer Cerza's view, just another articulate and powerful clarification, also never addressed by anti-Masons.

Appendix A.  Anti-Mason Chronology - Gives an overview of the vast array of 300+ individual piece of hisotircal persecution and twisting for the last 300+ years.  Unprecedented.

Appendix B.  Exposés of Freemasonry Ritual - One of best lists, by a Freemason, most of which are absent in most current anti-Mason books!

Appendice E & F.  Albert Pike's Address and Written Reply to Pope Leo XIII's Humanun Genus (the harshest and longest anti-Mason treatise to come from the Roman Catholic Church).  No anti-Mason or Catholic to date has bothered to address Pike's eloquent challenge here.

Appendix G.  Rev. J. L. C. Dart's 1951 Answer to Anti-Mason Rev. Walton Hannah - Worthy of a trophy.

Appendix J.  Mrs. M. E. DeGeer's 1869 Debate with Charles Blanchard - Worthy of two trophies--best in show, best in class, even alone in class. Then student and son of ardent anti-Mason President John Blanchard (1811-1892) of Wheaton College.  Mrs. DeGeer's defense is perhaps the most eloquent and powerful defense by a non-Mason.  Blanchard appears the adolescent being corrected by a stately, inoffensive, but articulate champion of the language.  The young Charles' father Jonathan Blanchard wrote one of the largest anti-Mason works, that became a precedent--though few reference him today--entitled, Freemasonry Illustrated: A Complete Exposition of the First Seven Masonic Degrees, by Jacob O. Doesburg ... A Historical Sketch of the Institution and a Critical Analysis of the Character of Each Degree, by President J. Blanchard of Wheaton College ... The Accuracy of This Exposition Attested by J. O. Doesburg ... and Others (Chicago, Ill., E. A. Cook & co., 1879. Freemasonry Illustrated. Jacob O. Doesburg. Chicago, IL: E. A. Cook, 1879. 640p. Revised Freemasonry illustrated. 18th ed. 1916. 640p.).  Mrs. Degeer's defense must have been so pleasant to hear, and incensing to Blanchard.

Appendix K.  Alphonse Cerza's Own Statement on Christianity and Freemasonry - Which is an address given to the Drexel Park Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL, on October 12, 1959.  How have the anti-Masons missed these?

Alphonse Cerza's References - an extraordinary and unique collection.

 

First-rate Freemasonry Defense.  Also, totally occulted in the anti-Mason literature.  This excellent resource builds upon Cerza's monumental work, covers new territory, and is an absolute necessity for anyone wanting an up-to-date account of most of the most serious anti-Mason efforts:

Art DeHoyos and S. Brent Morris, Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?: the Methods of Anti-Masons? (Foreword by James Tresner II; NY: M. Evans and Co., 2004. 262p.; Silver Spring, MD: Masonic Information Center, 1997; 1st 1993).  A new trophy in the literature.

See also their newest:  Freemasonry in Context: History, Ritual, Controversy. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2003.

See the publisher, Masonic Service Association of North America, which publishes several books, pamphlets, lists of masons in congress, medal of honor recipients, and remains a general resource of masons and non-masons alike.

These books outline and correct many anti-Mason confusions and lies.  It is amazing the degree of malignance and shallowness found in many anti-Mason works.  One would think that if one wanted the truth about an organization, one would look at the significant works by that organization, that organization's history, and who had been a part of the that organization.   

Scottish Rite Journals for February and March of 1993 contained several articles directly bearing upon the June 1993 SBC meeting, and like James L. Holly's work that was sent to 5,000 SBC leaders, the February journal was sent to 5,000 SBC leaders.  Yet the 1993 report nor the SBC expert Bill Gordon's Closer Look even mentioned the journal, much less dealt with the material therein.  Truly and incredibly, ignoring the work of fellow Christians of good report and sterling reputation is heart of occulting behavior.

SBC Publications used in vivisection:

1993 Original Report to SBC 

SBC Bill Gordon's 1993 Closer Look at Freemasonry--2005  the Frankenstein pygmy for all of its little claims.  Not sentence of which has been said before, in some manner, though not a single reference to his anti-Mason predecessors; and not a sentence of which has not been dealt with before in some manner, though he totally avoided all the previous correctives.  And would not discuss his errancies, ten years old now, and still supported.

SBC Bill Gordon's 1993 Comparison Chart--2005 - a smaller version of his Frankenstein pygmy, both of which occult character, occult history, and need to prostitute character in order to be credible.  This fellow 007 license to slander needs revoking.

We did not look at the SBC doc on Bridge to Light --
this is adequately addressed in deHoyos' book below

The three used in the vivisection are grossly dependent upon Freemasonry being a religion, which it never has been.  Bill Gordon especially made no effort at all to distinguish the truth of Freemasonry, to address the obvious, and moreover appears to parrot ancient anti-Mason critics without due reference to them or other anti-Masons.  Amazingly, in all three, no one saw fit to reference one SBC Freemason of good report in those studies on Freemasonry in the SBC.  See the following resources for more.

 Order Character Counts Now

Significant Masonic Web Sites

a. Masonic Information Sites  click to go below

b. Historic Masonic Sites

c. Significant Grand Lodge Sites

d. Lists of Famous Masons On-line

a. Masonic Information Sites

Freemason.org - a web portal to Masonic sites around the world home the Philalethes Society, the world’s oldest and largest Masonic Research Society

Masonic Service Association of North America Masonic Service Association of North America, www.msana.com, pamphlets, masons in congress, medal of honor recipients, source of many popular brochures and well-organized lists, including the following:

U.S. Grand Lodges – www.msana.com/linksus.htm

International Grand Lodges – www.msana.com/linksintl.htm

Southeast Texas Masonic Family – www.setxmasonicfamily.org 

Freemasons-Freemasonry.com, a huge site with most of the classic works available to read on-line, including Albert Pike, Albert Gallatin Mackey, a premier and independent Masonic on-line magazine by Freemasons for Freemasonry. Articles and books from around the world and from many different faith groups within freemasonry, including the classics below.
      Several works are controversial, mostly Albert Pike and Albert Mackey, but anti-Masons never quote them in their context. See them here for yourself.
Be mindful that no Mason can speak for Freemasonry as a whole or another mason's beliefs, and also that Freemasonry has never considered itself a religion, only religious in that the basic religious belief required is a belief in one God and immortality.  Recognize that most anti-Masons predicate their attacks upon their own imputation of authority of one or two Masonic authors (like Mackey and Pike) or their own imputation of a religion status upon Freemasonry.  And twisting Pike to confuse Freemasonry as a religion is a common tactic.  One does not need to believe all of Pike to be or continue to be a Mason, which seems to escape most anti-Masons, and Pike's erudition or championing of honor is hardly ever recognized.

Order of the Eastern Star - www.EasternStar.org - and see my article on the Masonic Blue Slipper.Masonic Blue Slipper

Masonic Info.com has a huge list of famous masons and info on anti-masonry. Even includes non-famous and black sheep masons.

National Appendant Bodies - www.bessel.org/append.htm - see other sets of links collected by Paul Bessel at www.bessel.org

Freemasonry.net  &  www.freemasonry.net/links.asp, huge list of lodge web sites

Freemasonry Today, www.freemasonrytoday.com  leading magazine with news and articles, and huge number of links to masonry around the world

b. Historic Masonic Web Sites

George Washington Masonic Memorial, www.gwmemorial.org

Library and Museum of the Supreme Council 33rd degree, http://www.srmason-sj.org/library.htm

National Masonic Foundation for Children www.masonicmodel.org, presents and supports a student assistance program, the Masonic Model Student Assistance Training (MMSAT) program.

International Association Legions of Honor is a Shriners Association consisting of 156 Legion of Honor Units within the Shrine. Membership requirements are being a Mason, a member of the Shrine and also a Veteran of the Armed forces. For more information you can access the International Association Legions of Honor web page at http://ialoh.org.

London Museum of Freemasonry, www.freemasonry.london.museum,  The Library and Museum of Freemasonry is a registered museum housing one of the finest publicly available collections of Masonic material in the world.

c. Significant Grand Lodge Sites

Grand Lodge of England, www.grandlodge-england.org: the first record of the ‘making’ of an English Freemason is Elias Ashmole, the antiquarian and herald, whose collections formed the basis of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. He recorded in his diary that a lodge met at his father-in-law’s house in Warrington, Cheshire on 16 October 1646 to make him a Mason. None of those involved was a stonemason. In the later 1600s there is further evidence for the existence of Freemasonry as a separate organization unrelated to groups controlling the stonemason’s craft. Organized Freemasonry became established on 24 June 1717 when four London lodges came together at the Goose and Gridiron Ale House, St Paul’s Churchyard, formed themselves into a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer, Gentleman, as their Grand Master – the first Grand Lodge in the world. Initially the Grand Lodge was simply an annual feast for lodges in London but in 1721 John, Duke of Montagu, was elected Grand Master and the Grand Lodge met in ‘quarterly communication’ and began to establish itself as a regulatory body, attracting to it lodges meeting outside London.

Grand Lodge of Ireland, www.irish-freemasons.org, is the second oldest in the world and the first evidence for its existence comes from the Dublin Weekly Journal of June 26th 1725.

Grand Lodge of Israel, www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/9991

Grand Lodge of Scotland, www.grandlodgescotland.com – Founded in 1736

Grand Lodge of New York, www.nymasons.org, a first-class site with a huge lodge

Grand Lodge of Washington D.C., www.dcgrandlodge.org

Scottish Rite, Northern U.S., www.supremecouncil.org, in the 1730’s many Scottish, Irish, and English Masons moved to the Bordeaux region of France to escape the civil strife in England. They became known as the “Ecossais” or Scottish Masons, and in 1801 the Supreme Council of 33° was established in Charleston.

York Rite, http://yorkrite.com  

World’s Oldest, information portal: http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry  — dubbed the “world’s oldest Masonic web site”

National Heritage Museum, www.monh.org, click on exhibits — long-term exhibit entitled “To Build and Sustain: Freemasons in American Community,” an extraordinary collection, even George Washington’s role in laying the U.S. Capitol’s corner stone.

d. Lists of Famous Masons On-line

www.masonicinfo.com/famous1.htm  — A through L

www.masonicinfo.com/famous2.htm  — M through Z

 ^ This site also has lists of infamous Masons, falsely attributed as Masons

www.phmainstreet.com/suncoast/famous.htm 

www.co-masonry.org/language/english/history/famous.asp

www.msana.com - Masonic Service Association of North America

www.freemasons-freemasonry.com - huge site with classic works

www.masonicinfo.com - includes lists of famous masons and counters to anti-masons

www.freemasonrytoday.co.uk - national magazine

www.gwmemorial.org - George Washington Masonic Memorial  

www.freemasonry.longon.museum - Library and museum  

www.grandlodge-england.org - the first

www.nymasons.org - outstanding site and lodge 

www.freemasonry.net 

www.freemasonry.org 

 

Full Books Online at Google Books - in PDF - Place them on your laptop to go ...

Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma - the 1870 classic

Joseph Fort Newton's The Builders - outstanding overview of Freemasonry

James Anderson's Constitutions of the Freemasons - a classic, and most read book on Freemasonry in 1770

William Preston's Illustrations of Freemasonry - a classic

C. G. Addison’s The Knights Templars

Google Books ... goodness, what a resource for the world!

 

Click here to See

Full Expanded Contents of Character Counts

 

Order Character Counts NOW

 


Blue Slipper   for ladies of the Order of the Eastern Star   Blue Slipper
Masonic Blue Slipper  ~ 
 

See www.MasonicDocs.com for special documents

Square and Compasses
created by John R. Haskin - www.MasonicDocs.com

specializing in custom made Masonic certificates and more


Washington Framed

Taylor Provost, "Arts & Crafts Masonry," Scottish Rite Journal (Sept.-Nov. 2018), 4-5.  Washington's 1792 portrait in exqusite frame by made by Joseph Kimmel in 1921 with 90-plus emblems of character counting from Masonry.


Hirams House Supplies
by James Roesch - 409.382.9969
local brother helping with networking, supplies, and services ...

 www.facebook.com/HiramsHouseSupplies 
Spurger, Texas

 

Order Character Counts NOW

 

HB ISBN 9781456714383    SB ISBN 9781456714369

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ^  < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

NEW - 275+ Free Books Linked to Google Books for fully downloadable titles
related to Character Counts

NEW - 1,047 Footnotes in 12pt type in Character Counts

CHARACTER - 31 Organization Lists of Character Traits Deemed Essential


 my card - < email me - click here > ... shalom

Maness Business Card 
^ click to see larger ^


NEW - 275+ Free Books Linked to Google Books for fully downloadable titles
related to Character Counts
NEW - 1,047 Footnotes in 12pt type in Character Counts