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I think cypher books have there place, and that place is in the hands of the man learning this or that ritual. Being able to practice, review, and correct independently is a realistic expectation. That said, I also believe that there is no substitute for mouth-to-ear interaction either. In any...

"You know those guys, J....a, J....o, and J.....m?"

Spot on, Brother, though I think you understate it a bit. Heck with the "dangerous ideas", just being "different" is scary enough to some that they feel the need to react as they have. I suspect it's the same crowd that wants to make sure, through legislation, that no yamulkes or turbans are...

Thank you for making my day with that obervation, Brother. :thumbup:

I am not offering any apologies for evangelical Christians like this guy, but let us temper our judgement of his "tactics" just a bit. "Scare" tactics they may be, from some points of view, but from his point of view, he's providing some pretty important information, letting us know what he...

For my part, no, but I am willing to rent it out for the right price.

No one has suggested otherwise. I believe you've missed the point of my rhetorical questions...

Exactly my point. We are, collectively, entirely capable of sorting this out on our own. We need have only the will to do so and the strength of character to live within those bounds.

True enough, but that does not make their morality relativistic, from any perspective other than that of a dogmatic evangelical Christian. My atheist friends are at least as rigorous as any of my religious friends, and far more so than most, when it comes to setting, and living by, their moral...

The problem with "defined boundaries" is that, almost universally, they include some arbitrary proscriptions and/or requirements. For example, I don't need any religious authority's pronouncement to know that murder is wrong, but whether or not I should eat shellfish is not exactly a moral...

I disagree, and I offer as proof my atheist friends, who are among the most "moral" people I know. They do the right thing simply because it's the right thing, not because they're following some arbitrary "thou shalt" and "thou shalt not" list. And certainly not out of fear of some gruesome...

"Lawful communication" or more precisely, "Masonic communication" refers to those things that can only happen ("lawfully") in a tyled Lodge. They do not refer to conversation about this or that Masonic topic. Again, a very common misconception.

How do you know this? Think back again on your obligations, in particular those things that you promised and swore not to divulge. That's actually a pretty short list. And this is a very common misconception, due at least in part to the fact that, as a matter of custom, most of us will not...

Re: Have people had visitation with God or their D But the question to which you refer asks about belief, not ability.

Re: Have people had visitation with God or their D Yes, definitely. To that, I can speak only for myself, but yes, I firmly believe those experiences to be real, but there is no rational way that anyone can say that they know such a thing.

I suggest that your assumptions about me and my understanding of mental illness are in error. I have more than a little first-hand experience in dealing with those poor souls who suffer from schizophrenia and other debilitating mental disorders, usually when they are most acute. While there is...

Whether or not that view is sexist depends a great deal on what you mean by "recognize". If you mean that in the sense that we, as "regular" Masons, may not have "Masonic communication" with female Masons (or any clandestine Mason, for that matter), then I would agree completely. But if you mean...

My obligation enjoins me from making a woman a Mason and from being present at such an event. Period. It makes no mention of Eastern Star. The fact remains that there are female Masons and that I have not broken any obligation in recognizing that.

And then today... ( http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57603671/pope-francis-catholic-church-must-focus-beyond-small-minded-rules/ ) Wow... The response to that is going to be interesting.

Tell that to the many female Masons around the world. Perhaps you meant to say that women Masons are not members of regular Lodges in recognized jurisdictions. In that you would be completely correct. Where were you first prepared to be made a Mason? Do you think your answer is different...