Search results

I will be the subject of a question and answer period luncheon at the fifth annual Masonic Restoration Foundation annual symposium in Cincinnati on this Saturday, August 16th at 11:30AM. The Symposium will be held at the Cincinnati Masonic Center at 315 East 5th Street between August 15-17th...

The barbarity of Islam is really something. If beheadings WERE the will of God, then I WOULD renounce my faith. Those who show no mercy will receive no mercy, those who show no compassion will be judged without compassion. Continue reading...

Well, dear readers, I started to get a little nostalgic. Okay, I was full on nostalgic and I started to look through old papers of mine and came across this one. The Widow's Son, who ran a very controversial but often great blog, the Burning Taper, asked me, back in late '08, to write a guest...

Bro. Tech joins us to talk about his eBook "A Christian's Perspective on Masonic Symbols: The Square and Compasses" Another callout to /u/fwatch Horseplay during degrees Masonic Aprons Last call: who's attending the Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium? Email us at afterlodge@gmail.com Hang...

The first order conferred by a Commandery of Knights Templar is the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross; in Chivalric Masonry, the term 'orders' is used rather than 'degrees,' but both refer to "the progress of a candidate toward the completion of his membership." In the Illustrious Order of the...

As many of you have seen over the years on this space and on others, I am a CIVL evangelist. CIVL, or Castle Island Virtual Lodge, is the world's first lodge to meet online. (You could read more about my first visit here.) I was fortunate to invite my friends, the knights of the Masonic...

The Order of Malta is the second in the line of succession of Orders of Knighthood conferred by a Commandery of Knights Templar. When the Order of Malta is conferred a Commandery of Knights Templar opens a Priory of Knights of Malta which then confers the Order of Malta along with the...

Where is Bruce?! Harlan took the Bar Exam . . . it was "a test" What are the earplugs for?! Taking shots in the (public) parking lot Harlan considers alternate career paths The benefits of Truckin` Nobelish . . .? Buy gold . . . and Dogecoins! Is the Masonic Ring more important than the Wedding...

Yes, Freemasonry Is Religion, And It’s Incompatible With Some Christian Beliefs. Here’s Why. Matt Gallagher July 21, 2014 I’ve been a Freemason for only about four years, but I’ve already done a lot of changing in my views. One view I used to have, which I think most first years have is that...

With the recent decision by the Grand Master of Florida on the exclusion of Pagan, Wiccan, or men of other “non traditional faiths” based on the Charges of a Free-Mason, I thought it a good time to look at these mysterious Masonic charges and try to put them into a historical context. I...

The following comes from a piece I wrote in 2007 on the Masonic Traveler blog. It addressed, at that time, question of Freemasonry being a religion. While the ideas may have evolved some over the years, the message in it seems to still bear some resonance in light of the question rearing its...

For some reason, I have noticed a lot of people talking about how religion influences Freemasonry lately. Some folks have proclaimed that the foundations of Masonry are found in Kabbalah or Hermeticism. Others argue that Masonry is essentially a Christian art. Quite frankly, I disagree with both...

On Thursday, August 14, 2014, the Rubicon Masonic Dinner Club will hold its 2nd annual Festive Board in Lexington, Kentucky, featuring Worshipful Brother Andrew Hammer as the guest speaker. It will be held at Spindletop Hall, 3414 Iron Works Pike in Lexington. The reception begins at 6:30PM, and...

The following is an email that I recently sent to a large group of Masons that I thought was worthy of posting here as well. Brother, I hope that this email finds you doing well and enjoying your summer. I wanted to share some thoughts around the current state of the Craft. Many, if not all...

I was scheduled to speak at the William O. Ware Lodge of Research in Covington, KY last night. On the drive over I lost the serpentine belt on the Dummies wagon, and it took nearly three hours to get a tow to the nearest dealer. Fortunately I was only about 25 minutes out of Covington. Master...

The Seal of the Templars I just received my newest issue of the Knight Templar magazine. I do enjoy a number of topics that the magazine touches upon and I'm quite happy when I see it arrive in my mailbox. I begin reading through the magazine and came upon this statement from the managing...

Getting ready to head for Cincinnati, but I just came across this article in Bloomberg about French Freemasonry: Magazines and newspapers all have stories they run in one form or another, year in, year out. The details may differ, but the stories are largely the same everywhere, striking...

Within the Commandery of Knights Templar, there are conferred 3 chivalric orders: the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross, the Order of Malta, and the Order of the Temple. The Order of Malta is an order which emphasizes the lesson of faith. The pass degree of the Mediterranean Pass, or Knight of...

Due to the extended power outage caused by the ravenous Sharknados® we experienced over the weekend, show notes are pending (also because Harlan is taking the Bar Exam this week). Jason will get some show notes up shortly (as soon as the power comes back on so he can use the electric pencil...

I'll be speaking at the William O. Ware Lodge of Research No. 999 in Covington, Kentucky (just outside of Cincinnati) on July 30th at 7:30. Looking forward to it! Meanwhile, Alice and I will be in San Antonio, TX this week for the Romance Writers of America convention. Continue reading...