“The Deadly Deception”
Huntington House,Inc Lafayette Louisiana 1988 ISBN 0-910311-52-8
Freemasonry exposed by one of its top leaders:
…Jim Shaw:
* 33rd degree *knight commander of the court of honor
* Past worshipful master, blue
lodge
& Tom McKenney.
* Past master of all Scottish rite
bodies
Chapter 7 “Branching Out” The Koran, fez, and fun:
becoming a Shriner.
The Shrine (Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine) is easily the most conspicuous
of all forms of freemasonry and the -and the most far- removed from basic Masonic principles
and traditions. Many of who know nothing of masonry in general who perhaps don't even recognize
the word "mason" except for thinking it means some kind of bricklayer, have at least a vague
awareness of "the Shriners".
At the mention of the word "Shriner" most will think of men in red hats with tassels, perhaps in
colorful costumes, parading, clowning and doing some kind of public service.
If they are a little more aware than that they will think of them as men who have big conventions
and drink a lot. Most of the general public will go through life with no knowledge of the existence
of the Scottish rite or the York rite; the degrees of these bodies and such titles as prince adept,
master of the royal secret or Knight Templar will have no meaning at all for them.
They may never even have heard of the blue lodge and the degree of Master mason. But they will
probably have heard of the Shriners and will have some knowledge of what they do. The Shrine,
the "Show Army of Masonry", maintains a very high profile.
I had been aware of the Shrine for a long time when I had only the most vague knowledge of the
rest of freemasonry. From the time of my very first entrance into the lodge, I had the thought
of someday being a Shriner.
It seems to me that this is true of most masons who go beyond the blue degrees.
For this reason, one of their practices always puzzled me: after each
Reunion in the Scottish rite, the Shriners would come around, recruiting the new 32nd degree
masons for the Shrine and it seemed unnecessary. Such was the case for me. Shortly after
receiving the 32nd degree they began approaching me about joining. In my case they were wasting
their time, for I had decided a long time before to join them.
It is necessary to be a 32nd degree mason for six months before being eligible to join the Shrine.
Unlike myself in a way, I didn't rush in as soon as the six months passed. I was fully involved
in the blue lodge and already was an officer in the Scottish rite; perhaps, also, I sensed that
work in the Shrine wasn't as serious as in blue lodge and the rite. I wanted to learn- about
religions and the meaning of life- and I had plenty to learn where I was. So I didn't enter the
Shrine after the spring reunion when I became eligible.
I was Chaplain in the Scottish rite and a degree master. In the blue
Lodge I was senior deacon and preparing to be the junior warden, only two chairs away from
the office of worshipful master. I was very busy with all this responsibility.
The following fall
however, after the reunion, I decided it was time to
enter the Shrine.
Mike had come into
the Scottish rite at spring Reunion and now was
eligible also.
We went into the
Shrine together.
I knew
that the Shrine initiations got really rambunctious and wondered
what might
happen when they
laid hands roughly on Mike. The initiation was
performed in the Coliseum
before a very large crowd
of Shriners who
came to see the fun.
One of the first done was to identify the men with health problems that might make the initiation a risk.
There were physicians there to question and examine the candidates; those considered risky
were separated out, had a white tape put around the left wrist, and they simply sat while the
other candidates went through the rowdy part of it all. In this way, because of his back injury,
Mike was spared the hazing and the Shrine was thus spared a demonstration of the "Hands-Off Policy."
We began the initiation about noon that Saturday. After the medical screening came the hazing,
which was very childish. Some of it was not only childish, but downright vulgar. At one point we
were placed in a large, mesh cage, and one of the Shriners climbed up on top of it.
He exposed a very convincing rubber penis which was connected to a water bag concealed in his
clothing and hosed down all of us in the cage to the delighted howls of the spectators.
After the hazing it was time for the serious part, the ritual, and then time to take the oath.
We took the obligation, again with terrible bloody consequences if we revealed any of the
"secrets" (one form of mayhem we promised to accept was to have our "eyeballs pieced to the center
with a sharp, three-edged blade"). And, with the Koran on the altar, we sealed our solemn oath in
the name of "Allah, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers."2
I had taken so many bloody oaths already (one for each degree) that I paid little attention to this one,
except to notice that it, like the rest of the ritual, featured desert settings, Arabs and Allah,
the Mohammedan god.
I was disappointed and a little offended at the childish and vulgar nature of the initiation but not
really surprised. This, after all, was the Shrine; and "fun" was the Shriners' trademark.
The initiation was completed by 4 p.m., so we could all be ready for the big celebration banquet that night.
With still another initiation behind me, I headed home to share the moment with Bonnie and to get ready
for the celebration.
It was to be a BYOB ("bring your own bottle") affair, Mike was going with us, and we were looking
forward to wearing our brand-new fezzes.
We enjoyed the party, which lasted until 2 a.m.; we were Shriners at last and it felt good.
There was no "degree work" in the Shrine for there is no actual degree, so it didn't look like I
would be learning a great deal there. However, I looked forward to being a part of all their
benevolent community services. I was proud of my new red fez with its gold trim and tassel.
I didn't see how my life could be much more full- except for one thing. I still had a spiritual
emptiness; I was still in search of a religion.
Footnotes
1 In a well-ordered lodge, Jesus is never mentioned except in vague, philosophical terms.
Prayers are never prayed in His name, and when scriptures are quoted in the ritual, all
references to Him are simply omitted. For example, II Thessalonians 3:6 is used in the
ritual, but not the way it is in your Bible; the words "in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ" are entirely omitted. Likewise, the ritual includes, I Peter 2:5, but with the
words "bu Jesus Christ" omitted. Albert Mackey, after Albert Pike the highest Masonic
authority, calls this changing of the scriptures "a slight but necessary modification"
(Masonic ritualist pg272.)
2 Every Shriner, kneeling before the Koran, takes this oath in the name of Allah, and
acknowledges this pagan god of vengeance as his own ("the god of our fathers"). And,
in the ritual, he acknowledges Islam, the declared blood-enemy of Christianity, as
the one true path. ("Whoso seeketh Islam earnestly seeks true direction.") How it must
break the Heart of God to hear these words from the lips of His own children, particularly
the leaders of His church.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~stgvisie/VISIE/schurkenstaat.html#Skull