|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 26/06/2011 12:04:02
Posts: 13,
Visits: 94
|
I've just finished reading Dan Brown's latest book. I will provide some comments, hopefully without spoiling the plot.
To be honest, I thought that his last two books were more enjoyable than "The Lost Symbol". Regarding its relevance to, and effect on freemasonry, I don't think it will be all that great. For one thing, there aren't as many freemasons to get upset as there were Christians with the Da Vinci Code. Secondly, most non-masons may have strange views on what we say and do, but most of them couldn't really give a toss, accurately believing us to be benign at worst, and a beneficial charity at best. Thirdly, Brown has his protagonist Robert Langdon voicing some of the best rebuttals to the old anti-masonic claims.
Regarding Brown's depiction of freemasonry, I think that that is more of a concern to us, in dispelling some views that I have even seen on this forum. As far as his depiction of blue lodge degree work is concerned, it's harmless. But my concern is that Brown has freemasonry holding views that no Grand Lodge has expressed (nor do they seem to be the case with any of the appendant orders, although I can't speak for them as I am currently a MM).
Towards the end of the book, freemasonry is depicted as a form of ecumenical all-inclusive deism (theism), in essence. Not only that, Brown seems to cling to the rather politically correct notion of the GAOTU being akin to a mountain top, with all religions as being equally valid paths to the same summit.
Many people seem to confuse the fact that because religion is not to be discussed in open lodge, and the fact that belief in a supreme being is the only spiritual or religious prerequisite for initiation (among other prerequisites), that all religions are held to be equally valid in freemasonry, and by all freemasons. My understanding is that freemasons and their lodges hold all religions to be the private matters of masons, and does not speak to any of the precepts unique to any religion.
Certainly, the allegories come mainly from the Old Testament and events occurring in those times, but while that is not meant to imply that Judaism or Christianity hold any more sway than other religions, it does not in that disclaimer imply any endorsement of the other religions per se.
All religions are mutually exclusive in their doctrine, and even hostile to other faiths (in modern times, not just pre-antiquity) in the case of one major religion in particular. It is because of the fact that adherents to one particular religious tradition preach death or subjugation to any who refuse conversion that modern freemasonry chooses not to discuss these doctrines, nor any others, in open lodge. However, refusal to discuss a matter does not mean endorsement of pernicious beliefs by such silence.
Brown and his readers must understand that freemasonry is not a religion. Even though his character Langdon makes this explicit early on in the book, the plot serves to contradict this premise. I believe that this is also Brown's intent. Aside from being nowhere nearly as exciting a read as his earlier works, this is my main problem with the novel. Freemasons are not only free, but expected to follow the precepts of their respective religious traditions.
Although I don't believe it was foreseen in the late 1600s that anyone but Christians (and later) Jews would join, the strife that may exist between the Judeo-Christian tradition and another major world religion can be viewed as analogous to to the sectarian strife with which Britain was riven around the time of the English civil war and the interregnum. We know that there is a mainstream religion who, given the chance again, would seek to subjugate the entire world under its yoke. The fact that as freemasons we view the man, not the religion, no matter how hateful we may see it, attests to our enlightenment origins of tolerance and brotherly love. Each soul is unique and should be viewed as such. While it is true that tolerance, when applied to intolerance, becomes evil, that does not apply to freemasonry, which is not a microcosm.
In lodge, we leave our prejudices at the door. But leaving them at the door of the lodge doesn't mean we don't pick them up again on the way out. If someone preaches my destruction or subjugation (especially of my daughters), I will fight them. Inside lodge however, I will accept a man on his worth as a man, be he faithful or infidel to my creed.
Freemasonry is not universal deism. Freemasons are not of a universal religious outlook. This is the point that Dan Brown misses entirely.
Lodge Army and Navy No 517, UGLNSW/ACT
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 10/07/2011 06:43:06
Posts: 2,136,
Visits: 4,278
|
Currently I'm reading The Lost Symbol
So far I have found nothing at all offensive to Freemasonry, at least as I have known it in its many Orders for 21 years now.
Brown no doubt has given his own views in this novel and they may well not accord with the opinions and statements expressed by the many Grand Lodges in the world, but as those august bodies cannot even agree on what constitutes the Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry and some do not accept these anyway, I would not discount Brown's opinions as voiced by his characters.
I will continue to read this book, as I have others by this author such as DVC and A&D and will give my own views on it in due course.
If it does attract people to Freemasonry, as did the movie "National Treasure" then that is to the good.
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 05/02/2012 20:15:07
Posts: 134,
Visits: 1,003
|
Well having just finished it I can say it quite a good yarn. A bit lofty in places but okay as it goes. It did prove one thing for me though - Dan Brown is definatly not a Freemason. Langdon is asked "why are you not a Freemason" and he answers, " because I wouldn't be able to talk and write about it as much as I do". I think that this book would have had him thrown out of my Lodge. It may not disclose anything that is not in the public domain already, but there is no need to do it all over again and then sign your name after it.BUT........... What I really don't like is that Dan Brown (just like many other Hollywood script writers and American authors have done before) has tried to re-write history. To think that the Ancient Masonic Secrets are somehow buried under monuments in D.C. is as about as far fetched as any book on Masonry can be. When will our cousins across the pond realise that in the grand history of the world the USA is an infant. Masonry was running long before the Boston tea party and I regularly go to a Lodge that is older than America! The book totally leaves out that Masonry was exported to America by the the English and tries to make the reader think that the center of the Masonic world is Washington DC. If Masonry does have an epecenter, (which it doesn't) it definatly isn't there. He'll be telling us next that the Tylers post is at 8th and I !!! It just adds to the great Hollywood lies of "Enigma" and Band of Brothers & Private Ryan". A shame really. They haven't got any history so they make it all up.
Well now you ask, yes, I am Pink :)
Craft
HRA Chapter
Mark
RAM
Rose Croix
|
Forum Moderator
Group: Moderator
Last Active: Yesterday @ 23:42:14
Posts: 1,484,
Visits: 4,739
|
Comfortably Numb (03/10/2009)
Well having just finished it I can say it quite a good yarn. A bit lofty in places but okay as it goes. It did prove one thing for me though - Dan Brown is definatly not a Freemason. Langdon is asked "why are you not a Freemason" and he answers, " because I wouldn't be able to talk and write about it as much as I do". I think that this book would have had him thrown out of my Lodge. It may not disclose anything that is not in the public domain already, but there is no need to do it all over again and then sign your name after it. BUT........... What I really don't like is that Dan Brown (just like many other Hollywood script writers and American authors have done before) has tried to re-write history. To think that the Ancient Masonic Secrets are somehow buried under monuments in D.C. is as about as far fetched as any book on Masonry can be. When will our cousins across the pond realise that in the grand history of the world the USA is an infant. Masonry was running long before the Boston tea party and I regularly go to a Lodge that is older than America! The book totally leaves out that Masonry was exported to America by the the English and tries to make the reader think that the center of the Masonic world is Washington DC. If Masonry does have an epecenter, (which it doesn't) it definatly isn't there. He'll be telling us next that the Tylers post is at 8th and I !!! It just adds to the great Hollywood lies of "Enigma" and Band of Brothers & Private Ryan". A shame really. They haven't got any history so they make it all up. I don't understand? Dan Brown did state that the book is Fiction.
Tom Cherup 32°
Olive Branch Lodge #542
Dearborn, Michigan
Scottish Rite - Valley of Detroit
Detroit Masonic Temple - It''s bigger than yours!
|
|
dp
|
Posted 04/10/2009 09:09:16
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 08/01/2012 18:59:22
Posts: 1,082,
Visits: 3,065
|
cube (04/10/2009)
Ah yes , but as was pointed out to me by an enlightened and eloquent lady when I visited San Francisco ( a great city IMHO ) " You Brits think that 100 miles is a long distance! - we think that 100 years is a long time!" That's a wonderful quote and one that I shall now use if that's OK ;) I have just finished the book and thought it was a good light read. There are a lot of errors in the book but it is a work of fiction. I would like to thank Mr Brown though for not taking the easy route of making our order out to be some kind of evil, world controlling, satanic group. Which he could have easily done. Instead he puts us in a good light. And I for one am thankful of that. I think the book will be positive for Freemasonry and the A&ASR and as such I welcome it. I think an organization that will benefit tremendously from this book however is AMORC whom Mr Brown lists as the original Rosicrucians...
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 05/02/2012 20:15:07
Posts: 134,
Visits: 1,003
|
Yes of course the book is fiction but if you tell a lie too often those who do not know any better start to believe such as the truth.Imagine what it would have been like if the Internet existed in its present form when JFK was assasinated. There was a sign at Yale, it read: "Students must not walk on the grass - this tradition starts today"
Well now you ask, yes, I am Pink :)
Craft
HRA Chapter
Mark
RAM
Rose Croix
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 10/07/2011 06:43:06
Posts: 2,136,
Visits: 4,278
|
I'm half way through it, hard going to say the least. Some of the Masonic terminology may be strange to UGLE Brethren, for example the refrences to the Chamber of Reflection which AFAIK is not used in UGLE's Freemasonry but is in others including LDH. So far as I have said above I found nothing at all that is offensive to me as a Freemason.
I am quite used to US spelling and the way they write a date being different to that in the UK, so it really doesn't bother me too much if they write color instead of colour etc and rendered today as 10/04 istead of 04/10. To avoid confusion I usually write dates as April 10th or October 4th etc.
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 26/10/2011 15:33:38
Posts: 105,
Visits: 247
|
Finished this book last Thursday, I found it really hard going and pretty dull. As Lauderdale rightly points out much of the symbology and references are to US Freemasonry and dwells a lot on the 'higher' degrees of Freemasonry. Obviously over here in the UK, we only have 3 degrees of Craft Freemasonry.I was glad to finish it as I found it so tedious and excruciatingly obvious in many places, it was a pleasure to put it down and start on the new Terry Pratchett novel, now that is a great read ;)
The Border Lodge 3129, Wiltshire
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 10/07/2011 06:43:06
Posts: 2,136,
Visits: 4,278
|
I am still wading my way through it. Spicer and Pegler's Book-keeping and Accounts was more thrilling!
I hate to be pedantic but whilst I would agree that there are Three Degrees in Craft Freemasonry when taken in isolation, not all Masonic Bodies working in England hold that there are but Three Degrees. In LDH we consider Craft to be part of the A&ASR and that there are 33 Degrees making an Inititatic Continuity from 1st to 33rd. This differs completely from the position of UGLE which holds there to be but Three Degrees of EA, FC, and MM, with a rather unsatisfactory compromise regarding the HRA which came into being when UGLE was founded in 1813 to placate the Antients and which has been tinkered with in recent times.
Returning to the novel, will Dan Brown's book be benefical or detrimental to Freemasonry of whatever GL, Go or Obedience? Only time will tell but so far I have yet to find anything hurtful or offensive to The Craft, at least as I understand Freemasonry as a member for nearly 21 years and a student of the subject for many years before that.
|
|
Group: Forum Member
Last Active: 10/07/2011 06:43:06
Posts: 2,136,
Visits: 4,278
|
Well, at last I have finished reading it. NOT an easy read, it didn't have me gripping the edge of my chair, it was not in the "I couldn't put it down" category of book and yes it had the stereotypical car chase only slowed down a bit compared to DVC and Langdon gets saved by a deus ex machina which may be scientifically possible but which I doubt is anywhere near that state of development.
Enough about the novel. As to the Masonic content. There was nothing I found derogatory to Freemasonry nor offensive to me as a Mason. Any Master Mason should recognise a symbol which features greatly in the story and to a Rose Croix member such as myself (18th Degree in the A&ASR), there was much that struck a chord. Those Brethren not au fait with Freemasonry outside of UGLE might be slightly confused by some of the terminology used in this book but just remember that some things are done in a different manner or have others names outwith the jurisdiction of Gt Queen Street.
IMO, "The Lost Symbol" has done no harm to Freemasonry, and may indeed encourage some to knock at the West Gate of our Temples.
|