by Texe Marrs
Chapter 30: FOUNDATION FOR SHAMANIC STUDIES
The term Shamanism is derived through primitive Russia from a Siberian native language and refers to religious specialists—we used to call them “witch doctors"—who practice spiritism. The practice of shamanic sorcery was common to Native American Indians and Eskimos as well as to the witch doctors in the tribes of Asia, Africa, and Australia. Shamans practice in the context of their belief in animism. They believe that spirits, gods, devils, and other entities dwell in other realms to and from which the experienced and initiated shaman can travel. The shaman is thought by his people to be a man of power, able to conjure up and control the spirits. He is thought to be able to cast evil devils out of people to cure them of illnesses. The shaman usually employs a drum and puts on quite a show which often includes extracting some kind of a mysterious substance of the sick person’s body, bringing forth strange spirit voices, etc. The shaman often uses a mask or may dress himself in an animal skin or with a headdress of horns to impress his audience and, theoretically, scare off or subjugate the spirits.
The Foundation for Shamanic Studies is headed by Michael Harner, the author of a bestselling book on the subject of shamanism, The Way of the Shaman: A Guide to Power and Healing. The foundation sees its goals as healing the earth, preserving shamanic knowledge among native peoples, and promoting Soviet/American shamanism. In the latter area, Harner states that his group is working in tandem with Soviet anthropologists and scientists to utilize shamanic counseling techniques to deal with alcohol and mental illness. Another area of work for the foundation is to study death and dying and discover how that relates to what is called the shamanic spirit journey.
The Foundation for Shamanic Studies has promoted the work of Joseph Campbell who wrote The Way of the Animal Powers. If you watched Bill Moyers’PBS series on mythologies, you may recall his guest, Joseph Campbell, a prominent New Ager who is a supposed “expert” on the mythologies. Campbell, now deceased, was a promoter of shamanism and primitive pagan sorcery of all kinds.
Headquartered in Connecticut, the Foundation for Shamanic Studies is tied in with such groups as the Esalen Institute and others. Its Courses are offered in seminars and workshops across the nation and its faculty includes some impressive names. The group also has training sessions and centers in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Chapter 31: FREE DAIST COMMUNION (DA FREE JOHN)
Want to sit at the feet of a god-man, a man who has been praised and lauded as “greater than Jesus Christ or any other hero who has ever lived?” Well, according to the followers of the “Heart-Master, Da Free John,” you and I have that glorious opportunity. Some of the top people in the New Age claim that Da Free John, leader of the Free Daist Communion, is one of the greatest avatars, or messiahs, who has ever walked the earth. Noted New Age author Ken Wilber (Up From Eden), for example, has acknowledged Heart-Master Da Free John’s teachings as “unsurpassed by any other spiritual Hero, of any period, of any place, of any time, of any persuasion.” Presumably this includes Jesus. Wilber also refers to Heart-Master Da Free John’s work, The Dawn Horse Testament, as “The most ecstatic, profound, most complete, most radical, and most comprehensive single spiritual text ever penned.” This presumably includes the Bible.
Other New Age authorities agree that Heart-Master Da Free John’s teachings in his The Dawn Horse Testament are fantastically profound. Barbara Marx Hubbard of the World Future Society has remarked, “The teachings of Da Free John, embodied in an extraordinary collection of writings, provide an exquisite manual for transformation... I feel at the most profound depth of my being that his work will be crucial to an evolution toward full humanist society.”
Meanwhile, Herbert Long, Th.D., of the Harvard Divinity School, has called Da Free John and his book, “A gift of unparalleled importance.” According to Long, “Da Free John’s work very likely marks the beginning of a new tradition, a new culture, a new vision of what it means to be a human being transformed.” Donald Evans, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto has called Da Free John, “the most significant contemporary writer concerning the four religions... More profound than Paul Tillich... and Martin Buber.”
Who is this Heart-Master Da Free John that so many rave about? Well, actually his real name is Franklin Jones, or at least that is what his mother and father called him when he was born on November 3,1939. After he became involved in Hinduism, Franklin changed his name to Da Free John in 1979 and was at one time called Bubba Free John. Here is a man who loves to change names. Even his organizations seem to change names frequently. First, his group was called the Dawn Horse Fellowship; later it was called the Free Primitive Church of Divine Communion. Now we have the Free Daist Communion. In addition, Da Free John is in charge of a number of other groups, all which evidently come under the purview of the Free Daist Communion. These include the Free Community Order and the Laughing Man Institute.
Surrendering to Da Free John: Pathway to Divinity
Da Free John is not shy about bragging to be “another Moses, Krishna, Jesus, or Buddha.” He has a very effective and direct way to gain support from followers. He simply has told them that he is “God” and they will have to worship him as such. The claim is that those who give in to Da Free John, “God,” are “loved to the point of Ecstasy and Wisdom.” Disciples are also on the path to “God-realization.” In their literature, the Free Daist Communion tells inquirers, “The way of the heart, or Free Daism, requires a serious intention of every practitioner to transcend all superficial and ego-consoling orientations to life, and God, and truth. The way of the heart... is a whole, radically ego-transcending Way of life, to be lived in exquisite devotional surrender to Hridaya-Samartha-Sat-Guru Da Love-Ananda.” The latter name, Hridaya, etc., is an elongated rendition of the name Da Free John; it is a phrase composed of words of great veneration and respect for this god-man on earth.
So we see that the pathway to God, according to Da Free John, is “explicit devotional surrender” to him personally. This is supposedly done by abiding in his presence and sacrificing your own ego and consciousness to him. In this way, “all negative karma is dissolved instantaneously.” Of course, then you will have to begin giving financially to Da Free John and his work.
Critics of the Heart-Master claim that he lives a very sumptuous lifestyle. Indeed, he has purchased a small island in the South Pacific, one of the Fiji Islands. There, on this tiny, tropical “paradise,” Da Free John has built a retreat center called The Hermitage. Only his closest followers live there with him; others may come only for brief meditation retreats.
Da Free John offers his disciples the gift of love and laughter. Just gazing upon a pot-bellied Da Free John sitting upon a pillow clothed only in a pair of brief tights with beads around his neck, his head shaven, pictured in a lotus pose, is enough to make one roar with laughter. So, there may be something to this particular aspect of his teachings. Otherwise, all you’ll find in studying what is called the “crazy wisdom” of the Heart-Master is pure, doctrinal Hinduism.
Regardless of his seemingly outrageous demand that his disciples worship him totally and unequivocally and his bold assertion that he is God on earth, Da Free John has built a significant following around the world. His books, put out by the Dawn Horse imprint, are big sellers and his organization has regional centers in Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, England, Hawaii, and, in the continental United States, in Boston; Clear Lake, California; Santa Monica, California; San Raphael, California; Seattle, Washington; and Washington, D.C.
Chapter 32: FREEMASONRY
Freemasonry claims to be Christian, but it is not. Freemasonry says that it is not a religion, but it is. Freemasonry denies being Luciferian, but it is. In essence, these are the three key things that a person needs to know when examining the status of Freemasonry, or more simply, the Masonic Lodge.
There are a number of misunderstandings about Freemasonry. The reason why is simple: Freemasonry hides its a
ctivities and its true beliefs. The late Albert Pike, a 33rd degree Mason who once was the head of all of the Masonic organizations, in his “bible” of Freemasonry, Morals and Dogma, explained that:
Masonry, like all the religions, all the mysteries... conceals its secrets from all except the adepts and sages or the elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled, to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it.
Freemasonry: Unchristian, Unholy
There are a multitude of Masonic organizations. Probably the two best known in America are the York Rite and the Scottish Rite. But whatever group, all share in common the same basic doctrines, and these doctrines are insidiously unchristian and unholy. To properly understand these facts, it is necessary for us to simply quote some of the top Masonic authorities and discover what they themselves, the Masons, have to say about their secretive cult.
First, we read the words of Henry Clausen, 33rd degree, until recently the Sovereign Grand Master of Freemasonry. In his book, Emergence of the Mystical, Clausen confirmed the New Age underpinnings of Freemasonry when he wrote:
“Today we are at the threshold of a new era. All signs point to this fact... We look toward a transformation into a New Age using, however, the insight and wisdom of the ancient mystics... and the mysticism of Eastern religions.”
Thus, we have the leader of all Freemasons in the United States of America admitting to the Masonic/New Age connection and affirming the Freemasonry belief in the “mysticism of Eastern religions.”
Next, we turn to the book The Spirit of Masonry, by Foster Bailey of the Lucis Trust. Bailey is also a high-ranking Mason. His book was recently highly touted in the “book review” section of the Scottish Rite Journal (August 1990 issue, pages 24 and 58). Bailey, an occultist, explains what the Masons believe about the holy trinity:
“The Temple and the Heavens is therefore presided over by the Triune Deity... the Three Persons of the Divine Trinity. This Trinity of Persons... are well-known in all the world religions... known under various names, of which the most familiar to us are Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma... In Masonry, this same Triplicity is known as the Most High, the Grand Geometrician, and the Great Architect of the Universe.”
These three deities are actually the same trinitarian gods as found among India’s Hindus. In the Masonic theology, the Christian trinity is simply the same trinity but with different names for the three deities.
In the book, A Bridge to Light, published by Scottish Rite Masonry, author Rex Hutchens, 32nd degree, gives a summary of the degrees of Masonry and briefly explains what goes on during the initiation process for each. On page 312 of A Bridge to Light, he tells us about the ritual for the 32nd degree: “We find in the ritual a recitation of the beliefs of the Hindus of India.” Then, on page 316, it is revealed to the 32nd degree candidate that the “Supreme Deity” is composed of a trinity of three gods: “Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva,” which represent, “the cyclical concepts of creation, preservation, and destruction.”
In other words, A Bridge to Light, published by Freemasonry itself, affirms the book The Spirit of Masonry by the Lucis Trust’s Foster Bailey. Therefore we can know for a fact that the Hindu religion and Freemasonry are, for all practical purposes, one and the same religion. However, Freemasonry also integrates a number of other false teachings and doctrines from the ancient mystical religions into its ceremonies, its rituals, and theology.
Is Freemasonry “Christian,” then? Obviously not. Indeed, Albert Mackey, a prominent Mason, in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, on page 162, states flatly: “Freemasonry is not Christianity.” Moreover, on page 184 of the Masonic Handbook we read this astonishing statement: “Whether you swear or take God’s name in vain does not matter so much. Of course, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t amount to much.” What a reversal from the Gospel of John 12:48, wherein we are told: “He that rejecteth and receiveth not My Words, have one that judgeth him, the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last days.” These are the words of Jesus. In Philippians 2:9-11 we read: “... that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father.” Moreover, one of the Ten Commandments is that we should not take the name of the Lord our God in vain.
Is Freemasonry a Religion?
Masonry is in fact a religion that worships strange gods and totally rejects Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus is even prohibited in the formal ceremonies of the lodges. Albert Mackey, in the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, writes: “Masonry... is indeed a religious institution.” Henry Wilson Coil, in Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia, on page 512 writes:
Some attempt to avoid the issue by saying that Freemasonry is not a religion, but is “religious”... It would be insensible to say that man had no intellect but was intellectual or that he had no honor but was honorable. The oft-repeated aphorism: “Freemasonry is not a religion... but is religion’s handmaid,” has been challenged as meaningless, which it seems to be.
Coil then goes on to ask: “Does Freemasonry continually teach and insist upon a creed, tenet, and dogma? Does it have meetings characterized by practices of rites and ceremonies...?” His answer is most emphatically, “Yes!”
Albert Pike, whose book, Morals and Dogma, is recommended to all Masons as their guide to daily living (see the Masonic magazine, New Age, January 1989, article by C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33rd degree, Grand Sovereign Commander of Freemasonry, confirms that Masonry is a religion-indeed, the one true world religion around which all can assemble. In this book so revered by Freemasons everywhere, Pike writes:
Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahman, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God... must needs leave to its initiate to look for the foundations of his faith and hope for the written scriptures of his own religion.
In other words, Pike believes that it does not matter to which religion a person ascribes. He may be a Christian, a Hebrew, a Moslem, or even a follower of Confucius or the Persian god, Zoroaster. Is this in accordance with Christianity? Does it matter which God man serves?
In fact, Pike himself goes on to show in his book the “God” whom he himself clearly prefers and recommends to all Masons. According to Pike, “Everything good in nature comes from Osiris (the Egyptian Father God)—order, harmony, and the favorable temperature of the seasons and celestial periods.”
Manly P. Hall, a 33rd degree Mason, on page 48 of his Lost Keys of Freemasonry, frankly admits the real god of Masonry:
When a Mason learns that the Key... is the proper application of the dynamo of living power... the seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands and before he may step onward and upward, he must prove his ability to properly apply this energy.
Lucifer is indeed the real god of Masonry. Other “gods” are mere fronts and covers. Moreover, not only does the Mason acknowledge the Hindu trinity of gods and Osiris, the Egyptian Father God, but during the ceremonies for the ritual of the Royal Arch degree, the candidate is asked, “Brother Inspector, what are you?” And he replies, “I AM THAT I AM.” This, of course, is blasphemy in that God alone is the Great “I AM.” Indeed, we see in the Old Testament that when Moses asked the Lord to identify His name, God proclaimed: “I AM THAT I AM.” In effect, the candidate for the Royal Arch degree of Freemasonry declares himself to be God.
To determine how Masonry and Christianity relate, all a person needs to do is go directly to the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. This book contains almost 1,000 pages, with articles on every conceivable subject in any way related to Freemasonry. Yet, it does not contain even the slightest of traces of information on or mention of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. What are we to say about a religious system which comes complete with textbooks, encyclopedias, secretive handshakes, oaths, and rituals, and yet excludes the name of the only true God of the universe?
Our
Bible tells us that if we will not confess the Lord Jesus Christ here on earth, He will not confess us to the Father in Heaven. I have great sympathy, then, for Freemasons, for in excluding Jesus Christ from their religious rituals and teachings, they are automatically excluding themselves from the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Can a Mason be a Christian? Yes, initially a man could possibly be both a Mason and a Christian. But a true Christian will not stay with Freemasonry because oil and water do not mix; neither can Lucifer, the god of Masonry, and Jesus co-exist in the heart of a man or a woman.
If you would like to know more about Freemasonry, write for more information to Power of Prophecy Ministries, 1708 Patterson Road, Austin, Texas 78733 or phone toll-free 1-800-234-9673.
Chapter 33: FRIENDS OF CREATION SPIRITUALITY (MATTHEW FOX)
A major supporter and promoter of witchcraft and earth religion is the Catholic priest, Matthew Fox, whose learning institution, Holy Names College, in San Jose, California and his Center for Creation-Centered Spirituality have been able to convince hundreds of nuns and priests to join the earth movement. Fox, a priest of the Dominican Order, has even invited one of the top witches in the world, Miriam Starhawk, to sit on the faculty of Holy Names College. Fox believes that the traditional belief in Jesus is a relic of the past—of the outmoded astrological Piscean Age. Fox panentheism, the theology that God is in all things and that all things are in God. Another affiliated group, Friends of Creation Spirituality, Oakland, California, emphasizes mysticism, the environment, and the “ancient wisdom.”
