The Case for the Masonic Dollar Bill

reply to post by ConspiracyNut23


Deo Proximo (Nearest to God)
Deo Favente Perennis (Enduring by the Favor of God)

PS: I sent you an email yesterday through the contact form of your comic site before I even posted here; have you gotten it yet?

reply to post by Fire_In_The_Minds_of_Men


Curses!!

I've been having trouble with my email for two months! Emails to myself have been bouncing the whole time. You just reminded me about the contact form and I have updated it to a working email, thanks.

Unfortunately, it means I haven't receive your email. Could you possibly sent it again? I have U2U'ed my present email via ATS's private message system. You should see a flashing U2U button on the tab bar above. (between members and search) Although you won't be able to reply until you have 20 posts here on ATS.

How did you know about the comic? My Profile here on ATS?

Like you I have been working on a book (comic) and as a result, I haven't updated it in a while.

[edit on 12/5/08 by ConspiracyNut23]

Originally posted by Fire_In_The_Minds_of_Men


No, actually; I can assuredly state that you most definitely haven't in fact spoken to "most historians," or most Scottish Rite Masons about that particular issue of the Masonic New Age Magazine.

The reason why I chose to excerpt that issue was the fact that it was from an official organ of Freemasonry, with the opinion of two high-ranking Scottish Rite masons on what it is they believe to be the esoteric meaning behind the (Masonic; their words!) symbolism on the one dollar bill.

That's great, but it ignores the fact that most other Masons, and non-Masonic historians, refute that view, which is the point I made above.

The obvious problem that arises when one tries to read Masonic symbolism into the Great Seal is the fcat that it was designed by non-Masons (Thomas Jefferson and John Adams). The Wikipedia article says the following:

That of the reverse is murkier. Some conspiracy theorists believe the eye atop the pyramid to have its origins in Masonic iconography.[7] However, the pyramid is not a Masonic symbol and while the eye is used by the Masons, it is also a common symbol in Christian iconography. More importantly, the seal was not designed by a Mason. Benjamin Franklin was the only Mason among the various Great Seal committees,[8] and his ideas were not adopted.

Source

You can Google it and look at the academic articles by historians, who generally agree that the symbol is not Masonic.

CN23 utilized it just as I'd hoped someone would, because it represents another Masonic opinion which is just as authoritative (probably more) than other attempts at debunking we are continually subjected to all over the interwebs, and even now in the Masonic-friendly MSM.

If the Great Seal were Masonic, I would see no reason to deny it. After all, a large number of our forefathers were Masons, and Masonry certainly influenced their thinking. As a Mason myself, it would actually be a source of pride to say that the Great Seal of my nation is derived from my fraternity.

However, in this case, the facts are against it.

reply to post by Masonic Light


Wikipedia said:

That of the reverse is murkier. Some conspiracy theorists believe the eye atop the pyramid to have its origins in Masonic iconography.

That statement needs to be edited to honestly reflect the fact that it isn't just "conspiracy theorists" who subscribe to the "masonic iconography" origin. I've proven that Masons have also expressed this belief, simply by reproducing the New Age Magazine article. In fact, these theories have been put forth in Masonic literature for centuries, and everyone who is versed in the subject knows this for certain. Br. James D. Carter, 33°, G.'.C.'. is hardly the first, nor the last.

That's my only point.

Wikipedia said:

However, the pyramid is not a Masonic symbol and while the eye is used by the Masons, it is also a common symbol in Christian iconography.

All kinds of Pyramid symbology in Grand Orient (instituted in the early 1770s) certificates and Lodge carpets. American and French masons were joined at the hip in those formative years. Masons during the 18th century, more than any other group, were obsessing about anything and everything, Egyptian. It's not a case of the pyramid being a masonic symbol first and foremost, rather it is a fact that pyramids started to be used in Masonic art at exactly the time in which we speak. James Stevens Curl: "It is clear from typical standard designs for Masonic Certificates for Lodges under the Grand Orient of France that the Egyptian element was well to the fore. Pyramids, Egyptian columns, palm trees, sphinxes, and Egyptian Isis or Hathor-headed capitals are much in evidence [83-85]": in, The Art & Architecture of Freemasonry (Woodstock & New York: The Overlook Press), p. 125 - his plates 83-85 are examples of just such Pyramidal/Egyptian iconography.

"...it is also a common symbol in Christian iconography."

Indeed, but also in Rosicrucian, alchemical and occult art in particular.

Originally posted by Masonic Light

...it ignores the fact that most other Masons, and non-Masonic historians, refute that view...

There you go again - speaking for "most historians" and "most Masons."

GreatSeal.com says (citing a 1976 State Department publication):

Members of the Great Seal Design Committees

* Definitely a Mason: Benjamin Franklin.
* Definitely not Masons: John Adams and Charles Thomson.
* No firm evidence of a Masonic connection, although allegations of such a connection have been noted: Thomas Jefferson*, James Lovell, Francis Hopkinson, Arthur Middleton, and John Rutledge.
* No records at all, so presumably not Masons: Pierre Du Simitière, John Morin Scott, William Church Houston, Arthur Lee, Elias Boudinot, and William Barton (although he has at times been confused with another William Barton who was a Mason).

Re: "No firm evidence" and "No records at all" equals the conclusion that absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence (research 101).

[edit on 12-5-2008 by Fire_In_The_Minds_of_Men]

[edit on 12-5-2008 by Fire_In_The_Minds_of_Men]

Originally posted by Fire_In_The_Minds_of_Men


That statement needs to be edited to honestly reflect the fact that it isn't just "conspiracy theorists" who subscribe to the "masonic iconography" origin. I've proven that Masons have also expressed this belief, simply by reproducing the New Age Magazine article.

I never said only "conspiracy theorists" subscribed to your theory. I simply noted that it has been discredited.

There you go again - speaking for "most historians" and "most Masons."

I am not aware of any modern Masonic scholar that believes that the Great Seal has incorporated Masonic symbolism. Or any modern non-Masonic historian, for that matter.

Re: "No firm evidence" and "No records at all" equals the conclusion that absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence (research 101).

This confirms what I mentioned earlier, i.e., that the only "known" Mason on the committee was Franklin. Franklin's design, which looked much less Masonic than the one finally approved, was rejected by the committee.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
I never said only "conspiracy theorists" subscribed to your theory.

I know. Look again. I was quoting (and then refuting) your Wikipedia article citation.