The Druze of Lebanon

Originally posted by Wind
Thanks
So you are a freemason. I have read an interesting book about Masonry. They say that originally masonry is very good. It's symbols are highly moral, however, zionism later on took the same symbols of it and used them as to symbolize bad meanings.

That was the official Nazi Party stance on Freemasonry (see "Freemasonry Ideology" by S.S. Reichsofficer Dieter Schwarz), and is why Masons were persecuted in Nazi-occupied nations. Needless to say, it is completely fictional.

I really liked the eye of the triangle being explained as God watching them so they shouldn't sin. I also appreciated the symbol of the triangle pointed downwards, symbolizing life on earth which means lust, and when this lust is dead, you go up to the triangle pointed upwards, which means to knowledge and wisdom. Is that right?
thanks

No, the Triangle or Delta does not symbolize these things in Masonry. It rather symbolizes three "Potencies" of the Deity, as well as the division of the Soul into three parts by the Greek philosopher Plato. This is especially the case when two Triangles are interlaced to form a Hexagram, i.e., the upright Triangle representing Deity, with the inverted representing man.

[edit on 29-9-2005 by Masonic Light]

What are the three parts of the soul?

Do you mean that Zionism control over some lodges is fictional?

thanks

Originally posted by Wind
What are the three parts of the soul?

According to Plato, the Soul is divided into three sections: the rational part, the spirited part, and the animal instincts. He argues in the Republic that a man can only be just and good if his soul is ruled by its rational part, with the spirited part (which includes courage, honor, etc.) and animal instincts (which control the physical appetites) acting as the servants to reason.

Do you mean that Zionism control over some lodges is fictional?

Yes.

But the book I have read is an interview with a freemason. He said that zionism took over the good symbols of freemasonry to make them as bad. They used the smart organization for their own purposes!!

Thank you for the explanations..i understood the idea but didn't know how to refer to the symbols well.

Is it true that you think that king Solomon killed Ahiram, the good freemason?

The dollar sign has freemasonic signs. These ppl are really powerful. If they control politics, (not the ordinary people but only those in power), they decieve and do things against moral principles. They support Israel and do wars and stuff. Don't you think that it i s right that Zionism controls some lodges?

Originally posted by Wind
But the book I have read is an interview with a freemason. He said that zionism took over the good symbols of freemasonry to make them as bad. They used the smart organization for their own purposes!!

There are many sych books, all of which are hoaxes. If the person who wrote it claims to be a Mason, his membership can easily be verified. I seriously doubt he belongs to the Masonic fraternity.

Is it true that you think that king Solomon killed Ahiram, the good freemason?

No. The Bible, which contains the history of Solomon's reign, doesn't say anything about that sort of thing. Neither does Masonic legend or ritual.

The dollar sign has freemasonic signs. These ppl are really powerful. If they control politics, (not the ordinary people but only those in power), they decieve and do things against moral principles. They support Israel and do wars and stuff. Don't you think that it i s right that Zionism controls some lodges?

The dollar sign is actually the Great Seal of the United States. Although it is a common belief that the symbol is Masonic, in fact, it is not. Of the gentlemen who were on the Congressional Committee to create the Seal, only one of them, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, was a Mason. His idea for the Seal was turned down by the Committee, and the Seal which was adopted, which is currently seen on the one dollar bill, was designed by two non-Masons.

Zionism is a movement wherein certain Jewish people believe they should be able to dwell in their ancestral homeland. It has nothing to do with Freemasonry or any other fraternal orders.

[edit on 29-9-2005 by Masonic Light]

Lets stick to the topic of the Druze of lebanon. The influences with masonry are, of course, more than appropriate to discuss, but lets not turn this into a defense-attack of-on masonry.


Its odd that Pike would try to make it like a Druze ceremony. From what I understand, the public druze ceremonies, anyone, even a non druze, can attend, so long as they wear a particular white outfit, and they are held on, I think, Thursdays. Is the 25 degree usually awarded on a Thursday?

I have to wonder if Pike had been to a Druze ceremony? Seems like, considering how mysterious their religion is today, that in the american civil war period, it'd've been even more mysterious. I wonder how much of his ritual was his imagination running away with him? Especially if it was originally about the brass serpent in the temple. He must've been pretty excited about the Druze if he replaced something like that.

Originally posted by XLEGIONS
Some Masonic aspects in Druze Doctrine :

1-

Q. What are the buildings in Egypt called Pyramids, vested with knowledge?
A. They are the Pyramids which our Lord erected through the wisdom of his will.

Q. What is the wisdom in it?
A. It is for the purpose of arguments and the covenant, which our Lord received from the learned (?),
so that he described them there and is preserving them till the day of his second coming.


Q. What is the point of the compass?
A. It is Hamza ibn' Ali.

www.ismaili.net...

2-
They believe in Hermetics ancient indian , and ancient egyptian doctrines .

3-
Druze considers all the prophets as Evils except prophet Moses , they say that he is a good man thet Al Hakim is pleased with him . The question is why prophet Moses only inspite his message is a continuation of the previous prophets' message.

Hi XLEGIONS

You're obviously very knowledgeable about the Druze. Can you tell me why you think the above aspects are related to freemasonry?

Thanks

Originally posted by XLEGIONS

Druze considers all the prophets as Evils except prophet Moses , they say that he is a good man thet Al Hakim is pleased with him . The question is why prophet Moses only inspite his message is a continuation of the previous prophets' message .

I heard that the Druze consider Pythagoras a prophet is this true? if so then do they consider him an evil?

Originally posted by surrender_dorothy

Originally posted by XLEGIONS

Druze considers all the prophets as Evils except prophet Moses , they say that he is a good man thet Al Hakim is pleased with him . The question is why prophet Moses only inspite his message is a continuation of the previous prophets' message .

I heard that the Druze consider Pythagoras a prophet is this true? if so then do they consider him an evil?

From what I understand, most Druze place heavy importance on philosophers as much as they do with prophets. This is because they bevileve that there are physical incarnations of certain spirits that are continuously born and reborn into this world, to guide them. These incarnations can be holy men or thinkers.

Much of what has been written about the Druze is probably in error. The Druze have been historically persecuted over the centuries, by all sides. Because they accept no converts, their population of "believers" grows slowly, if at all. Thus, they have had to resort to special tactics to avoid prosecution. One way they do this is to adopt the traditions and (outward) actions of the religions that they live alongside, thus trying to appear "normal" - even though they personally do not believe in the practices themselves. Its really kind of weird, having a whole society based upon misdirection and concealment.....

I do not know much about the Druzes, but I own Mackeys The History Of Freemasonry which Nygdan mentioned earlier, (great illustrated book, highly reccomended) and I have read what little is written of them in that book*
Their definately seem to be Templar connections, and the belief that God incarnates "into a suit of skin" sounds very gnostic-like, so my questions are:

1) Are their any Essene connections with the Druzes?

2) Is their any reason at all to think that escaped Templars may have found sanctuary with them?

Thanks, I hope someone much more knowledgable on the topic than I can answer these

Originally posted by Spores From Space
Are their any Essene connections with the Druzes?

They'd be seperated by hundred of years. The essenes were a jewish sect, the druze do not appear to be jewish.

Is their any reason at all to think that escaped Templars may have found sanctuary with them?

Escaping from the papal and french crackdown? I suppose that the organization would've had to have been familiar with the druze, but they would've only been a few hundred years old at the time. When the templars were being suppressed, the Mamluks were ruling over teh lebanon-syria region. The mamluks had been invovled in fights with the crusader states. Seems unlikely that they'd be accepting of the templars. Might be an interesting area of research though. Of note:

en.wikipedia.org...
Burji dynasty
In 1382 the Bukri or Burji dynasty took over. Burji, برجي meaning 'of the tower', referred to their center in the citadel of Cairo, and it consisted of Circassians.

Interesting that, shortly after the templars are scattered, there is a group that comes to power in the levant that is called 'the tower', a tower being something built....by masons!

Originally posted by Nygdan
[In 1382 the Bukri or Burji dynasty took over. Burji, برجي meaning 'of the tower', referred to their center in the citadel of Cairo, and it consisted of Circassians.

Interesting that, shortly after the templars are scattered, there is a group that comes to power in the levant that is called 'the tower', a tower being something built....by masons!

I see the smiley face so I do not think you are being serious, but it is doubtful, very doubtful that the masons were around in 1382 or had anything to do with this group, you never know though*

The Mamluk (sp?) slavesoldier is interesting, and a Templar on the run may have felt a real spiritual connection with one such as that, esp since the Templars were known to have grown very sympathetic towards their Muslim enemies* That would be an intersesting study

[edit on 2-12-2006 by Spores From Space]

Its not so far fetched. The Sufi are sometimes said to be an 'islamic freemasonry'. And the Druze at least used to be thought of as an offshoot of the sufi and ismaili sects.

I'm about to dig up more very interesting info from Godfrey Higgins' Anacalypsis, in regard to the Druses, Sufis/Sophees, Gnostics, etc.:

www.abovetopsecret.com...


Stay tuned...






[edit on 12-12-2006 by Tamahu]

About the Alawi, it is incorrect to attribute those beliefs (beliefs of a trinity) to them. The differences between the Alawi and other Twelver Shi'a are in structure and little else. The Twelver Shi'a have a very hierarchical structure leading to Ayatollahs and Grand Ayatollahs, where the Alawi do not have these ranks at all. Also, Alawi have a different interpretation of Hijab, interpretting it to be merely covering the main (private) parts of the body, and so women in Alawi areas tend not to wear the traditional headscarves.

About the Druze, a traditional interpretation of the five principles (I am not referring to the Seven Pillars), is Peace, Love, Truth, Freedom and Justice. The Druze represent this in the 5-pointed star. It is interesting that the principles of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom and Justice are also the 5 principles of the Moorish Science Temple of Noble Drew Ali. Equally interesting is that supposedly, he was taught the secret teachings in Egypt (where al-Hakim and the Monotheist/Druze message began) and brought the "secret teachings" to the America's. Also to be noted is the clear similarities between the Masonic Order and the Moorish Science Temple and the fact that all of these trace themselves effectively, back to Egypt.

I have actually heard it said by some Wahabbi shaikhs that "The Masons founded the Druze.", a Lebanese friend of mine (who may or may not be Druze) only laughed at this and said "It is more the other way around".

The Druze are an interesting order, the concept of Pantheism is also found in most Sufi tariqas, which say that Allah can be found in everything.

In Moorish teachings, you are taught that (Chapter 1, Verses 8-9)
8. The lower self is an illusion and will pass away; the higher self is Allah in man, and will not pass away.
9. The higher self is the embodiment of truth, the lower self is truth reversed and so is falsehood manifest.

So, the ultimate purpose is finding Allah within yourself. This is also found for the Druze, and many others.

I read your questions, and there are many answers to them. However, the best way for you to try to get these answers is to do some reading, and you can start by reading some of the articles on my website; www.americandruzeheritage.com.

After you have done some reading, and if you still have more questions, please contact me. My contact is on my website.

Best wishes, Julie Makarem
[email protected]

reply to post by Nygdan


From what i know of the Druze is that the original creation of the belief was from the Pagans and Druids that did fall to Corruption (Or as we call it nowadays Conversion) to Christianity/Roman Cathloicism. Its just the beliefs fliped to be more God oriented for an easier conversion....The three in seats where levels of conversion, Druze being the secret "Oh we are still kind of opressed if we say something the wrong way" and being a easy starter to conversion then as it goes on it goes to the Cathloic belief and then the jewish. Christianity was a book of morals that grew and evolved into what we call religion, But the older religions clashed because they were of "Old faith" and "Un-proven Gods" or so ive heard from old handed down storys. in short the Druze were the Lackey Corruptors of the Cathloics in the begining of there reign but had died out due to more and more belief in it to the point where it dosent matter if people believe it anymore, Just wait untill they fall out of Power they will ether do everything in there power to try and prove themselves True in the last strech of there power *(Eg. 2012, All the conspiracys coming from them nowadays)* OR they will go on another "Crusade for the lord" and bring this world to its end as they predicted.

The Druze do not give their religion to anyone under 40. They are secretive because the idea is that you study and earn the knowledge, you ask for it. Their faith is secret, and I will honor that. What I can say is that it is Pythagorean, neo-Platonist in nature.

I have known a few Druze from Lebanon.

They were fighters in mixed Christian and Druze militia units fighting the palestinians and Syrians in lebanon.
though at least one of them i believe was Israeli Druze. and likely Isreali military as he spoke fluent hebrew along with English and Druse Arabic.

The Druze faith is a Muslim faith which is based on an allegorical interpretation of the Qur'an, the Muslims' Holy Book. Unlike Sunni Muslims who historically have adhered to the literal meaning of the Qur'an, the Druze, were disposed to interpret the verses of the Qur'an allegorically.
www.jewishsightseeing.com...

In Israel many of the Druze are citizens of Israel. and many have served in the Israel Defense Forces.

Many of Druze of the Golan Heights Druze don't want anything to do with the palestinians and don't plan to leave the Golan Heights If the Israelis were to pull back to the 1967 borders.
They will fight the Palestinians if they have to. Many hate the palestinians

Israel Defense Forces: Arab Generals in the IDF include Major General Hussain Fares, commander of Israel's border police, and Major General Yosef Mishlav, head of the Home Front Command and current Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. Both are members of the Druze community.
www.mfa.gov.il...