Shriners
The Shriners, or Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, are an Order appendant to Freemasonry. Until 2000, one had to complete the Scottish Rite or York Rite degrees of Masonry to be eligible for Shrine membership, but now any Master Mason can join.
History
Freemasonry is a puzzle. It appears to be a society designed to bring fellowship and benevolence together in a fraternal manner, yet its secret side makes many people more than a bit wary, with good reason.
This is clearly the case with the Shriners. Their public image is that of a fun time group pouring out millions of dollars into charity, all the while dressed up in a party spirit, wearing their Red Fezzes with great aplomb.
The Fez itself, is an example of this double meaning behind most of Freemasonry's facade. Worn and even carried to the grave with pompous dignity, the history of the Fez is barbaric and anti-Christian. In the early 8th century, Muslim hordes overran the Moroccan city of Fez, shouting, "There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet." There, they butchered approximately 50,000 Christians. These men, women and children were slain because of their faith in Christ, all in the name of Allah, the same demon god to whom every Shriner must bow, with hands tied behind his back, in worship, proclaiming him the god of his fathers in the Shrine initiation , at the Altar of Obligation.
The Shriner's blood oath and confession of Allah as God is documented in the secret Lodge document, THE MYSTIC SHRINE, AN ILLUSTRATED RITUAL OF THE ANCIENT ARABIC ORDER NOBLES OF THE SHRINE, 1975 Edition, (pages 20-22). Remember that Allah is not just another name for God. Allah is the name of another god. In usual occult fashion, the initiate swears that he will be inseparably obligated to this "most powerful and binding oath", in advance, and that he may NEVER retract or depart from it.
During the butchering of the people of Fez, the streets literally ran red with the blood of the martyred Christians. The Muslim murderers dipped their caps in the blood of their victims as a testimony to Allah. These blood stained caps eventually were called Fezzes and became a badge of honor for those who killed a Christian. The Shriners wear that same red Fez today. The greatest tragedy is that the Fez is often worn by men who profess to be Christians themselves. It must cause God to weep.
A curious piece of the Masonic puzzle is the actual street layout for our Capital city, Washington, D.C.. You see, the city was laid out in the form of the central Masonic Symbols, the Square, the Compass, the Rule and the Pentagram.
Take any good street map of downtown Washington, D.C. and find the Capitol Building. Facing the Capitol from the Mall and using the Capitol building as the head or top of the Compass, the left leg is represented by Pennsylvania Ave. and the right leg, Maryland Ave. The Square is found in the usual Masonic position with the intersection of Canal St. and Louisiana Ave. The left leg of the Compass stands on the White House and the right leg stands on the Jefferson Memorial. The circle drive and short streets behind the building form the head and ears of what Satanists call the Goat Of Mendes or Goat's head!
Sitting on top of the White House is an inverted 5 pointed star, or Pentagram. It faces North, with the point down in true occult fashion. It sits within the intersections of Connecticut and Vermont Avenues north to Dupont and Logan Circles, with Rhode Island and Massachusetts going to Washington Circle to the West and Mt. Vernon Square on the East.
The Pentagram or five-pointed star is, of course, both a Masonic symbol and the ancient symbol of witchcraft. With its point facing down (or south, when placed on the ground) it is especially associated with Satanism. Satanists can be found wearing the inverted pentagram frequently; and it appears on the cover of many black magic books, including THE SATANIC BIBLE. In this form, it is also the emblem of the Eastern Star, the women's Masonic organization.
Modern Shriners
The Shriners often participate in local parades riding comedic versions of cars and motorcycles. They are recognizable by their elaborate red fezzes. The Shriners are committed to community service and have been instrumental in countless public projects throughout their domain.
Once a year, the fraternity meets for the Imperial Council Session in a major North American city. It is not uncommon for these conventions to have 20,000 participants or more, which generates significant revenue for the local economy. Until 2001 the Academy Awards ceremonies were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Legendary silent film comedian Harold Lloyd was a Shriner and served as Imperial Potentate in 1949. He did much to promote the fraternity within the entertainment industry.
Charity
The Shrine's charitable arm is the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of twenty-two hospitals in the United States, Mexico and Canada. It was formed to treat young victims of polio, but as that disease was controlled, they broadened their scope. They now deal with all pediatric cases, most especially with orthopedic injuries and disease and burns. The Shrine has pioneered new treatments for these conditions.
There is never any charge for treatment at a Shriners Hospital. There is no requirement for religion, race, or relationship to a Freemason. Patients must be under the age of eighteen and treatable. Local Shrine temples most often provide free transportation to the nearest hospital.
Some famous Shriners
In 2002, a mascot named Fez Head Fred debuted, primarily to visit their children's hospitals.
Imperial Potentates
- Ralph W. Semb, 1999-2000
- Kenneth W. Smith, 2000-2001
- Robert N. Turnipseed, 2001-2002
- Charles A. "Tad" Claypool, 2002-2003
- M. Burton Oien, 2003-2004
- Raoul L. Frevel, Sr., 2004-2005
- Gary W. Dunwoody, 2005-2006