Customer Reviews

The Dark Side of Freemasonry

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Judging from the relatively high incidence of misspelled words, grammatically flawed sentences, and expressions of anger in earlier readers' reviews shown here, this book must provoke strong emotions in many who read it.

I felt disappointment.

I just wish it could have provided firm historical evidence relating to the question of whether (and if so, where, how, doing what, and with what organizational roots) Freemasonry existed prior to the early 1700s. I recognize that is a lot to ask when the subject of investigation sports a secretive history. Still, it seems to be a question sadly neglected by professional historians and left for those with an axe to grind one way or the other to write about.

If another reader knows of a book that has focused on objectively investigating the history of Freemasonry in England during the 1600s, I would be grateful if he or she would mention its author and title in a review of this book.

Thanks in advance.

If you are looking for solid history, get a copy of David Stevenson's The Origins of Freemasonry : Scotland's Century, 1590-1710 (CUP, 1990). You will find what you are after between its covers. There are plenty more such scholarly books, so don't be dismayed by the sheer idoicy of the Fundamentalists or the low-brow replies of the Masons. Being a Mason myself, I must admit that the Fraternity can be its own worst enemy by not being forthcoming about material that is neither a "secret" nor a threat. In fact, there are a handful of books available from Amazon that really throw open the doors to all the so-called "secrets."

When a reasonably intelligent person, without an ideoligocal or theological axe to grind, sees this material with a clear head, the "threat" of the Fraternity dissolves and it can be seen for what it really is: a beneficent brotherhood teaching abstract lessons about characterological improvement, social decency, and the pursuit of virtue all undergirded by a powerful (but quiet) philanthropic apparatus. The wholly speculative "archeology" of Freemasonry is nowhere near as important as the hundreds upon thousands of children and adults who receive treatment from Masonic-sponsored charities ... gratis. And as a Mason with a few dozen degrees under my belt, I can say definitively that the Fundamentalist attack is wholly groundless: there is nothing in the rituals that even remotely approaches their preposterous and irrational fears.

Those who wish to attack Masonry ought to do their homework a little better, or get a brain transplant -- because there is no conspiracy!

This is by far the best book on Masonry that has been written. As one who spent time in the craft and left bcause it was weighed in the balances and found wanting, I know the rituals, the teachings and the dogmas of this Godless cult. Decker lays them out in detail. I find no errors in his writings, no excesses and no overstatements.

After reading Ed Decker's material, I have proof that he is right. I have my grandfather's 1910 2-volume edition of the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry published by the Masons themselves--everything he says is confirmed in there. The vows should be especially disturbing to a Bible believing Christian. They sound pretty harmless until you get to the higher orders--and downright blasphemous at the end. This review is really only for someone whose heart is set on pleasing God--anyone else won't understand and will take offense.

Anyone who says that this book is not well researched or written I would have to guess is a Mason and is protecting the image of Freemasonry. It's quite clear that the quotes in the book are from Freemasonry's teachings. They are the word of Pike who is the father of American Freemasonry. It's apparent that members were and are deliberately misled into believing false doctrine. I think it's sad that men choose to defend this garbage instead of standing up and denouncing an organization that is an obvious lie. Very sad how gullible these guys are. The authors supporting Ed Deckers position are the authors of Freemasonry. It doesn't get much clearer than that.

I was right. After reading all the bad reviews on "The Dark Side of Freemasonry," it is quite evident that many, I say, many are deceived and taking lightly the formation, purpose, and outward look of the "good ol' Freemasons." I pray your eyes to be uncovered so you can see what really exists in this 'Godless cult,' as one wise critic observed.You must read farther in time, than about Freemasons. In fact, go all the way back to Shamanism as a preview for evil spirits and investigate throught time til you get to Freemasons. Now it starts to make more sense. I am highly agitated that people can be so narrow-minded to think that an intelligent, educated author would waste his time looking stupid writing garbage that doesn't exist. Ed Decker did his homework.

I have read many books about Freesmanorys. Some by insiders and some by outsiders. It is important also to review the readers of this book or any other book concerning Fressmans, before your read this book. I can observe by reading the reviews from so-called readers of this book and the book itself, that they want to destroy the credibility of the author. After reading this book, I would to write propaganda about this book because it infringes one's own secerts of the Organization.

As an investagator in the ancient mysteries of the freemasonary, I find this book not worth purchasing. The author continually distorts and misrepersents the truth so that the reader is mistakenly lulled into believing his agenda. There are much better books than this, just look around. It is often hard to see the inside of masonary from an outsider!

The book has an approach of Freemasonry that is a mixture of Episcopal Church, Mormonism, Baptist Church, New Age Era Religion, Paganism, Lucifer and so on. One can detect clear evidences of extreme right-wing views,radicalism,unbalance,insecureness and also traces of paranoia. The authors show a total lack of knowledge about ancient history, symbolism and especially about Freemasonry itself. This book is actually a waste of time and money.

I am very glad that I read and reviewed this book. But I say this only because it led to my discovering David Stevenson's excellent history. In "The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century, 1590-1710", Stevenson traces Freemasonry's humble, sober, workaday origins through the records of Scotland's stonemason lodges in the 1600s.

I wish to express my deepest thanks to the Rational Mason from Cape Cod, who responded so ably to my May 22 request for such a history. Stevenson's book provided exactly the solid, thoroughly researched history I was looking for, in exactly the century that concerned me. Now I understand why I didn't find it sooner: I'd been looking for it among the English, but the events I sought took place among the Scots!

Thanks again!