Are there really Secret Societies?
 

Do you believe that there are many different secret societies that exist in the underground of the civilized world? Not literally underground, mind you, but among us.

People who apparently lead normal lives but are also involved in societies and secret and guarded organizations that arguably control the government, the military, the local police and probably more.

I did some reading up on the Free Masons, and the more I read, the more I wanted to read. Here's just a taste.

http://www.angelfire.com/music2/fullcircle/Symbols.html

If you don't want to read the whole thing, at least scroll down to look at some of the imagery. It will make you think.

I don't want to be a member of any club that would have someone like me as a member :bonk:

It really can be fascinating. I drive by a Masonic lodge all the time, see the symbols on cars every day, and yet I really don't know much about them. They seem to be in every city in the country.

They don't hide their presence at all. I wonder if there's anything to the conspiracy theories, or if it just serves to make their club feel more exclusive and appealing.

I understand that they are sworn to secrecy, but they say to be one ask one.

They are as plain as the nose on your face.

I have a very close friend who is a Master of a lodge. I once got to go on a tour of the lodge, very exciting. The Masons were at one time a very secret society but over time they have brought it out into the open more. They are very magically oriented and to some that is freighting.

Chris,

You have an underground organization right here on xnations :D

Sure the Free Masons are out in the open now, but do you think they're just doing it to be able to say that they are out in the open? Could it be possible they still conduct secret operations that quite ppossibly could be controlling society as a whole?

This all sounds a little far out, I know. But isn't truth usually stranger than fiction anyway?

Uggh, my head hurts now....what's the big idea trying to get me to think so early in the morning?

I have no doubt that many of the most influential Americans are Masons. A number of presidents have been as well as other gov't officials. Also, I understand they have a big presence in the media.

I don't know if the Masons control these people as much as the movies would lead us to believe.

What kind of secret operations were you thinking of. Raising money for cancer research? Feeding the hungry? Getting clothing to people who have been the victims of fire? These are the operations that I know they support. My friend also rides in the AIDS ride in this region.

They are very active, secret maybe it is a very old tradition. I can think of several other things that would fall into this too.

yes... there are.

You mentioned imagery in the initial post. I have noticed lately that the crescent moon of Islam appears all over.

The Shriners (they are Masons) symbol contains the moon and star. The New Orleans Police Dept uses the moon and star as a symbol (OK, it is known as the crescent city) and now the Red Cross has become the red cross and crescent. The U of Tampa has crescent moons atop a major building, just like mosques.

Coincidence? I say yes. Don't read any more into it.

I've been interested in finding more about their origins for quite awhile now, thanks for the little story Chris. I personally believe that they run the world's business. that 10 or so families run the whole show. i am not a religious person at all but there are alot of people that wield great power that are religious. they impliment things very slowly and deliberately until before you know it, you have no privacy whatsoever. that link at the bottom of that site saying "mark of the beast" is pretty scary too, i've read about that for a few years now. whether it's something biblical or something that's just gonna make people crazy from the biblical resemblences, i don't know, but either way, it'll affect me personally.

You know, one of the reasons that I recently became interested in this was after seeing the movie "From Hell", and if you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Shhhh, I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you!!:D

I was jjust getting ready to suggest you see that movie. i thought it was pretty interesting.

I heard about this one place.... with the weirdest people.
They all congragate online and talk about other people... and their societies.. and ponder life questions, like... did the dog really shit in the woods?
They share concepts and ideas with each other, in attempts to take over the world and shape in their own pirate worshipping ways.

I think they call it... XNation!!!!

In regards to the symbolism that you were referring to at the bottom of that page, I'd like to point out that not *all* pentagrams/pentacles are "symbols of evil".

While there are many different types of pentagrams and pentacles, there are two basic styles that are widely used and recognized. The following is the Pentacle as used in Wicca:
<img src="http://www.bogarting.com/pentagram.gif">
(A Pentagram is a five pointed star with one point aligned upwards...a Pentacle is the same surrounded by a circle) Most Wiccans interpret the five points as the five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and spirit (or "heart"). Even before Wiccans adopted the symbol as a sign of faith and protection it was used by Christians...with the usual interpretation of the five points of the Pentagram or Pentacle representing the five wounds of Christ.

Now this Pentacle has been very closely associated with Satanism and is also forms the symbol of Baphomet:
<img src="http://www.bogarting.com/inverted.jpg">
HOWEVER...The Order of the Eastern Star is a humanitarian organization made up of christian women who are the wives of Masons. Why they chose to use that particular symbol is beyond me...I guess I need to brush up on my pagan history a bit more ;)


Ok...I'm done boring you now :D

I saw that movie in the theater and did the exact same thing afterwards. Although I later learned that the theory proposed in the movie was not original, it was a plot twist that I certainly did not see coming.

There is no shortage of writing on the Masons, Illuminati, Trilateral commission etc. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell if any of it is factual, or just the fantasy of writers looking to cash in on the whole conspiracy theory hysteria.

Masons themselves have websites too, and they do give out some interesting info. It would be appropriate for me to insert a few great links here, but I don't have any available. :sad:

If you liked the movie From Hell you should really read the graphic novel that it is based on. http://www.eddiecampbellcomics.com/fromhell/
Written by Alan Moore, one of the most deranged yet brilliant minds in comics. You can find the book on Amazon.com

go to google and search for "bilderbergers"

they make the freemasons look like shriners

This is the kind of secret society I'm talking about.
I never even heard of the Bilderbergers before...
The above quote was taken from this page.

do some reading about them

scary shit

the l0pht had some info about them but the l0pht are media whore sellouts too so the mirror might not be up anymore

The more I read about the Bilderbergers, the more I think that they must exist... Perhaps I'm just gullible... :p

i believe that the group exists. collusion is inevitable in any game involving more than 2 players

first heard about the bilderbergers from a master carpenter i was apprenticed to. he was from ashville, n.c. and told me the story of biltmore house. the conversation turned to the extremely wealthy and he mentioned the bilderbergers but he called them bilderburgs. i went and looked that shit up, was really into it for a while