Noetic Sciences – Noetic Science

There are indeed passages in the Bible where Jesus is described as instructing the disciples in a teaching witheld from the many – “those outside”, as he calls them. Such passages appear to posess a special significance in the Gospel of Mark, and perhaps none is more notable or more disturbing than the following:

And when he was alone, those who were around him with the Twelve asked for the parables.

And he said to them, “To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those outside all things are done in parables, so that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest they should turn again and be forgiven.” (4:10-12)

FromThe Beginnings of Christianity: Essene Mystery, Gnostic Revelation and the Christian Vision

The Letter of Clement, and Alexandrian Church Father, about the secret history of the Gospel of Mark

…Mark, then, during Peter’s stay in Rome, wrote an account of the deeds of the Lord, not however declaring all of them, nor yet hinting at the secret ones, but selecting those he thought most useful for increasing the faith of those who were being instructed. But when Peter died as a martyr, Mark came over to Alexandria, bringing both his own notes and those of Peter, from which he tranferred to his former book the things suitable to whatever makes for progress towards knowledge (gnosis). Thus he composed a more spiritual Gospel for the use of those who were being initiated…When he died, he left his composition to the church in Alexandria, where it is even yet most carefully guarded, being read only to those who are being initiated into the great Mysteries…

You can find more about secret Bible Wisdom here

…There is but one Truth, and all sacred writings are parts or fragments of the ancient wisdom, which has come down to us from time immemorial. In the study of comparative religion and sacred writings we must come to the conclusion that a secret, traditional wisdom, an arcane science, underlies all these ancient writings. In early times this Gnosis, or secret wisdom was guarded zealously, being imparted only to those deemed worthy of initiation. The Bible is a psychological and spiritual textbook containing the laws of man’s mind and the way God works.

The Book of Revelation is allegorial and mystical – not historical. We must not construe allegory as history. People have tried in vain to give the Apocalypse an historical interpretation; others have looked upon it as prophecy predicting world events. The Bible does not deal with predictions of future events such as wars, calamities, destruction of the world, etc, The Old and New Testaments do not talk about future events and the destiny of nations. ..

The subject matter of the Book of Revelation, or Apocalypse as it is often called, is veiled in symbolic, figurative, and allegorial language. This method was used by all ancient writers of the Bible, who were masters of allegory, in order to preserve and guard the sacred sciences in their true inner meaning from those who would purposely destroy them. Furthermore, they held that thosewho are morally unworthy should not receive the inner teachinguntil they had proved themselves worthy to receive it.

If the book had been written in clear language and its inner meaning revealed as a great psychological drama taking place in the consciousness of man, it would undoubtedly have been destroyed by the hands of the first great dictator who came along, whether a Nero, a Ghengis Khan, or a Hitler.

From Pray Your Way Through it by Dr Joseph Murphy

I recently received a letter in which the writer asked: “Why are you a Freemason?” The question caused me to think and reaffirm my feelings about Masonry.

At first I thought about my own forebears. My grandfather was a Mason for 50 years, my father for 50 years, and I have been a Mason for 60 years. This means that my tie with Freemasonry extends back to 1869 when my grandfather joined the Masons.

My feelings on my first entrance into a Masonic Lodge are very clear in memory. I was a young man and it was a great thrill to kneel before the altar of the Lodge to become a Freemason. This must have been the same feeling my father and grandfather experienced before me. And it must also have been identical to the one that many great leaders of America and the world felt as they became Masons. Prominent among this select group are George Washington, Harry Truman, and 12 other Presidents as well as countless statesmen and benefactors of humanity.

So I found myself thinking: “What does Freemasonry mean to me?” Of course Masons say that Freemasonry actually begins in each individual Mason’s heart. I take this to mean a response to brotherhood and the highest ideals. I recall the story of a man who came to me once and said: “I see that you are a Freemason. So am I.” As we talked, he told me of an experience he had years ago. It seems that he joined the Masonic Fraternity shortly after he became 21 years old. When he was stationed in the military, he decided to attend various Lodge meetings. On his first visit to a Lodge in a strange city, he was a bit nervous. One thought was constantly in his mind; could he pass the examination to show that he was a Mason? As the committee was carefully examining his credentials, one of the members looked him squarely in the eye and said: “Obviously you know the Ritual, so you can enter our Lodge as a Brother Mason. But I have one more question. Where were you made a Mason?” With that he told the young visitor to think about it because when he knew the answer the examiner would not have to hear it. He would see it in his eyes. My friend told me that after a couple of minutes a big smile came to his face and he looked at the examiner, who said: “That’s right, in your heart.”

Many critics of Freemasonry accuse it of devil worship. Remember that many religious leaders, for example Norman Vincent Peale or Billy Graham are high degree masons, so here is what the Souvereign Grand Commander had to say about Freemasonry and Religion.

Freemasonry confirms and complements religious faith and church participation. The principles of our Fraternity are based on the same moral absolutes that form the foundation of all true faith. Every Mason must believe in a Supreme Being. He must strive to live morally in accordance with the highest standards of individual character and social conduct. Consequently, every Mason abides by the “Golden Rule,” however stated, and labors in all aspects of his life to fulfill Freemasonry’s goals of charity in both senses of the word—philanthropy to those in need and loving brotherhood for all the members of humankind.

Freemasonry has always welcomed men of all faiths and religious beliefs to enter its doors. The only requirement is for good men to believe in the Supreme Architect and the immortality of the soul. This faith we take to be the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. And it is from this internal moral foundation that Freemasonry labors to make good men better by building within each Brother of the Craft a Temple of good works and ethical achievements.

Unfortunately, our purpose as well as our very existence is questioned by the uninformed. They fail to see that Masons are invariable churchgoing men who extend the precepts of their faith beyond their sabbath to every day of their lives. They work within their churches and in their communities for the betterment of their fellowmen. Masons, in fact, go beyond narrow sectarianism and limiting dogma. They agree with the statement of the famous statesman and writer Edmund Burke: “The body of all true religion consists, to be sure, in obedience to the will of the Sovereign of the world, in a confidence in His declarations, and in imitation of His perfection.”

But what are “His declarations”? They are not, Masons believe, the passing credos of religious sects or cults. Rather, they are the inspired wisdom contained in the Bible, the Talmud, the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita or any of the other Great Books of Faith that have been universally recognized as man’s best guides to happiness on this world and reward in the next. Freemasonry, therefore, welcomes to its ranks Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and all good men of whatever religion who truly aspire to live accordingly to the Creator’s will.

Because it is universal in scope and inclusive in membership, Masonry provides a philosophy and a Fraternity where good men can “meet on the Level and part on the Square.” It binds all men in a mystic tie of sincere brotherhood and mutual love. Faith and work, soul and body, heart and hand are united as Masons everywhere labor through Freemasonry in peace and harmony to honor the Creator and serve mankind.

Such are the objectives of Freemasonry. Obviously, they complement, not contradict, sound religious beliefs.

This pamphlet presents the ideas of several men of the Cloth as to why they are proud to be Freemasons. The articles offer convincing proof that Freemasonry is a powerful, universal force for the spiritual improvement of the individual and of society.

C. Fred Kleinknect

Sovereign Grand Commander

Throught the last century we’ve had writers who have known the secret, at lease some of it and released imprtnat information in their writings. Here’s a list of authors the writer of this blog has read for many years.

Ernest Holmes

The inspiration of Ernest Holmes has reached hundreds of thousands of readers through his classic works, many of which are just becoming available in paperback.

Norman Vincent Peale said about Ernest Holmes:”I believe God was in this man, Ernest Holmes. He was in tune with the infinite.” Ernest Holmes(1887-1960) is the founder of the worldwide Science of Mind movement. He was a uniquely gifted scholar with a vast command of the worlds spiritual philosophies. Holmes wrote many popular and inspirational books including “This Thing Calle You”, the landmark classics “The Science Of Mind” and “The Hidden Power Of The Bible”.

Norman Vincent Peale

Norman Vincent Peale was one of the most influential clergymen in the United States during the 20th-century. Ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1922, Peale served as pastor at a succession of churches that included Berkeley, Rhode Island (1922–24), Brooklyn, New York (1924–27), and Syracuse, New York (1927–32) before changing his affiliation to the Dutch Reformed Church so that he could become pastor of the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City (1932–84). Peale’s simple, optimistic, and dynamic sermons, in which he offered a positive outlook on modern living brought increasing numbers of parishioners and increasing fame to Peale.

His sermons were regularly broadcast, first on radio and later on television. In addition, Peale published a weekly newsletter for businessmen, Guideposts, which reached two million subscribers at its apex. Peale also published several best-selling books, including The Power of Positive Thought (1952), The Art of Living (1937), Confident Living (1948), and This Incredible Century (1991).

Dr. Ernest Holmes, founder of the Religious Science movement, was a mentor to Peale.

Norman Vincent Peale was a 33 degree Mason.

Dr Joseph Murphy

The founder of the Church of Divine Science, produced books, tapes and radio broadcasts on spiritual matters, the historical values of life, the art of wholesome living, and the teachings of great Philosopers – both from the Eastern and Western cultures.

Murphy was born in Ireland, the son of a private boy’s school headmaster and raised a Roman Catholic. He studied for the priesthood and joined the Jesuits. In his twenties, an experience with healing prayer led him to leave the Jesuits and move to the United States, where he became a pharmacist in New York (having a degree in chemistry by that time). Here he attended the Church of the Healing Christ (part of the Church of Divine Science), where Emmet Fox had become minister in 1931.

In the mid 1940s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he met Religious Science founder Ernest Holmes, and was ordained into Religious Science by Holmes in 1946, thereafter teaching at the Institute of Religious Science. A meeting with Divine Science Association president Erwin Gregg led to him being reordained into Divine Science, and he became the minister of the Los Angeles Divine Science Church in 1949, which he built into one of the largest New Thought congregations in the country.

In the next decade, Murphy married, earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Southern California and started writing. After his first wife died in 1976, he remarried to a fellow Divine Science minister who was his longstanding secretary. He died in 1981.
Murphy was a 32nd Degree Mason.

J.Robert Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer, a Jewish cabalist, held the 33rd degree. J. Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is best known for his role as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the World War II effort to develop the first nuclear weapons at the secret Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. For this reason he is remembered as “The Father of the Atomic Bomb”. In reference to the Trinity test in New Mexico, where his Los Alamos team first tested the bomb, Oppenheimer famously recalled the Bhagavad Gita: “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one.” and “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Andrew Jackson (“Old Hickory”), the historical figure in the painting on the wall, was also a 33rd degree Mason.

Benjamin Franklin
In 1734 Benjamin Franklin, then 28 years of age, was elected grand master of Masons in Pennsylvania, and in the same year he published the first Masonic book printed in America.” Perhaps the city of Philadelphia was not meant to mean, “City of Brotherly Love” so much as the “City of the Freemasonic Brotherhood.” Franklin spent years in Britain prior to returning to the Colonies. Only he knows all of what he was doing there, or to whom he was talking, as concerns American Independence. But I was surprised to find, in a candid list of Rosicrucians, that Franklin was included (as was Isaac Newton).