REBUTTAL TO PAT ROBERTSON! FROM: C. Fred Kleinknecht RE: INACCURACY REGARDING ALBERT PIKE IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER BY PAT ROBERTSON A significant number of Brethren are concerned about the statement made by the evangelist/politician Pat Robertson in his recent book The New World Order. The passage attributed to Albert Pike on page 184 of me above book is a part of an anti-Masonic hoax perpetuated in 1889 and long exposed as the forgery it is. The Rev. Robertson, however, seems unaware of this historical fact. I have, therefore, written him a letter to clarify the matter and to request he delete this untrue and offensive quotation for any future editions of The New World Order. BELOW IS OUR SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDER'S LETTER TO REV. PAT ROBERTSON. Dear Rev. Robertson, In your recent book, The New World Order, you raise questions about Freemasonry in general, and the Scottish Rite in particular. I regret that you have formed a negative opinion of our kind and gentle Craft. I, myself, have been a Freemason for over 40 years. I believe strongly in the principles of Freemasonry and try to live by them. Freemasonry is a worldwide brotherhood of religious men. We are united in our belief in a Supreme Being and our love for humanity. It teaches us to work at improving ourselves and society. Each of us works according to his own conscience and recognizes the right of others to work according to theirs. Liberty of thought, word, and deed lies at the very heart of our Craft. Freemasonry has no Imprimatur; everyone, Mason or not, is free to write about it what they will. It is not surprising, that among the vast and diverse writings on Masonry you find statements that offend you. So do I! I recognize that these are the opinions of individuals and do not carry any weight for the Craft as a whole. When you judge Freemasonry by our writings, please take particular care to avoid statements falsely attributed to us. Your new book, The New World Order, contains a quotation, on page 184, that is falsely attributed to my Illustrious Brother Albert Pike, 33*, the late Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States. In this quotation Albert Pike is falsely made an advocate of "Luciferian doctrine." Albert Pike never wrote those words. Albert Pike was a Trinitarian Christian. He did not hold the beliefs attributed to him in this quotation. The "Instructions to the twenty-three Supreme Councils of the World, July 14, 1889" in which this quote appears are a hoax. They were written in French, after Pike's death, by the notorious atheist and pornographer Gabriel Jogand- Pages. Jogand-Pages, who is better known under his pen name, Leo Taxil, wrote these bogus "Instructions" as part of an elaborate hoax. The purpose of this hoax was to discredit the Roman Catholic Church by exposing its credulity in regard to Freemasonry. It appears that you, too, have fallen victim to the pen of Taxil ninety-five years later! In 1894, three years after Pike's death, Taxil's fake "Instructions" were published by Abel Clarin de la Rive in La Femme et l'Enfant dans la Franc- Maconnerie Universelle (English translation: Women and Children in Universal Freemasonry). There is a footnote on page 589, where the final part of the quotation, in English, reads: "It was the Sister Diana Vaughan that Albert Pike - so as to give her the greatest mark of trust - charged to carry his Luciferian Encyclical to Paris during the Universal Exposition." "Diana Vaughan" was a fictional character invented by Leo Taxil. She figured prominently in his hoax. After Taxil publicly exposed his hoax on April 19, 1897, A.C. de la Rive, who also had been fooled by Taxil, publicly denounced Taxil's writings. In 1933 Edith Starr Miller's book Occult Theocrasy was published. This book included her translation of Taxil's bogus "Instructions." It is Miller's translation that you used, taken directly or indirectly, from her Occult Theocrasy. A comprehensive list of Albert Pike's authentic writings appears in the Bibliography of the Writings of Albert Pike by Ray Baker Harris. All of these writings are in the Library of The Supreme Council, 33* at the House of the Temple, in Washington, DC. They are available for public inspection, and you are welcome to read them. Your new book shows your broad study of politics and a desire to know, and spread, the truth. I do not doubt the sincerity of your own pursuit of truth. If we must disagree let us base our disagreement upon truth. It appears that your opinion of Freemasonry has been, at least in part, based upon false information drawn from a dubious source. You would better serve your readers if you remove this false quotation from any future editions of your book. UPLOADER'S NOTE: How many times must we be reminded that the separation of Church and State is essential to avoid the three tryannies that Masons war against: IGNORANCE, SUPERSTITION, AND FANATICISM. The Church seeks dominion by superstition, the State by tyranny and ignorance, and the rabble, by fanaticism. The so-called "Reverend" Pat Roberstson employs these three devices to cause schisms in humanity. Does this sound like true Christianity? Can he really be the spokesman for God? For you Masons who wonder at the practicality of our teachings, look around and see for yourself the oppression by the Church, State, and Mob. These ancient evils are sadly, still with us. Freemasons: Be Free! Apply your teachings and let the Light of Freemasonry pierce this darkness and establish the true Brotherhood of Man! Where there is Light, there can be no darkness (A Rosicrucian Revelation).