Some quick excerpts from the article on Belienet.com titled New Dan Brown Novel Means Extra Scrutiny for Masons. You’ll notice a few comments from our friends and brothers Br. Mark Koltko-Rivera, and Br. Chris Hodapp.
As members of a secretive brotherhood, Freemasons are no strangers to conspiracy theories. They’ve heard it all before: that they’re child-sacrificing cult members, or religious zealots plotting aNew World Order with the Jews, or satanic anti-religious alien spies.
With Dan Brown’s newest novel, “The Lost Symbol,” hitting bookstores on Sept. 15, — much of it rumored to center around Masonic myths — the Masons are in preemptive damage-control mode. Even though Brown (of “The Da Vinci Code” fame) and his publisher, Doubleday, are being tight-lipped about the book’s contents, some Masons are preparing for an onslaught of negative press. And because Brown is known for tying religious themes to his thrillers’ plots, Masons are carefully addressing common misconceptions about their religious affiliations.
You can read the entire article on Beliefnet.com here.
Reading the article made me wonder if its “scrutiny” that Freemasonry is really what comes to mind or concern of the results of that scrutiny.
I’m not sure its so much a concern on how Freemasonry will be treated, but how Brown will approach the fraternity. He villinazed the Illuminait in the last film (even if it was just a minor plot point), so is it the Fraternity that he plans to leverage the story on, or a character who happens to be a Mason.
A very common misconception is that Freemasonry acts and breaths as one voice, when in reality, it has one principal philosophy of initiation (inner awakening) but comprised by many different blocks (cubes) of common members of society. In other words, being a Mason does not imply that each and every one acts under a particular rule as say those of a particular faith, but rather Freemasons are taught to live and contribute to society as they can or able, keeping in mind (and heart) a philosophy of why they do so. Like individual contractors each with a role in life.
I do hope Brown’s book bodes well for the fraternity, otherwise, he may do it more of a disservice and cause the still living and breathing institution irreparable harm.
Just remember that Dan Brown is a fiction writer. This was illustrated in The DaVinci Code. Unfortunately, not everyone understood that fact. The same will be true with The Lost Symbol. Questions will be raised, rumors will spread, and disinformation will abound. But the fact remains that this is a work of fiction. That said, as Freemasons, it is our responsibility to provide truth and accuracy in our dealings with the profane.
Just began reading the book. The first 75 pages reveal no animus for Freemasonry. On the contrary, Langdon seems to have a rather positive impression of the Order (barring just one or two references to ritualistic matters that are no longer followed in Lodges). In fact, he is almost defending it and also showing how charges leveled against it actually boomerang on accusers themselves. The fictional – or may we say, as yet unrealized – confluence of ‘Modern Science’ and ‘Ancient Wisdom’ is masterfully worked into the conversation between Peter (with the family name ‘Solomon’!) and his sister Katherine (p.58-60). Whether the plot really needed the gore of Peter’s severed hand will become clearer to me as I turn the pages. A grand consensus between Noetic “Science” and Freemasonry seems to be emerging, though. As a member of four decades myself, I am anxious to find out how Brown achieves it. One thing is certain. Brown sure has his facts straight!
Robert Langdon tells Director Sato: “…the entire Masonic philosophy is built on honesty and integrity. Masons are among the most trustworthy men you could ever hope to meet” and that “…Masons had always been one of the most unfairly maligned and misunderstood organizations in the world.” (p.99) Also, “Langdon had great respect for Masonic philosophy and symbolism…” (p.103)
I do not think this augurs any untrue or unjust implications for the Order.