{"id":122,"date":"2007-01-02T15:01:59","date_gmt":"2007-01-02T23:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theeduca.mywhc.ca\/?p=122"},"modified":"2007-01-02T15:01:59","modified_gmt":"2007-01-02T23:01:59","slug":"symbols-does-evil-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/symbols-does-evil-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"Symbols & Does Evil Exist?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Symbols<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cSymbols<\/strong>\u201d as stated in our response to \u201cWhat is Masonry<\/strong>\u201d i.e.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/strong>It is a System of Morality, <\/strong>Veiled in Allegory and Illustrated by Symbols<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This I intend to approach from both an Exoteric (outward & apparent) and Esoteric (inward & hidden) perspective and in doing so I am leaning very heavily on the \u201cFreemasons\u2019 Guide and Compendium\u201d written by Bernard E.Jones. He writes :-<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first learning in the world, we are told, was chiefly in symbols, and the wisdom of the ancient peoples was largely symbolic. All religious systems, right back to the dawn of history, taught their devotees by means of symbols, as witness some of the symbols associated with the Christian religion, but known still earlier to the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks etc. Symbols were a part of man\u2019s most primitive religious ideas, often meaning something to the Initiate and nothing to anyone else. \u201cIn a symbol there is concealment but yet<\/em> revelation\u201d says Thomas Carlyle, \u201csilence and speech acting together, the infinite blending with the finite.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Symbolism has long been associated with religious personages. Scores or hundreds of saints have their own symbols–ranging from a pot of ointment for St. Mary Magdalene to a hive of bees for St Bernard; from shoemakers tools for St Crispin to a builders rule for St Thomas. A dove with olive branch in its beak is the symbol for Noah. The Kingly figure standing under an arch is the symbol for King Solomon. The Early Christians are believed to have used symbols\u2014a fish, dove etc., engraved on their rings and seals\u2014as a means of revealing their faith to fellow Christians without betraying themselves to their prosecutors.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As Freemasons we are incredibly familiar with the use of Symbolism<\/strong> in the furnishings of our Lodge Rooms, in the conferring of our Degrees and in the jewelry that we wear on our persons.<\/p>\n

Personally, I like the use of symbolism in my life, such as the ring on left hand reminds me that I am married, (happily at that) the Celtic Cross I wear about my neck reminds me of my heritage and the fact that I am a Christian, and the Masonic Ring I wear reminds me constantly of my Obligations.<\/p>\n

I am quite certain that, without much searching, we can all identify with Symbolism<\/strong> in some personal way.<\/p>\n

Does Evil Exist<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

One day a University Professor decided to debate with his pupils.\u00a0 He asked. Did God create everything that exists? A student answered bravely\u00a0 \u201cYes he did\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u201d asked the teacher? \u201cYes, everything\u201d Was the answer of the student. \u201cIn that case, God also created EVIL. Because EVIL exists\u201d said the teacher<\/p>\n

To that the student had no answer and remained in silence. The teacher was delighted to prove one more time that faith was only a MYTH. Suddenly another student raised his hand and asked<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I ask you a question Professor\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOf course\u201d was the answer\u00a0 \u201cDoes COLD exist\u201d \u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOf course\u201d answered the Professor- \u201cDid your never feel COLD\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, sir, cold does not exist. According to studies in Physics, cold is the total and complete absence of heat. An object can only be studied if it has and transmits energy and it is the heat of an object that transmits its energy. Without heat the objects are inert, incapable to react. But cold does not exist. We created the term COLD to explain the lack of heat\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnd DARKNESS\u201d continues the student\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt exists\u201d replied the Professor<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain you are wrong sir, DARKNESS is the total absence of Light. You can only study Light and brightness, but not darkness.<\/p>\n

The prism of Nicols shows the variety of different colours in which light can be decomposed according to the longitude of the waves. Darkness is the term we created to explain the total absence of LIGHT.\u201d\u00a0 And finally the student asked \u201can EVIL, sir does EVIL exist\u201d?<\/p>\n

\u201cGod did not create evil. Evil is the absence of God in peoples\u2019 hearts, it is the absence of LOVE, HUMANITY and FAITH.\u00a0 Love and Faith are like the heat and the light. They Exist. Their absence leads to EVIL.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now it was the turn of the Professor to remain silent!!!!!\u00a0 The name of the student was Albert Einstein.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This I intend to approach from both an Exoteric (outward & apparent) and Esoteric (inward & hidden) perspective and in doing so I am leaning very heavily on the \u201cFreemasons\u2019 Guide and Compendium\u201d written by Bernard E.Jones. He writes :-<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first learning in the world, we are told, was chiefly in symbols, and the wisdom of the ancient peoples was largely symbolic. All religious systems, right back to the dawn of history, taught their devotees by means of symbols, as witness some of the symbols associated with the Christian religion, but known still earlier to the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks etc. Symbols were a part of man\u2019s most primitive religious ideas, often meaning something to the Initiate and nothing to anyone else. \u201cIn a symbol there is concealment but yet revelation\u201d says Thomas Carlyle, \u201csilence and speech acting together, the infinite blending with the finite.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[84,73,124],"class_list":["post-122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-educator","tag-freemason","tag-masonic","tag-symbolism"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"MasterMason","author_link":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/author\/mastermason\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"The Educator<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"This I intend to approach from both an Exoteric (outward & apparent) and Esoteric (inward & hidden) perspective and in doing so I am leaning very heavily on the \u201cFreemasons\u2019 Guide and Compendium\u201d written by Bernard E.Jones. He writes :- \u201cThe first learning in the world, we are told, was chiefly in symbols, and the…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ashlarcollege.ca\/ashlar-archived\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}