Vol VI No. 646 Part 3

Having trouble viewing this email? CLICK HERE Hawai`i Free Press  Today's News Read April 16, 2017 Tax Hike Bills head into Secretive Conference Committees ... Property Tax, GE Tax, Income Tax -- all going up .... read more How They Voted: House Approves $792M GE Tax Hike 41-10 ...he state House of Representatives approved its version of Senate Bill 1183 to extend the half-a-percentage point General Excise Tax surcharge for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project.... read more Poll: Rail Tax Hike Rejected 57-41% ...Rail Tax: 'They Think We're Liars'.... read more Counties, Tourism Industry Challenge HSTA Slush Fund Property Tax ...Senate Bill 683 would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment to create an "education surcharge" on residential  properties and visitor accommodations.... read more Family Prosperity Index: Hawaii Ranks 41st ...In 2015, Hawaii had the highest SNAP spending at $222.99, while New Hampshire had the lowest at $103.87-a difference of 115 percent.... read more SB501: AG Slaps Senators for Censoring Testimony opposing Anti-Free-Speech Bill ...On March 6 Hawai'i Free Press carried an article reporting on SB501: "Hawaii lawmakers are censoring pro-lifers who were defending free speech".  Now the Attorney General has weighed in.... read more Conservative Rankings of Hawaii Legislators-2016 Session ...Hawaii Republicans average decreased by 21 points-from 67% in 2015, to 46% in 2016.... read more Robin Danner Writing OHA's Budget ...Trying To Get Their Hands On Your Beneficiary Funds.... read more Tax Casualty? Maui County Carnival ...The 2nd Annual Maui County Carnival, scheduled for April 6-9, 2017, has been cancelled. Skyrocketing state government fees have been blamed.... read more Prosecutor: Corruption rampant at HDOT boating division ...The agency charged with running Hawaii's small boat harbors blatantly mistreats and retaliates against residents who use the facilities, according to Hawaii County's prosecuting attorney.... read more GEMS: Bill would tap fee on Your Electric Bill and Transfer it to Billionaire Elon Musk ... House Bill 1593 offers rebates to residents who install Musk's overpriced Tesla batteries on their homes .... read more Rate Hike Coming: Gays Demand You Pay $20K to Give Them Children ... Lawmakers are once again considering a measure to require insurance companies to offer in-vitro fertilization coverage to same-sex couples.... read more Specialists think North Korea poses nuclear threat to Hawaii ... Nuclear arms experts think North Korea already has, or soon will have, the ability to target Hawaii with a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile .... read more U.S. May Launch Strike If North Korea Reaches For Nuclear Trigger ... North Korea attack?  State House Committee Passes a Resolution .... read more Top Dems Attack Gabbard After She Fails to Blame Assad for Gas Attack ...Neera Tanden, a close confidante of Hillary Clinton and president of the Center for American Progress, took to Twitter on Friday to urge Hawaiians to vote Gabbard out of Congress.... read more Abercrombie: People not Introspective Enough to Understand Tulsi Gabbard ...She is a Democrat that Republicans could work with because of her position on some issues in foreign policy.... read more White Nationalists Dump Trump Want Gabbard to Run ...The self-proclaimed founder of the alt-right movement, Spencer is the president of the National Policy Institute, a think tank devoted to "peaceful ethnic cleansing.".... read more Josh Green for Lt Gov? "I've already found my own way." ..."Each lieutenant governor has to find their own way," Green said.... read more Hawaii's Good Friday Holiday - What's Up With That? ...If you ask how "a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary" squares with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, let us explain.... read more Desperate Caldwell Threatens to Raise Property Taxes ...Caldwell thinks he's found an excuse to break his campaign promise not to hike property taxes.... read more Caldwell Signs Tax Hikes, Spending Bills ..."This shows that the city is committed to funding and completing the rail project," said Mayor Caldwell.... read more Research surveys Jones Act costs and effects ...Jones Act distorts U.S. economy, endangers military.... read more How to Change the Jones Act ...At nearly 100 years old, it is still able to defeat reform efforts ... despite a mountain of evidence that it cripples the economy, fails to achieve its aims and is badly in need of modernization.... read more Those Life Saving Facts ...I asked why CFS and other groups like Shaka aren't informing followers of rat lungworm disease.... read more House Approves Massive Rail Tax Hike and 37 Other Bills ...an additional $1.2 billion funding package for the City's financially troubled rail project.... read more How They Voted: SB501 Mandatory Promotion of Abortion ...10 House Members voted against the measure.... read more Free Speech Crackdown on Hawaii Pregnancy Centers Passes House ...With only 10 of Hawaii's 51 state representatives voting against SB 510.... read more Hawaii Family Forum Legislative Week in Review ...Upcoming Legislative Dates.... read more Telescope Solution: Maunakea World Park? ...'Maunakea World Park' Advanced by Hawaii Mayor Kim at ILOA Galaxy Forum Kona.... read more To What Extent Does Your State Rely on Property Taxes? ...This is the first in a four-part map series in which we will examine the primary sources of state and local tax collections.... read more Willes Lee Fills Vacancy on NRA Board ...Willes K. Lee of Honolulu was sworn in today as the newest member of the National Rifle Association's board of directors.... read more Leapfrog: Hawaii Among States With Most 'A' Grade Hospitals ...Hawaii has 8 'A' Hospitals out of 12 total hospitals.... read more UH 2017 legislative budget update ...Much of the university's request is not included in either the House or Senate version of the budget.... read more Connect to Careers: Preparing next generation of Hawaii workforce ...business and education partners including the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) and the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Fund.... read more Study: House GOP Blueprint Would Put $5613 in Your Pocket, Hawaii ...There have been a raft of studies recently isolating the effect of certain elements of the House GOP tax reform "Blueprint" on various industries and even the 50 states.... read more Congressman Jason Chaffetz to Address Hawaii Republican Fundraiser ...Congressman Jason Chaffetz of Utah will be the keynote speaker for our 2017 Lincoln Dinner, which will be held on Monday, May 8, 2017 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.... read more Vice President Mike Pence to Visit Hawaii ...The Vice President will conclude his trip with a visit to Honolulu, Hawaii on April 24.... read more FEATURED ARTICLES Murthy: I Can Complete Elevated Rail Without Tax Hike Hawaii lawmakers barreling toward $1 billion spending increase Lawyer: OHA Transferred Waimea Valley to Private Company Controlled by CEO Crabbe Office of Hawaiian Affairs Ratifies Independent Audit Change Orders: Redesign Rail Columns so they Don't Collapse Under Weight of Stations Taxpayer Return on Investment? Hawaii ranks 49th Senate Devises Property Tax Bait n Switch to Help $500M HSTA Slush Fund Pass Vote Dissent: Five Ninth Circuit Judges Rebuke Court's Immigration Ruling On Sister Isles Working Class Whites Dying of Despair Report: Big island Hotspot for 'Premature Death' GE Tax: Audit Shows Tourists pay only 14.1% of Rail Surcharge After $2B in Tax Credits, High Tech Scammers Pay Only $27M in Taxes Political Insiders Among Few to Get Caldwell's Ohana Dwelling Permits Legislature: Two Gangs Compete to Steal millions in GEMS money Con-Con Needed to Save County Home Rule from HSTA Property Tax Travel Ban: 9th Circuit Court Will Reverse Hawaii's Political Hack Judge Trump Should Rescind Obama's Hawaiian Government Rule Honolulu Neighborhood Board--List of Contested Races and Candidates Public-Private Partnerships: Study Examines New Options for Rail Hawaii has the longest permit approval process in the country OHA LLCs-A License to Self-Deal FCC, DHHL Ask: Exclusive License to Criminal Al Hee Company Illegal? Omidyar Wins by Losing: Kauai Court Ruling Forces Farms to File EIS Carnival Cancelled Thanks to OHA Money Grab? Hawaii Suicide Bill Would Have Let Nurses Diagnose Fatal Illness and Prescribe Death Pills Hawaii Ranks Among Worst States to be a Doctor DBEDT Report Designed to Help HSTA Write Slush Fund into Constitution? Abortionist Moves to Hawaii after Undercover Video Expose Cover-up: How Wind Farms Hide Bird and Bat Kills Quick Links Register for email updates now   HawaiiFreePress .com   Contact Hawai`i Free Press Hawai`i Free Press Inc, Post Office Box 61761, Honolulu, HI 96839 Join the 14,418 informed, caring subscribers to this list (two emails/week) Subscribe here The Mission of WantToKnow.info: To provide our readers with reliable, verifiable information on major cover-ups, and to serve as a call to work together for the good of all This message is also available online at this link. We're US $4,200 in the red for 2017. Please make a donation. Support us by using this amazon.com link at no extra charge to you. "George Washington was a Mason, along with 13 other presidents and numerous Supreme Court Justices. Benjamin Franklin published a book about Freemasonry on his own printing press. Nine signers of the Declaration of Independence were Freemasons, including the man with the biggest signature: Jon Hancock."    ~~  MSNBC article on the Freemasons society aka Masons secret society titled "Secrets of 'The Lost Symbol,'" 10/27/09 Dear friends, Few understand the degree to which secret societies like the Masons (a.k.a. Freemasons society) wield power and control behind the scenes in our world. 14 out of the 44 U.S. presidents were Masons. That's nearly one out of three presidents. Yet most people know very little about this secretive organization. Key major media articles have given a glimpse of the inordinate power of top secret societies, yet the media in general seem reluctant to investigate deeply and to inform us what's happening behind closed doors with the Freemasons and other powerful secret societies. In Europe of the middle ages and beyond, the Catholic Church ruled with an iron fist. Galileo was placed under house arrest till the day he died for claiming the Earth revolved around the sun. In those oppressive times, secret societies served a vital function, as they were one of the very few ways to preserve and foster knowledge suppressed by the church. Yet whenever there is secrecy, the potential for corruption and manipulation increases dramatically. In this modern era of the Internet and easy access to knowledge, does the secrecy of the Masons and other secret societies play a useful role in our world? Is there a good purpose today for the most rich and powerful people in the world to meet behind closed doors without any public scrutiny? The engaging MSNBC article below discusses key, little-known facts about the Masons and Freemasonry based on Dan Brown's blockbuster The Lost Symbol. Brown's novel paints the Masons in a very positive light, yet it also reveals their immense power. Why is it that so few people know about the Masonic origins of the U.S. and the incredible number of members of the global elite who belong to the Freemasons society and other secretive groups even now. Key statements are highlighted in bold for those who prefer to skim. And as I have extensively researched secret societies for years, I've added my own comments in italics at various places in this article to present another viewpoint based on reliable, verifiable information I have obtained. Take the time educate yourself on these important groups and help to educate others, so that we can shine light into these shadows. Please help to spread the word on this powerful, yet little-known aspect of our world. With best wishes for a transformed world, Fred Burks for PEERS and WantToKnow.info Former White House interpreter and whistleblower Secrets Of 'The Lost Symbol' Inside Dan Brown's latest thriller and the untold tales of our nation's capital  By Matt Lauer: 'Today' anchor Dateline NBC This report aired on Dateline NBC on Friday, Oct. 15, 2009 Imagine the scene: a mysterious temple, its entrance guarded by massive stone columns and sphinxes. Inside, strange symbols, ancient inscriptions, and mystical numbers lead to a room shaped like a pyramid, with an eye that points toward the heavens, and in the center of the floor, a massive altar. Some of the most powerful men in the country gather here to enact an ancient, secret ritual, drinking wine meant to represent blood from a human skull, and all of it happening just a mile from the U.S. Capitol. It sounds like a work of fiction, and it does come from one – the opening scene of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, "The Lost Symbol." But Brown makes a remarkable claim: that the ritual is real, part of the history of the secretive brotherhood called the Freemasons. Skull and Bones, the infamous Yale secret society, uses similar secret symbols operating out of a foreboding building called the "Tomb." George W. Bush, his father, his grandfather, and John Kerry are just a few of their prominent members. For a short CNN video clip showing the "Tomb," a peek at their rituals, and more, click here. Matt Lauer: And when they found out that Dan Brown was going to be dealing with Freemasonry in this book, what was their reaction? Dan Brown: Well, I think they were nervous that I might focus on what some would call the macabre sides of Freemasonry. Perhaps with good reason. Brown has a history of prying open doors, revealing dark secrets – or at least seeming to. The central premise of his 2003 novel, "The Da Vinci Code," was an earth-shaking secret that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had children whose descendants live among us. The book infuriated some Christians. It also sold 80 million copies worldwide, became a blockbuster film, and made Dan Brown a household name. Now, "The Lost Symbol" brings the same kind of high-profile scrutiny to the Freemasons, the Founding Fathers, and our nation's Capitol. "The Da Vinci Code" comes to Washington. Will it have the same impact? Dan Brown: There's some very potent philosophical material and absolutely astonishing science that on some level I'm hoping will spark just as much debate. How much debate? Consider this: Dan Brown: America wasn't founded a Christian country. It became a Christian country. Or this: Dan Brown: The human mind really does have the ability to affect matter. "The Lost Symbol" raises provocative questions about the beliefs of the man on the dollar bill, about the power of the human mind, about whether people can become gods. Government intelligence services have been exploring the powers of the mind and psychic abilities for many decades. They have quietly achieved a remarkable degree of success. Yet they have often spread disinformation to debunk the very things which they have achieved to keep them secret. For lots more on this, click here and here. Dan Brown: It doesn't matter to me if someone agrees or disagrees with what I say. But I'd like them to at least think about it. The book is a thriller, a headlong chase through some of Washington's most famous landmarks, and also through puzzles, secret codes, and dark corners of history, starting with the secretive group at the center of "The Lost Symbol": the Freemasons, a worldwide brotherhood that's centuries old, and still active. George Washington was a Mason, along with 13 other presidents and numerous Supreme Court Justices. Benjamin Franklin published a book about Freemasonry on his own printing press. Nine signers of the Declaration of Independence were Freemasons, including the man with the biggest signature: John Hancock. The secrecy of the Masons is what allowed prominent disgruntled colonists to gather, to conspire against British tyranny, and eventually to establish the new and independent country of the United States. Yet few history books touch on this important piece of American history. At the time of independence in 1776, Masons were highly respected. Yet as they became more powerful after the revolution, they also became more corrupt. By the late 1820s an anti-masonic movement swept the nation and decimated Masonic membership, though interest returned by the 1850s. For more, click here, and here. Freemasonry still has millions of members worldwide, and they still conduct rituals like this one performed for our cameras: Grim Reaper (enacting Masonic ritual): If curiosity spurred you towards us, go away. Do not proceed. If you are capable of deception, tremble. Because you will be found out. Freemasons have been accused of everything from murder to devil worship to secretly controlling the U.S. government. Take a dollar bill, turn it over, look at the great seal of the United States on the back. Now draw a star of David. One point will match up with the all-seeing eye: a common Masonic symbol. Now look at the letters at the other points of the star: M... A... S... O... N. Coincidence? Video: M-A-S-O-N on the dollar bill Don't miss this intriguing video. Could it be just a coincidence? Matt Lauer: Freemasons have been accused of being involved in some rather strange conspiracies. A lot of that the result of the fact that you had powerful men, in this case, meeting behind closed doors and not discussing what they were doing. Dan Brown: Of course. I mean, any time you have powerful people who aren't telling you what they're doing – you're going to assume the worst. In times of great oppression like that of medieval Europe and the pre-revolutionary American colonies, secrecy was a vital means of sharing banned information and planning to bring positive change to the world. Yet particularly in more peaceful times, that same secrecy can and has been used to forward agendas which support the privileged few. Very few people know about the Bilderberg Group, Davos, and other secretive gatherings of the global elite. Why is there so little media coverage of these powerful conclaves when their influential members are daily fodder for the tabloids? In Brown's book, the Freemasons are infiltrated by a man who believes they hold a great secret to mystical power. He's a larger than life villain named "Mal'akh" whose entire body is covered with tattoos of occult symbols. Dan Brown: And there is an animal quality about him. He has feather tattoos on his legs. He's got giant double-headed phoenix on his chest. Matt Lauer: He saves one square inch of his flesh for something that he is coveting. What is that? Dan Brown: That is the lost word. The last piece of the puzzle. This word that at least in his twisted mind will be the – the coup d'etat. The cherry on top of the sundae that will be his transformation. That will give him power. Mal'akh thinks the Masons' secret word will make him an all-powerful agent of evil, and he thinks that he can bring down the government with proof that some of its highest ranking officials are Freemasons. The man who must prevent all that from happening is, of course, Harvard professor Robert Langdon, the hero of "The Da Vinci Code," played by Tom Hanks in the movies. Langdon must find the lost symbol before Mal'akh does in order to save an old friend – and possibly the world – from Mal'akh's evil scheme. We'll hear from Dan Brown about the mysteries of freemasonry, and from the Freemasons themselves about the secrets they've kept for centuries. We'll take a tour of Washington, D.C. unlike any you've taken before, uncovering secret places with Dan Brown as our guide. And we'll go to the fringes of science and the depths of prehistory in search of what Brown calls the true meaning of his latest book – and why, he says, it actually changed his beliefs. Dan Brown: I spent a lot of time researching and really had to get to the point where I realized, "You know what? The world's a stranger place then we thought." Brown does his research well in both "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Lost Symbol." In both books, I checked many of the facts he stated, especially the most surprising and controversial claims. Invariably, I was able to find reliable sources supporting his claims. "The Lost Symbol" starts with a gruesome discovery. Dan Brown's hero, Robert Langdon, is lured to Washington, D.C. to the U.S. Capitol, where, at the center of the rotunda, he finds a severed hand, tattooed to resemble an ancient mystical symbol: the hand of the mysteries. It beckons him on a dangerous journey. The hand belongs to an old friend of Langdon's who's been kidnapped by the villain, Mal'akh: a man named Peter Solomon. Solomon runs the Smithsonian Institution. But he's also a thirty-third degree Freemason of the Scottish rite. This is the headquarters of the Scottish Rite Freemasons in Washington, D.C. They call it the house of the temple, and it's where we talked with Dan Brown, who wove the secrets of the Masons into the taut rope of his story. Matt Lauer: One character is being elevated to the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite. It's a rather intense ritual. He drinks wine, which is to represent blood out of a skull. How much of that is fact and how much of that is fiction? Dan Brown: Well, this is a real ceremony. The ceremony is described accurately. The fiction comes in as to whether or not it still happens at this moment in history in this room. Brown's villain, Mal'akh, is the man drinking the wine. He's journeyed deep into Freemasonry to find out its secrets – and so will we. Mal'akh is fiction, but how much of the ritual is real? Arturo de Hoyos: Dan Brown's book is very exciting. And like any good work of fiction, it has to involve both truth and error to make it believable. Arturo de Hoyos is the grand archivist and grand historian of the supreme council of the Scottish rite and himself a 33rd-degree Mason. Arturo de Hoyos: One of the things that's wrong is on the very first page. We don't perform the 33rd Degree in this building. We don't confer it at night. The candidates to the members are dressed wrong. And the ceremony's wrong. Maybe they don't do the ceremony in this building, but there's evidence Freemasons have done it. Brown can quote multiple historical sources. What is the truth? To find out, we have to delve into the distant past. Mitch Horowitz: Masonry in many respects is a historic mystery. Mitch Horowitz is the author of the new book, "Occult America." He's a scholar of esoteric religions and secret societies. Mitch Horowitz: Masons themselves cannot agree on the nature of their own origins and background. Masonry may be the only modern organization for which that's true. The origins of the Freemasons are shrouded in mystery. Art de Hoyos outlines the simplest theory: Arturo de Hoyos: Freemasonry developed primarily in medieval Scotland and England with the Stonemasons' guilds and societies. In other words, the first Masons were literally that: stonecutters, the men who built the great cathedrals of Europe, and who wanted to guard their trade secrets. Arturo de Hoyos: So they developed a system of secret signs and secret passwords. De Hoyos says the tradesmen started another system associated with Freemasonry – the so-called "three degrees:" apprentice, fellow of the craft, and master mason, still used in Freemasonry today. So is the symbol of a square and compass, mason's tools with the letter "g", signifying both "geometry" and "God." At meetings masons wear elaborately decorated aprons, symbolic representations of the ones worn by working stonemasons. But some say there's much more to Freemasonry: a deeper, older, more mystical side. Mitch Horowitz: Freemasonry has been a vessel, a channel, for some very ancient ideas. In fact, some masons say the group originated in the holy land, in biblical times, with the builders of Solomon's temple. Many Masonic symbols are even older than that. Mitch Horowitz: The all seeing eye, the pyramid, the obelisk. It drew very deeply upon the symbols of pre-Christian religion because it believed that it was part of a chain of a spiritual search for truth that was older than any modern or contemporary religion. The Masons are often linked to other secret societies claiming ancient heritage like the Knights Templar and the Rosicrucians. The Knights Templar, reputed to be some of the fiercest warriors of the time, were officially endorsed by the Catholic Church in the early 12th century. Yet they became so powerful (and among the world's first bankers) that by the early 14th century the church was largely successful in destroying the order. Some believe the superstition around Friday the 13th came from a secret edict issued by the King of France on Friday the 13th of October in 1307 to arrest all members of the order. In the novel, Mal'akh believes the masons know mystical secrets that will make him an all powerful demon. He infiltrates the group, kidnaps its leader, and uses blackmail to try to get what he wants. That's fiction. But in fact, their freethinking about religion once caused the Vatican to denounce the masons as Satanic. And in the 1800's Masons in upstate New York were accused of murdering a man named William Morgan, who threatened to expose their secret rituals. Today the web is full of anti-Masonic material. Arturo de Hoyos: I frequently run into people who have heard of a couple of things about Freemasonry and no more. We killed William Morgan and we worship the devil, and that's about all they've heard of us. Those people might be surprised to hear this: Arturo de Hoyos: The father of our country was a Freemason. There's no question of this. And historians agree that some principles of Freemasonry became cherished principles of the United States. Arturo de Hoyos: Freemasonry was one of the earliest societies to advocate self-rule. We elected our own leaders. We had a secret ballot. We had a separation of powers. We were governed by a constitution. All these elements were very familiar to the founding fathers. But remember Freemasons also had some radical ideas about religion. And as Dan Brown's hero, Robert Langdon, races Mal'akh through Washington, D.C. to find the secrets of Freemasonry, he reveals little-known facts about the founding fathers that might shock some readers. Dan Brown: There was a statue that sat in the Capitol. It was George Washington as a god. Hidden away on the lower level of the Masonic house of the temple, in Washington, D.C., there's a remarkable painting not many people have seen. George Washington, the first president of the United States, wears the decorated apron of Freemasonry. Nearby are the square and the compass, traditional symbols of Freemasonry. The painting is described in Dan Brown's best-selling novel "The Lost Symbol." Dan Brown: It's a cornerstone laying ritual. And essentially, a date is chosen – that is auspicious from an astrological standpoint. And there will be certain blessings that are given when this cornerstone is laid. And the idea is that whatever is to take place in that building will have a solid and auspicious beginning. And what building is George Washington, Freemason, laying the cornerstone for? The United States Capitol. Matt Lauer: And it's not just the Capitol. Those ceremonies, those rituals were used in the building of the Washington Monument and the White House. Dan Brown: They were. As well as many, many other buildings. Masonic symbolism is rife in the great monuments and buildings of Washington, DC. Yet not only is this kept hidden from the public, many history books even fail to mention anything about the powerful influence of the Masons throughout the early years of the republic. Brown does a very good job of exposing all of this in his book. For a revealing History Channel documentary which give rare excellent coverage of this, click here. The lore of Freemasonry marks Washington in other hidden ways as well. Consider, for example, the number 33, cherished by the Masons. Dan Brown: Thirty-three is a very important number – in ancient mysticism. There's a reason that Jesus Christ was said to be 33. There is a reason that there are 33 vertebrae in our spine and that much of Freemasonry has to do with the concept of the body as a temple. Thirty-three repeats throughout the Masonic house of the temple. Matt Lauer: There are 33 columns or pillars, each one 33 feet tall. Dan Brown: Yes, sir. And the same number is built into one of D.C.'s most famous sights. Matt Lauer: Is it coincidence that the cap on the Washington Monument-- Dan Brown: There is no such thing as coincidence-- Matt Lauer: --weighs-- Dan Brown: --when you're dealing with the number 33. Matt Lauer: --weighs exactly 300 – 3,300 pounds? Dan Brown: Yeah. 3,300 pounds. That's right. The capstone matches that mystical number. Brown says the Freemasons influenced the founding of America in profound ways, and what he has to say may change what you think about how this country came to be. Dan Brown: If you have a group of men who are Masons and simultaneously founding fathers and part of their Masonic ideal is that all men are equal, of course that will be an underlying theme in the founding of a country. Another important aspect of Freemasonry is this idea of freedom of religion. We talked about these books on the altar. Matt Lauer: It's inclusive. It's not exclusive? Dan Brown: Exactly. That couldn't have said it better. Here Brown reveals his pro-Masonic bias. The Masons are far from inclusive. Like the vast majority of secret societies, the Masons do no accept women. And though a few African-Americans were granted membership at the time of the revolution, widespread racism and segregation made it nearly impossible for them to join many mainstream lodges. As recently as 2009, the admission of an African-American to a Masonic lodge in Georgia generated much controversy as reveal in this New York Times article. Freemasons assumed members believed in a supreme being. But that's as far as it went. Masons could worship Yahweh, Jesus, Allah – or another god of their own choosing. Religious freedom was built into freemasonry. And, many scholars say the Freemasons built it into the U.S. Constitution. One-third of the signers were known to be Freemasons. Brown says his research led him to a conclusion that might shock some people. Dan Brown: America wasn't founded a Christian country. It became a Christian country. Important thing to remember with the masons and the founding fathers is that many of the founding fathers were deists. Deists believe that a supreme being created the universe but that being is impersonal. It won't answer your prayers or even hear them. Dan Brown: The concepts behind deism, where man is powerful and man is responsible are the underlying, core beliefs of Freemasonry. Matt Lauer: So, when you talk about the founding fathers, who believed in deism as opposed to theism? Dan Brown: Almost all of them. Matt Lauer: Give me names. Dan Brown: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams. Matt Lauer: There are a lot of people who say there is no proof, for example, that Thomas Jefferson was a Freemason. Dan Brown: That is true. Matt Lauer: Okay. Dan Brown: But certainly a deist. Thomas Jefferson went so far as to take the Holy Bible and remove all of the – all of the references to anything miraculous – to the resurrection, to the virgin birth. Jefferson himself said that the idea of the virgin birth, Christ springing from a virgin would one day seem as much like myth as the idea of Minerva springing from the head of Jupiter. The Founding Fathers, Brown says, didn't just read The Bible. They also read Roman and Egyptian mythology. And they read the stars. It's important to distinguish between the Masons involved in founding the US and those who came later. The founding fathers were not traditional Christians, but rather deists, as even many history texts acknowledge. They were highly focused on morals and values. Yet as the Masons power grew in the decades after independence, morals took a back seat as power and corruption moved to the fore. Considering that literally 1/3 of U.S. presidents were Masons, shouldn't this be getting more attention? And then find out how many were members of Skull and Bones, the CFR, and other secretive groups. Matt Lauer: This reliance on astrology, what does it tell you? What does it suggest about our founding fathers? Dan Brown: I think that they had a respect for what they did not understand, a respect for the heavens. The foundations of astrology really have a deep, mystical and spiritual underpinning that that the Masons were very in tune with. Matt Lauer: it would be hard to imagine Barack Obama, taking a trip or or doing the groundbreaking on a major monument or something and using astrology as a basis for the time and the place, he'd be ridiculed. Dan Brown: And rightly so, I believe. Matt Lauer: But why was it okay then and is it not okay now? Dan Brown: Well, for the same reason it was okay to believe that – if you threw a virgin into the ocean, a storm wouldn't hit you. Matt Lauer: That's not okay now? (laughter) Dan Brown: So that's not okay, either? (laughter) You know, science progresses. In "The Lost Symbol," Mal'akh thinks that by learning the secrets of the Freemasons, he can become something like a god. You might be surprised to learn the founders had a similar idea. Matt Lauer: There is a painting in the Capitol-- Dan Brown: Yes. Matt Lauer: Tell me about it. Dan Brown: Well it's a painting that I was shocked to find was there. I said, "There is a painting called the Apotheosis of Washington," apotheosis meaning, "The god-making of Washington." Matt Lauer: George Washington becoming a god. Dan Brown: It seemed almost irreverential. It was like, "How can a man become a god?" And you start looking at this painting and you realize just how strange it is. But it really, to my eye, and to other historians' eye, catches this concept of the power of man. The Apotheosis of Washington is actually the huge fresco painted on the inside of the main dome of the U.S. Capitol Building. You can view it at this link. The tendency to make the first president into a god shows how easily people can get twisted by power. Matt Lauer: Again, can you imagine anyone putting forth that notion of politicians as gods? Dan Brown: Right. Matt Lauer: Here we are in the 21st century – you'd be run out of town. Dan Brown: You'd be run out of town. There was a statue of George Washington that sat in the Capitol. He was unclothed – he had a model of a statue of Zeus. It was George Washington as a god. Matt Lauer: Right. Dan Brown: And that did get run out of the Capitol building. When they thought of becoming godlike, the founders were probably thinking about perfecting their minds through science and learning. In Brown's novel, however, the villain Mal'akh believes something much more profound and potentially sinister: that the Freemasons, from ancient times, through the time of George Washington to the present day, guarded secrets that could transform matter, transform a person, unleash incredible psychic and spiritual power. Most modern-day Masons say the brotherhood is not nearly so mysterious. Arturo de Hoyos: There is no deep, dark, intimate and ultimate secret of Freemasonry which will transform the world in the way that "The Lost Symbol" portrays. It would be exciting if it were true, but such is not the case. That's what most Freemasons say, but not all. Cliff Porter: Sometimes it is said we have no secrets. Nothing could be further from the truth. We'll learn some of their secrets next. In Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol," the hero Robert Langdon races through Washington, D.C., trying to unravel a secret Masonic message. He's forced to do it, by Mal'akh. He threatens to kill a man who's both a dear friend of Langdon's, and a thirty-third degree Freemason. Mal'akh also uses blackmail with evidence that some of Washington's most powerful men engage in Masonic rituals so bizarre, revealing them would bring down the government. Could the rituals of freemasonry be that shocking? You decide. Cliff Porter: Masonry is a transformative art. It can be extraordinary in a man's life. It's speculative and alchemical and all those things. Cliff Porter is senior warden of "enlightenment lodge 198" in Colorado. Brothers here say they are seeking eternal truths, learning ancient mysteries. Cliff Porter: What I take offense to is the fact that sometimes it is said we have no secrets, or that what can be known about us can be Googled. Nothing could be further from the truth. Somewhat reluctantly, they opened a few of their doors to our cameras. They practice alchemy here, the ancient art that sought to turn lead into gold. You might think of alchemy as pseudo-science. But it's also been used through the centuries as a metaphor of personal transformation. Tim: This process of removing impurities to elevate it something greater, and more special, and more potent is very much what we also do within Freemasonry. Take good men, and make them grow into something more special. Initiates go through a ritual that's meant to be intense and startling. First, the subject's vision is taken away with a "hoodwink" placed over his head. Then a master Mason – dressed as the grim reaper – issues a warning. "If you persevere you will be purified, you will overcome darkness, you will be enlightened. But if your soul is fearful, do not proceed." The disturbing part of this that gets little mention is that initiates swear to never reveal any of the secrets of the Masons on penalty of death. The ABC News article at this link states "the penalty for revealing Freemason secrets is supposed to be gory death." Early anti-Masonic fervor was initially sparked by the presumed murder of William Morgan when he was about to publish a book revealing Masonic secrets. Shawn Beyer, Freemason: If you're not comfortable with what's going on, if you're nervous, if you think maybe you have approached the craft for the wrong reasons, you're given a chance to say I'm no longer okay with this. Shawn Beyer joined the Freemasons recently and went through the initiation. Those who elect to continue are led into a place the masons would not let us show you ... a "chamber of reflection." Shawn Beyer: You go into the chamber of reflection, and you remove the hoodwink. And you're presented with what is a very interesting image. And Dan Brown described it pretty well in his book. As Brown describes it, the chamber includes a human skull and bones, elements used in alchemy, and a pen and paper where the initiate can write a last will and testament. Shawn Beyer: The symbols are meant to help you think about the fact that your life isn't gonna go on forever. And frankly, it causes a very profound experience. In one of the most striking scenes in "The Lost Symbol," Robert Langdon discovers a Masonic chamber of reflection at the center of American power. Matt Lauer: You described it as being located in the bowels of the Capitol. Did it exist? Dan Brown: No, these – chambers of reflection can exist anywhere. Matt Lauer: Right. Dan Brown: Many Masonic lodges have them. There are Masons who have them in their homes. This kind of macabre symbolism has driven conspiracy theorists through the centuries to think the Freemasons practice some kind of black magic. Brown says Masonic rituals are no stranger than some other, more familiar ones. Dan Brown: If a Catholic church, for example, pulled the shades and you heard through the grapevine that people were kneeling under a crucifix, an instrument of torture and consuming blood and flesh, ritualistically – you might say, "What a terrible organization." Yes, the major difference here being that the Masons and other secret societies shroud their rituals in secrecy, while the Catholic church does them in the open. The Masons in Colorado say they embrace their symbolism and mysticism. But in many lodges across the country, the scene is a little different. Mitch Horowitz: I often tell people that if you like bake sales join Freemasonry because that's what you're going to be doing. Mitch Horowitz, author of the book "Occult America," says most Freemasons are far from mystical. Mitch Horowitz: They run a wonderful network of free children's hospitals around the nation. They raise money for charity locally and nationally. They do continue to use occult and esoteric symbols. But to a very great extent these things are museum pieces in Freemasonry today. You've probably seen the Shriners – an offshoot of the Masons – riding go-karts and raising money for charity. Freemasons even had the honor of being satirized on "The Simpsons." Grand Master to Homer: Welcome to the club number 9-0-8. Now let's all get drunk and play ping-pong! The Masons have also lost some clout since George Washington's day. The last master Mason to serve as president was Gerald Ford. But Brown says whether they know it or not, the Freemasons' secret rituals still connect them to a rich, powerful, mystical tradition. Dan Brown: I intended this book as a reverential look at their philosophy. Matt Lauer: And isn't there possibly another side of the coin here, in this day, where it's become a little more humdrum with the bake sales and the charitable drives, you've created a little more mystery. You've given some of their mystery back to them. And they might like that. Dan Brown: I hope so. As with any organization, there are some who understand the core and some who are on the periphery. I'm hoping it starts to pull people in the direction of the ancient mysteries. The ancient mysteries. They're the key to the plot of The Lost Symbol. But are they the key to much more? Dan Brown: All of these texts from all of these different authors tend in a same direction. This idea of the power of the human mind and the ability of thought to actually transform the world in which we live. The villain of the lost symbol, Mal'akh, is a giant who has covered himself with tattoos he thinks will give him mystical powers: a double-headed phoenix, the pillars from the temple of Solomon, a snake consuming itself. You might think the symbols came from from Mal'akh's twisted mind. They came instead from a mysterious book called "The Secret Teachings Of All Ages," a favorite of Mal'akh's creator, Dan Brown. Dan Brown: And that really is a core book for a lot of what I research and a lot of what I believe. "The Secret Teachings" was written in the 1920s by a Canadian-American named Manly P. Hall who founded the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles. It carries on his work, studying the wisdom of the ancients. Its director is Obadiah Harris: Obadiah Harris: The ancient mysteries are about the divination of man, how it is that you can become more fully human and achieve a level of consciousness beyond the reasoning mind. Mal'akh believes the Freemasons have guarded the ancient mysteries for centuries. He forces Robert Langdon to race through Washington, trying to decode messages the masons engraved on a stone pyramid, messages Mal'akh is convinced will lead him to the lost symbol of the ancient mysteries – and to unspeakable power. Matt Lauer: And you draw a pretty straight line from the ancient mysteries to the Freemasons and to another subject that we haven't quite discussed yet. Is it an imaginary line or is it a real line? Dan Brown: No, it's absolutely a real line. The ancient mysteries deal in the concept of the power of the human mind. The Masons celebrate mankind and the power of the human mind. In fact in the second degree ritual there's actually a line where they say, "Here you will learn the mysteries of human science." There's a form of "human science" that Mal'akh wants to hijack for his own ends. It sounds like fiction... But it's not. Dan Brown: Noetic science really is the reason this book took me so long to write. I've said before I'm a skeptic. And I hear about these experiments that are being done that categorically and scientifically prove that the human mind has power over matter. Matt Lauer: The physical world? Dan Brown: Power over the physical world. The term "Noetic" derives from the Greek word for "mind." Noetic scientists study whether age old ideas like faith healing – ESP, mind over matter – actually have a scientific basis. In Dan Brown's novel, there's a secret lab at the Smithsonian doing cutting-edge research to prove the human mind has such power. Mal'akh breaks in, murders one scientist and tries to kidnap another. The secret lab is fiction. But there's a real one similar to it in Petaluma, California's Institute Of Noetic Sciences. Its director is Marilyn Schlitz. Marilyn Schlitz: I would say Noetic is equivalent to intuition, that sense of feeling that isn't rational. "I just had a gut feeling about something." The science part of it is really bringing that lens of discernment, of rigor, of critical thinking to what is a non-rational process. Schlitz showed us an experiment in which one subject, using her thoughts alone, tries to alter the vital signs of a second subject in a sealed room. Another experiment seeks to determine if people, again, through thought alone, can affect the formation of ice crystals. A third experiment involves machines called random event generators – which Noetics researchers have placed on almost every continent. Marilyn Schlitz: They are essentially electronic coin flippers. So if you imagine flipping a coin 100 times, you would expect, based on a normal probability distribution, that you'd get an equal number of heads and tails. In some experiments, she says, human thought alone has affected these machines, changing the ratio of heads to tails. The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) is a cutting-edge research institute exploring the intersection between science and consciousness. Founded by astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon in the Apollo moon landings, this group is helping people around the world to develop more fluidity in their intelligence. For more on this, click here. Matt Lauer: And it's the power of the human mind? The power of group thought? The power of group focus? Dan Brown: I don't know. That's the -- Matt Lauer: But how can you this be so central to the book if we don't know? I mean that's a very difficult concept to get your arms around. Dan Brown: Well-- Matt Lauer: And there are some, let's be honest, who think it's a hoax. Dan Brown: Sure. You don't have to look far to find them. Ray Hyman, a former professor of psychology at the University Of Oregon, has made a mission of exposing what he considers scientific fraud – and Noetic science is on his hit list. Ray Hyman: Noetic science is not the science that we know of as physics and chemistry and even psychology. There's very little science there, as far as I'm concerned. Nevertheless, the Institute of Noetic Sciences has received a grant from the federal government to study "distance healing" – what you might call prayer. Dan Brown: I spent a lot of time researching Noetic science and really had to get to the point where I realized, "You know what? The world's a stranger place then we thought." And the human mind really does have the ability to affect matter. A secret U.S. government program was designed to develop the ability to directly perceive at a remote distance. Called remote viewing, the government initially denied the existence of this program, calling those who talked about it conspiracy theorists. Yet in 1995, declassified documents were released revealing that the government had indeed spent many millions on this top secret program. To learn more, click here. He says his new belief led to an old fear. Dan Brown: Every single scientific breakthrough in human development, whether it was fire or nuclear power, has been turned into a weapon. My fear is that we start to learn how to use our minds and that our innate dark sides will use it for evil. Which, of course, is exactly Mal'akh's goal, one he's willing to kidnap, torture, and kill for. Matt Lauer: And what you've set up in the book is the people who think about, "Boy, we can change the world in a positive way." Your villain in this book, Mal'akh, says, "Wait a minute. I don't want that renaissance." Dan Brown: Right. Matt Lauer: I want this to be a source of evil. Dan Brown: Mal'akh is the reminder that with knowledge comes responsibility. It may sound heavy for a beach read. But Brown doesn't seem worried. Dan Brown: I think my books contain a lot of meat but it tastes like dessert somehow. He manages that by folding the big ideas into a book-length, high-speed chase, all the while revealing the secrets of a city that seems familiar. What other secrets does Washington hold? Brown himself will show us next. "The Lost Symbol" takes you on a high-speed journey to uncover secrets in Washington, D.C. Dan Brown helped us retrace the steps of his fictional hero, Robert Langdon. Dan Brown: One thing I love to do is to get people to see things through a slightly different lens. Brown showed us the nation's capital through his eyes – and it does look different. Dan Brown: This city has all the intrigue of Rome or Paris when it comes to architecture. The Capitol Rotunda – where the fictional Langdon makes a gruesome discovery has a real-life secret, stumps of iron in the floor that used to be part of a railing. In the 1820's, there was a hole in the floor – leading down to a lower level, the "Capitol Crypt." Matt Lauer: You also found this labyrinth of rooms in the basement areas and sub-basement of the capital? Dan Brown: Right. The under stories of the U.S. Capitol are filled with these tiny rooms. The blueprint of the Capitol building is an astonishing document. It – it looks like – it looks like a – right out of a labyrinth of ancient Greece. Langdon flees through that labyrinth and emerges across the street, in the Library Of Congress, which has its own treasures – hidden in plain sight. Dan Brown: You've got this astonishing staircase with an anachronistic sort of feature one of these little cherubs, these putti. You've got one up here: It's holding a telephone. Matt Lauer: It's right – yeah, right there. Dan Brown: I mean, you've got – and you've got one down here. Over here, you've got an entomologist. He's catching butterflies. With this bizarre fusion of these little religious figures with with scientific concepts. And, of course – we had to check out the main reading room, where Brown's hero narrowly escapes his pursuers by riding a conveyor belt meant for books. Dan Brown: It's my favorite room in all of D.C. Matt Lauer: Is it really? Dan Brown: Without a doubt. It's been called the most beautiful room in the world. It's an octagon lit in eight different directions so there are no shadows, no shadows anywhere. The room – room really seems to – to radiate. Langdon needs a place to hide out – a sanctuary – but to get there he has to solve a riddle: "A refuge containing ten stones from Mount Sinai, one from heaven itself, and one with the visage of Luke's dark father." The answer really does reside at the National Cathedral... With stones from Mount Sinai in the altar steps ... A moon rock set in a stained glass window, and a gargoyle in the form of Darth Vader. As for the Smithsonian laboratory where Mal'akh commits a terrible murder, it really exists. Video: Secrets of the National Cathedral Matt Lauer: Almost everyone that's come to Washington knows of the Smithsonian. Dan Brown: Sure. Matt Lauer: Very few people know of a facility located just outside of Washington that is the support center for the Smithsonian. Why did it fascinate you? Dan Brown: What's not to be fascinated? This place has got a giant squid. There's an enormous series of labs that will study everything from fleas to – the baleen from whales. One of "The Lost Symbol's" greatest puzzles is also the last stop on Dan Brown's mystery tour. Matt Lauer: At the CIA, there is a sculpture that I don't think a lot of people know. Dan Brown: There is a – an American sculptor, James Sanborn, and he has created a sculpture that – fascinates me and – and a lot of cryptologists that has – an enormous series of letters on them that appear random but are actually – a code. Matt Lauer: And – and who knows the meaning of that code? Dan Brown: Only W.W. Matt Lauer: That's it? Dan Brown: That's it. W.W. is William Webster, the director of the CIA in 1990, when "Kryptos" was installed. Brown says Webster was given the key to the sculpture's secret messages, but he's never revealed it. And not one of the CIA's army of cryptologists has cracked the entire code. Matt Lauer: It – it's obvious to anybody who's read your books that you love puzzles. You-- Dan Brown: I do. Matt Lauer: --loved codes. You know, a Rubik's Cube must have been your best friend at some point. Dan Brown: It was. Matt Lauer: I mean – it – what – (laughter) what is – is in your opinion the most fascinating code, puzzle, symbol in this book? Dan Brown: The most fascinating code I left out of this book. Matt Lauer: Why? Dan Brown: Be – it was too complicated. It was just too tough to use. Matt Lauer: Well, you can't tell me that and now not tell me about it? Dan Brown: Well, I'm not gonna tell you about it. It's in the next book. Speaking of the next book... Matt Lauer: Just between us, what's it about? Dan Brown: Just between us? (laugh) Matt Lauer: And the Freemasons in this room. Dan Brown: And the Freemasons. That – that will be laid bare at some point in the future. Matt Lauer: Yeah? And – and – is it similar subject matter? Dan Brown: No. Matt Lauer: Complete departure? Dan Brown: Not complete. Nothing's complete. Everything builds on something else. Just as Brown says his current book builds on his previous ones... And asks the reader for something more as well. Matt Lauer: There's a call to action in this book where you basically challenge the reader to take what you've just told them over the course of the previous 500 pages and decide what he or she wants to do with it. And did you set out to write that ending or did that just happen? Dan Brown: In some ways it just happened. This amount of research and intellectual growth that went into writing this novel really led to that rather hopeful ending. And thank you for seeing that it is a call to action. You see, the whole headlong chase through Washington, the secrets of the Freemasons, the ancient mysteries, Noetic science. For Dan Brown, it all adds up to a series of important questions: How well do we know our history? How well do we understand our beliefs? How well do we grasp the powers of our own minds? Matt Lauer: Last word of the book is one that will surprise people. Dan Brown: Yes. Matt Lauer: It is? Dan Brown: Hope. Matt Lauer: Hope. And it means what? Dan Brown: In the context of this book the last word means that we can do better and that we will do better. And as Brown's millions of fans know, we can also spend hours – or years – puzzling over the secret codes and mystical messages of "The Lost Symbol." Dan Brown has done a great service by shining so much light into the shadows of Freemasonry with his popular and engaging book. Yet in the end, Brown paints a rather simplistic picture of the Masons. He portrays them as spiritual seekers in search of higher truths and greater achievements for all humanity. In his novel, one evil man attempts to ruin all of the lofty secret achievements of this noble group. Yet other evidence suggests a much less black-and-white interpretation of the Masons. Though the ideals of Freemasonry may be lofty and designed for the betterment of all, in practice, greed and corruption have played a key role in all secret societies. For more on the control and corruption of these groups, see the box below. Note: You can find the original of this article about Masons on the MSNBC website at this link. For an MSNBC video on the Masons, click here. What you can do: Inform your media and political representatives of this important information on the Masons secret society and Freemason secrets. Insist that they shine light on this taboo topic and admit any personal connections to secret societies. To contact those close to you, click here. For summaries of key mainstream media articles revealing major corruption and manipulation within many powerful, yet little-known secret societies, click here. For excellent, verifiable information on mind control techniques use by some Masons and other secret societies, see the Mind Control Information Center available here. To understand the big picture behind these secret societies and their use of government-sponsored mind control programs, see powerful, verifiable information available here. For an inspiring essay on how we can work together to build a brighter future click here. 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