"The greater
the ignorance the greater the dogmatism."
Sir William Osler
(1849–1919), Canadian physician.
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
The always less-than-sharp 'Cutting Edge' gets it TOTALLY wrong - yet again.
Read all about Freemasonry's supposed 'plot' against David Bay right
here - particularly if you want a great chortle for your day!
'The Cutting Edge' is another of those one-man 'ministries' that proclaims:
| "We PROVE that Freemasonry is
occultic, Satanic,
from their own writings! We will show you what one Freemasonry Publishing House recommends
that their members read and study. We will also prove from this recommended reading list
that Freemasonry admits that it comes from the Satanic Knights Templars!" http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1084.cfm on June 3, 1998 |
On closer examination, one finds that 'The Cutting Edge' and its owner (who has given himself the title of "Director"), David Bay seems to hate Freemasonry and a lot of other things. His rants include religious intolerance always linked with a 'pitch' for his many tapes as well as a whole panoply of books, videos, and most anything else he can sell including a subscription so you can read his pearls of wisdom on his website. He is clearly consumed by conspiracy theories and devotes a whole section of his site to proving that secret scientists control our weather, all part of the 'New World Order' Illuminati which he trumpets as running world events! (Update: Developing theories in order to keep the seminar crowd coming have apparently been hearing that it's now the 'US military' who's doing that controlling of the weather - and Bay is convinced that they can and do use it at will against whomever they want! No proof of any of it, of course, but what the heck....)
The methodology by which he seeks to 'prove' his claims is most frequently through tossing together a lot of unrelated quotes from a variety of sources taken completely out of context. This methodology is often described as 'cherry-picking'. It is also an excellent example of the 'shoot the arrow - draw the target' approach.
'The Cutting Edge' indicates their reference material about Freemasonry is from a 'Freemasonry Publishing House' (and, more recently, an 'Illuminati Witch' whose books, incidentally, he'll be happy to sell you!). Want to know the truth? Here it is: many long-out-of-print Masonic works are still sought today, simply for scholastic purposes, just as are the works in many fields, including mysticism. Religious intolerants like Mr. Bay seem to find something inherently evil in reading about the past as if somehow the words on the page will stain the mind of the reader. It seems obvious to these folks, based on their reactions, that reading books they deem 'evil' means that the individual is up to no good. While their discernment capabilities usually are on the level that would make a scavenging animal look discriminating, they've set themselves up as the judge and jury of what YOU should not read.
And the facts are that the Mason who started the publishing venture which has provided Mr. Bay with his fantastic insights is simply a retired printer who was asked by some folks to locate and reprint various old Masonic titles. Today Roger Kessinger republishes all sorts of works which would otherwise be lost to researchers. Some of the titles are clearly provocative when measured against today's gauge of 'political correctness' but it's important to remember that what he reprints are works which have long since been relegated to the dust-bin of history - with justifiable reason! The Masonic works may be of interest to Masonic researchers but they have little - if any - relevance to today's Mason. And again, these works aren't sought because of their relevance to Freemasonry either today or in the past: if they were meaningful, they'd be in print still, don't you think? Rather, it's the intellectual curiosity to see what was being written at the time even if the writer's material was so bizarre as to be totally discarded.
Had David Bay and his 'The Cutting Edge' been honest, he would not have, for example, changed his reference to this company to read "Kessinger Freemasonry Publishing House". One can see this subtle change (lie!) on this page. This site's author remembers when Kessinger Publishing (the name that's both the correct one and the one that has been used since its inception approximately a decade ago - and which does NOT now nor has it at any prior time include the word "Freemasonry") began business. There were not then nor are there now any claims as to being a dispenser of Masonic 'theology'; rather, Roger has simply obtained and republished many long out-of-print books of various kinds, some of which were Masonic.
While the Kessinger company advertises "Over 1,500 Rare, Mystical Reprints unavailable elsewhere.", it's a LONG reach (far TOO long!) to then assert - as Bay/'The Cutting Edge' does - that "Therefore when Kessinger Freemasonry Publishing House lists Ancient Mysteries books, it is because Freemasonry teaches and practices them, also!!!!" If a Christian person opens a store selling magik supplies, can we then assume that the Christian church is really supporting occult organizations? Hardly....
Roger Kessinger is an honest and reputable businessman who runs a publishing company that reprints and sells old books. While he could suggest recommended readings, he does not and his stock is quite wide and varied. Were he to make suggestions (as we do in our 'book review' section), his suggestions would carry no more weight than do ours or those of a local librarian or teacher.
| Sometimes folks are SO wrapped up in lies that they can't see how
foolish their claims really are. Here's another slice from the so-called 'Cutting Edge'
web site: "This information is taken from a famous Freemason book, " Egypt: Cradle of Ancient Masonry", 1902, ISBN: 1-56459-524-2. Note that this book is published by Kessinger Publishing Company, a Freemason and Esoteric publishing house, Kila, MT. We encourage you to consult the suggested reading of your local Lodge and you will find this book, and others from de Clifford. This book is dedicated to Albert Pike, as follows: "ADMIRATION For the memory of our revered Brother, Albert Pike, who made Scottish Rite Masonry what it is to-day. This book is most respectfully dedicated, by the Author." Masonicinfo Note: Famous? We'd never heard of this book until we read about it on the Cutting Edge's web site. We've been through hundreds upon hundreds of Masonic Lodges and have looked at the 'libraries' there (some consisting of three or four books on a coffee table in a corner). This book was never seen before! 1902? THAT will surely have lots of valuable information backed by scientific and archeologically supported facts, won't it? "Suggested reading list"? We've never yet seen a Masonic Lodge which publishes one. And the fact that the author dedicated it to Albert Pike (who had died just a few years before - and who did change the face of Scottish Rite) means what? Nothing! "MAJOR PREMISE OF BOOK" "Mr. de Clifford goes to great lengths to show that Freemasonry extends all the way back to the Ancient Egyptian Mysteries, and not to just 1717. As de Clifford states so eloquently, "Masonry has been in existence from time immemorial , and I most firmly believe that our glorious fraternity can date its origin back more than two thousand years before the building of the temple by our three Grand Masters." [Page 16] Masonicinfo Note: "I most firmly believe...." is certainly proof, isn't it? Because the book's author believes it, that makes it true, right? And because deClifford believes it, all Masons must, right? In fact, when the Missouri Lodge of Research in 1980 published "A Masonic Reader's Guide' which gives a brief synopsis of the work of over 400 authors throughout the centuries, de Clifford isn't even mentioned! He certainly must have made a large impression on the Masonic community! "Then, de Clifford returns to this theme a little later: "... I do most assuredly claim that our most Illustrious Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite teaches the same grand truths, the same sublime philosophies, and solves the same scientific problems as elucidated in the esoteric teachings of the ancient mysteries..." [Page 70]. Masonicinfo.com note: deClifford can "...most assuredly claim...." most anything he wishes. That doesn't make it a fact. His claims are not supported or repeated by any other author that we're aware of! "If wishes were fishes...." "This is a most damning statement, and quite revealing when you look at these Mystery Religions in the Ancient World, that Freemasonry boldly copies. Throughout this book, the author lists several Mysteries in particular from which Freemasonry sprang. He lists Egypt, Greece, King of Tyre, India, Chaldea, Assryia and Rome. What de Clifford does not understand is that God Almighty hated these various Satanic Mysteries so very much that He destroyed them, one by one, throughout Ancient History!! God brought each and every one of these Mystery Religions into physical judgment and destruction! Thus, Freemasonry loves, adores, and practices, the very Mystery Religions that God hated enough to totally destroy!!" Masonicinfo.com Note: "God hated...." Think about the beliefs of someone who'd make
a statement like that! |
In addition to flights of fancy regarding Freemasonry, David Bay and 'The Cutting Edge' is deeply immersed in endtimes conspiracies and more. Here's a link to a page where the 'Pastor' describes how current television programs about aliens are part of a conspiracy to prepare the next generation for the arrival of the Anti-Christ!
"Director Bay" also frequently comments in his various radio programs:
In 1826, an author named Morgan revealed in his book "Illustrations of Freemasonry" that the last mystery at the top of the Masonic pyramid (the all-seeing eye) is the worship of Lucifer.
If you happen to be in contact with the
"Director", you might just
ask him if he'd tell you on what particular page this is found.
(Masonicinfo
clue: it isn't there!!! Not even by allusion.... Come on, David: tell us exactly
where we'll find it. Can't? Hmmmm.... Guess we shouldn't be surprised.)
Year 2000 Update!
Ooopppsssss..... The anti-Christ didn't appear, the world didn't end, and President Clinton didn't call out FEMA to attack "Director" Bay's house as he feared. Must be time to find something else that will strike fear into the minds of the feeble and motivate them to supporting The Cutting Edge: here it is!
Parents: lock your children away! Those Harry Potter books are pure evil - at least according to David Bay.... Updating the fantasies of some religious zealots of a decade ago who swore that the Cabbage Patch dolls would lead us to a world of sin and destruction, Bay rants that this time - without fail - it's the evil sorcery of Harry.
Of course, we can't prove that these ideas are false and not surprisingly it's not only David Bay but a dozen or more other 'religious intolerants' who're railing against thousands of trained educators and psychologists who've have praised Harry Potter. Let's just tune in about ten years from now and see where things stand, shall we? By then we suspect that there'll be yet another cause to raise interest and - dare we suggest it? - funds.
As a supporting opinion as to the relative merits of "Cutting Edge", one can head to the crank dot net site to see their 'take' on Mr. Bay's efforts. Just click on the graphic below.
Oh, and don't forget: the world is going to end very, very soon now so do send your financial support to Mr. Bay. Frankly, if things are as horribly bad as he predicts, one must wonder why he doesn't give away these tapes and books since it'll only be a matter of a very short time before he won't need any of it.... Hmmmm....
August, 2002 Update: Not one to miss something titillating that'll sell more subscriptions to his website articles, Mr. Bay has jumped onto the Catholic Church sex scandals and trumpets: "...only when you realize that Catholicism is a practice of Witchcraft can you understand this priestly pedophilia disaster, for in Witchcraft, such activity is considered normal, even desired." (Cutting Edge Newsletter of 10 August 2002). We find it sad that a sex scandal in a church right in his own community a year earlier has never been mentioned - perhaps because it was a denomination with which Mr. Bay relates?
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