A template for attracting new Masons?

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is well known as being one the most "aggressive" marketers of Freemasonry. They've run advert...

I want to believe

It's Conspiracy Day at The Burning Taper . Worry and paranoia over everything is just a click away these days. Cult propaganda, governm...

Our changing American landscape: Education and religious affiliation

A study about American culture by the Pew Foundation has recently been released, exploring how knowledgeable 17-year olds are about "...

Still fuzzy on the details

Today I got an Instant Message from an old friend who was catching up reading the Taper . She wrote, "I just read your latest blog entr...

Heavenly Sunshine of the Eternal Mind

The very first song I remember being taught was at church. Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine Flooding my soul with glory dee-vi-ine. Heav...

Billiken, the God of things as they ought to be

[Click on the Billiken graphic to see him "blink."] A few days ago I linked to investigative reporter Sandy Frost's article a...

Alcohol prohibition has got to go

Currently, while the Georgia Legislature is in session, a petition drive is underway to "Repeal Prohibition of Sunday Sales of Alcoholi...

Putting the 'civil' back into civilization

My God, but we're an angry, vulgar and ultimately hateful species. Some days I'm almost embarrassed to be a human. I'm not reall...

Six possible futures

The presidential candidate field has cleared quite a bit in the past month or so, and the pundits have all but decided who will be the nomin...

Fun facts about U.S. presidents

Here's a five-minute time-waster for you this Presidents Day, once you get home from all the sales: Fun facts about U.S. presidents. You...

'Mean-spirited and vindictive' edicts

The following anonymous article was submitted by a brother from America's heartland. A brother and his family in the central US have rec...

Royal Order of Jesters 'exposed' by investigative reporter Sandy Frost

Investigative reporter Sandy Frost published last night "Jesters Exposed," a look behind the scenes at the Royal Order of Jesters...

Make your own 'pop-up' lodge trestleboard

Here's a cool idea, and a project you might want to work on, alone or with your lodge brothers. W. Bro. Guy Spivey of North Carolina...

Frank Haas, Halcyon Lodge honored as outstanding Masons of 2007

The Knights of Freemasonry Universal , a group of regular Freemasons from around the world dedicated to peace, universality, and "'...

Government comes clean on the Great Seal of the United States

It's official. No more conspiracy theories. The government has spoken. There is nothing sinister about the Great Seal of the United Stat...

We all shine on: Sister Kelly

My thanks to Sister Kelly for giving us the following, our 15th installment of "This is who I am." Last night I took part in a spe...

Fictional drama features Masonic-ish brotherhood

Recently I watched a new episode of Psych , a comedy-drama on the USA Network. The show is about a young man who pretends to be a psychic in...