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(More customer reviews)I offer the observation that Bill Schnoebelen is still a satanist, in this sense: Satan, as you recall, is the Father of Lies, and about the only things in this book that are NOT lies are that there is such a thing as Freemasonry, and the author of this book's name is Bill Schnoebelen, and he was at one time a Freemason.
Bill doesn't write his books for Catholics (old Order or RC), Satanists, Wiccans, Mormons, Freemasons -- or vampires(smirk). Rather, he writes his books for those Christians who are afraid of such things as Catholicism, Wicca, Satanism, Mormonism, Freemasonry, and vampires, and are willing to pay a storyteller like Schnoebelen to tell them scary stories about the same. His presentation is of the Christian "testimony" variety, and from this perspective at least, is not unlike that of Mike Warnke or John Todd. I would at the very least "Wiki" Schnoebelen before investing (spiritually, emotionally or financially) in his stories. Oh, and be sure to Wiki ALL these characters, btw. They provide some interesting comparative studies.
Some might think that my remarks are merely ad-hominem attack, but the truth is that in this case, Bill's personal life and character are legitimate areas to question. This is because Bill's own authority in these subjects doesn't come from his deep knowledge of the relevant literatures, but almost entirely from his claim to know by his own firsthand experience. So, the legitimacy of his claims in such matters is important. If, for instance, Bill is claiming to have been a member of Palladian Masonry and there is no such thing, then one might conclude that Bill's lie precludes the possibility that surrounding claims might be true.
The timelines of Bill's stories alone are nigh well impossible unless he was being duplicitous. I'd suggest that not only WAS he being duplicitous, but that this is a pattern that continues in his current life -- as evidenced by the books he publishes, and the sometimes silly claims he makes. Bill was certainly a Wiccan (aka Christopher P. Syn), a Mormon, a Freemason, and a Catholic (Old Order, not Roman Catholic and he certainly was never a Jesuit). Maybe he was a Satanist as well. The actual timeline for these associations present problems in terms of his "testimony," in terms of his personal integrity, and in terms of the overall validity of his claims.
Some of the evidentiary material which Schnoebelen uses to discredit Freemasonry in this book are long-since proven hoaxes and frauds. This is not only known because they have internal inconsistencies, falsehoods and outright impossibilities which prove them to be frauds, but in the case of Leo Taxil at least, also because the perpetrator admitted to the hoax when they were caught by the press.
I would like to say you should "pass" on this book. However, for the critical reader who is familiar with the structure of Freemasonry and its history, the book presents an interesting study of how a master deceiver spins a web of lies to catch both popularity and money from a superstitious community. As many non-Masons are spreading the claims of this book far and wide, familiarity will allow for the best factual responses by Masons faced with questions based upon Schnoebelen's material. As a corrective to the unmitigated nonsense of "Masonry Beyond the Light," I'd like to recommend Is it True What They Say About Freemasonry?, Revised, which is not written as a response to Schnoebelen, but nevertheless provides solid answers to similar issues.
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Masonry: Beyond the LightMany Christians believe Freemasonry is a fine, Christian organization. But as Bill Schnoebelen climbed to Freemasonry's 32nd degree he discovered horrifying facts about this organization that lower level Freemasons never learn. Now a born again Christian, Schnoebelen reveals all.
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