Ben Franklin and His Membership in "The Hellfire Club"

Founding Father or Satanic Killer?

One of the most beloved figures of American history has to be Benjamin Franklin. The guy who found a way to harness electricity from lightening. The guy who published "Poor Richard's Almanac." The guy whose face is on a $100 bill.

Although he was never president, he was institutional in the American revolution and the formulation of the new government. In his later years, Franklin was a celebrated statesman, and ambassador to England, where he lived for quite some time.

By all biographical accounts, Franklin, although revered, was no saint. He had an eye for the ladies; despite the fact that he was married. He was said to have consorted with a number of ladies outside of his marriage and was not above paying for female company now and then.

In addition to being a member of the Freemasons, an ancient fraternity linked to the occult, Franklin was also a member of "The Hellfire Club," when he lived in England. The Hellfire Club was an exclusive, English club that met sporadically during the mid 18th century. Its purpose, at best, was to mock traditional religion and conduct orgies. At worst, it involved the indulgence of satanic rites and sacrifices. The club to which Franklin belonged was established by Francis Dashwood, a member of Parliament and friend of Franklin. The club, which consisted of "The Superior Order," of 12 members, allegedly took part in basic forms of satanic worship. In addition to taking part in the occult, orgies and parties with prostitutes were also said to be the norm. It is said that all of the members of the society had political affiliations and political gossip was exchanged among the members as well as favors.

The motto of "The Hellfire Group" was, in Latin, "fay ce que voudrais," or, in English, "Do what you will."

In addition to promoting orgies and worshiping Satan, the members of the club, which was set up as a mock monastery, the members calling one another "Brother" and the prostitutes being referred to as "nuns," made public sacrifices to the deities Bacchus and Venus.