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Freemasonry
The god of Freemasonry and the God of the Bible are not the same
.
In Freemasonry god is but an impersonal
force, an energy that has no substance - this belief is known as pantheism. In
Masonry, Jesus Christ is not to be looked upon as the Savior, Redeemer or God
incarnate - no different than any other great prophet, spiritual leader or
guru. The Lodge does not permit the name of Jesus or Christ to be used in any
of its prayers or rituals. The Mason who professes to be a Christian must
decide whom he will serve: the God of the Bible or the god of Freemasonry - he
cannot serve both. Jesus said: "But whosoever shall deny me before men,
him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven"
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Freemasonry - Some Background
Freemasonry is veiled in assorted levels of secrecy, legend, and
misunderstanding.
Throughout the decades, this "social"
organization has been referred to as a Christian brotherhood.
Others consider it a fraternity of the occult.
Freemasonry is often the target of conspiracy
theorists, who allege that Masons are responsible for orchestrating entire
political, financial and cultural movements throughout the world.
For purposes of this website, we will limit our
discussion of history, lore and legend, and focus on the basic
"doctrinal" positions of today's Freemasonry - although the
"basics" can even be hidden or misunderstood in various parts of the
Order.
Freemasonry -
Some Basics
Freemasonry is referred to by numerous names. Some of these names include: the
Brotherhood, the Craft, the Order, and the Lodge.
Blue Lodge
(more formally known as Symbolic Lodge) consists of three degrees: Entered
Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason.
The three
degrees are a progression with the goal being to become a Master Mason.
Master Mason
is the highest degree attainable in Symbolic Lodge.
There are an
additional 29 degrees in the Scottish Rite, and an additional 9 degrees in the
York Rite.
The 33rd
degree is an honorary degree which cannot be sought. One has to be recommended
for it.
Various signs,
tokens, and secrets are made known to the Mason as he graduates to higher
levels or degrees.
One of the
most known symbols for Masonry is the letter "G."
Depending on
whose interpretation you believe, this symbol can represent geometry, God, or
gnosis.
Christians
traditionally interpret the symbol as God, whereas others within the Order
define it as knowledge or gnosis.
There is a
great deal of secrecy in Freemasonry.
From the
beginning, the Entered Apprentice is kept in the shadows regarding the full
meaning of Masonry's symbols and ceremonies.
A member of
the Lodge only receives further enlightenment as he rises through the degrees.
Each Mason
must swear a series of oaths to keep the secrets of the Craft as he learns
them.
He also agrees
to severe penalties if he ever lets them slip. "Freemasons are
emphatically called the Sons of Light, because they are in possession of the
true meaning of the symbol; while the profane or uninitiated who have not received
this knowledge are said to be in darkness." (Albert
Mackey, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, 1946)
As the Mason
passes through the degrees of the Lodge, he receives true light, and is
considered elevated above those who have not had the mysteries of Freemasonry
revealed to them.
Freemasonry -
Is It a Religion?
The Mason's official position states that Freemasonry is not a religion.
"Masons
who treat it as such are mistaken. Freemasonry strongly encourages its members
to belong to an established religion, although this is not a requirement for
membership (only that a candidate profess a belief in a Supreme Being). Masonry
is a fraternal organization that encourages morality and charity and studies
philosophy. It has no clergy, no sacraments, and does not promise salvation to
its members" (Roger Firestone, Difficult Questions About
Freemasonry, 2002).
A close
assessment of the degrees of Freemasonry uncovers a basic theology that lies
beneath everything in the Order.
The degrees
instruct that: There is a Supreme Being who created the universe, who has
established and revealed a moral law, and to whom we must give account in a
life after this.
Masons argue
that nothing in these five points, which are supported by all the materials,
lectures and "working tools" of the degrees, conflicts with any of
the major religions of the Western world.
As such, all
religions are welcome to participate in the Brotherhood, and thus, it should
not be deemed a "religious" organization.
"The true
Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge
that as a Mason his religion must be universal: Christ, Buddha, or Mohammed,
the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the
bearer" (Manly Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry,
1976).
Many scholars
call Freemasonry the "unifier" of all religions.
"It is
the universal, eternal, immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart
of universal humanity." (Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, 1950)
"Every
Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in
religion." (Pike)
"Masonry
is all that remains to us of the first world religion" which flourished in
ancient times.
"It was
the first unified world religion. Today we are working again towards a world
universal religion" (Foster Bailey, The Spirit of Masonry,
1979).
Freemasonry -
The Nature of God
Although Freemasonry requires members to acknowledge a "god" in order
to be accepted into the Lodge, the god of Freemasonry and the God of the Bible are not
the same.
There is a
great difference between the two concepts of God.
The Masonic
god, "The Great Architect of the Universe" (G.A.O.T.U), or the
"Grand Artificer of the Universe," is an all-inclusive "Life
Principle" that lies within all living things.
In Freemasonry,
god is not a personal being, but an impersonal force, an energy that has no
substance.
In theistic
terms, this belief is known as pantheism.
As the unifier
of all religions, Freemasonry holds that "the Christian, the Hebrew,
the Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble
as brethren and unite in prayer to the one god who is above all the
Baalim." (Pike, Morals and Dogma)
In other
words, the biblical God is reduced to the level of all the other gods and
rendered as equal with the gods of those religions.
Therefore, by
definition, Freemasonry is a "religion" of plurality that strips all
others of their uniqueness.
Freemasonry -
The Nature of Jesus
Freemasonry has adopted a pluralist approach toward Jesus Christ.
Generally,
Masonry teaches, "Jesus was just a man. He was one of the exemplars,
one of the great men of the past, but not divine and certainly not the only
means of redemption of lost mankind. He was on a level with other great men of
the past like Aristotle, Plato, Pythagoras and Mohammed. His life and legend
were no different from that of Krishna, the Hindu god. He is the son of Joseph,
not the Son of God." (Jim Shaw, The Deadly Deception, 1988)
In Masonry,
Jesus Christ is not to be looked upon as the Savior, Redeemer or God incarnate.
He is to be
viewed as no different than any other great prophet, spiritual leader or guru.
The Lodge does
not permit the name of Jesus or Christ to be used in any of its prayers or
rituals, and when the Bible is used
in ceremonies, all scriptural references to Jesus are removed.
"All
prayers in Mason lodges should be directed to the one deity to whom all Masons
refer to as the Grand Architect of the Universe." (The
Maryland Master Mason, March 1973)
Freemasonry -
Are There Any Implications For Christians?
Freemasonry is responsible for many noble causes.
Nobody can
deny the social and charitable works done by the Brotherhood.
However, as a
"religious" institution, there are beliefs and practices in Masonry
that are incompatible with biblical Christianity.
The Mason who
professes to be a Christian must decide whom he will serve: the God of the
Bible or the god of Freemasonry.
He cannot
serve both. Ultimately, every Christian who participates in Masonry must ask
himself, "What does the Lodge teach us to do with Jesus Christ?"
"The
Mason who is a Christian is put in a very difficult position. Although his
Fraternal Order supported his Christianity in its early years, it now no longer
allows for it, as there is no question about the pagan orientation of
Freemasonry in our day. Therefore, the Mason must ask himself whether he can,
in good faith, remain a part of an organization that devalues the God of
Christianity." (Russ Wise, Freemasonry and the Christian
Church, 2002)
As a reminder
to professing Christians, Jesus said: "But whosoever shall deny me
before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 10:33 (KJV)
We have
all sinned and deserve
God’s judgment.
God, the Father,
sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him.
Jesus, the creator
and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that
He died for our
sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the
dead according to the Bible.
If you truly
believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior,
declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you
will be saved from judgment and
spend eternity with God in heaven.
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