By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist)
In this outline, I want to show you some of the reasons why New Testament Christianity and Freemasonry are incompatible.
I have quoted a great deal of sources in this study, and hope that you will study these things out for yourself. Please do not be deceived by Freemasonry!
The Concept Of Freemasonry
One of the problems we face in the church is that people do not understand what the Masonic Lodge is.
What exactly is the Lodge?
Let’s turn to the writings of the Masonic Lodge itself in order to help us understand what exactly Freemasonry is.
“MASONRY What is Masonry? The erection of buildings and consecrating them to the veneration of God, we will admit was the purpose of the builders, of the ancient operative art. The Masons of the Speculative Science operate in a spiritual sense, employing the tools of the operative Mason as symbols, and using veiled allegories from the Bible to convey to their initiates a lesson and belief that there is life beyond the grave.” (Masonic Bible, Questions And Answers, 20).
“One of the first questions asked by a new brother on being brought to the Light is, “What is Masonry?” The answer has never appeared in any satisfactory definition. There is no satisfactory formula. Dr. Joseph Fort Newton, in his Masonic classic, “The Builders,” at least expresses its true philosophy when he says: “When is a man a Mason? When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and courage-which is the root of every virtue. When he knows that down in his heart every man is as noble, as vile, as divine, as diabolic, and as lonely as himself, and seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellow man. When he knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yea, even in their sins-knowing that each man fights a hard fight against many odds. When he has learned how to make friends and to keep them, and above all how to keep friends with himself. When he loves flowers, can hunt the birds without a gun, and feels the thrill of an old forgotten joy, when he hears the laugh of a little child. When he can be happy and high-minded amid the meaner drudgeries of life. When star-crowned trees, and the glint of sunlight on flowing waters, subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead; when no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid without response. When he finds good in every faith that helps any man to lay hold of divine things and sees majestic meanings in life, whatever the name of that faith may be. When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something beyond mud, and into the face of the most forlorn mortal and see something beyond sin. When he knows how to pray, how to love, how to hope. When he has kept faith with himself, with his fellow man, with his God; in his hand a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of a song-glad to live, but afraid to die! Such a man has found the only real secret of Masonry, and the one which it is trying to give to all the world. (Kentucky Monitor, pages 9-10).”
Freemasonry is, (on the surface) a secret brotherhood that is devoted to good works.
However, it is much more then that.
It is a combination of any and all religious beliefs and a consecration to any and all deities that man believes in.
Albert Pike (33rd degree Mason who as also the Supreme Comamdner of the Lodge for several years) tells us more about this side of Freemasonry when he explains that Freemasonry is:
…the custodian and depository of the great philosophical and religious truths, unknown to the world at large, and handed down from age to age by an unbroken current of tradition, embodied in symbols, emblems and allegories. (Pike, Morals And Dogma, 201).
Thus, Freemasonry is much more then a “brotherhood” devoted to good works, which is what is often claimed.
Organization Of The Masonic Lodge And The Different Degrees
Please notice that the “foundation” of Freemasonry is the first three degrees, also known as the Blue Lodge.
As the initiate advances in the Lodge (through the various degrees of the York and the Scott Rite).
The Origin Of The Masonic Lodge
There is a great deal of debate about the origins of the Masonic Lodge.
Some date the Lodge to the sixteenth century A.D.; others claim it is much older, perhaps having its’ origins in ancient Egypt and during the day of Solomon.
The Cornerstones Of Freemasonry
Whether Or Not The Lodge Is A Religion
Notice these quotations from Masonic scholars about whether or not the Lodge has its’ own religion and religious style.
“Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion.” (Albert Pike, Morals And Dogma, 213).
“I contend, without any sort of hesitation, that Masonry is, in every sense of the word, except one, and that its least philosophical, an eminently religious institution-that it is indebted solely to the religious element which it contains for its origin and for its continued existence, and that without this religious element it would scarcely be worthy of cultivation by the wise and good.”. (Mackey, Mackey’s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, 618).
The Degree of Apprentice…declares that Masonry is a worship.” (Pike, 219)
“Freemasonry is a religious institution…Freemasonry may rightfully claim to be called a religious institution…The religion of Freemasonry is not sectarian…The doctrine of a resurrection to a future and eternal life constitutes an indispensable portion of the religious faith of Freemasonry.” (Mackey, 792, 847, 851).
“By Speculative Masonry, we learn to subdue the passions, act upon the square, keep the tongue of good report, maintain secrecy and practice charity. It is so far interwoven with religion as to lay us under obligation to pay that rational homage to the Deity, which at once constitutes our duty and our happiness.” (West Virginia Monitor, 47-48).
“But the Masonic organizations in which these legends were cherished, like Masonic Lodges today, were religious bodies.” (Masonic Bible, 30).
“Masonry is essentially a religious order. Most of its legends and allegories are of a sacred nature…A religion is a divinely inspired code of morals.” (Joseph Fort Newton, The Lost Keys Of Masonry, 13).
“ALTAR Of what importance is the Altar to the Lodge? The Altar is undoubtedly the most important piece of furniture in the Lodge. In all the religions of antiquity, it was the usage of the priests and the people, to pass around the Altar in the course of the sun, that is to say, from the east, by way of the south, to the west, singing hymns of praise to Deity as part of their worship.” (Masonic Bible, Questions And Answers, 3).
“RAISED What does the term Raised signify? The expressive term used to designate the reception of the candidate into the third or sublime degree of Master Mason, and alludes both to a part of the ceremony and to our faith in the glorious morn of the resurrection, when our bodies will rise, and become as incorruptible as our souls. Hos. 6:2; 1 Co. 6:14.” (Masonic Bible, Questions And Answers, 24).
Can there be any doubt that Freemasonry is indeed a religion, when you study the authoritative writings of these Masons?
Often Freemasons make the claim that the Lodge is not really a religion because it allows belief in any “god” and any system of religion.
This is just ridiculous!
I wonder if Freemasons believe that Hinduism is a religion?
What does that have to do with anything, you ask?
Hinduism admits roughly around 30 million gods!
Or how about Buddhism?
Even Buddhists admit some of the religious claims of Christianity, and in past years, some Buddhists have been trying to merge Christianity with Buddhism.
Will anyone claim that Hinduism and Buddhism are not religions because they espouse belief in any and every god?
Hardly!
Furthermore, think about some of the things that are found in Freemasonry and you tell me if you think it has its’ own religious flavor.
Worship.
Religious items (such as the apron).
Prayer.
Songs.
Special Funeral Services.
Chaplains.
Altars.
Friends, Freemasonry is a religion.
The Goal Of Freemasonry
The goal of Freemasonry is definitely something which should concern the Christian.
“Thus Freemasonry comes to us from the Temple, an operative Art combined with speculative Science…It makes no profession of Christianity, and wars not against sectarian creeds or doctrines, but looks forward to the time when the labor of our ancient brethren shall be symbolized by the erection of a spiritual temple whose moral grandeur shall be commensurate with civilization; a temple in which there shall be but one altar and but one worship; one common altar of Masonry, on which the Veda, Shastras, Sade, Zend-Avesta, Koran, and Holy Bible shall lie untouched by sacrilegious hands, and at whose shrine the Hindoo, the Persian, the Assyrian, the Chaldean, the Egyptian, the Chinese, the Mohammedan, the Jew, and the Christian may kneel and with one united voice celebrate the praises of the supreme Architect of the Universe.” (Kentucky Monitor, 95).
The Lodge wishes to join together all the religions of the world into one large religious organization.
However, God teaches us through the Bible that Christianity is not “one religion among many,” and that the Christian has no right to mix together all the religions of the world (cf. Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
Requirement To Enter The Blue Lodge: Belief In “God”
The one universal requirement of any person who desires to enter into the Lodge is a belief in a Supreme Being.
Any “god” will do; the Lodge will not admit atheists into the Lodge.
According to Albert Mackey:
“There never was a time when the dogma (belief in God) did not form an essential part of the Masonic system.” (Mackey, Mackey’s Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, 1:410).
“Masonry has no religious dogma other than that it requires a belief in Deity. Any man, good and true, whether he be Christian, Jew, Mohammedan, Parsee, Buddhist, Braham or Deist may be admitted to Masonry because all these religions require a belief in Deity.” (Masonic Code Alabama, 141).
We will notice more about this later.
First Degree And Darkness
When the initiate first comes to the Lodge, he is blindfolded. As he approaches, the following happens.
“The ritual contains a question-and-answer segment in which the candidate’s conductor is asked, ‘Who comes here? He answers, “(The candidate’s name), who is in darkness and wishes for light, to have and receive a part of the rights and benefits of this Worshipful Lodge, erected to God and dedicated to the holy Saints John (the Baptist and the apostle). After another short series of questions the candidate is led to the Masonic Altar, upon which rest the “Three Great Lights in Freemasonry”-the Volume of the Sacred Law (VSL), the Square, and the Compass. He is then asked to kneel, still blindfolded, before the altar on his naked left knee, and wear an oath of secrecy that he will never reveal the secrets of Freemasonry. Upon completion of this obligation the candidate is asked, ‘What do you now most desire?” He answers, “Light.” Genesis 1:1-3 is then recited (this particular reading occurs only if the candidate wishes to take his obligation on the bible; for those of other faiths, passages from the appropriate VSL are read). The Hoodwink is removed from the candidate. He finds himself kneeling before the Three Great Lights in Freemasonry. He is told the following: ‘The Bible we take to be the rule and guide of our faith; the Square to square our actions; and the Compass to circumscribe our desires and keep our passions within due bounds with all mankind, most especially with our Brothers in Freemasonry.” (Tsoukalas, Masonic Rites And Wrongs, 51).
Right here, one who is a follower of Jesus Christ must ask some hard questions.
How can a Christian come to the Masonic Lodge and claim that he is in darkness?
One who is following Christ is not in darkness; and he does not need to come to the Lodge to get some kind of spiritual enlightenment!
John 8:12-“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
The Christian who goes through this ritual needs to beware that he has just denied Jesus Christ.
Second Degree And Third Degree And The Legend Of Hiram Abif
The second degree helps prepare the Initiate for the third degree, which is one of the most fundamental degrees of the Lodge.
In order to understand anything else about Freemasonry, you need to understand some facts (and interestingly enough, some fiction) about a man named Hiram Abif.
The name might sound familiar to you; he is mentioned in the Bible.
Take a look at 2 Chronicles 2:11-14 and 1 Kings 7:13-14. He is mentioned as one of the ones who helped Solomon build the Temple.
However, the Lodge has a great deal more to teach about Abif. Ephesians 5:11 Ministries has this excellent description of the rite.
“During the Legend of the Third Degree, the candidate portrays Hiram Abiff in the ritual. He is blindfolded and led through the ritual by a conductor. In Masonic ritual, Hiram Abiff is not a worker of brass as in Scripture, but rather the Grand Master at the building of Solomon’s temple. Each day, he lays out the work for the workmen to complete. There are Fellowcrafts who work on the temple who are to be given the secrets of a Master Mason as compensation – when the temple is completed. Once they have the secrets of a Master Mason they will earn the wages of a Master. A group of fifteen Fellowcrafts decide that they do not want to wait until the work is completed. They form a plot which only three of them carry through. The three “ruffians” sequentially accost Hiram at the East gate, the South gate and the West gate. A similar dialog occurs at each temple entrance. The ruffian demands the secrets of a Master Mason. Hiram explains that this is neither the time, nor the place; the secrets can only be revealed in the presence of three, King Solomon, Hiram the King of Tyre and myself. The ruffian demands, “Your life, or the secrets.” Hiram responds, “My life you can have, my integrity – never.” When they fail to get what they want, they strike Hiram with one of the working tools and he staggers to the next gate and the next encounter. The third ruffian is also unable to extract the secrets from Hiram Abiff. He strikes Hiram on the head with a setting maul and kills him. Hiram willingly laid down his life rather than betray his trust.The ruffians have not achieved their goal and they have a body to dispose of. They bury the body in temple rubble and plan to return at midnight to give the body a more decent burial. At midnight, they return and carry the body to a hill west of Mt. Moriah, where Hiram Abiff is reburied. The next day, Hiram is nowhere to be found. A search is conducted. The Fellowcrafts who did not go through with the conspiracy confess the plot. A grave is found; the body of Hiram is found within it. Hiram Abiff has been in the grave for 15 days. King Solomon gives the order for the body to be raised using the grips of the Entered Apprentice and then the Fellowcraft. Those efforts are unsuccessful. King Solomon states that he fears that with the death of Hiram Abiff the word of a Master Mason has been lost. Therefore, the first word spoken after Hiram is raised from the grave will be the substitute until the lost word can be recovered. At that point, King Solomon raises Hiram Abiff from “a dead level to a living perpendicular” using the real grip of a Master Mason, also known as the Lion’s Paw. He embraces Hiram on the five points of fellowship, standing foot to foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back and mouth to ear. King Solomon, played by the Worshipful Master, then whispers the substitute for the lost word in Hiram’s ear. That word is Ma-Ha-Bone. Following the Master Mason Lecture, the following words are spoken: Then, finally my brethren, let us imitate our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, in his virtuous conduct, his unfeigned piety to God, and his inflexible fidelity to his trust; that, like him, we may welcome the grim tyrant, Death, and receive him as a kind messenger sent by our Supreme Grand Master, to translate us from this imperfect to that all-perfect, glorious, and celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. (http://www.ephesians5-11.org/printpdf.htm).”
In the words of another Masonic author:
“That which is shewn to him in the Ceremony is therefore the Resurrection of Hiram, issuing gloriously-as it is said-from the tomb and ‘reborn to a new life.’ In a word, the Master-Builder arises as Christ. The Temple of Masonry is henceforward the House of Christ, at once of earth and of Heaven, of earth in so far as it is realized here in the heart and life of the Brotherhood, of Heaven as it is built in Christ, world without end.” (Waite, Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry, Volume I, 314).
“It was the single object of all the ancient rites and mysteries practiced in the bosom of pagan darkness….to teach the immortality of the Soul. This is still the great design of the third degree of Masonry. This is the scope and aim of its ritual. The Master Mason represents man, when youth, manhood, old age, and life itself have passed away as fleeting shadows, yet raised from the grave of iniquity, and quickened into another and better existence. By its legend and all its ritual, it is implied that we have been redeemed from the death of sin and the sepulcher of pollution…and the conclusion we arrive at is, that youth, properly directed, leads us to honorable and virtuous maturity, and that the life of man, regulated by morality, faith, and justice, will be rewarded at its closing hour by the prospect of eternal bliss…The important design of the degree is to symbolize the great doctrines of the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul; and hence it has been remarked by a learned writer of our Order, that the Master Mason represents a man saved from the grave of iniquity, and raised to the faith of salvation.” (Ahiman Rezon, Grand Lodge of South Carolina, 141-142).
What is the significance of this important word, Ma-Ha-Bone?
No one is really sure.
However, it is likely a derivative of the Hebrew language, carrying with it the idea of, “How is the builder?,” having of course a reference to the initiate as he is raised to the “new life.”
In this Masonic ritual, therefore, the Mason claims that he has died to the old life and is rising to a new life; he is claiming further that he is (by this) planning on entering into the great “heavenly Lodge” someday.
What’s wrong with this? Very simply, one may only be reborn by the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 4:14; 15:1-4). One is not reborn by the power of the Masonic Lodge, but by the Spirit of God (see John 3:1-8).
The Compromises Of Freemasonry
Compromises Regarding God
The Lodge is not concerned with which “god” a person believes in: Jehovah, Allah, Jesus, Braham, etc.; it does not matter to the Lodge. According to the Bible, there is only one God.
Isaiah 44:6-“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.”
In fact, I want you to do a study of Isaiah 44-God is challenging the people to prove that their “gods” are really Divine. They fail the test…miserably! Yet the one true God has communicated His existence and His will through nature and through the Bible (Romans 1:18-20; Acts 14:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
John 14:6-“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
However, this is not what the Lodge teaches.
“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. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth.” (Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys Of Freemasonry, p. 65-also note that Hall was a 33rd degree Mason).
“For Masonry knows, what so many forget, that religions are many, but Religion is one-perhaps we may say one thing, but that one thing includes everything-the life of God in the soul of man, and the duty and hope of man which proceed from His essential character. Therefore, it invites to its altar men of all faiths, knowing that, if they use different names for “the Nameless One of a hundred names,” they are yet praying to the one God and Father of all; knowing, also, that while they read different volumes, they are in fact reading the same vast Book of the Faith of Man as revealed in the struggle and sorrow of the race in its quest of God.” (Masonic Bible, pages 5-6).
It is for this reason that the Lodge has such an “open-door” policy regarding “god.”
Notice these shocking quotations.
“You have learned that Freemasonry calls God “The Great Architect of the Universe.” This is the Freemason’s special name for God, because He is universal. He belongs to all men regardless of their religious persuasion. All wise men acknowledge His authority. In His private devotions a Mason will pray to Jehovah, Mohammed, Allah, Jesus, or the Deity of his choice. In a Masonic lodge, however, the Mason will find the name of his Deity within the Great Architect of the Universe.” (Allen E. Roberts, The Craft And Its Symbols: Opening the Door to Masonic Symbolism, 6).
“There never was a false god, nor was there ever really a false religion, unless you call a child a false man.” (Max Muller, as quoted in Louisiana Masonic Monitor).
“Masonry, around whose altars 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, must needs leave it to each of its initiates to look for the foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own religion.” (Pike, Morals And Dogma, 226).
Notice two things about this last quotation.
First of all, the word “ Baalim” means “false god or gods.”
Pike says Jehovah is included in this group.
How can a Christian support any organization which is based upon the belief that Jehovah God is not the one true God?
Second, this is the same age-old plea to bring all religions together and to cast aside truth. The Christian cannot do this (Ephesians 5:11)!
Thus, from its’ very beginning, please notice that the Lodge is corrupt.
Why is this the case?
Simply stated, there is only ONE true God, and that God is Jehovah! The Lodge compromises this fact.
Compromises Regarding The Bible
The Bible claims to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. Notice 2 Timothy 3:16-17-“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” It also claims that it is God’s ONLY special revelation to mankind (see 1 Corinthians 2:9-13; Galatians 1:5-9; Colossians 2:6-8; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 John 4:6).
What’s more, the Bible is confirmed to be the inspired Word of God through many different ways (the unity of Scripture, the prophecies of the Bible and their fulfillment, the miracles of God’s chosen spokespeople especially in the first century as witnessed by many eyewitnesses, the resurrection of Christ, etc.).
However, the Lodge teaches many things that are contrary to this.
Notice a few examples.
“And yet, like everything else in Masonry, the Bible, so rich in symbolism, is itself a symbol-that is, a part taken for the whole. It is a sovereign symbol of the Book of Faith, the Will of God as man has learned it in the midst of the years-that perpetual revelation of himself which God is making mankind in every land and every age. Thus, by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in which men find help for to-day and hope for the morrow, joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes oath on the Koran, and with the Hindu as he makes covenant with God upon the book that he loves best.” (Masonic Bible, 5-7).
Please notice that according to the Lodge, the Mason must honor and reverence all religions and all religious doctrines. It denies that the Bible is the complete and final revelation of God to mankind.
How can a Christian support an institution which claims this?
In fact, according to the teaching of the Lodge, there is nothing truly unique about the Bible.
“The Bible is used among Freemasons as a symbol of the will of God, however it may be expressed. Therefore, whatever to any people express that will may be used as a substitute for the Bible in a Masonic Lodge. Thus, in a Lodge consisting entirely of Jews, the Old Testament alone may be placed upon the altar, and Turkish Freemasons may use the Koran. Whether it be the Gospel to the Christian, the Pentateuch to the Israelite, the Koran to the Mussulman, or the Vedas to the Brahman, it everywhere Masonically conveys the same idea-that of the symbolism of the Divine will revealed to man.” (Albert Mackey, Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry, 133).
Albert Pike goes so far as to teach that the Bible is not truly unique, and that the Kabala (a book of Jewish occultism) is actually a more perfect volume then the Bible.
“All truly dogmatic religions have issued from the Kabalah and return to it: everything scientific and grand in the religious dreams of all the illuminati, Jacob Boehme, Swedenborg, Saint Martin, and others, is borrowed from the Kabalah; all the Masonic associations owe to it their Secrets and their Symbols. The Kabalah alone consecrates the alliance of the Universal Reason and the Divine Word…The Bible, with all the allegories it contains, expresses, in an incomplete and veiled manner only, the religious science of the Hebrews. The doctrine of Moses and the Prophets, identical at bottom with that of the ancient Egyptians, also had its outward meaning and its veils. The Hebrew books were written only to recall to memory the traditions; and they were written in Symbols unintelligible to the Profane. The Pentateuch and the prophetic poems were merely elementary books of doctrine, morals, or liturgy; and the true secret and traditional philosophy was only written afterward, under veils still less transparent. Thus was a second Bible born, unknown to, or rather uncomprehended by, the Christians; a collection, they say, of monstrous absurdities; a monument, the adept says, wherein is everything that the genius of philosophy and that of religion have ever formed or imagined of the sublime; a treasure surrounded by thorns; a diamond concealed in a rough dark stone.” (Pike, 744-745).
Friends, please do not be deceived: Freemasonry is nothing but a false religion.
Compromises Regarding Jesus Christ
I am sure that many Masons believe in and are striving to follow Jesus Christ. However, this does not change the fact that the Lodge does not recognize Jesus Christ as the unique Son of God (John 3:16).
The evidence is found in the following quotation.
“All believed in a future life, to be attained by purification and trials; in a state of successive states of reward and punishment; and in a Mediator or Redeemer, by whom the Evil Principle was to be overcome and the Supreme Deity reconciled to His creatures. The belief was general that He was to be born of a virgin and suffer a painful death. The Hindus called him Krishna; the Chinese, Kiountse; the Persians, Sosiosch; the Chaldeans, Dhovanai; the Egyptians, Horus; Plato, Love; the Scandinavians, Balder; the Christians, Jesus; Masons, Hiram.” (Kentucky Monitor, 14-15).
Please notice: Jesus is not unique at all, according to the Lodge.
You can substitute anyone for Jesus; and according to the Kentucky Monitor, this is what Masons do with Hiram Abiff.
Compromises Regarding Salvation
The Bible teaches that salvation is only found through the good news of Jesus Christ (His death, burial, and resurrection-1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and that all the saved are in the church of God (Acts 2:47; 20:28; Ephesians 2:16). Simply put, there is only one way to be saved, and that is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). However, the Lodge teaches that a Mason may be eternally saved through the Masonic Lodge.
“The Covering of a Lodge is the Clouded Canopy or Starry Decked Heavens, where all good Masons hope at last to arrive…” (West Virginia Monitor, 26).
“Lord of all! Below, above. Fill our hearts with truth and love; When dissolves our earthly tie, take us to Thy Lodge on high…Yet, O Lord! Have compassion on the children of Thy creation, administer them comfort in the time of trouble and save them with an everlasting salvation…” (West Virginia Monitor, 64-66).
…”that so in old age, as Master Masons, we may enjoy the happy reflections consequent upon a well-spent life, and die in the hope of a glorious immortality.” (WV Monitor, 71).
…”but the Master Mason is suddenly revived by the ever green and ever living Sprig of Faith in the merits of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, which strengthens him with confidence and composure to look forward to a glorious immortality beyond the grave. Then let us imitate our Most Excellent Grand Master in his virtuous and amiable conduct; in his unfeigned piety to God; in his inflexible fidelity to his trust; that we may welcome the grim tyrant Death, and receive him as a kind messenger sent from our Supreme Grand Master to translate us from this imperfect to that all perfect, glorious and celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe in his glory presides.” (WV Monitor, 81).
Don’t buy into it!
Compromises Regarding Oaths
Jesus’ teaching is very simple regarding oaths.
Matthew 5:37-“But let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’, and your ‘no’ ‘no’. For whatever is more then these is from the evil one.”
Notice some of these Masonic oaths.
“To all of which I do most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, without the least equivocations, mental reservation, or self-evasion of mind in me whatever; binding myself under no less penalty than to have my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea at low water-mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours; so help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance”. (Entered Apprentice: 1st Degree).
“…binding myself under no less penalty than to have my left breast torn open and my heart and vitals taken from thence and thrown over my left shoulder and carried into the valley of Jehosaphat, there to become a prey to the wild beasts of the field, and vulture of the air, if ever I should prove willfully guilty of violating any part of this my solemn oath or obligation of a Fellow Craft Mason; so help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same.” (Fellow Craft, 2nd Degree).
“…bind myself under no less penalty than to have my body severed in two in the midst, and divided to the north and south, my bowels burnt to ashes in the center, and the ashes scattered before the four winds of heaven, that there might not the least track or trace of remembrance remain among me, or Masons, of so vile and perjured a wretch as I should be, were I ever to prove willfully guilty of violating any part of this my solemn oath or obligation of a Master Mason.” (Master Mason, 3rd Degree).
“…and may ALLAH, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same, Amen, Amen, Amen.” (Mystic Shrine).
Friends, how can any person who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ make such an oath and pray to a false god? This is nothing short of a betrayal of Jesus Christ!
These are some of the oaths of Freemasonry. It should be obvious to everyone that this is not in harmony with the teaching of Jesus (that our yes is to be yes, and our no is to be no).
Compromises Regarding Honesty
The Masonic Lodge is in the business of deception.
“Masonry, like all the religions, all the Mysteries, Hermeticism, and Alchemy, conceals is secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it. Truth is not for those who are unworthy or unable to receive it, or would pervert it…The Teachers, even of Christianity, are, in general, the most ignorant of the true meaning of that which they teach. There is no book of which so little is known as the Bible. To most who read it, it is as incomprehensible as the Sohar. So Masonry jealously conceals its secrets, and intentionally leads conceited interpreters astray.” (Pike, Morals And Dogma, 104-105).
Perhaps you are asking yourself, “Well, if this is true, why haven’t I heard any of it before? Why do so many Masons claim that these things aren’t true?” The answer is: the Masonic Lodge is actively involved in deceiving many of its’ members as well.
Hear Albert Pike again:
“The Blue Degrees are but the outer court of portico of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the Initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them, but it is intended that he shall imagine that he understands them.” (Pike, Morals And Dogma, 819).
How can you trust the Lodge when it is so deceptive?
Compromises Regarding Satan
According to the Bible, Satan is the great enemy of God and mankind (1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12) who is a created being who rebelled against God (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6-7).
However, the following words should shock any rational person.
According to the Bible, Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin by disobeying God n the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). However, Albert Pike tells us a different scenario in his book Morals and Dogma.
“To prevent the light from escaping at once, the Demons forbade Adam to eat the fruit of “knowledge of good and evil,” by which he would have known the Empire of Light and that of Darkness. He obeyed; an Angel of Light induced him to transgress, and gave him the means of victory; but the Demons created Eve, who seduced him into an act of Sensualism, that enfeebled him, and bound him anew in the bonds of matter.” (Pike, 567).
Friends, who was it who told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
It was God (Genesis 2:15-17).
Who was it who tempted them to eat it?
It was Satan (Genesis 3).
Notice how Pike has turned this around!
He tries to make God into Satan, and Satan into God!
Why would he do this, you wonder?
Let’s let him answer.
“That which we must say to the crowd is-We worship a God, but it is the God that one adores without superstition. To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st, and 30th degrees-The Masonic Religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine. If Lucifer were not God, would Adonay (the Christian God) whose deeds prove his cruelty, perfidy, and hatred of man, barbarism and repulsion for science, would Adonay and his priests calumniate him? Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also god. For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade-no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods: darkness being necessary for light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the statue and the brake to the locomotive. Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy, and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of God of light and God of Good, is struggling for humanity, the God of darkness and evil.” (Albert Pike, Instructions To The 23 Supreme Councils Of the World, recorded by A.C. De La Rive in “La Femme et ‘’ Enfant dans la Franc-Maconnerie Universelle” page 588).
“When the Mason learns that the Key to the warrior on the block is the proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the Mystery of his Craft. The seething energies of LUCIFER are in his hands and before he may step onward and upward, he must prove his ability to properly apply (this) energy.” (Manly P. Hall, Lost Keys Of Freemasonry, 48).
Conclusion
I hope that this brief review will be enough to show you that a Christian should not be a Mason. You do not need the Masonic Lodge for enlightenment or for anything that pertains to life and godliness; you need only Christ and His Word (2 Peter 1:3; Colossians 2:1-10).
If you are a Mason, I implore you with all of my energy to renounce Freemasonry and embrace Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord (Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 16:15-16; 1 John 1:7-10).
In conclusion, I share this story as the testimony of one who left the Masonic Lodge in order to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
Please understand that this man did not understand the plan of salvation correctly, and as such he uses some denominational slogans that are not accurate and scriptural.
However, his testimony is very powerful to the truth about Freemasonry.
Testimony Of James Shaw
“Dear Friend,
Membership in the Masonic Lodge has in many cases become a family tradition, with young men often joining because their fathers and grandfathers belonged. Because of their admiration for certain friends or relatives, these men join the Lodge without hesitation, certain that the Order is based on noble aspirations. This was the case with me. From the time I was a little boy, my mother encouraged me to become a Mason some day like my uncle whom she greatly admired. Her impression of Freemasonry was that of a club where good men met to plan on helping those in need…Although I knew of many ministers and preachers who wee Masons, particularly those affiliated with the National Council of Churches, I had been trained by my father to stay away from churches. My stepfather said they were full of hypocrites and no one in his house was ever to go to a church. And here I was, with a doctor who was working on my eyes trying to read the Bible to me. On my job I began speaking with a few people who I knew to be Christians, and they also told me about Jesus. One went so far as telling me that no Christian should ever be a Mason. In the meantime, the doctor continued sharing with me while he was working on my eyes. I tried not to listen, but deep inside I knew he was right…I had been chosen to receive the 33rd degree Masons and was to report to Washington in one week to accept the honor…After I had received the 33rd degree along with my white hat and ring, we all had a big feast and drank wine. It was all so much fun. Yet throughout this time I kept thinking of some of the passages the doctor had read to me from the Bible. Soon after returning home I received a call from the Secretary of the Scottish Rite telling me to prepare for the upcoming Maundy Thursday services prior to Easter. I can tell you that the Lodges always make a mockery of Christian Holy Days. Now I was Master of all degree work and had to conduct the service. In the meantime my wife and I had begun attending church with the ophthalmologist. He was still helping me understand the Bible and did not like the idea of me being a Mason. He told me he didn’t think I understood just how evil the Lodge really was, and he urged me to read thoughtfully the books of John and Galatians…But to become fully convinced I had yet to go through the Maundy Thursday ritual itself. We were all in our places for the Maundy Thursday Rose Croix service to begin, each of us dressed in black robes. I stood and clapped my hands three times, and everyone rose to their feet. I began to speak, ‘My brothers, we meet this day to commemorate the death of our most wise and perfect Master-NOT as inspired or divine, but as at least the greatest of all humanity.’ At this point I had to stop for a moment to think about what I had just said. I was denying the fact that Christ was inspired or divine, saying he was merely a human master no greater than Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius or other religious figures. I felt a tear run down my face, but I had to go on. I walked ought to the menorah and lit a candle. The next speaker said his part and lit a candle on the menorah. All spoke and lit candles. I was feeling sad and bewildered, wondering how I could go on; but I did. We had the Black Mass, drinking wine from a skull and eating a piece of bread-passing it around the table-saying to each man, ‘Take, drink, and give to the thirsty. Take, eat, and give to the hungry.’ Then we all went back to our stations. As I got up, my knees were shaking. I knew what fear was, and I had never felt anything like this since being shot at in the Army. I stood and began to recite the closing words. “We now close this commemoration of the death of our master. MOURN!! LAMENT!! CRY ALOUD!! HE IS GONE!! NEVER TO RETURN!! MOURN!! LAMENT!!” The candles were extinguished one at a time. I closed the ceremony by saying, ‘It is over; we must depart.”….During my nineteen years as a Mason, I witnessed and participated in numerous disturbing events, but the single most important reason causing me to leave was the fact that Jesus Christ was not the one being worshipped. Many gods in the Scottish Rite are revered and many religions taught, but never is the Blessed Name of Jesus Christ allowed. One is not even allowed to close a prayer in the name of Jesus, but instead must a vague reference to God, which could mean anyone or anything. Teachings of the Kabbalah, Zend Avesta, and the Gnostics are used along with astrology and the doctrines of ancient false gods such as Osiris, Semiramis, Isis and Krishna. The Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are also given reference as deities. But whenever Christ was mentioned, it was only in the form of a mockery. For these reasons I left the Masonic Lodge. If you are currently a Mason, I urge you from the bottom of my heart to do likewise. It is the only right thing to do.
In Christian Love,
Jack Shaw”. (From Gary Kah, En Route To Global Occupation: A High ranking Goverment liaison Exposes The Secret Agenda For World Unification, pages 137-140; Noblesville, IN; Hope For The World)
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