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Masonry VS Christianity
By Adam Bartlett
I know there is much debate about the Masonic Lodge and what they do and do not believe. I have a deceased uncle that was a Mason and I have friends that are. I have heard much regarding this issue and done some research and the following studies I feel shed the best light on the subject as related to how it is in disagreement with Christianity.
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Masonic Doctrine -vs. The Word of God
What is a Mason? What do they do? These are just a couple of questions you may ask. Most people know them to be a fraternal order of men that is usually involved in good civic activities, such as the Shriner's collecting money for the children's hospital. However, very little is known to the non-Mason, about what the Masons believe or what they do behind closed doors. Most Masons have never read some of the sources cited in the following. All of these Masonic sourcebooks are in the libraries of most local Lodges and the libraries of the Grand Lodges of the states. Let us further state that there are a lot of well meaning men and professing Christian men who are members of the Masonic lodges in all over America, and many never advance beyond the Blue Degrees. Remaining at this level, they are kept in the dark about a lot of what goes on as one obtains "more light," as they call it. If much of what is about to be disclosed, was known to a lot of these men and Christian men, they would not be a part of such an organization. We urge those that really want to know the truth to check out these materials cited below, also before going any further, ask God to confirm in your own heart the truth as you read it.
JESUS CHRIST
As found in the "Introduction to Freemasonry"...
"In his private petitions a man may petition God or Jehovah, Allah or Buddha,
Mohammed or Jesus; he may call upon the God of Israel or the First Great Cause.
In the Masonic Lodge he hears petition to the Great Architect of the Universe,
finding his own deity under that name. A hundred paths may wind upward
around a mountain; at the top they meet."
(Carl H. Claudy, "Introduction to Freemasonry." p. 38)
As found in the Word of God...
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the Life: no man cometh to the Father,
but by me. (Jn.14:6)
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name {but Jesus} under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
GOD
As found in Freemasonry books...
"...Since every man's conception of God must be proportioned to his mental
cultivation, and intellectual powers, and moral excellence. God is, as man
conceives Him, the reflected image of man himself. (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma,"
14th Degree, p. 234) "The only personal God Freemasonry accepts is humanity in
toto...Humanity therefore is the only personal God that there is." (J.D. Buck, "Mystic
Masonry," p. 216) "The Absolute is Reason. Reason IS, by means of itself. It IS
because IT IS...If God IS, HE IS by Reason." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 28th
Degree. p. 737)
As Found in the Word of God...
In the Beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen. 1:1)
For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word
{Jesus}, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (I Jn. 5:7)
God said undo Moses, I AM THAT I AM... (Ex. 3:14)
THE HOLY BIBLE
As found in Freemasonry books...
"...the literal meaning (of the Bible) is for the vulgar only." (Albert Pike, "Digest of
Morals and Dogma," p. 166) "Masonry makes no profession of Christianity...but looks
forward to the time when the labor of our ancient brethren shall be symbolized
by the erection of a spiritual temple...in which there shall be but one alter and
one worship; one common altar of Masonry on which the Veda, Shastra, Sade,
Zend-Avesta, Koran and Holy Bible shall lie...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..." ("The Kentucky Monitor."
Fellowcraft Degree, p. 95) The removal of the name of Jesus and references to Him
in Bible verses used in the ritual are "slight but necessary modifications." (Albert
Mackey, "Masonic Ritualist." p. 272)
As found in the Word of God...
The Words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times. (Psa. 12:6)
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God... (II Tim. 3:16)
...if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.
(Isa. 8:20)
REDEMPTION
As found in Freemasonry books...
"These three degrees (1st, 2nd, 3rd) thus form a perfect an harmonious whole,
nor can it be conceived that anything can be suggested more, which the soul of
man requires." (Daniel Sickles, "Ahimon Rezon or Freemason's Guide." p. 196) "If we with
suitable true devotion maintain our Masonic profession, our faith will become a
beam of light an bring us to those blessed mansions where we shall be eternally
happy with God, the Great Architect of the Universe." (Daniel Sickles, "Ahimon Rezon or
Freemason's Guide." p. 79) "...salvation by faith and the vicarious atonement were not
taught as now interpreted, by Jesus, nor are these doctrines taught in the esoteric
scriptures. They are later and ignorant perversions of the original doctrines." (J.D.
Buck, "Mystic Masonry." p. 57)
As found in the Word of God...
As it is written. There is none righteous no not one: (Rom. 3:10)
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23)
For He hath made Him {Jesus} to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. (II Cor. 5:21)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
SATAN
As found in Freemasonry books...
"The conviction of all men that God is good led to a belief in a devil..." (Albert Pike,
"Morals and Dogma." 19th Degree, p. 324) "...there is no rebellious demon of Evil, or
Principle of Darkness coexistent and in eternal controversy with God, or the
Principle of Light..." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 32nd Degree, p.859)
As found in the Word of God...
Ye are of your father, the devil...he is a liar, and the father of it. (Jn.8:44)
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Jas. 4:7)
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(Eph. 6:11-12)
...your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
(I Pet. 5:8)
TRUTHFULNESS
The Mason Doctrine teaches that it's right to lie, if necessary to protect the secrets
of the Lodge, or to protect brother Masons by concealing his wrongdoing. It can
even be right to deliberately deceive sincere Masons seeking to learn the lessons
and secrets of Masonry.
"The Blue Degrees are but the portico (porch) 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...their true ecplication
(explanation / understanding) is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of
Masonry." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 30th Degree, p. 189) "You must conceal all
crimes of your brother Masons...and should you be summoned as a witness
against a brother Mason be always sure to shield him...It may be perjury to do
this, it is true, but you're keeping your obligations." (Ronayne, "Handbook of Masonry."
p. 183) "Furthermore do I promise and swear that a Master Mason's secrets, given
to me in charge as such, and I knowing them to be such, shall remain as secure
and inviolable in my breast as in his own, when communicated to me, murder
and treason excepted; and they left to my own election." (Master Mason's / 3rd
Degree Oath of Obligation)
As found in the Word of God...
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (Ex. 20:16)
Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. (Lev.
19:11)
...lie not to one another. (Col. 3:9) ...all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. (Rev 21:8)
SECRECY & BLOOD OATHS
As found in Freemasonry books...
Secrecy is indispensable in a Mason of whatever degree." (Albert Pike, "Morals and
Dogma," 4th Degree, p. 109) I...do hereon most solemnly and sincerely promise and
swear that I will always hail, ever conceal and never reveal any of the arts, parts
or points of the secret arts any mysteries of ancient Freemasonry which I have
received, am about to receive, or may hereafter be instructed in..." (Oath of
Obligation, Entered Apprentice/1st Degree, and include in all subsequent degrees,
always on penalty of mayhem and violent death) "...binding myself under no less a
penalty that that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken out and burned to
ashes, the ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven..." (from the Oath of Obligation,
Master Mason/Third Degree) "...In willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful
penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three-edged blade, my
feet flayed and I be forced to walk the hot sands upon sterile shores of the Red
Sea until the flaming Sun shall strike me with a livid plague, and may Allah, the
god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to
the entire fulfillment of the same." (from the Oath of Obligation, Ancient Arabic Order of
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ["Shriners"])
As found in the Word of God...
I {Jesus} spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and
in the temple...and in secret have I said nothing. (Jn. 18:20)
Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (Rom. 12:17)
Thou shalt not kill (murder). (Ex. 20:13)
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth,
neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into
condemnation. (Jas. 5:12)
Seek the Truth through the Word of God!
"...ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn. 8:32)
The History of Freemasonry
Modern Freemasonry dates to 1717, when several members of four lodges met at London's Goose and Gridiron Tavern to form the first Grand Lodge. By 1723 the organization had adopted James Anderson's Constitution as a guide. Anderson's work clearly reflected a divergence from the Old Charges of operative Masonry, which had been in use since the fourteenth century. The Old Charges were distinctively Christian in tone and, according to Fraternal Organizations by Alvin J. Schmidt, dealt primarily with God and religion, the craft of masonry, and regal duty. The Constitutions, however, omitted the Trinitarian formula and "spoke of a 'religion in which all men agree'" (Fraternal Organizations, p. 121)
In 1738 Anderson produced another accepted document titled "The Old Charges of the Free and Accepted Masons." By that year, operative Masonry had evolved into accepted Masonry. It continued to evolve until, by the second half of the eighteenth centruy it had become speculative Masonry, which interpreted "the symbols and artifacts of operative masonry in an allegorical, religious manner". For example, whereas operative Masons built stone edifices, speculative Masons seek to build spiritual edifices.
The first Masonic Lodge was established in the United States on April 13, 1733. In the United States it yielded great influence. In fact, many scholars believe that Freemasonry helped inspire the American Revolution (Revolution and Freemasonry, 1680 to 1800 by Bernard Fay). There is also evidence that Freemasonry was influential in the formation of the U.S. Constitution. It has even been theorized that the designs on the back of American currency can be linked to Masonic signs and symbols (Fraternal Organizations, p.122).
The roots of Freemasonry extend at least as far back as the Middle Ages. The guildsmen and craftsmen of that time were called Masons. For protection and credibility, these persons formed primitive trade unions (lodges). The content and purpose of this form of Masonry, called operative Masonry, began to change when the lodges were opened up to whoever sought membership.
New members, including politicians, clergymen, and scientists, gradually began to formulate various rituals and doctrines to accompany some of the symbols already in use by the working masons (usually tools of the trade). It was at this point that occultism also began to be brought into the lodges. Eventually the various "grades" workers went through in learning their craft were replaced by degrees of advancement in esoteric knowledge. The eventual result of these changes is modern Masonry - also known as "speculative Masonry" because it speculates as to the true meanings behind the original symbols used in operative Masonry.
The popularity of Freemasonry has made it a model for hundreds of other fraternal societies. As far back as 1927, for instance, nearly all of the 800 fraternal orders of that time had adopted Masonic-like symbols, signs, passwords, rituals, oaths, obligations and degrees. The temple ordinances of the Mormon temple ceremony are also suspiciously close to the ceremony used in Freemasonry. Signs, grips, oaths and tokens used in Mormonism are so close it's almost certain that Joseph Smith borrowed these Masonic practices from Freemasonry. Not that surprising considering Smith was a Mason himself (Documentary History of the Church 4:550-551). In fact the first three presidents of the Mormon Church were all Masons. The Salt Lake City Temple also displays designs peculiar to Masonry, including the All-Seeing Eye, the inverted five-pointed star (known as the eastern star), and the clasped hands or grip.
The Masons, like so many false religions, hold as a core belief one of Satan's biggest lies. That being that all faiths and all scriptures lead to the same God. Freemasonry teaches that there is one God and men of all religions worship that one God using a variety of different names. In a Masonic Lodge, all join in corporate prayer to the Great Architect of the Universe, (GAOTU) and embrace the scripture of any and all religions. The following quote is taken from the Masonic Belief Statement:
"...by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith by which men find help for today 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".
The seven volume History of Freemasonry, by Albert Mackey, discusses various pagan gods and the people who worshiped them. Among those pagan deities featured in drawings included with the text are Ashtaroth, Abraxas, Vishnu, Dagon, Nergal and Baal. The text states:
They were all Characters of human origin in the Mythologic ages designed as the Saviors of Men, each one emphatically the representative Christos, or Christ of his particular Nation; and the religious system designed to restore the lost and fallen race of Man. (p. 1721, vol VI)
The paragraph concludes, speaking of the men who worshipped those false gods:
Now as Masons we decide not between these, but take all in as our Brethren, and the One God as our Heavenly Father, revealed to us as such in the Great Light of Masonry.
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob makes it very clear that the Bible is the only Word of God and warns us to stay away from those who would teach otherwise.
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds (2 John 9-11)
It is not true that all those who profess a belief in a higher being are worshipping the one true God. The worshippers of Baal learned this truth on Mt. Carmel. In Matthew God has an answer for those who worship gods other than the God of the Bible.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23
1) A Mason's creed is Syncretic.
" Before its Altar Christians, Jews, Mohammedan, Buddhist, Gentile, Confucian, may kneel together. "
This belief is the essence of Syncretism, which the bible completely condemns, both in the Old and New Testaments. God does indeed love all people, but hates false religion because human religious systems violate the character, truth, and moral nature of God. Other religious beliefs put people into bondage. But the Apostles proclaimed Jesus as God's only Savior for human kind.
"Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." - Ac 4:12
The claims of Christ are EXCLUSIVE not inclusive and are meant to cause offense. God hears the prayers of all people that are directed towards him but not prayers to false gods. God does not show partiality in his love towards people, but in these religious systems, false gods are addressed: Buddha , Kali, ancestor worship, etc.. All these are forms of bondage to demons. The character of Masons is "tolerance" but God is not tolerant of men's religions:
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
Furthermore, to join Christian worship with the worship of other faiths is to imply that their religion's claims are equally as valid as the claims of Jesus Christ.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. - 1 Cor 10:21
Masons wish to unite all religions in a system of tolerance. It is interesting to note that the desire of Rome was exactly the same. Christians did not need to deny their belief in Jesus, they just needed to acknowledge Caesar as Lord also. Rome wanted all peoples and nations to worship together, united in their tolerance for each other through unifying devotion to the Emperor. It was the Christians unwillingness to SYNCRETIZE and accommodate other religions which caused them to be persecuted. The Masonic system follows the principle of Caesar in this regard.
2) Salvation without Rebirth - Jesus Christ is not Necessary.
"[a Masonic temple is an] institution "erected to God" which begins its ceremonies and ends its meetings with prayer; which has a Holy Book upon the Altar; which preaches the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, of course Has a religious character, although, let it be emphasized again, wholly nonsectarian."
Masonry denies the essential truth of the necessity of being born again by asserting that all people are brothers. This is in direct contradiction to the Word of God which states that only through Jesus do we become God's Children:
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. YET TO ALL WHO RECEIVED HIM, TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, HE GAVE THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:10-13, NIV).
Only those who receive Jesus are Born of God, and therefore are brothers and children of God. Those who do not receive Jesus are not born again by the Holy Spirit. And although they are creatures made by God and loved by God, they are not yet his children and therefore there is no "brotherhood of man," outside of rebirth into Jesus Christ.
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.' (John 3:5-7, NIV).
Again the claim to be nonsectarian is of no value, but only is a mark of corruption:
The LORD your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, BE CAREFUL NOT TO BE ENSNARED BY ENQUIRING ABOUT THEIR GODS, SAYING, "HOW DO THESE NATIONS SERVE THEIR GODS? We will do the same." YOU MUST NOT WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD IN THEIR WAY, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, NIV).
3) Masonic secrecy is Gnostic in Nature.
"Masonry is commonly called a secret society. Perhaps a "society with Secrets" would be a better expression. "
Masonry is a Gnostic religion, one of the two major heresies fought against by the writers of the New Testament. The claim to secret knowledge and secret rituals was the foundation for cults very similar to Christianity in other respects and of the other pagan religions prevalent in the land. The "initiates" were given secret codes, spells, sayings, and formulas to aid them in their worship of God. Gnosticism is a claim to secret knowledge not available to the average person, the laity. Masonry is built upon this secrecy. In contrast, Paul states,
We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 4:2-3, NRSV).
All people, through the reading of the Word have equal access to God the Father and the Truth of Jesus Christ his Son. Depth of knowledge of Jesus is not through ritual or society, but through living relationship with Jesus Christ and the written Word of God. All people have equal and direct access to God through the shed blood of Jesus on Calvary.
4) Masonry Commits the Sin of Partiality
Masonry commits the sin of partiality and favoritism. By making part of the code the vow of preferential treatment towards other Masons, it makes a vow of partiality and favoritism by which one would favor Masonic unbelievers over true brothers in Christ. Thus the true brotherhood of those in Christ is denied for the sake of a secular/quasi religious affiliation. Indeed, we are not even to show partiality towards our brothers in Christ, much less towards one's social position or membership in a club.
a.. James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?
b.. 1Ti 5:21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels, I warn you to keep these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality.
c.. James 2:9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
d.. James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
e.. Lev 19:15 You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor.
f.. Deut 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe,
g.. Deut 16:19 You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality; and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.
h.. 2 Ch 19:7 Now, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the LORD our God, or partiality, or taking of bribes.
i.. Mal 2:9 MT 22:16, Ac 10:34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality..."
j.. Romans 2:11 For God shows no partiality.
Masons show deference and favoritism towards other Masons in courts of law, in business contracts, and in press reports. Such favoritism at times even perverts true justice, when judges are influenced in their decisions because the defendant or plaintiff are fellow Masons. Each time a Mason prefers a Mason, true impartiality is perverted and God is despised.
5) Masonic Vows are Unholy
"I swear... binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots..." - from the Candidate's Oath of Secrecy
But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; ANYTHING MORE THAN THIS COMES FROM THE EVIL ONE. (Matthew 5:34-37, NRSV).
James 5:12 Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "Yes" be yes and your "No" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
The Masons only enter into Masonry by vows. They used to vow that if they violated the secrecy of the order, then they would condemn themselves to violent and bloody acts to be received into their persons. It is one of the reasons that Masons have such a hard time breaking with Masonry and with telling the secrets of their lodges. They have made solemn vows with their lips, but NOT to God. Vows are very serious issues with God, and that is why he said not to make them. But consider how vows to God should be made:
When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words, and destroy the work of your hands? (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6, NRSV).
Nu 30:2 When a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Pr 20:25 It is a snare for one to say rashly, "It is holy," and begin to reflect only after making a vow
Mal 1:14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations.
It is for this reason that the vows that Masons make are not simply secular or religious, they are EVIL in the eyes of the Lord and a violation of His Word. Yet even blood oaths made contrary to God's Word can be broken without penalty, IF one turns to Christ, for through Jesus' shed blood we can be delivered from our unholy covenants.
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not be in haste.' And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter." Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand... (Isaiah 28:16-18, RSV).
Is Masonry A Cult? By Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
(excerpted from Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, 1999)
In order to answer the question of whether Masonry is a cult, one must first determine which type or level of Masonry is being discussed and what definition of a cult is being considered. Not all Masonry is the same; a purely social Mason would be far less influenced by any cultic elements in Masonry than a religiously committed Mason.
Theologically, Masonry may be classified as a cult from the perspective of biblical revelation. If we define a cult as a religious group which claims compatibility with Christian faith but deviates seriously from orthodox Christianity in doctrine and practice, Masonry qualifies. In addition, there are certain historic associations, levels of initiation and levels of interpretation of Masonry that reveal a more broad-based cultic nature.
Consider the more outlandish characteristics of a cult such as: (1) a more or less complete withdrawal from all non-cultic social and family contact; (2) the physical or spiritual mistreating or abuse of cult members; (3) the inhibition of independent thinking and deliberate cultivation of dependency upon an authoritarian leader; (4) indoctrination reinforced through intimidation such as threats of reprisal by physical violence or severe spiritual consequence.
Masonry contains elements of some of these characteristics. It keeps Masonic secrets from family members, its oaths can be spiritually abusive, manipulative and intimidating, and they imply retribution for their violation. The ritual may in certain ways function to suppress independent thinking and dependency on Masonry. Masons must obey Lodge authority and Masonry itself.
Here are eight characteristics of cults that are to varying degrees shared with Masonry.*
1. Masonry has parallels to ancient pagan cultic themes and beliefs. This has been documented in chapters 17-19 of The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge,1 dealing with the occult generally (chapter 17), spiritism specifically (chapter 18) and the Ancient Mystery Religions (chapter 19). Many other researchers have noted the correlations. Martin L. Wagner spent years of diligent study of Masonry.2 He was the pastor of Saint John’s English Evangelical Lutheran Church in Dayton, Ohio, and he concluded that the peculiar views of Masonry harmonize it "with the religions of the ancient cults."3 "The Masonic ritual has many elements which have come down from antiquity, and connect the modern institution with the cults of the ancients not so much in form as in doctrine."4 In speaking of the unity of Freemasonry with such pagan cults, he emphasizes that this is not to be seen in the externals of the Craft, "not in exact identity of ceremony and symbol, but in the religious ideas, in the object of its adoration, in its conception and definition of the deity."5
2. The deception of the profane (the unworthy), whether Mason or non-Mason. In Secret Teachings, chapter 20, "Masonry and Deception," we have examined and documented this.
3. Spiritual intimidation or secrecy reinforced by penalty. In our discussion on the oaths of Masonry (Secret Teachings, chapter 14), we said that the retributions were claimed as merely symbolic but that this was not true and, regardless, they were punitive and intimidating. To violate Masonic secrets is to offend the Deity seriously,6 and to risk severe divine penalty, not to mention censure and rejection by the Lodge. The penalties may be physical, psychological or spiritual. To divulge Masonic secrets is to be branded a traitor by fellow Masons, to lose important alliances and friendships, and to suffer whatever consequences arise from Masonic censorship. Among families of Masons, in business relations and in social bonds, these consequences can be significant.
The oaths and their penalties are intended to instill fear in the initiate, and they are effective. One only needs to talk to a Mason to realize that he fears the consequences of violating Masonic secrets. We cited the bloodthirsty nature of these oaths, and we will document that Masonry shares a characteristic common to cultism: spiritual intimidation and fear.
Manly Hall, a 33rd degree Mason, concedes: "Every Mason knows that a broken vow brings with it a terrible penalty.... When a Mason swears that he will devote his life to [Masonry, and then violates his oath]... he is breaking a vow which imposes not hours but ages of misery."7 Elsewhere Hall even declares that spirits will bring retribution to the Mason who violates his vows:
The average Mason, as well as the modern student of Masonic ideals, little realizes the cosmic obligation he takes upon himself when he begins his search for those sacred truths of Nature as they are concealed in the ancient and modern rituals. He must not lightly regard his vows, and if he would not bring upon himself years and ages of suffering he must cease to consider Freemasonry solely as a social order only a few centuries old. He must realize that the ancient mystic teachings as perpetuated in the modern rites are sacred, and that powers unseen and unrecognized [the spirit world8] mold the destiny of those who consciously and of their own free will take upon themselves the obligations of the Fraternity.9
The "presentation volume" of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Virginia observes: "The ancient oral penalties already mentioned are retained in our ritual to impress upon the mind of each brother how serious a violation will be regarded by the members of the Fraternity.... Every means possible is used to impress the new Mason with the solemnity and the necessity for faithful performance of them."10 Masonic authority Carl H. Claudy states that the Mason who violates his oaths must consider bringing upon himself the divine wrath for such blasphemy:
... there are penalties in all three [Blue Lodge] obligations and a discussion of one will do for all.... The penalty should be read symbolically, each man for himself. "I have taken an obligation. In it is a penalty by which those who framed it intended to inspire terror; to be binding upon those who then took it through fear. I fear... what? The contempt of my fellows. The loss of my self respect. The self abasement any true man feels who has broken a solemn pledge. The wrath of a God blasphemed. The horror of a sin than which there is none greater; breaking faith pledged in honor. These, then, are what the penalties really mean; these are the real consequences to me, if I violate my solemn obligation; these are what will be done to me if I fail in living up, so far as I am able, to the covenants I made with my brethren. And may all of this be done unto me, in full measure should I fail my brethren."11
Some have responded by saying that Christianity also utilizes fear and threats. But any fear Christianity inspires is merely a proper and respectful fear of God; it is not a fear generated to retain secrets of doubtful value or outright falsehoods. In addition, Christianity inspires fear of God’s holiness for a legitimate reason: hell is real. So to do otherwise would be cruel and ludicrous.
4. The justification, whether intended or otherwise, of unethical practices. This cultic characteristic can be seen in our discussion on Masonry and morality (Secret Teachings, chapter 4). Cult groups often claim that they uphold morality, but in fact the situation is usually quite different. This is also the case in Masonry.
5. An element of authoritarianism. Masonry is not authoritarian in the same sense that many cults are; however, there is an element of authoritarianism. For example, L. James Rongstad observes that in the Lodge, "Rule is autocratic. The Worshipful Master of a local lodge, for example, has supreme and total control."12 In his Introduction to Freemasonry, Volume 2, Carl H. Claudy observes,
The incumbent of the Oriental Chair [Worshipful Master] has powers peculiar to his station which are far greater than those of the president of a society or the chairman of a meeting of any kind.... It is the Master’s right to control lodge business and work. It is in a very real sense his lodge. He decides all points of order and no appeal from his decision may be taken to the lodge.... The Master has the right to say who may enter and who may leave the lodge room.... Only the Master may order a committee to examine a visiting brother.... If he keeps within the laws, resolutions, and edicts of his Grand Lodge [and the Landmarks]... the power of the Worshipful Master is that of an absolute monarch.13
The Masonic scandal in the Italian government in 1981 illustrates how such power may be abused. By 1975, more than 100 Masons were members of the Italian Parliament.14 The controversy centered around Propaganda Due ("P2"), a secret grouping of Masons that constituted an "illegal" Masonic Lodge (it was never officially constituted and never held regular meetings of all members15). According to investigator Stephen Knight, P2 was formed in 1966 at the request of the then Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Italy, Giordano Gamberini. His goal was apparently to establish a group of eminent persons who could be useful to the cause of Freemasonry.16 Gamberini chose Licio Gelli to form this group of respected individuals. But Gelli was a fascist and a supporter of Mussolini.17 In effect, Gelli became the "Venerable Master" (the Italian equivalent of Master Mason) of an unofficial Lodge. According to Knight:
Many men joined P2 because they believed the Venerable Master’s patronage was indispensable to the furtherance of their careers. By this self-perpetuating process, Gelli’s purported power became real. Others joined the lodge because Gelli used ruthless blackmail. The "Masonic dues" Gelli extracted from the brethren of Lodge P2 were not primarily financial. What the Venerable Master demanded—and got—were secrets: official secrets which he could use to consolidate and extend his power, and personal secrets he could use to blackmail others into joining his lodge. This most sensitive information from all areas of government was passed to him by his members, who seem to have obeyed him with unquestioning devotion.18
A secret society can be only as moral and patriotic as those who rule it. If those who have absolute power rule for personal ends, expect miscarriages of justice. Almost a thousand of Italy’s most powerful men were secret members of P2, and a prosecutor’s report observed: "Lodge Propaganda Due [P2] is a secret sect that has combined business and politics with the intention of destroying the country’s constitutional order."19 Eventually, the "power of Gelli was found to have undermined not only the national security of Italy, but to have struck at the roots of Western strength in Southern Europe and the Middle East. NATO was forced to support the attitude of the corrupt Freemasons in Italy’s armed forces."20 "Gelli had his Freemasons in every decision-making center in Italian politics, and was able to exert significant influence over those decisions."21
Knight also reveals that "P2 was the very embodiment of the fear that had haunted Italy’s undersecretary of state in 1913 when he had called for a law that ‘declared the unsuitability of members of the Masonic Lodge to hold certain offices (such as those in the judiciary, in the army, in the education department, etc.), the high moral and social value of which is compromised by any hidden and therefore uncontrollable tie, and by any motive of suspicion, and lack of trust on the part of the public.’ "22
A parliamentary committee which investigated the scandal charged that the Lodge was engaged in a conspiracy to set up an authoritarian government in Italy—in effect, attempting to overturn the Italian Republic.23 Knight concluded, "There can be no doubt that many others have suffered because of Freemasonry entering into areas of life where, according to all its publicly proclaimed principles, it should never intrude. The abuse of Freemasonry causes alarming miscarriages of justice."24 He even cites Scotland Yard, which was "heavily Masonic," as an example.25
6. The attempt at suppression of critical literature. Many cult groups today like Mormonism, Christian Science and Scientology have something to hide. It may be an unsavory past, current abuse of members, leaders’ immorality or destructive secret teachings. These groups often attempt to undermine, discredit or suppress works that are critical or too revealing. Stephen Knight observes, "There is evidence of very considerable efforts being made by Masons—including pressures on publishers, distributors and libraries—to suppress works critical of the brotherhood.... This even extends to the brotherhood’s own publications."26
According to Knight, Walton Hannah, author of the critical work on Masonry, Darkness Visible, was offered a thousand British pounds by "a mysterious gentleman" not to publish his book.27 Knight’s own text, The Brotherhood, also encountered publishing problems. His first publisher was fearful of Masonic attempts to inhibit its publication.28 This publisher, NEL, was taken over by Hodder and Stoughton. The chairman and managing director were Philip and Michael Attenborough. But their father, John Attenborough, was a devoted Freemason and Christian. The book was killed because the publishers "realized they would cause their father very great pain by publishing The Brotherhood."29 The book was eventually published in 1985 in England by Grenada Publishing. It went through numerous printings, causing a furor.30 Knight claims that Freemasons were officially warned about owning, discussing or even reading the book.31 The "official" attitude of Masonry toward critical works is to simply ignore them and maintain silence.32 But it appears that some Masons, officially or otherwise, have proceeded to take matters into their own hands.
7. The distortion of Scripture. Cults often cite Scripture, sometimes extensively, but the manner in which Scripture is interpreted involves a deliberate distortion to make them conform to the beliefs of a particular group. Many illustrations are found in our book Secret Teachings and in James Sire’s Scripture Twisting. Masonry engages in similar quoting and misuse of the Scriptures. As one official Presbyterian inquiry noted:
It is significant, however, that in Masonic ritual in use in so called Christian lands, as Great Britain and the United States, quotations from Holy Scripture abound. It cannot be doubted that this fact has blinded the eyes of many to the real character of the Masonic order.... Time and again in Masonic ritual portions of the Word of God are erroneously—and, it must be said, even blasphemously—applied.... Masonry does most serious violence to the inscripturated Word of God and does the gravest despite to Jesus Christ, the personal Word.33
8. Theologically, the denial of Christian truth and blaspheming God. In our theological analysis and elsewhere (Secret Teachings, chapters 5-16) we have seen that Masonry: (1) denies the deity of Christ, (2) rejects the nature of God, (3) denies salvation by grace and teaches salvation by works, (4) distorts the Scriptures;34 (reinterprets the Bible to teach the "truths" of Masonry), (5) replaces allegiance to God with allegiance to Masonry, (6) contains contradictory theology, and 7) blasphemes God.
All these are characteristic of allegedly "biblical" cults. What these characteristics represent are (1) a rejection of God’s interests and (2) a corruption of the Church. The late Dr. Walter Martin, an acknowledged authority on comparative religion and cultism, observed:
I think there is a motivation in Masonry as there is in the entire cultic structure that we study in The Kingdom of the Cults. "Human nature is perfectible by an intensive process of purification and initiation." That is the Masonic initiation. Good works is the pathway to salvation in all pagan religions and the pathway to justification…. What we are dealing with in Masonry is a non-Christian cult with a lot of very nice people in it who are very sincere and very dedicated but very mistaken. In the words of Scripture, "There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death."35
If the supreme allegiance of the Mason must be to Masonry, then it cannot be to God, particularly if the teachings and goals of the two are at variance. Masonry does not add membership to the Christian Church; rather, it lures members away and corrupts their faith. In a sense, it is parasitic, nurturing itself by draining the life from another living organism.
All of this indicates that Masonry, in various ways and at various levels, contains many of the characteristics of a cult and is therefore properly classified as a cult, or at least cultic.
Notes
1. John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, (Chicago IL: Moody Press, 1990).
2. Martin L. Wagner, Freemasonry: An Interpretation, nd., np. (distributed by Missionary Service and Supply, Route 2, Columbiana, OH, 44408), p.140.
3. Ibid., p. 283.
4. Ibid., p. 138.
5. Ibid., pp. 252-253.
6. Carl Claudy, Foreign Countries: A Gateway to the Interpretation and Development of Certain Symbols of Freemasonry, (Richmond, VA: Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply, 1971), p. 90.
7. Manly P. HaIl, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry or the Secret of Hiram Abiff (Richmond, VA: Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co., Inc., 1976), p. 68, emphasis added.
8. Cf. ibid., pp. 11-13, 17-18, 25, 57, 60, 62.
9. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, p. 11, emphasis added.
10. John Dove (comp.), Virginia Textbook (containing "The Book of Constitutions," Illustrations of the Work, Forms and Ceremonies of the Grand Lodge of Virginia), Vol. II, (Grand Lodge of Virginia, nd.), p. 21.
11. Claudy, Foreign Countries, p. 90, emphasis added.
12. L. James Rongstad, How to Respond to the Lodge, (St. Louis: Concordia, 1977), p. 14.
13. Carl. H. Claudy, Introduction to Freemasonry, Vol. II, (Washington, DC: The Temple Publishers, 1984), pp. 89-92.
14. Stephen R. Sywulka, "The Pope Uses Masonic Scandal to Stiffen Traditional Stance," Christianity Today, June 26,1981, p. 38.
15. Stephen Knight, The Brotherhood: The Explosive Expose of the Secret World of the Freemasons (London: Grenada Publishing, Ltd./Panther Books, 1983), p. 270.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid., pp. 210-271.
18. Ibid., p. 271, emphasis added.
19. Ibid., p. 275.
20. Ibid., p. 275, cf. p. 277.
21. Ibid., p. 275.
22. Ibid., pp. 273-274.
23. Sywulka, "The Pope Uses Masonic Scandal to Stiffen Traditional Stance," p. 38; Knight, The Brotherhood, p. 274.
24. Knight, The Brotherhood, p. 4.
25. Ibid., p. 85; cf. pp. 269-77, 298-307.
26. Ibid., pp. 244-245.
27. Ibid., p. 245.
28. Ibid., p. 10.
29. Ibid., p. 11.
30. Ibid., p. 12.
31. Ibid.
32. Alfonse Cerza, Let There Be Light: A Study in Anti-Masonry (Silver Spring, MD: The Masonic Service Association, 1983), pp. 29, 55.
33. Committee on Secret Societies of the Ninth General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (meeting at Rochester, NY, June 2-5, 1942), Christ or the Lodge? (Philadelphia, PA: Great Commission Publications, nd.) pp. 12-15.
34. Ibid., pp. 12-13; Jack Harris, Freemasonry: The Invisible Cult in Our Midst, (Chattanooga, TN: Global, 1983), p. 97.
35. The John Ankerberg Show Transcript, "Christianity and the Masonic Lodge: Are They Compatible?" (Chattanooga, TN: The John Ankerberg Evangelistic Association, 1985), pp.
33-34.
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