Freemasonry is in direct conflict with Christianity. The good works they do does not excuse this. I would not tolerate anyone in leadership in the church who is an active mason.
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Any FORMER Masons here? Current ones?
- Thread starter Gina B
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"I, (your name here), of my own free will and accord in the presence of Almighty God and this Worshipful Lodge, erected to Him and dedicated to the Saints John, do hereby and hereon (here the Master places his right hand on that of the candidate), most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will always hail, ever conceal and never reveal any of the secret arts, parts or points of the hidden mysteries of Ancient Freemasonry, which have been heretofore, may at this time, or shall at any future period, be communicated to me as such, to any person or persons whomsoever, except it be to a true and lawful brother of this degree, or within a regularly constituted Lodge of Masons, and neither unto him nor them, until by strict trial, due examination, or legal information, I shall have found him or them as lawfully entitled to the same as I am myself.
"I furthermore promise and swear that I will not write, print, paint, stamp, stain, cut, carve, mark nor engrave them, nor cause the same to be done upon anything movable or immovable, capable of receiving the least impression of a word, syllable, letter or character, whereby the same may become legible or intelligible to any person under the canopy of heaven.
"All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution, to keep and perform the same without any equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion of mind whatever, binding myself under a no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by it roots and buried in the rough sands of the sea at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly violate this my solemn obligation of an Entered Apprentice Mason.
So help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same."
"In token of your sincerity, you will detach your hands and kiss the Bible."
The Deacons removes the candidate's hands, and he kisses the Bible.
http://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume31/GOT031237.html
"I furthermore promise and swear that I will not write, print, paint, stamp, stain, cut, carve, mark nor engrave them, nor cause the same to be done upon anything movable or immovable, capable of receiving the least impression of a word, syllable, letter or character, whereby the same may become legible or intelligible to any person under the canopy of heaven.
"All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution, to keep and perform the same without any equivocation, mental reservation or secret evasion of mind whatever, binding myself under a no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by it roots and buried in the rough sands of the sea at low water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly violate this my solemn obligation of an Entered Apprentice Mason.
So help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same."
"In token of your sincerity, you will detach your hands and kiss the Bible."
The Deacons removes the candidate's hands, and he kisses the Bible.
http://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume31/GOT031237.html
As former Masons who have embraced the truth found in Jesus Christ, we are in a unique position. Since we have repented of our involvement in Freemasonry and have confessed our involvement in Freemasonry as sin, we have been cleansed from unrighteousness and restored to fellowship with God through our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.
While we were Masons, we sometimes were asked questions about Freemasonry by other church members who were not Masons. Because we had taken an oath to ever conceal and never reveal the secret teaching of Freemasonry, under the penalty of having our throats cut from ear to ear, we were reluctant to respond truthfully. We beg the forgiveness of our brothers and sisters in Christ for the less than honest answers we provided while we were Masons. Since we have repented (embraced God’s viewpoint on the issue) we have been released from the oaths. (Lev 5:4-6.) We came to realize that God did not want us to take the oaths to begin with. (Matthew 5:33-37 & James 5:12) As Christians who walk in the light of Jesus Christ, we are now willing to respond truthfully to the questions we continue to be asked.
http://www.emfj.org/answers.htm
While we were Masons, we sometimes were asked questions about Freemasonry by other church members who were not Masons. Because we had taken an oath to ever conceal and never reveal the secret teaching of Freemasonry, under the penalty of having our throats cut from ear to ear, we were reluctant to respond truthfully. We beg the forgiveness of our brothers and sisters in Christ for the less than honest answers we provided while we were Masons. Since we have repented (embraced God’s viewpoint on the issue) we have been released from the oaths. (Lev 5:4-6.) We came to realize that God did not want us to take the oaths to begin with. (Matthew 5:33-37 & James 5:12) As Christians who walk in the light of Jesus Christ, we are now willing to respond truthfully to the questions we continue to be asked.
http://www.emfj.org/answers.htm
Since Freemasonry has a plan of salvation it is absurd to deny that Freemasonry is a religion. Many Masons deny that Freemasonry is a religion because if they were to admit it, they would not be accepted as Christians and church members. Other Masons are so blinded by Satan that they cannot see the truth.
Freemasonry teaches men to imitate Hiram Abiff, so that they may get into heaven. The Gospel of Jesus Christ requires faith in the person and claims of Jesus Christ as the means of being redeemed from the death of sin and getting into heaven.
The Christian Mason is faced with a real dilemma. Can a man have two saviors? Can he have a vital faith in Jesus Christ, as he imitates Hiram Abiff? Can he avoid being found guilty of taking part in the promotion of a false plan of salvation?
http://www.emfj.org/religion.htm
Freemasonry teaches men to imitate Hiram Abiff, so that they may get into heaven. The Gospel of Jesus Christ requires faith in the person and claims of Jesus Christ as the means of being redeemed from the death of sin and getting into heaven.
The Christian Mason is faced with a real dilemma. Can a man have two saviors? Can he have a vital faith in Jesus Christ, as he imitates Hiram Abiff? Can he avoid being found guilty of taking part in the promotion of a false plan of salvation?
http://www.emfj.org/religion.htm
Certainly there are social aspects to Freemasonry, just as there are social aspects to church participation. The best way to answer this question is to disclose a portion of the Declaration of Principles which was approved at a 1939 meeting of Grand Masters in Washington, D. C. The declaration was formally adopted by a number of Grand Lodges, the authorities of Freemasonry. The declaration states:
It is a social organization only so far as it furnishes additional inducement that men may foregather in numbers, thereby providing more material for its primary work of education, of worship and of charity.
We see that Freemasonry has three primary functions: Education, Worship and Charity. We will touch upon these three purposes in this website.
http://www.emfj.org/social.htm
It is a social organization only so far as it furnishes additional inducement that men may foregather in numbers, thereby providing more material for its primary work of education, of worship and of charity.
We see that Freemasonry has three primary functions: Education, Worship and Charity. We will touch upon these three purposes in this website.
http://www.emfj.org/social.htm
My late grandfather-in-law was a Baptist Pastor and high level Mason. This issue came up a few times at family gatherings. He saw no conflict in being a mason and led many fellow masons to Christ over the course of his life. His wife, my grandmother in law, passed away this year at the age of 97 and she never saw a conflict either. Perhaps things were viewed differently during their time in service as pastor and a member of the masons. I can't say for sure.
I have been approached by a good friend about joining. I have no interested partly because in spite of the obvious good things they do through Shriner's Hospitals and such, I have no void that isn't filled in my local Church. In addition to worship and spiritual things, our local assembly provides more benevolence opportunities than I can possibly do. The Mason's I know are generally not involved in a local Church and in one case the reason is his vocation would not be well received in a Baptist Church. He is fairly high up the management food chain at Ben E Keith (Budweiser).
I have been approached by a good friend about joining. I have no interested partly because in spite of the obvious good things they do through Shriner's Hospitals and such, I have no void that isn't filled in my local Church. In addition to worship and spiritual things, our local assembly provides more benevolence opportunities than I can possibly do. The Mason's I know are generally not involved in a local Church and in one case the reason is his vocation would not be well received in a Baptist Church. He is fairly high up the management food chain at Ben E Keith (Budweiser).
Masons like the RCC, in that both groups do good works and deeds, but both promote a false Gospel!
I was a mason, 32 degree (Scottish Rite) and Knight Templar (York Rite) as well as a past master. As I haven’t demitted I’d still be considered an active mason (excluding Scottish and York Rites).
It is a secular fraternity but assumes some sort of religious foundation in its members. (It does not promote a false gospel, but goes to extremes not to promote any type of religious belief above another).
It is a secular fraternity but assumes some sort of religious foundation in its members. (It does not promote a false gospel, but goes to extremes not to promote any type of religious belief above another).
No, it isn’t true. It assumes that one must be “spotless” but does not actually offer a plan of salvation. In Christianity one cannot be spotless in and of himself. But this is not true of other religions. In Freemasonry the allegory is vague so as not to actually teach any religion (although it is an allegory based on Christianity).
There was no “Hiram Abiff,” he was a character – not a person. In the degrees the candidate assumes the role of Hiram Abiff, but it is absurd to indicate they believe one must imitate this fictional character.
The danger of Freemasonry isn’t its content, but rather the absent of a gospel message. It is secular and too often is adopted as a religion by those foreign to the only true religion. A secondary danger is that it can serve as a distraction.
So, in sort, the answer is no. Freemasonry does not have a plan of salvation and it does not teach men to imitate Hiram Abiff.
There was no “Hiram Abiff,” he was a character – not a person. In the degrees the candidate assumes the role of Hiram Abiff, but it is absurd to indicate they believe one must imitate this fictional character.
The danger of Freemasonry isn’t its content, but rather the absent of a gospel message. It is secular and too often is adopted as a religion by those foreign to the only true religion. A secondary danger is that it can serve as a distraction.
So, in sort, the answer is no. Freemasonry does not have a plan of salvation and it does not teach men to imitate Hiram Abiff.
saturneptune
New Member
Each to his own. I have several family members of past generations, some high in rank that were masons, and I want nothing to do with it.
This is as close I will ever get to a Mason....
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I’m pretty much ambivalent about it myself. They are not the “false worshippers” that many make them out to be; but they are also not the great benefactor to society that they would like to be perceived as being.
They are a cultic group that claims occultic knowledge, amd teach that all religions lead to God, and that good works and behaviour determine if getting to heaven!
saturneptune
New Member
No, I do not think my grandfather, father, and father in law are in hell over the issue, I just choose not to have anything to do with it. Like I said in a previous post, it is a childish organization with secrets that do not amount to a hill of beans. Kind of like a Dick Tracey decoder ring.
Masonic Service at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., :
Washington Post, May 22, 1914, p. 4
The church's website portrays Dr. Ball as having been a "gifted teacher" and the church as having been "always doctrinally conservative":
http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/we...nked/the-past/
Washington Post, May 22, 1914, p. 4
The church's website portrays Dr. Ball as having been a "gifted teacher" and the church as having been "always doctrinally conservative":
http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/we...nked/the-past/
Well, cannot be that gifted, for he was wrapped up in a false cultic religion!