Can a Christian be a Mason?

Here are links to two good articles describing why Freemasonry and Christianity are not compatible.

Is Masonry A Cult?

The Masonic Lodge

 

A Christian can be a Mason and many, many Christians and pastors have been members of Free Masonry down through the years.

Essentially, Masonry does not push any religion, except the believe in a higher Power. When I was a mason, we had regular church parades at which all the Lodge attended.

The question to ask is not if a Christian can be a Mason, but can a Christian remain a Mason once having been on the inside. My decision was no, and I left. I will say there is nothing sinister or evil that goes on behind those closed doors.

Cheers,

Jim

One who has been to the East, and through the chairs

 

Gina, You are making a judgement on an organization you can know nothing about. Information about Masonry is not public, and no Mason would disclose the internal structure. I smile at much of what I have read about masonry on the net.

If it is the evil cult you claim, then better pray for all those good Baptist men who have been and still are masons. I may have left, but I will not condemn. Sorry.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Hi Jim,

What degree of the Blue Lodge did you attain?
Did you go on any further and start through the York Rite or the Scottish Rite?

 

Christians are told by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not to take Oath's Mt 5:34 "But I say unto you, SWEAR NOT AT ALL - "

Before you can become a mason, you must swear an Oath of secrecy, Which is a direct violation of your Christian Faith. Jesus told you directly not to do this. Resultingly if you have done it, it is a sin and you must repent of it. Which means making a choice about weather or not you can continue in Masonry when it requires you to be bound to an Oath.

There have been several points about Freemasonry. For information on other things that could cause you to stumble within the lodge, do a search on the word Freemasonry.

 

Even if all other reports of masonic goings on are false, "a higher power" is enough to make me pass.

THE higher power says He is the LORD, there is no other. If any group is not teaching that truth, they may as well give up there & then.

Pete

 

NO !!!!.Masons are a cult, My Grandfather was one before he became a Christian and a Pastor.

[unwarranted attack deketed]

[ January 06, 2003, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: jimslade ]

 

I've got a masonic bible (it's the real bible with inserts in the front, etc.) It does have some strange stuff in the inserts, and changes the accepted interpretations of some passages of the Bible through comments in the front.

The following two quotations from the front of the bible are contained under the heading:

The Words of a Great Masonic Divine
R.W. and Rev. Joseph Fort Newton.
The Bible in Masonry

"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."

"None the less, much as we honor every book of faith in which any man has found courage to lift his hand above the night that covers him and lay hold of the mighty Hand of God, with us the Bible is supreme. What Homer was to the Greeks, what the Koran is to the Arabs, that, and much more, the grand old Bible is to us."

[ January 06, 2003, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: Refreshed ]

 

I think this is the third thread in a year involving the topic. Rather than repost info that's been posted on other threads, let's see if I can just recap.

There is so much false information that spread about Masons in the anti-mason circles, and many people who don't like the Masonic order simply eat that stuff up as though it were fact, even on this site. It simply makes it harder to discern legitimate concerns from erumors and gossip. Rather than go over them point by point, I invite anyone to visit the previous threads on the topic.

The SBC has stated that, while there are some concerns about freemasnery, it leaves it up to each individual as to whether they feel they can uphold their Christian duties while being members of the freemasonery.

As for me, I'm generally not in favor of fraternities, especially when groups require clandestineness, but that's a far cry from saying it's wrong for a person to do so. SInce I'm a member of the SBC, I adhere to the opinion of the SBC on this one.

 

Gina, one thing that will explain the similarities is that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other early founders/leaders were Masons (or at least had been, I think the Masons kicked them out). I don't have any documentation for that right now, but I have read about their connections, and it should be fairly easy to locate such information.

 

Gina wrote

I agree with Jim, you are making a judgement you really aren't in a position to make. I joined the Masons the day after I turned 18, right after they lowered the age to 18. I went through the 3 blue lodge degrees. I am no longer active.... however, it is not a cult. It does not push any certain religion or substitute its own. Is it kind of different? Yes Are the meetings kind of dull? Yes DO they do good things for the community and for chaity? Yes
It can be argued some men let it replace their chucrh, that is true, so does fishing, golf, TV and other distractions.
I have no interest in returning to Masonry, but it does not deserve the bad press it gets, and especially from Baptists and Catholics. LOL, right there... if the Catholics are against it I thought Baptists would embrace it. Actually for generations, you would find many preachers, especially Baptist Preachers down at the Lodge as members and leaders.
My next post will deal with DeMolay.

 

Even if all other reports of masonic goings on are false, "a higher power" is enough to make me pass.

Then you'd have to pass on:

Alcoholics Anonymous
The Boy Scouts
The Girl Scouts
The Elks Club
Habitat for Humanity

 

I was a member of DeMolay, kind of Masons for boys, when I was 13-21. My best life-long friends were DeMolays and the morals I learned in DeMolay have had a huge impact on my life and do not contradict Christianity. The seven cardinal precepts of DeMolay are: Filial Love, Reverence for Sacred Things, Courtesy, Comradship, Fidelity, Cleanness, and Bravery. Churches could take a page out of the old DeMolay playbook on keeping kids interested in positive values.

 

I guess it all depends if your church accepts those who belong to secret societies or orders?... I know in our Articles Of Faith that you cannot be a member of a secret order and still belong to our church... Little Bethany Primitive Baptist Church.

If other Baptist Churches accept it who am I to judge as it is their church and not mine? I cannot judge anyone who is a Mason and is not in my church as I know some churches see nothing wrong with it... I don't believe you will find Mason among the Primitive Baptist but then Brother Jeff knows more about the PBs than I do and there is probably is a faction somewhere and maybe not?... Brother Glen

 

Gina here is a link to a book I read many years ago by Fawn M. Brodie... No Man Knows My History... The Life Of Joseph Smith The Mormon Prophet... Maybe you can find it all your library or order it!... Brother Glen

http://www.lds-mormon.com/hill.shtml

 

Whether or not the more sinister accusations are true, I can see two reasons that a Christian should never be a Mason.

First, secrecy was mentioned before along with the scripture command not to swear oathes. For the Christian Mason these things set up the possibility for a wide range of unnecessary moral dilemnas. For instance, silence sometimes equals lying.

Second, they do good works in the name of the Masons. If the object of a Christian's good works is God's glory, how can they justify doing works which glorify the Masons instead? Tends toward idolatry in my opinion.

[ January 06, 2003, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: Scott J ]