Masonic Lodge

[buckster75]

from another thread:

John said:"The OP has requested that this not be a thread to debate the issue of freemasonery. He's asked about other peoples' experiences with being in the lodge.

We should respect the OP's intent and limit it to that topic."

I agree so let's debate it here. Someone asked if a Mason can serve as deacon or elder. Someone else stated the would not even be allowed church membership. Any thoughts?

 

[baptistteacher]

About 10 years ago I made a study on Freemasonry for a men's class at church. I came to the subject with little knowledge, and some ambivalence.

I had access to some "Primary sources" from a friend, former Mason (32 or 33 degree, I forget).
Through reading these, and some additional study from some Christian writers, it became very obvious that Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity. This is how I approached the class, "Is Masonry Compatible With Christianity?" I had one man who challenged my premise, having a relative who was a Mason and a member of a Baptist church. I made sure that everyone understood that I was not saying that if you were a Mason you were not saved, but asking if the teachings of Christ and of the Masons were compatible, or contradictory.

After several weekly classes, and letting the men see the source materials for themselves, even the objector agreed that the teachings of Masonry are contradictory to Christianity, and like any other false teaching should be avoided.

(I wish I still had those books. I'd like to study this out again.)

 

[baptistteacher]

As to having a Pastor who is a Mason, that would be allowing someone who subscribed to heritical teachings to be leading God's flock. Same with deacons, or any other teaching/leading position.

Re membership, that is a sticky wicket, needing individual attention. Many factors would have to be considered.

Was he a Mason and already a member of the church before you found out about the Mason ties?

Did he become a Mason after being a member? When was this discovered, before or after he joined them? Did he seek any pastoral guidance before joining them? Did you know how to give guidance? Did he ignore this help?

Is he a "non-practicing" Mason? Just hasn't bothered going through the formalities of being removed from their rolls?

Is he teachable, responsive to honest investigation? As with any other problem, every effort should be made to rescue a brother from error.

Etc., etc., etc.

 

[Ben W]

What I would ask, is why does this man actually belong to the masons? What is his reason for being a member?

Churches seem to have many different types of womens groups, yet mens ministry is very limited in a number of churches. Instead of having men in your church join clubs, wouldent it be better that they are able to join in with the churches mens fellowship group?

Maybe it is the lack of mens groups in churches that made Promise Keepers, the success that it is?

 

[buckster75]

Ben W

maybe some who are or have been members might tell us why they joined.

 

[AF Guy N Paradise]

Has anyone read the book by Dr. John Rice called Lodges examined by the Bible?

I hear it is a good book for ones thinking about joining the masons.

 

[SAMPLEWOW]

I think having anything to do with the free masons is a very bad idea unless it's to lead them to Christ.

 

[Berean]

BenW
After some 30 years as a Mason (32 degree) I had my name expunged from all records. Looking back If I had to choose between Masons and Promise Keepers I would choose the lessor of two evils, Masons.

 

[Logos1560]

Originally posted by baptistteacher:

I had access to some "Primary sources" from a friend, former Mason

The only "Primary source" on Masons that I think I have is a 1928 Bible with notes for Masons.
It is entitled; THE HOLY BIBLE CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS ACCORDING TO THE AUTHORIZED VERSION TOGETHER WITH SPECIAL HELPS FOR THE STUDENT OF MASONRY. The title page noted that it was published for Board of General Activities, Grand Lodge by Oxford University Press. This title page also has what seems to be a Masonic
symbol--a shape of a shield with three crowns inside it and what appears to be a scroll with
this written on it: DOM MINA INVS TIO BLV
PIEA. Some of the helps for the student of Masonry in this edition of the KJV include articles entitled "The Holy Bible in Freemasonry,"
"Freemasonry and Religion," "How the Bible became a Great Light," "The Legend of the Craft," "The Legend of the Temple," "King Solomon's Temple," and "The Bible in Masonic Ritual." At the end it has "The Oxford Bible Concordance for Masonic Use."

Does anyone here know what the symbol of this title page is supposed to stand for?

 

[Brother Ian]

Free masonry is very cultic in nature and has no place among Christians.

 

[Major B]

I was a Mason, because it ran in the family, and I quit many years ago (over 30).

When I was called to a church as a pastor, I observed that several key men were Masons, and I found out that a previous pastor had been let go because of his open opposition to the lodge. I decided to just preach the Gospel and teach, and let all that take care of itself. Well, after a couple of years, I stepped on the toes of a rich Mason, and wound up out of a job. I had not said a thing about the Lodge, I had just stepped on the toes of his personal sins. Not satisfied to get rid of me, certain of the lodge brothers made sure that I would not pastor anyplace else. They have blackballed me from pastoral ministry by spreading totally baseless and even self-contradictory statements. In one situation, I was two days from an almost certain positive vote, and they found out about it and spiked it through a "brother" in that church.

My wife's health makes relocation not an option.


I don't send my resume out any more.

Looking back, I'd have been better off to fight the battle going in, or to have refused the pulpit.

The Masonic Lodge does good charity work. So does Hamas; so do the Mormons.

 

[AF Guy N Paradise]

Hey Major,

My dad and brother are getting recruited in KY now. I have sent them a couple of links, a book, and a devotional and hope they do not join.

I would think that once a Christian was involved with them for awhile they would have an uneasy discernment that something was just not right.

 

[Major B]

I probably know some of the guys doing the recruiting.

No one around here causes much fuss about it. I don't make a public habit of it myself.

 

[Artimaeus]

Originally posted by buckster75:
...so let's debate it here. Someone asked if a Mason can serve as deacon or elder. Someone else stated the would not even be allowed church membership. Any thoughts?

There's not really much of a debate. Once a mature and knowledgeable Christian reads what the Mason's themselves say it is as clear the difference between a politician and a statesman.

 

[Major B]

Originally posted by Artimaeus:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by buckster75:
...so let's debate it here. Someone asked if a Mason can serve as deacon or elder. Someone else stated the would not even be allowed church membership. Any thoughts?

There's not really much of a debate. Once a mature and knowledgeable Christian reads what the Mason's themselves say it is as clear the difference between a politician and a statesman. </font>[/QUOTE]So, do you know very many church folks who are knowledgeable and literate?

 

[Artimaeus]

Originally posted by Major B:
So, do you know very many church folks who are knowledgeable and literate?

Good point. I am afraid that most people are suffering from apathy and ignorance with apathy having the upperhand.

 

[Major B]

I knew a lady once, who when her pastor told her she was ignorant and apathetic, she said, "I don't know, and I don't care."

My dad actually had a friend, who when I was a kid, got all mad because his son's teacher asked the child (attempting to be discrete) if his dad was illiterate. He called up the principal and very angrily informed her "I am not illiterate, my parents were married several years before I was born."

 

[RayMarshall19]

Originally posted by Brother Ian:
Free masonry is very cultic in nature and has no place among Christians.

I have to agree with you Brother.

One cult that is getting a lot of publicity these days is Kabbala. I have a copy of "An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry" by Albert Mackey, which says:

"The MYSTICAL philosophy or theosophy of the Jews is called Kabbala. . . It has sometimes been used in an enlarged sense, as comprehending all the explanations, maxims, and ceremonies which have been traditionally handed down to the Jews; but in that more limited acceptation, in which it is INTIMATELY CONNECTED with the symbolic science of FREEMASONRY, the Kabbala may be defined to be a system of philosophy which embraces certain MYSTICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF SCRIPTURE, and METAPHYSICAL SPECULATIONS concerning the Deity, man, and spiritual beings." (emphasis mine)

To me, that sounds like the kind of thing a Christian should run from, not embrace. I could never support the calling of a pastor or the selection of a deacon who, when presented with this evidence, continued to embrace such an organization.

 

[baptistteacher]

Originally posted by Brother Ian:
Free masonry is very cultic in nature and has no place among Christians.

It is not just cultic, it is "occult" - hidden, secretive. Its practices are in the realms of darkness, not the True Light of Jesus Christ.

 

[RockRambler]

Here is the letter I sent to the Lodge, removing my name from the roll:

To the Master, Officers and Members of Relief Lodge #_________
Dear Friends,

It is with regret that I submit my resignation from Relief Lodge #____ and from all Masonic bodies. I have taken this step in spite of the fact that I value very deeply the friendships and associations I have developed within Masonry over the years.

I had delayed in paying my yearly dues to see what kind of decisions North Carolina Masons would make this year.

Recent decisions taken at the 216th Grand Lodge Annual Meeting show that Masonry in North Carolina is still mired in a river of racism. The continual refusal by members of the Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina to recognize Masonic members of the Prince Hall Lodge is a sad commentary on what was once a respected organization. Racism should not be practiced, nor should it live in the hearts, of good, upstanding, moral men of our state.

I also take offense to the referring of Christians who may criticize some of the teachings of masonry as “religious fanatics” which was done in the latest edition of the North Carolina Mason. Since becoming a Christian, I too have had doubts about whether Masonry was compatible with Christianity when members are required to swear oaths on a Bible and refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as our savior.

Our Lord said that "He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." (Matthew 12:30)

Masonry refuses to confess Jesus before me, and Jesus has warned that "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)

Masonry establishes itself as a complement to ones church, which sounds fine. But while Jesus commanded us to "teach all nations" (Matthew 28:19-20) and to preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15), Masonic etiquette forbids me, as a Christian from sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with my non-Christian brothers within the lodge.

Jesus also commands us to swear no oaths (Matthew 5:34-37) and these sentiments are affirmed by James (5:12). Yet the taking of solemn oaths is at the very heart of Masonic ritual. Likewise the apostle Paul commands that believers in Jesus not be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14)

While Freemasonry teaches the unity of God, it does not center on the God of the Bible and His only son, Jesus Christ... while the Bible is honored, it is not viewed as the sole rule of truth. Good works and virtue are seen as the key to heaven within the teachings of the craft, not a belief in Jesus.

While I have been inactive in the lodge since I became a Christian, I maintained my dues in the organization. I have many friendships within the Masonic family and thank God for them. However, I have many friendships with Prince Hall Masons and the refusal to recognize them as equals among men is against the teachings of God and Masonry.

As a Christian I do not feel that I should publicly be a part of anything that would cause others to doubt my belief in Jesus Christ. It is obvious to me that belonging to an organization that still practices racism and teaches that his own works saves a man may be viewed by others as hypocrisy. Therefore I ask that my name be removed from the rolls of the Lodge.

I will continue to pray for you as brothers in Christ and ask that God continue to bless you as we all seek His will in our lives.

In Christian love,