Masons? Good or bad?

Its not that but if you pick apart one group (now that I am going to work for them) then you need to pick apart the others. JMHO. It has nothing to do about my beliefs just what I am observing. Thank you.

 

What makes anyone think that masonry teaches another gospel? How long have you been a mason and what degree have you reached?

Masonry is no different to the Lions Club, Legion clubs, Kiwanis and other such fund raising clubs that spread good around the world.

I have my personal reasons for resigning from masonry, but I will say that I never had religion, of any sort, pushed down my throat in order to advance up the chairs to 33rd degree masonry.

Whilst they may have some views on the eastern religions and the pyramids and such, not once was I asked to deny the Lord Jesus Christ of evangelical Christianity to serve in masonry.

My particular lodge held a church parade each year in an evangelical Anglican Church. Funny for an organization that is supposed to be anti-Christian!

If you don't like masonry, for any reason you choose, just don't seek membership. Masons don't proselytize. In fact the unwrittem motto is, "If you want to be a mason, ask one." They enjoy a universal brotherhood, have principles and spread good around the world. Secular? Yes. Religious in the broadest sense? Yes. That is as far as it goes.

Cheers,

Jim

By the way, my former lodge was St. John's Lodge...funny! Name sound familiar for an anti-Christian organization!

 

Thanks! For the insight I totally agree with you!:thumbs:

 

Well, Jim, then why do at least 4 ministries exist of Christians who are former Masons who warn against Freemasonry? Why do some of their materials teach salvation by works?

Both John Ankerberg and the SO Baptist Interfaith Witness Dept have materials that specifically quote some Mason materials that are contrary to the Bible. Ankerberg did a series of TV shows with former Masons on it.

I myself have read some Mason material and it does teach being moral and good, so that one can advance towards a spiritual reward (Christ is not mentioned as necessary).

Your experience was with masons who were probably Christians or at least identified themselves as such, but that does not mean Freemasonry is Christian; it is not.

Also, here in the U.S. the Masons have decided to promote themselves and recruit more.

 

Well, you can debate the hidden agendas of the Masonic Lodge if you so choose, but on the big grand scale of things, more people involved in their community and funding hospitals for children isn't a bad thing. Doesn't make them Christian but society does benefit. Of note, if someone drops out of church because of their Masonic commitments, then in all likelihood they never really where committed in the first place. Rather then jamming books down their throat about how awful and pagan they are, perhaps we should love them as our neighbor, help them when in need and share the Gospel when the opportunity arrives. Then if they accept Jesus, we can trust the Holy Spirit to do his work in their lives. I'm sure he is able to handle any paganism or Baal worship. Just a suggestion!

 

I don't think anyone is advocating "jamming books" down people's throats nor teaching we should not love Masons!

However, when there are false religious teachings, we are told to respond to them and defend the faith. A large part of the NT warns against false teachings. It's a major theme.

In fact, thanks for your post because it reminds me of another source: Reasoning from the Scriptures with Masons by Ron Rhodes, a well respected Christian writer who is considered an expert, and who certainly does not advocate not loving people! In fact, I know Ron, and if he believes it was worthwhile writing this book, then for sure I know there are problems with Masonic teachings.

 

Other groups are not the topic of this thread. If you want to discuss them start a thread about them.
Any false religion can and will be picked apart. Are the Lions club a religion? Do they preach a gospel of any kind? As far as I understand they do not. If a group is not a religion there's nothing to pick apart. We as christians can not over look false religions. And masons are a false religion, this has been proven. Salvation by works by keepin thier lives clean, symbolized by keeping their little white apron clean. Lots more anti god junk. Such as, in a predominately muslim country their 'holy book' on display is the koran. Any religion can join, and asny 'god' can be chosen to pray to and serve. They are a false religion and prmote antichristian beleifs.
Been lots of proof here many times.

 

You are so clever, you are, How does a Roman Catholic become a mason?

Cheers,

Jim

PS. If I am a cultist because I was a mason, why on earth was I in the Baptist ministry for so many years, and why am I allowed to post here?

 

Jim, it's well known that quite a few Baptists are Masons. This is mentioned at several points in this thread.

 

Marcia, point taken. This is especially true within the Southern Baptist organization.....or was at one time....like all social organizations, numbers are dwindling.

My point was that some here are labelling people based on someone else's teaching, and perhaps some things they teach are questionable.

I see a lot of half truths, but over the years I have simply ignored them.

If it is true that masonic groups in Muslim countries use the Koran, that should demonstrate how loosely religious we are as an organization. Many of the arguments against us are false or half-truths at best, but at least have a false bases. We are no more religious than all Lion's Club members are alcoholics because the majority drink beer after every meeting.

Then, these people, former-members, took an oath of secrecy when they joined and this discredits their word. They didn't think much of their oath before a holy God.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Masons? Good or bad?

I was a mason (Scottish Rite) for many years. I recently had my name expunged from all masonic groups. I had trouble with a statement in a particular degree that said " We do not assert that he was God and as little do we deny it ( "referring to Jesus Christ,) ....)" I do assert that he is God. There are several other reasons, but this was enough for me.

 

Jim, I realize there are some half-truths and even false statements about the Masons out there, but are you saying ministries such as Eph. 5.11 are all telling lies about the Masons when they claim it has religious teachings?

Notice your last sentence. The fact that a Christian would take an "oath of secrecy" is a huge problem in and of itself. Once they depart from an organization that requires this, I think they are obligated to expose such an organization. This is like saying witches who take oaths and then later renounce Wicca are betraying their group (I am not equating Masonry with Wicca). It is never wrong to expose a group that has false teachings.

There is no such thing as taking an oath of secrecy before God, because such an oath is pagan.

Jesus himself said he taught nothing in secret (John 18.20). Secret oaths and secrecy in spiritually based organizations is completely contrary to the Bible.

 

Which god would that be? Masons accept any and all 'gods'. Hindu gods, Muhammad, any and all are acceptable, just pick one, and thats the 'god' of the masons.

 

And, of course, strong mason that you are, you would know.

And, since you know so much, whose "god" is mine, pray tell?

Cheers,

Jim

 

I really appreciate this forum and the majority of its posters... full of judgement and mininimal, if any grace. Way to go!:thumbs:

 

I do appreciate this forum in that people unfamiliar with the masons might learn some things they didn't know.
The bible says in 1 Thes 5:21 "prove all things,hold fast that which is good".
Maybe someone is in the masons right now reading this will be convicted by God and get out of this cult if it is really teaching things contrary to God's holy word, or they can just justify it and claim like the world we are judging people and use matthew 7:1 out of context.

 

I can only tell you what masons themselves say.

 

We are to judge false religions, and teachers as being false. Some christians talk like they would accept any religion, makes no difference to them. Read the bible, it makes a difference.

 

My father was a 32nd Degree Freemason in the Scottish Rite Lodge.

He also went through all the "chairs" of the lodge, and became the "Worshipful Master" of his lodge. He served the standard one year, and then was titled, a "Past Master".

As a Christian in my younger years, my father and I went round and round over his participation in the lodge. He wanted me/his son to be a Freemason, but I didn't have the interest in my earlier years, and didn't want to for biblical reasons in my Christian years, or Born-Again years.........as a Christian.

Anyway, it is a cult. On the alter of every lodge is a bible in American lodges. The Shriner have the Koran on their alter. Lodges worldwide can opt to have any holy or venerated religious book on their alter.

They consider the bible as just one "guiding" light of Freemasonry. In other words, the Quran, bible, or any other book that is foundational to a particular religion is not taboo, but is considered just another "light" of freemasonry.

Secrets: Oh do they have secrets! For those that think that Freemasonry is benevolently safe, they don't know about the "blood oaths" that Masons take as they advance in degrees.

Joseph Smith Jr.......Founder of the Mormon or LDS religion is purported to have been a 33 degree Mason. The very secretive rituals and information shared to Temple Mormons are nearly carbon copies of Masonic rituals, right down to secret handshakes, and hideous blood oaths.

Masons have disavowed this story, but it is very true. A Mr. Morgan who lived in New York and was a Freemason, divulged much of the secret handshakes, Words of Help/distress of freemasons calling for fellow Mason's help, and other details, in a book, and was summarily murdered by Freemasons, as was the rules of their oaths.

Taken alive/kidnapped from his home in view of his wife, he was taken out on the Niagara River, his body weighted down, and tossed in the river to die a most dreadful drowning death.

The Lodge totally denied complicity, but one of the murderer's in a death bed statement, claimed responsiblility along with other accomplices in Mr. Morgans murder.

Death bed statements are held very highly in courts of law, as those making these statements when of clear mind and focus will often be ready to make amends or divulge sins in their waining hours of life.

Anyway, after Mr. Morgan's death and the "hoopla" in the press, hundreds of thousands of members of American Masonic lodges left the lodge back in the 1800's.

Charles Finney also published a blistering book, that directly attacked the Masonic movement, and explained clearly how the Masonic movement had infiltrated churches in the form of high held positions of elders, pastors, deacons.......etc....

The Freemasons encourage their members to be active in their church congregations, and to work towards positions of influence and decision making.

Sadly, many pastors are just plain ignorant of what Freemasonry is, and will willingly allow them to be members in high standing, and influence in their congregations/churches. In fact, as previously mentioned in other posts, many pastors are indeed ranking masons, many notable ones being 33 degree masons.

The major book that Freemasons venerate as a sort of doctrinal book of Freemasonry, is "The Morals And Dogmas Of Freemasonry" by author Albert Pike. If you can read the book, you will come out of it a very confused person indeed. Pike goes on and on philosophizing about every religion of the day or world at the time of his authorship. Pike mentions in this book that Lucifer is actually the true God of Freemasonry. Also, keep in mind that A. Pike was a high ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan, and also a Freemason!

I love my deceased father who was a very involved Freemason. In his later years he started attending a bible church with me, and as he listened to biblical sermons, and studied his bible, and fellowshiped with Christians, his involvement with Freemasonry gradually dwindled to zero. He no longer attended his Friday night meetings at the Sir Francis Drake Scottish Rite, Lodge in South San Francisco anymore. We even noticed that at special holidays when our familys got together, that Dad's old "wrote" memorized prayers from his Episcopalean background were replaced by genuine personal prayers to God at our mealtimes. My Dad changed greatly, and no longer defended the lodge.........I no longer prodded or debated him. I really think that Dad crossed the bridge, built by Jesus Christ Himself to a relationship with God Almighty!

I prayed for years for my father. I knew that my father was involved in a very demonic cult, that he was blinded from understanding it's anti-biblical stance, and foundations. I personally experienced what I believe to be some very vicious spiritual attacks
as a result of praying for my father's salvation. The spiritual scales indeed fell from my father's eyes or his soul, and the change was gradual, but definite.

Folks the tell-tale sign of every cult or Christian cult, is what they do with Jesus Christ. Do they diminish His Godhood, and make Him out to just be a mere man, a prophet, or is He just a series of men like you and me who was made into some type of diety, by good works.............The J.W.'s teach that Jesus was merely a created being, an angel of high rank, named Michael.. The LDS church teaches that Jesus is not part of a triune Godhead, and indeed was once a man like any human man, who was elevated to godhood. In fact the LDS church goes so far as to teach that their are a myriad of Jesus's on other planets.

Islam venerates Jesus as a prophet, but the Son of God, and God Himself..........NO! Islam goes to far as to accept the crucifixion, but teach that Jesus wasn't really dead, and was taken down and revived........Another Islamic teaching is that Jesus was substituted or replaced with another person on the cross, and thus, escaped death, and then appeared later to be alive.............Basically a con job.

Folks you can spend all day trying to pick apart the unbiblical doctrinal stances of religions or movements, but bottom-line...........You just have to investigate what they do with the Son of God. Will they accept that He is and was God-incarnate, with all the attributes of God, and did He trully beat death, and raise up from the grave, and ascend to sit at the right hand of God Almight in co-equal existence?

Freemasons are programmed or brainwashed to defend their movement as a non religious society of men who are just searching for truth, and comrade-ship. Sadly, they meet the total criteria of an occult religion, shrouded in benevolent deeds of humanity..Children's hospitals, and many other benificial foundations.

The Masonic concept of God, is a mishmash of Hinduism, Buddism, Judaism, Christianity, Zorastriasm, Confucism, Bahai, New Age, and on and on and on......... They are all-encompassing of all faiths or systems of belief.

They meet the very criteria of Romans 1, where Paul succinctly says, "They exchanged the Truth for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools"...............

Folks, it's a spiritual battle. When you talk or debate the merits of Freemasonry; remember you are going against powers and principalities that have imbedded such hardened scales to the spiritual eyes of those that are deeply involved in Freemasonry.

Many Christians succumb to Freemasonry, because they ignorantly see it as innocent, and just a fraternity. Many Christians upon facing the challenge of the early degrees and the hideous oaths realize that they must flee, and have their eyes opened to something that is not Christ-friendly in any way.

Sadly other young immature believers get sucked in, looking for comrade-ship, business contacts, and influence in their church and completely miss out on the blessing of biblical knowledge, and the Holy Spirits abiding influence in their lives.

As Romans 12:1-2 emphasize, we must renew our minds, purge out the old recordings from before our salvation, and replace them with God's truth/scripture. If we don't work on knowing the foundational, biblical doctrines of our faith, we are "easy game" for the occult, and for Christian cults.........I.E. Mormonism.

Truth sets us free, and faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God..............man's authored substitute for religion and meaning of life is the dangerous and pitiful alternative.

 

About 5 years ago I had my name expunged from the Masons after being an active 32 degree Mason for over thirty years. First let me say that the Masonic Lodge is comprised of some of the best people that I know. They are ignorant of the purpose and goals of the organization and their leaders. This is something that each individual will have to deal with personally. The rituals and rites are so constructed to teach character and instill morality in its members.
You might ask why did I wait 30 years to make this decision. At first I enjoyed the fellowship with the rank and file which included the "movers and shakers' of the community and also well known politicians. (pride & ego)
There was one part in a particular ritual that bothered me from the start but I had several people try to justify it by different connotations but not to my satisfaction.
The statement was "We do not assert that he was the Word that in the beginning
was with God and was God, and as little do we deny it , that is a question to be settled elsewhere." But I did assert that. So when the Holy Spirit convicted me I had no choice.
Your Pastor will be reluctant to tell you what I have for if it is in your church as it is in mine their are many Masons some of them in areas of leadership within the body.
Do I regret this experience? NO! This has given me several opportunities to share this with other masons.
There are many good Christian web-sites that deal with this including John Ankerberg.