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The Masonic Lodge

Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by Jack Matthews, Jan 5, 2007.

  1. Jack Matthews

    Jack Matthews New Member

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    I've been asked, on two occasions recently, if I would be interested in joining the Masons. Apparently their membership is aging a bit, and they are looking to perpetuate their fraternity. Both invitations came from individuals who were members of Baptist churches, one is a deacon. Can someone tell me why Baptists seem so inclined?

    I've declined the invitation to join. It doesn't appeal to me, and looks like an organization that uses a religious appearance to gain members and legitimacy.
     
  2. Claudia_T

    Claudia_T New Member

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    Well the Free Masons are just great. It's those Expensive Masons that you have to watch out for.
     
  3. Pete

    Pete New Member

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    Handshakes, signs ....If you scroll through that page quickly and look at the way they are standing in the drawings you can almost hear the Village People singing YMCA.....I wonder if that's why they keep things secret? ;)


    But everyone knows Masons are just to take attention away from the real problem....Stonecutters :smilewinkgrin:
     
  4. Helen

    Helen <img src =/Helen2.gif>

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  5. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    There are aspects of the article mentioned that I agree with. Freemasonry at its core is not a Christian organization. However, it is not anti-Christian either.

    There are issues that are incorrect with the article though.

    The Bible verses used by the masons to present moral ideals in government/self-government are from the Old Testament. It is true that Christ is not mentioned in these verses.

    Masons do not believe that they will receive salvation through works. There is not teaching at all about the way to achieve salvation. The closest I can find about the subject are related to the apron and faith. The most mentioned is first, that by your works you will be received into heaven, but upon further examination, it is that by the works you will be received with the words “well done, you have been faithful with a little…” It alludes to the idea that good deeds will be rewarded. Later on it is stated that through faith in the mercy of God we may trust the Bible, His infallible word that our redeemed spirits shall live eternally. The idea of personal salvation is not discussed as it is taken on the individual’s word that he has faith in God.

    Masons also do not believe that different religions believe in the same God, just using a different name. Some may believe this, but it is not appropriate to consider this a "masonic teaching". The controversy comes in here in that the initiation allegory sets up the government of the lodge. You are free to speak and publish your beliefs in a Masonic arena, but you are not free to debate another’s beliefs. For example, I have heard “Jesus is the only path to salvation. He died on the cross for our sins, and it is only through Him that we are saved” in a lodge. I’ve also heard “Jesus is a good example, but as I am Jewish, I do not believe in Him as savior”.

    The fraternity requires a belief in God, but doesn’t define God. They look for a common ground to regulate moral behavior within a lodge. The York Rite sees the “Blue Lodge” as applying to individual self-government while the Scottish Rite views the allegory to apply to social and national government.

    The mason’s do not claim that the actual name of God has been lost. This is absurd. I think that this claim is referring to the “lost word”, which is an allegory within the initiation play.

    Every member of the fraternity is free to accept or reject any writing or comments presented in masonry with one exception. In Christian lodges, the Bible is considered without flaw. Various views may be voiced but not debated. It’d be like this discussion board if you were only permitted to ask for clarification on another’s comments – and could only respond with “very well, but this is what I believe and why”.

    If you haven’t figured it out, I am a mason. If you have any questions about the fraternity, I’ll answer the best I can for clarification. There is too much in the play used for initiation that can be taken out of context, I was just curious as to any concerns about the fraternity apart from the initiation play.
     
  6. xdisciplex

    xdisciplex New Member

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    The freemasons joined with the illuminati in 1711, if i remember it correctly. the illuminati around pike worshipped lucifer. they make no secret out of this.
    the top leaders of the freemasons serve lucifer, they know exactly what it's all about. the lower masons may be nice people not knowing what kind of club they are in. i would stay away from them.

    why would somebody even want to become a mason? to play with religious and occult symbols? to get a feeling of belonging to something bigger? why not rather join a basketball team or a football team or a band? :)
    i think what makes the masons attractive is this feeling of belonging to some kind of elite, something which not everybody has, something bigger, something secret, something powerful. this is what it's all about.
     
  7. Shiloh

    Shiloh New Member

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    The Masons are a wicked outfit! You don't have to study real hard to find that out. This thing has gone round and round for years. NO Christian has any business joining that outfit. Over the years I have had many men come to me who were thinking of joining this wicked bunch and ask if it's right. What's the problem? They know it's wrong. I have had a number of church members get out of this cult over the years, Praise the Lord. One was our State Rep. You talk about stir up the ire of the community! John Rice wrote on this as well as the old wrestler, Goegrous George aka George Grant.
     
  8. Shiloh

    Shiloh New Member

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    Sorry George, "Gorgeous" better spelling
     
  9. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    The freemasons were never a member of the illuminati, which never made it out of the 19th century. There were, however, masons who were members. They didn’t worship Lucifer, but did accept atheists. It was started May 1776 as a freethinking organization.

    Many have attempted to link their origins to other “illuminati” which existed previously (and supposedly practiced mysticism, sexual perversion, etc.), but this is a different group entirely.

    If you enjoy the conspiracy side of the house, I’d suggest looking at freemasonry watch. It may not be true, but it’s entertaining.
     
  10. xdisciplex

    xdisciplex New Member

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    Yeah right. The masons are all about helping people. You got it all figured out.
    They simply like occult symbols and such things, that's all.
     
  11. Claudia_T

    Claudia_T New Member

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    Here's an article I wrote:


    "Initiation therefore, meant a process whereby natural man, became transformed into spiritual or ultra-natural man, and to effect this it was necessary to change his consciousness, to gear it to a new and higher principle, and so, as it were, make of him a new man in the sense of attaining a new method of life and a new outlook upon the universe." -Wilmhurst, "The Meaning of Masonry." Pg. 185


    Masonry goes far beyond a group of men worshipping Lucifer and practicing the Ancient Mystery Religion. In reality, it is part of a powerful World Order, called The Illuminati. The Secret Societies were impugned with the desire to create a World Revolution and to set up an Occult World with a belief in Lucifer as God. This was the goal of the Secret Societies- to bring in the Anti-Christ, to bring in Lucifer, as God and Ruler of this World!

    Secret Societies today, such as the Freemasonry Organization, are merely a link into the overall New Age "Plan" to destroy Christianity, and then to have a One World Order of Luciferianism in its place, just as Nimrod had planned so long ago, in Ancient Babylon!


    INNER ILLUMINATION

    The term "Illuminati" comes from the root word "illume", which means to "give light" or "one who is enlightened". It is a term used by Occultists, because Lucifer, whom they worship, has a name which means "Light-Bearer" and "Enlightened One", and Illuminati is derived from the idea of having one's eyes opened of "being enlightened" by Lucifer's light.

    In modern Masonry today, an emphasis is put upon the idea of "Spiritual Illumination": "Every candidate for the Mysteries of Masonry, at the proper time and in an appropriate manner, should be taught the truth that the rite of initiation means much more than a formal ceremonial progress through the degrees. Initiation is to be attained only after real labor, deep study, profound meditation, extensive research and a constant practice of those virtues which will open a true path to moral, intellectual, and spiritual illumination." -Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. and A. M., Monitor of the Lodge: Monitorial Instructions in the Three Degrees of Symbolic Masonry, (Grand Lodge of Texas, 1982) pg. XV-XVI

    And so, the question is, What exactly is this so-called "Spiritual Illumination" that Masons aspire to attain? And the answer is: This illumination of Masonry is that same "Cosmic Consciousness" that New Agers seek to obtain... the same New Age "cosmic consciousness one with the Universe" illumination that we have been talking about all along!
    Several books have been published on the subject of Masonic Mysticism, including Arthur Ward's book "Masonic Symbolism and the Mystic Way", and J.D. Buck's book "Mystic Masonry". Albert Pike, esteemed Mason, was referred to as "The greatest of all Masons as he was the greatest of all mystics." -Carl Claudy, "Foreign Countries: a Gateway to the Interpretation and Development of Certain Symbols of Freemasonry." pg. IX.

    Masonic authorities H.L. Haywood and A. E. Waite say: "...there is a class of religious practices called mysticism; Freemasonry is a religious mysticism; whatever may be the place belonging to the religious mysticism in the world is a place belonging to Freemasonry." -Haywood, pg. 211, "The Newly made Mason: What he and every Mason should know about Masonry."

    In Occultism, "mysticism" involves trying to make a direct contact with a spiritual entity, which is achieved by first entering into an altered state of Consciousness. This is why Masons, who believe in mysticism, also talk of the importance of going into Altered States of Consciousness. - "Clausen's Commentaries on Morals and Dogma", pg. 210 Foster Bailey, a 32nd degree Mason refers to: "the necessity for complete self-mastery and expansion of consciousness before the achieving of the Degree of Master (Mason)." -Foster Bailey, "The Spirit of Masonry," pg. 127.

    *Just as a side note, 32nd Degree Mason, Foster Bailey, who I just quoted from, was the husband of Alice Bailey, the once devoted Christian Sunday School teacher became renowned as a prolific author of occult writings, and the Mother, along with Helena Blavatsky, of the New Age Movement. In 1915, Alice Bailey was introduced to Madame Helena Blavatsky and the evil teachings of Theosophy, which began the modern New Age Movement, as we know it today.

    Masonic authority W.L. Wilmhurst and other Masons say that each degree of the Blue Lodge of Masonry is designed to open up the consciousness to progressively higher levels of being. This involves "getting in touch with your "Higher Self" or your "psychic nature", and "finding the divinity (God) within." -Wilmhurst, "The meaning of Masonry." Pg. 11,112 cf. pg. 74,75, 174-185. Wilmhurst says: "The second purpose of the Craft (Mason's) doctrine is to declare the way by which that (divine) centre may be found within ourselves, and this teaching is embodied in the discipline and ordeals delineated in the three degrees. No higher level of attainment is possible than that in which the human merges in the divine consciousness and knows as God knows." -W.L. Wilmhurst, "The Meaning of Masonry", pg. 75,140

    The ancient Mystery Religions, which were based on Nature worship, taught that man was supposed to "get in touch with Nature." Getting in touch with nature also involves getting in touch with your higher self, because supposedly, you and all of nature- fragmented off from the Universal All, and your so-called higher self is nature's most evolved form. If you will recall, Masons really worship the "Great Architect of the Universe" who represents the God of nature or pantheism. And mankind is a part of nature and supposedly has "The Force" of nature running through its collective body.

    In Occultism, Illumination or Enlightenment means to get a completely different or new outlook on your relation to the Universe, and to become "Cosmically Conscious" means to realize that you were once one with the All, but that you fragmented off from it and now you need to get back in touch with the Universal All. Masonic Author, W.L. Wilmhurst tells us, concerning the initiations of ancient pagans and their connection with modern Masonry: "Initiation therefore, meant a process whereby natural man, became transformed into spiritual or ultra-natural man, and to effect this it was necessary to change his consciousness, to gear it to a new and higher principle, and so, as it were, make of him a new man in the sense of attaining a new method of life and a new outlook upon the universe." -Wilmhurst, The Meaning of Masonry. pg. 185

    The belief of Witches is that: "At the exact moment when the fasting (for inner purity) has produced its purpose- that is, inner illumination, a secret, ecstatic sensation of total unity with the Universe (occurs)." -Witchcraft and the Mysteries, pg. 77. Founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola was involved in "Illumination", and the real purpose of reaching this illuminated state was to be able to talk to dead saints and angels. John Fergusen tells us that a state of voluntary spirit possession is "the core of mystical experience." -Fergusen, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mysticism and the Mystery Religions, pg. 148 Carl Claudy, Mason, said: "The Spiritualist (Medium) who feels that unseen friends are waiting to receive and carry him forward can be a good Master Mason." -Claudy, Foreign Countries, pg. 102

    And of course, as we would expect, this "illumination" that Masons ascribe to involves also the typical Occultists idea of "harmonizing all opposites", such as one's "dual nature of good and evil". -Jim Shaw and Tom McKenney, "The Deadly Deception: Freemasonry exposed by one of its Top Leaders," pg. 157 ...you can see in this picture of a typical Masonic Hall that the floor is decorated with the black and white tiles. These of course, symbolize the positive and negative forces of their pantheistic "God"!
    This sheds light on what type of "Spirits" that Masons are getting in touch with when they go into their altered states of consciousness! Only an evil spirit would want you to harmonize the "good and evil within". This is the foundation of what "The Illuminati" groups stood for, who were known as "Ghost Seers". And now we will discuss the most well known Illuminati Group, headed by Dr. Adam Weishaupt... a Group that fused together with the Freemasonry Society.
     
  12. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    A brief history lesson:

    The Illuminati is the name of several groups (real and imagined). What most conspiracy theorist are talking about is the Bavarian Illuminati. They called themselves Perfectibilists.

    The Illuminati was started in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt, who was a Jew that had been baptized into the Roman Catholic faith. He was a professor of cannon law at the Roman Catholic university of Ingolstadt. He started the Illuminati with 5 members. They advocated no religion. Weishaupt collaborated with Adolf von Knigge, a predominant German Freemason, with a plan to infiltrate the masons thereby establishing an immediate presence across Europe (at it’s height, the Illuminati never obtained a large number). Knigge and Weishaupt had a violent disagreement on the principles of the Illuminati’s goals, and severed all ties with the few Masonic lodges that previously held communications with the Illuminati.

    When the Bavarian government went after Weishaupt he fled the country, leaving behind everything, including his papers outlining his plan. The Illuminati planned to over throw all governments and establish itself as a world government.

    In reality the Illuminati was a short lived, insignificant group seeking an impossible goal. However, with the publication of the Illuminati papers by the Bavarian government, the group lived on in fantasy. The revolution of 1789 in France refueled the myth that this group was seeking world domination. While the circumstances that caused the revolution were the same that inspired this group, the citizens looked for an external force to explain the revolution. The same occurred 1917 with the Russian revolution, and several outbreaks following WWI.

    Authors such as Nesta Webster helped fuel the concern that the Illuminati was behind these revolutions. After all, Weishaupt was a Jew, and the Illuminati and Freemasons were considered to be a Jewish front for world domination. Weishaupt also wrote under the pseudonym “Spartacus”, which was also used by German Communists.

    The Illuminati were not a good bunch, but they were historically irrelevant – other than contributing to folklore. Any other discussion of this group is based on conspiracy theory and speculation (at best).
     
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