The Riches OF GRACE

“hath appeared to all men.” Titus 2:11

Robert W. Reed

December 2002

 

 

Freemasonry

Fraternity or Religion?

 

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Proverbs 16:25

 

+ The Lodge is No Place for Christians +

 

     Freemasonry is a false religious organization that has its roots in paganism. The Masons give the impression that they date back many centuries. They generally claim that their beginning was with the building of King Solomon’s Temple and that Solomon organized the first Masonic Lodge. But, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it began around 1717 a.d. in London, England. Masonry came to American soil about 1733, sixteen years later. The Lodge is anti-Christian and unscriptural. Please consider the following quotes by Albert Pike, a leading authority on Freemasonry:

     “Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion.”

Morals & Dogma, p. 213

     “Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one god who is above all the Baalim, must needs leave it to each of its initiates to look for the foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own religion.”

Morals and Dogma, p. 226

 

     In this article, I will give quotes from the Freemasonry’s recommended authorities such as Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, Henry Coil and Clauson.

 

The Lodge and Religion

 

     Many Lodge members claim that their “fraternity” is not a religion, but religious practices are seen throughout the organization. Before joining, one must swear belief in a “Supreme Being.”  The buildings they meet in are called temples. They have altars, prayers, sacred vows, sacred books, ceremonies, priests, chaplains, and worshipful masters. Masonry teaches about the celestial lodge above and the immortality of the soul. Albert Pike states in Morals and Dogma, page 213, that “every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion.” He also says on page 219 that, “Masonry is a worship.” Other Masonic writers, such as Henry Coil, Albert Mackey and Clausen confirm the same teaching. Freemasonry even has a religious service at the funeral of a deceased brother. The letter “G” hangs over the head of the Worshipful Master of the Lodge which stands for God. Prayers to the “Great Architect of the Universe” are used to open Lodge meetings. Freemasonry is definitely a religion and a false one at that. The religion of Masonry is not Christianity, for it admits men of all faiths. The Bible clearly states that Jesus Christ is the only true mediator (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) and the church is the only ordained institution in the New Testament (Matthew 16:18-19). The Lodge is a man-made institution and a Christian has no business being a part of it.

 

The Lodge and the Bible

 

     Even though the Bible is a part of the furniture in the Lodge, and even quoted from in some of its rituals, it is not the authoritative book, but only a symbol. The Mason is not required to believe the Bible’s entire teaching as his final authority. The only reason for Christians to use the Bible in the Lodge is so they can swear allegiance to Freemasonry on their sacred book. The same would hold true for a Muslim and the Koran. The Hindu would use the Vedas and the Hebrew would use the Old Testament to swear allegiance to the Lodge. Freemasonry admits men of all religions into its organization if they will swear allegiance on their sacred book. Masons can worship any god, for they have no salvation, cross or blood atonement. Please consider this quote from Mackey’s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry: “The religion of Masonry is not sectarian, it admits men of every creed within its hospitable bosom, rejecting none and approving none for his peculiar faith.” Albert Pike in Morals and Dogma, page 226, confirms the same thing. Christianity teaches that the Bible is the only book that is absolute truth (II Timothy 3:15-16, Revelation 22:18-19, Proverbs 30:5-6).

 

The Lodge and God

 

     The god of Masonry is not the God of the Bible and Christianity.  The teaching of Freemasonry leads to a universal religion by which they refer to God as “Deity” or “Great Architect of the Universe.” The Masonic god is the god of this world according to II Corinthians 4:4, and is blinding souls from the truth. Masonry has joined Jehovah God with other false deities which is forbidden in Scriptures (Exodus 20:3, Isaiah 42:8, I Kings 18:21). The Lodge claims to have discovered the sacred name of God in which they say had been lost. This name is not told to the average mason until he reaches the Royal Arch degree (seventh degree). Freemasonry has mingled the name of God with pagan deities. The god of Masonry is a composite deity made up of Jehovah, Baal and Osiris. So, the true name of God is “Jahbulon” according to Freemasonry. The word is broken down as: Jah, meaning Jehovah, Bul, a rendering of the name Baal, the god of Babylon, and On, a term used for Osiris, an Egyptian deity. So, Freemasonry is idolatry and blasphemy which joins all religions together.

 

The Lodge and Jesus Christ

 

     In Masonry, Jesus Christ is put on the same level with Mohammed, Osiris, Buddha, and Confucius. The name of Jesus is deleted from certain verses used in Masonic rituals such as II Thessalonians 3:6, 12. The Lodge does not consider Jesus Christ as being the divine Son of God nor does it consider Him as the one mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:4-6). Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is not required to join the Lodge. Prayers are prohibited in “Jesus’ name,” especially if someone objects to it in the Lodge. Please note this quote on page 525 from Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike, a standard reference book used by the Lodge: “It [Masonry] reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the lawgiver of the Jews, in Confucius and Zoroaster, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabian Iconoclast, great teachers of morality, and eminent reformers, if no more; and allows every brother of the order to assign to each such higher and even divine character as his creed and truth require.”

 

The Lodge and Oaths

 

     No Christian should bind himself to secrecy by bloody oaths (James 5:12, Matthew 5:33-37). The Mason is required to take oaths in the initiation rituals of the Blue Lodge and all the thirty-three degrees of Freemasonry. Please consider the oath taken by the Entered Apprentices or First Degree: “I will always hail, even conceal, and never reveal any of the secret oaths, parts, or points of the hidden mysteries of Ancient Freemasonry...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low-water mark.” One oath is taken with three men, swords drawn, one with the point of the sword at the throat, one pointed at the heart, and the third drawn across his bowels. The master mason swears, “...under no less penalty than that of having my body severed in two, my bowels taken from thence and burned to ashes, the ashes scattered before the four winds of heaven....” We have not the authority to swear these kinds of oaths because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, belonging to God. Also, the secrecy in the Lodge is a violation of Scripture, for in John 18:20, Jesus said, In secret have I said nothing,. . .”  The truth of the gospel is to be proclaimed to all (Matthew 28:19, Matthew 10:26-27, Matthew 5:15-16 and Revelation 22:17).

     Freemasonry makes many claims that are untrue. One of these claims is that George Washington was a notable leader in the Lodge. They say that he was the chartered Worshipful Master of the Lodge in Alexandria, Virginia, and continued to fill that position during his tenure of office as president of the United States. George Washington’s presidential term was from 1789 to 1797. He was born in 1732 and died in 1799. The following is a quote from Rev. Charles G. Finney’s book on Freemasonry published in 1869, chapter 16, page 222. “Mt. Vernon, September 25, 1798: ‘I have little more to add than thanks for your wishes, and favorable sentiments, except to correct an error you have run into of my presiding over the English Lodges in this country. The fact is I preside over none, nor have I been in one more than once or twice within the last thirty years. I believe, notwithstanding, that none of the Lodges in this county are contaminated with the principle ascribed to the society of the Illuminati.’ Signed George Washington.”

 

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”  II Corinthians 6:17

 

 

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”  Acts 16:31

 

 

Victory Baptist Church

Pastor Robert W. Reed

14473 Bellingrath Road

P.O. Box 257

Coden, Alabama 36523

(251) 873-4422