ANOTHER LOOK AT THE MASONIC LODGE !
By Donald Prout
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Before me, as I write, is a comparatively recent booklet issued
by the Grand Lodge of Victoria “with the assistance of the Grand Lodges of New
Zealand and South Australia.” It is
titled “Freemasonry and Christianity”
and is co-authored by four ordained
ministers of mainline Christian
churches. Copies are available at the
Masonic Centre from the Grand Secretary.
In other words, this is about as
official as one can get. So often writers combating Freemasonry have zeroed in
on an obscure statement by an individual Mason who was simply voicing his own
ideas. Or worse still, they have
consulted the enemies of Freemasonry rather than Masons themselves to uncover
the teachings of the Lodge. And there is
plenty of Masonic literature available to reveal the basic thrust of their
ideology. As for secret grips and passwords… these are peripheral to the main
body of teaching that ought to disturb any Christian who contemplates joining
this world-wide organization.
CHRISTIAN
FREEMASONS ?
So we will examine this booklet
(here-after referred to as F & C. ) and see whether the
Reverend gentleman who wrote it are justified in their claim that there is
“nothing incompatible” with Christianity behind the locked doors of the Lodge
room.
“This booklet is designed to inform you of the
facts regarding Christianity and Freemasonry. It should also enable Freemasons
and their families to feel more comfortable and confident in the face of
criticism and provide them with information which will assist them to refute
erroneous accusations.”(F.& C.)
The authors state…and I have no
doubt that they are correct… “A
considerable number of Freemasons are Christians..” After all, there are thousands of Christians
who have little understanding of basic Bible teaching. They are
“babes in Christ” who never have grown since the day of their
conversion. The folk at Corinth were
like that. Paul called them “brothers” for they were part of the family of God.
But as for spiritual maturity… it was sadly lacking. Likewise the writer of Hebrews laments the fact that those to
whom he writes are still on the “milk of the Word” instead of getting in to the
“strong meat.”
( Hebrews 5: 12-14)
And then there are mature
Christians belonging to Freemasonry
who have never bothered to examine its deeper teachings. To them it is
just a social gathering … a night out filled with some curious ritual and good
fellowship. They become a Master Mason but have no interest in pressing on to
the higher degrees.
DECEPTIVE
TEACHING !
It is interesting to read
another pamphlet at this juncture issued by the Grand Lodge of Victoria. Titled
‘A MOMENT OF CHALLENGE’, it is a plea from the Most Worshipful Grand
Master for those who have reached the Master Mason’s status to now press on to
the next degree. Why? “For the genuine
secrets of a Master Mason were not given to you: you were told that they were lost:
… you can recover them by passing through the exaltation ceremony in a Ho;y
Royal Arch Chapter. .. Emphasis is on
the spiritual rather than the material….”
Another tract, also issued by
the Grand Lodge of Victoria, states the same thing… “As a Master Mason you have now travelled far …(but)… there are many things left unexplained. The way is now open for you to arrive at
your destination…. (being restored to your ) … pre-destined place in the Divine
Architecture. Such a place awaits every Master Mason…” (The
Next Step. )
And another Masonic writer,
the Rev. F. Castells in his “Historical
Analysis of the Holy Royal Arch Ritual”
also admits that the Master Mason is given “certain substituted secrets”. ( p.
84) Which sounds to me
like a polite way of saying the Master Mason is told lies ! The ‘truth’ is not revealed
until he rises to the next degree !
But the vast majority of Master
Masons do not go on to the Royal Arch degree. . The hocus-pocus of the
“spiritual” degrees does not interest them.
And Christians Masons who
proceed no further find little to disturb them.( Strictly speaking, there are things there that should disturb
them, but ignorance of Scripture and peer pressure causes them to remain
in the Lodge. ) It is in the higher
degrees one finds more Masonic teachings that clash blatantly with the
teachings of Scripture.
WHICH
GOD ?
“The majority have joined the Craft for the sake of its fellowship which
is not concerned with wealth , standing or religious conviction…”( F.& C..)
Although it could be added
that some men do join with somewhat mercenary motives. Many a business deal has
hinged on the proper Masonic handshake!
…………………………..
Masons, we read, have “a common bond of belief in God..”( F. &
C..) And right there we strike our first major stumbling block. For it is only fair to ask… “Which God
?” Bound together in this bundle of
life called Freemasonry is the Muslim and Buddhist and Hindu and Christian and
any other religious devotee who cares to join. “Masonry does not require a man to …reject the faith in which he has
been brought up in the established religion of his country.”(F. & C..) And again :-“Members of differing belief are encouraged
to be faithful to their own religious commitments.” ( F. & C. .) (Emphasis
mine.)
Surely a Mason who claims to be a
Christian finds himself in a dilemma here. His Bible requires him to “preach
the gospel to every creature” whilst his Lodge tells him, in effect, that it is
not necessary for those of other faiths
to change their religion. How can he witness to the lost, as the Bible
tells Christians to do, and at the same time belong to an organization that encourages them to remain as they are ?
For that matter, “religious discussion is
forbidden in Masonic Lodges.”( F. & C. ) This simply means the
Christian Mason must not witness for
Christ in the Lodge room. And faced with such conflicting demands the Christian
Mason usually finds himself obeying the Lodge… and disobeying the Lord. If he
disobeys the Lodge…he’s out ! I wonder if he has ever contemplated the end
result of continually disobeying the Lord in this matter?
THE
GOD OF MASONRY !
But the worst is yet to come,
though the Master Mason does not know it unless he progresses to the Royal Arch
degree. For there it is the God of the Freemasons is revealed to be
JAH-BUL-ON !!! Now the “truth” is
finally made manifest. This “lost name of God” is revealed to the
candidate … “This is the sacred word
which you have solemnly vowed never to disclose… It is a compound word and its
combinations form the word, JAH-BUL-ON.
JAH…is the Hebrew word signifying ‘I Am’…… BUL (
Baal) is an Assyrian word signifying ‘Lord’… ON is an Egyptian word signifying ‘Father of All’…” (Ritual of the Holy Royal Arch p. 55-56)
To link the Name of Jehovah with that of two pagan gods is
blasphemy. I cannot help but think of Elijah as he did battle with the
idolatrous priests. He could have
said…had he been a Freemason … “If Jehovah be God, follow Him. But if
Baal be god, it doesn’t matter because they are all the same god.”
Conscious of this criticism
against the Lodge, the writers of the booklet have the effrontery to write “ the
several Masonic names for God are quite consistent with Biblical names for
God.”( F. & C. .)
Come on, now! Let’s be honest! JAH-BUL-ON is far removed
from anything in the Word of God !
Surely only Christians who
are ignorant of the teachings of Scripture,
and know not this name of God revealed in the Royal Arch degree, could
join themselves to a religious organization that so defiantly denigrates the One we worship.
RELIGIOUS
CEREMONIES.
The booklet has much to say
about Masonry not being a religion. But
it is admitted “its ceremonies have a
considerable religious character.” There are prayers and hymns and an altar and a chaplain and
rituals. They meet in Temples and the leader of proceedings often has “ Worshipful Master” before his
name. Some degrees are spoken of as “Most
Holy” such as the Royal Arch. Belief in
God and the future life are essential truths to be upheld despite the rather
remarkable claim that “Freemasonry has no
theological doctrine of its own.” (F.
& C.) There are “no sacraments” we are told, although a
“death, burial and resurrection” ritual
does take place something akin
to Christian baptism.
THE
MASON’S BIBLE .
And a “Volume of the Sacred
Law” is placed upon the altar. In
Australia, that book is usually the Bible. But “in non-Christian
environments other books sacred to
their religion are used.” (F.& C.) Sometimes
a number of “sacred books” are placed in the Lodge room side by side. ( The Craft by John Hamill ;
Librarian & Curator of the Grand Lodge of England. p.90.) Just
as the God of the Christians is placed in the same category as Allah or
Krishna or Baal or a sacred cow of the Hindus
(!!) … so the Word of God, is
put on a level with the “sacred” books
of other world religions.
But does
not a Christian look upon the Bible in a unique sense ? Do the Zend-Avestas or
the Koran or the other “sacred books” of the world reveal God’s will to mankind
and the way of salvation? How can a Christian Mason stand by silently as he
sees God’s Word degraded to the level of any other book . I think I know. It is “the fear of man that bringeth a snare…” ( Proverbs 29:25)
THOSE
OATHS.
The blood-curdling oaths which
are required of candidates being initiated into Masonry and which threaten dire
consequences if the secrets of Masonry are revealed to others …. “having my
throat cut across …etc. etc. etc.” “are symbolic.”
( F.&
C.) Although Worshipful Brother
J.S.M. Ward , Founder of the Masonic Study Society and ‘well known author of Masonic works’ in his
“Entered Apprentice Handbook”( Masonic Handbook Series Fourth Edition 1964) assures
us that “in some foreign countries death
is still enforced under certain circumstances” (p.44)
The only reason the oaths are
treated in a symbolic manner in civilized countries is “because of better police supervision.” (p. 44) Otherwise,
this Masonic historian is obviously saying, it would be woe betide any
apostate Mason in our nation who revealed
our secrets to the uninitiated !
Despite this rather awful admission, the co-authors of our booklet tell
us “ nothing taught is incompatible with civic, moral or
religious duties….”( F.& C.) Come
on now! Who are you trying to kid ??
MASONIC
MORALITY .
In the same vein is the dubious
oath that a Mason promises (on the Volume of the Sacred Law) to “most strictly
respect the chastity of those nearest and dearest
(to a
fellow Mason ) in the person of his wife, his sister and his child.” (
Revised Ritual of Craft Freemasonry. P.
101) Famous American evangelist,
Charles G. Finney who left Freemasonry after his conversion denounces the sub-Christian standard of
this oath taken by candidates for the Master Mason degree. “Why not promise this in respect to all women ?” he writes. “If this oath had included all women it would have the
appearance of justice and benevolence, but as it is, it is only an odious
partiality, and does not imply even the semblance of virtue.” (
Freemasonry. pp. 83-84)
THE
MISSING SAVIOUR .
“ Freemasons are to be in harmony with God, the Creator of the Universe
and the Father of Mankind and in Charity with all mankind. (F.& C.)
And here
again the Christian Freemason shuts his eyes to the obvious contradiction
between the teachings of his Bible and the teachings of his Lodge.
Masonry stresses … “piety and virtue and
faith in God.”( F. & C.) Which
God one puts faith in doesn’t really matter to them and , as we have already
noticed , some aspects of their piety
do not come up to that required by the God of the Bible.
On the other hand, that same
Bible tells us that to be “in harmony with God” is only possible through the
Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One, by His death on the cross, who made it
possible for sinful man to be reconciled to a Holy God. Yet Freemasonry deliberately omits all reference to Him! No Masonic prayer must close with the
Christian phrase, “In Jesus’ Name we ask it; Amen!” For seated beside one
in the Lodge room may be a Jew or a Hindu or Moslem who denies the Lord Jesus
His role as Saviour. “And it would be
inappropriate for specific aspects of one religion to be forced on
others.”(F.& C.)
But what saith the Scripture ? “All
men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not
the Son honoureth not the Father.” (John 5:23)
What saith the Scripture ?
“Whosoever shall deny Me before men,” said the Lord Jesus, “him will I deny
before My Father which is in Heaven…”( Matthew 10:33)
What saith the Scripture? “Be not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers… what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate. “( 2
Corinthians 6:14-17)
…………………………………….
In the light of such Scriptures those who name the Name of
Christ should avoid being in
fellowship with those who worship other gods. They have no right to call themselves
followers of the Lord Jesus whilst “denying Him before men” and failing to
“honour Him” as the only true Lord and Saviour.
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