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The goals of Masonry are to unite the world under the umbrella of Masonic doctrine that teaches the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and the immortality of the soul. Masons foresee the day when all religious division and sectarianism (i.e., what Masonry views as specific or exclusivistic [sic], and therefore “divisive,” religious beliefs) will be wiped away, and a new era of universal peace, brotherhood, and religious faith will emerge.
The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge by Ankerberg & Weldon
Arguably, the most controversial issue that Freemasonry has ever faced is the question of whether it is a religion. We will assure you and demonstrate, based on our firsthand experience, that Freemasonry is undeniably a religion.
As a foundation let’s start with a valid dictionary definition of the word Religion. In The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, William P. Alston lists nine characteristics that make a religion. Alston provides an extensive list, so we’ll make his our working definition, but we can use any definition of ‘religion’ to prove that Freemasonry is irrefutably one.
- Belief in supernatural beings (gods).
- A distinction between sacred and profane objects.
- Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.
- A moral code believed to be sanctioned by the gods.
- Characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual, and which are connected in ideas with the gods.
- Prayer and other forms of communication with gods.
- A worldview, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an overall purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it.
- A more or less total organization of one’s life based on the worldview.
- A social group bound together by the above.
Alston states, in the Encyclopedia of Philosophy that “when enough of these characteristics are present to a sufficient degree, we have a religion.” Now let’s break this definition down as it relates to Freemasonry, in order to show you that the Masonic Order meets enough of these characteristics to be emphatically labeled a religion.
But before we do that, let’s explore what several celebrated Masonic authorities have to say about Freemasonry being a religion.
A Mason is obliged by his Tenure, to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient Times Masons were charged in every country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet ‘tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men and true, or Men of Honor and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguished; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the Means of conciliating true Friendship among Persons that must have remained at a perpetual Distance.
Concerning God and Religion ~ Anderson’s Constitution
Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion.
Morals and Dogma, p. 213, by Albert Pike 33rd Degree Mason
Have some Masonic writers said that Masonry is a religion? Yes, and again, it’s a matter of definition. If, as some writers have, you define religion as “man’s urge to venerate the beautiful, serve the good and see God in everything,” you can say that Masonry subscribes to a religion.
Conscience and the Craft, Grand Lodge of New Mexico, 1992, pages 2-3
Masonry is the descendent of or is founded upon, a divinely imparted religion that long antedates the prime date of creation as given in our Bible. It is all that remains to us of the first world religion which flourished in antiquity so old that it is impossible to affix a date. It was the first unified religion… To this, such symbols as the pyramids, both in Egypt and South America, bear witness… The ancient mysteries were temporary custodians of the ancient truth and closely allied to the Masonic work of today… the relation of the Mysteries to Masonry has oft been recognized, and the golden thread of living continuity can be traced through them to modern Masonry. The Mysteries…are all parts of that ancient thread which has its origin in that primeval religion which terminates today in masonry
The Spirit of Freemasonry by Foster Bailey 33rd Degree Mason
It appears that prominent, high-ranking prolific Masonic writer and celebrated Masonic authority, Albert Mackey 330 had a lot to say about the religion of Freemasonry.
That sacred and invisible bond that unites men of the most discordant opinions into one band of brothers, which gives one language to men of all nations and one altar to men of all religions, is properly, from the mysterious influence it exerts, denominated the mystic tie; and Freemasons because they alone are under its influence, or enjoy its benefits, are called brethren of the mystic tie.
Encyclopedia of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey 33rd Degree Mason Vol. 2 Page 778
It is a virtuous amusement by which we recall a part of the mysteries of our religion, and the better to reconcile humanity with the knowledge of its Creator …
Encyclopedia of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey 33rd Degree Mason Vol. 1 Page 27
Freemasonry is not Christianity, nor is it a substitute for it.
Encyclopedia of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey 33rd Degree Mason Vol. 2 Page 618
There has been a needless expenditure of ingenuity and talent, by a large number of Masonic orators and essayists, in the endeavor to prove that Freemasonry is not a religion. This has usually arisen from a well-intended but erroneous view that has been assumed of the connection between religion and Freemasonry, and from a fear that if the complete disseverance of the two was not made manifest, the opponents of Freemasonry would be enabled successfully to establish a theory which they have been fond of advancing, that the Freemasons were disposed to substitute the teachings of their Order for the truths of Christianity.
Now we have never for a moment believed that any such unwarrantable assumption, as that Freemasonry is intended to be a substitute for Christianity, could ever obtain admission into any well-regulated mind, and, therefore, we are not disposed to yield on the subject of the religious character of Freemasonry, quite so much as has been yielded by more timid Brethren. On the contrary, we contend, without any sort of hesitation, that Freemasonry is, in every sense of the word, except one, and that its least philosophical, an eminently religious institution–that it is indebted solely to the religious element it contains for its origin as well as its continued existence, … Masonry, then, is, indeed, a religious institution; and on this ground mainly, if not alone, should the religious Mason defend it.
Encyclopedia of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey 33rd Degree Mason Vol. 2 Pages 617-618
Mackey and many other highly respected, highly regarded leaders within the Masonic Order, as well as among many of its adherents, insist that Freemasonry is undoubtedly an eminently religious institution.
Religious institution means any church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or building that is used primarily for religious worship and related religious activities. (Law Insider)
Freemasonry is emphatically a religious institution; it teaches the existence of God. It points to the celestial canopy above where is the Eternal Lodge and where He presides. It instructs us in the way to reach the portals of that distant temple. (The Mystic Tie, p. 32).
And in his Lexicon of Freemasonry, the same celebrated authority asserts: “The religion, then, of Masonry is pure Theism” (p. 404) Albert Mackey 33rd Degree, Mason
The truth is that Masonry is undoubtedly a religious institution, its religion being of that universal kind in which all men agree.
Textbook of Masonic Jurisdiction by Albert Mackey 33rd Degree Mason, Page 95
As some of us prefer to put it, Masonry is not a religion but Religion—not a church but a worship, in which men of all religions may unite.
The Religion of Masonry by Joseph Fort Newton 33rd Degree Mason, Pages 10, 11
I consider Freemasonry is a sufficiently organized school of mysticism to be entitled to be called a religion … “I boldly aver that Freemasonry is a religion, yet in no way conflicts with any other religion, unless that religion holds that no one outside its portals can be saved.
Freemasonry: Its Aims and Ideals, by J. S. M. Ward, Pages 185 & 187
The meeting of a Masonic Lodge is strictly a religious ceremony.
Freemason’s Monitor or Illustrations of Masonry by T.S. Webb
This Monitor, by Webb, is a book that has had a significant impact on the development of Masonic Rituals in America, and especially that of the York Rite. (Tabbert) Thomas Smith Webb has been called the “Founding Father of the American York Rite” for his efforts to promote this Masonic body.
Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon
A man may be born without a religious ceremony, he may be married without a religious ceremony, he may live a long-life without ever having a religious ceremony, but one moment comes to every man when he feels the need of that missing thing—when he comes to crossing the great beyond. Freemasonry has a religious service to commit the body of a deceased brother to the dust whence it came, and to speed the liberated spirit back to the Great Source of Light. Many Freemasons make this flight with no other guarantee of a safe landing than their belief in the religion of Freemasonry. If that is a false hope, the Fraternity should abandon furneral services and devote its attention to activies where it is sure of its ground and authority.
Henry Wilson Coil, 33rd Degree Mason, Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia (Macoy Publishing, 1961), p. 512.
1. Belief in supernatural beings (gods). 
Like all other religions, Freemasonry has certain fundamental doctrines that distinguish it from other religions. In Freemasonry, these Masonic doctrines are called Landmarks. These 25 Landmarks are the basic rules, by-laws, and requirements of Masonic Jurisprudence.
Masonic author, Melvin J. Johnson of Massachusetts wrote that “almost everyone would agree with Pound that the landmarks are the “universal, unalterable, and unrepealable fundamentals” of Freemasonry, and then each Mason would proceed immediately to disagree about what should be included on the list of things that are “universal, unalterable, and unrepealable” in Freemasonry.”
That said, Landmark #19 “Belief in the existence of a god(s)” is a fundamental, “universal, unalterable, and unrepealable” requirement of every candidate for Freemasonry.
Notice that it says belief in a god or gods is the requirement, not belief in the one and only true living God. In other words, a candidate for Freemasonry can believe in any god that he wants, just as long as they believe in what or who they believe is their god. So a Satanist who believes that Lucifer, the Devil, is his god is eligible to become a candidate for a MasonicTemple.
Since belief in any supreme being of choice is a Masonic requirement for every candidate for Freemasonry, it has satisfied the first characteristic of being a religion, hence the green checkmark above.
2. A distinction between sacred and profane objects.
“Sacred” means holy, as with an object set apart for religious use. The object may even be said to be set apart for God (or gods) and/or to be venerated (or worshiped). “Profane” means connected with the secular, or non-religious. It may also denote an object in direct contrast to a sacred object.
In Christianity, a sacred object would be the cross, as it symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ and reminds Christians of the price Jesus paid on the cross for their sins. A profane object would be a pornographic magazine, which depicts: fornication, a sin that separates humankind from Christ and thus stands in direct opposition to the cross. Profane objects remind religious people of the state they once were in: they were unenlightened, immoral, concerned with the things of the world, etc. (Tsoukalas)
In the religion of Freemasonry, examples of profane objects for them include the Sword Pointing to the Heart, the Scythe, Rough Ashlar, the Hoodwink or blindfold, and the 47th Problem of Euclid also known as the Pythagorean Theorem, all of which are thus explained.
The ‘Sword Pointing to the Heart’ is a profane object in Freemasonry because it connotes torture, penalty, and death. Initiates into the religion of Freemasonry are, “received on the point of a sharp instrument piercing their naked left breast, which is to teach them that as this is an instrument of torture to the flesh, so should the recollection thereof be to their minds and consciences, should they ever reveal the secrets of Freemasonry unlawfully.” — Entered Apprentice Degree, Grand Lodge of Nevada, p. 7
Another profane object in Freemasonry is the Scythe. “The Scythe is an emblem of time, which cuts the brittle thread of life, and launches us into eternity. Behold! what havoc the scythe of time makes among the human race: if by chance we should escape the numerous evils incident to childhood and youth, and with health and vigor arrive at the years of manhood, yet withal we must soon be cut down by the all-devouring scythe of time, and be gathered into the land where our fathers have gone before us.” — Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor, by Malcolm C. Duncan
Then there’s the Rough Ashlar. “The Rough Ashlar is a stone in its crude and natural state, as taken from the quarry;” — The Masonic Ritual for use by The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons
The Hoodwink or blindfold symbolizes that the candidate for Freemasonry is in darkness in need of light. What kind of darkness? Moral and spiritual darkness, which is where all profanes (those without the light of Freemasonry) come from. Hence, it too is a profane object. This begs the question, what is a Christ-follower doing remaining in a place that has told them that they are in darkness without the light of Freemasonry, when Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14-16 that believers in Him are the light of the world?
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Although there are others, the last profane object in Freemasonry that we’d like to share is the 47th Problem of Euclid. It is a worldly, profane object because it represents the arts and sciences.
Briefly, we will mention a few sacred objects in Masonry, such as the letter “G” which represents the syncretistic, amalgamation god of Masonry that they make the futile attempt to fuse together all gods of all religions into one god called the Great Architect of the Universe (GAOTU), and one religion called Freemasonry.
The White Lambskin Apron represents Masonic Salvation. And, while there are others, the ultimate symbolism that finalizes salvation from a Masonic perspective is the 3rd Degree of Freemasonry (a.k.a. the non-aquatic Masonic Baptism).
It was the single object of all the ancient rites and mysteries practiced in the very bosom of pagan darkness. . .to teach the immortality of the soul. This is still the great design of the third degree of Masonry. This is the scope and aim of its ritual. The Master Mason represents man, when youth, manhood, old age, and life itself have passed away as fleeting shadows, yet raised from the grave of iniquity, and quickened into another and better existence. By its legend and all its ritual, it is implied that we have been redeemed from the death of sin and the sepulcher of pollution . . . and the conclusion we arrive at is, that youth, properly directed, leads us to honorable and virtuous maturity and that the life of man, regulated by morality, faith, and justice, will be rewarded at its closing hour by the prospect of eternal bliss . . . The important design of the degree is to symbolize the great doctrines of the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul; and hence it has been remarked by a learned writer of our Order, that the Master Mason represents a man saved from the grave of iniquity, and raised to the faith of salvation.
Ahiman Rezon or Book of Constitutions, pp. 141-2, 1965 Grand Lodge of South Carolina
Since we’ve shown that Freemasonry distinguishes between sacred and profane objects, we’ve satisfied this second characteristic that Freemasonry is, in fact, a religion, hence the green checkmark above.
3. Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.
In the previous section, we discussed the letter “G” and the Lambskin Apron as sacred objects in Freemasonry. Others include the Common Gavel, the Perfect Ashlar, the Level, and the Three Great Light of Masonry, which is the VSL (Volume of Sacred Law) and the Square & Compass.
These, and all other working tools in Freemasonry, are sacred and presented during the ritual of each of the first three degrees. Let’s look at parts of these rituals from the Grand Lodge of Nevada, although we could use the rituals of any Grand Lodge because the lectures for each of the working tools are basically the same regardless of which Grand Body they come from.
With what were you then presented? The working tools of an Entered Apprentice. What are they?
The Twenty-four Inch Gauge and the Common Gavel. How are they explained?
The Twenty-four Inch Gauge is an instrument used by operative Masons to measure and layout their work; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. It being divided into twenty-four equal parts is emblematical of the twenty-four hours of the day, which we are taught to divide into three equal parts, whereby are found eight hours for the service of God and a distressed worthy Brother, eight for our usual vocations, and eight for refreshment and sleep.
The Common Gavel is an instrument used by operative masons to break off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builder’s use; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds as living stones, for that spiritual building – that house not made with hands – eternal in the Heavens.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Entered Apprentice Degree Ritual
With what were you then presented? The working tools of a Fellow Craft. What are they? The Plumb, Square, and Level. How are they explained?
The Plumb is an instrument used by operative masons to try perpendiculars, the Square to square their work, and the Level to prove horizontals; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use them for more noble and glorious purposes. The Plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly in our several stations before God and man, squaring our actions by the Square of Virtue, ever remembering we are traveling upon the Level of Time to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Fellow Craft Degree Ritual
With what were you then presented?, the working tools of a Master Mason, which are all the tools of Masonry, especially the Trowel, an instrument used by operative masons to spread the cement which unities the several parts of a building into one common mass; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection, that cement which unites us into one sacred band or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, save that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best can work and best agree.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Master Mason Degree Ritual
Again, these objects/tools are considered sacred in Freemasonry and are focused as such during the ritual acts for each of the first three degrees. Therefore, this satisfies the third criteria to classify Freemasonry as a religion, hence the green checkmark above.
4. A moral code sanctioned by God.
Since Freemasonry is a system of morality, it should not be difficult to document whether it fulfills our fourth characteristic. Is this system of morality sanctioned by God? Again, Freemasonry provides the canopy framework for each of its initiates to study and apply the Craft’s moral lessons in the light of their particular VSL [the sacred law/writings any Mason believes to be God’s/god’s Word as shown on the altar in the photo on the left]. This is not uncommon for an eclectic, or syncretistic, religion such as Freemasonry, just as it is not uncommon for the religion of Sufism or the pluralistic religious framework of the New Age Movement. (Tsoukalas)
Freemasonry declares itself to be “a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols” … The morality of Freemasonry requires Masons to deal justly with others, not to defraud, cheat or wrong them of their just dues and rights. A Mason is therefore particularly bound never to act against the dictates of his conscience… Tenets are part of the system of morality and not of the allegory that veils it or the symbols that illustrate it. They are a fundamental part of Freemasonry that cannot be altered without destroying the identity of Freemasonry itself… The concept of morality in the sense of right and wrong remains constant. It is with us today and by the allegory present in Freemasonry, can assist us in living a moral life in our changing society. The tenets of Freemasonry are self-evident and still relevant today but only if kept alive by every member of the Craft living up to them. It is imperative that Freemasons cease paying lip service to the principles, translate them into action, and live by them.
Charles Donaldson, Operative Lodge of Dundee #47, Grand Lodge of Scotland
Thus, Freemasonry satisfactorily fulfills our fourth characteristic of being a religion, hence the green checkmark above.
5. Religious feelings (awe, guilt, etc.).
Here we enter into the realm of the subjective. That is to say, the feelings experienced during ritual or in the presence of sacred objects are personal, depending on multiple reasons as to why one person may have feelings aroused, and why another person, in the same service, may not have any feelings aroused. Obviously, because we are dealing with feelings that are by nature personal, we are not likely to find, in a religious service or ritual, commands or suggestions to feel awe or guilt or adoration. Rather, we should examine certain religious services or rituals to see if they have the potential to arouse characteristically religious feelings or if they express religious feelings through certain prayers or language… Emotions such as awe, guilt, and adoration are aroused in ritual. (Tsoukalas) Let’s look at some examples in Masonic rituals.
Being “Raised to the Sublime Degree” is the appropriate terminology. Sublime is defined as being exalted or elevated so as to inspire awe and wonder. And it also means to undergo sublimation that, like distillation, requires a volatilization of a substance that rises and reforms at a higher level. The significance of this Degree is the portrayal of the removal of everything that keeps us from rising to that state where the soul communes with the Supreme Light.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Fellow Craft Degree Ritual
By Speculative Masonry [Freemasonry] we learn to subdue the passions, act upon the square, keep a tongue of good report, maintain secrecy, and practice charity. It is so far interwoven with religion as to lay us under obligations to pay that rational homage to Deity which at once constitutes our duty and our happiness. It leads the contemplative to view with reverence and admiration the glorious works of creation and inspires him with the most exalted ideas of the perfections of his Divine Creator.
Words matter, and by these words this lesson has the potential to arouse distinctly different religious feelings and emotions in each individual that hears them, whether they are expressed through certain prayers or, in this case, certain language. So then, let us look at a few examples through three Masonic prayers and two lectures contained in Grand Lodge rituals.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Entered Apprentice Degree Ritual
Vouchsafe Thine aid, Almighty Father of the Universe [the Masonic god G.A.O.T.U. not the God of the Holy Bible], to this our present convention; and grant that this candidate for Masonry may dedicate and devote his life to Thy service, and become a true and faithful Brother among us. Endue him with a competency of Thy divine wisdom, that by the influence of the pure principles of our Fraternity he may be better enabled to display the beauty of [Thy] holiness, to the honor of Thy Holy Name. Amen.
At the beginning of the Master Mason Degree, the Worshipful Master of the Lodge recites this prayer.
Almighty and Eternal God, Architect and Ruler of the Universe, at whose creative fiat all things were made, we, the frail creatures of Thy providence, humbly implore Thee to pour down on this convocation assembled in Thy Holy Name, the continual dew of Thy blessing. More especially we beseech Thee to impart Thy grace to this Thy servant, who now offers himself a Candidate to participate with us in the mysterious secrets of a Master Mason. Endue him with such fortitude that in the hour of trial he fail not, but, passing safely under Thy protection through the valley of the shadow of death, he may finally rise from the tomb of transgression to shine as the stars forever and ever.
A portion of the Taylor’s Ritual under the authority of The Taylor’s Ritual Association
Near the end of the Master Mason Degree, the Chaplain of the Lodge recites this prayer just before the raising of the initiate of the 3rd degree of Masonry.
Thou, 0 God [of Freemasonry] knowest our down-sitting and our up-rising and understandest our thoughts afar off. Shield and defend us from the evil intentions of our enemies, and support us under the trials and afflictions we are destined to endure while traveling through this vale of tears. … For there is the hope of a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? … Yet, 0 Lord! have compassion on the children of Thy creation; administer them comfort in a time of trouble, and save them with an everlasting salvation. Amen.
Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of North Carolina
One of our final examples that arouse religious awe and emotions comes from a couple of lectures found in the ritual of the Fellow Craft Degree delivered by the Senior Deacon:
My Brother, we are now in a place representing the Middle Chamber of King Solomon’s Temple. Behold the letter “G”, suspended in the East! It is the initial of Geometry, the first and noblest of sciences, and the basis on which the superstructure of Freemasonry is erected. By Geometry we may curiously trace Nature through her various windings to her most concealed recesses; by it, we discover the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Grand Artificer of the Universe (G.A.O.T.U.), and view with delight the proportions which compose this vast machine; by it, we discover how the planets move in their respective orbits, and demonstrate their various revolutions; by it, we count for the return of the seasons, and the variety of scenes which each season displays to the discerning eye. Numberless worlds are around us, all framed by the same Divine Artist, who rolls through the vast expanse, and are all conducted by the same unerring law of Nature.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Fellow Craft Degree Ritual
Lastly, to bring to a head our request to satisfy this fifth characteristic of the religion of Freemasonry, in that very same ritual, the Worshipful Master of the Lodge expands on the deeper, mysterious meaning of the letter “G”:
The letter “G” to which your attention was directed on your passage hither, has a still greater and more significant meaning. It is the initial of the grand and sacred name of [the Masonic] God [G.A.O.T.U.] before whom all Masons, from the youngest Entered Apprentice who stands in the Northeast corner of the Lodge, to the Worshipful Master who presides in the East, should most humbly, reverently, and devoutly bow.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Fellow Craft Degree Ritual
Thus, we have clearly met our fifth criteria proving that Freemasonry is indeed a religion, hence the green checkmark above.
6. Prayer and other forms of communication with God.
For examples, see those already cited for the previous characteristics (Tsoukalas). Therefore, we have already satisfied this sixth element proving the fact that Masonry is undoubtedly a religion. Hence the green checkmark above.
7. A worldview and how the individual fits into it.
Worldviews are like noses, regardless of their look and size, everyone has one. A worldview refers to one’s interpretation of reality, how one views the world as a whole, and how one fits into it. It has to do with an individual’s belief systems, religious views, ideologies, and even science itself.
For example, one form of Hinduism stresses that the material world is an illusion, and that attachment to the seeming material world keeps one’s soul from being liberated. A person must see the world as an illusion and be enlightened to the fact that Brahman is the only reality. Thus, detachment from the world means liberation. Upon the person’s seeming death the soul is absorbed into Brahman. This school of thought is known as nondualism. (Tsoukalas)
Biblical Christianity teaches a uniquely different worldview. It teaches that God, the One True Living God who created the universe is all-powerful (Omnipotent), all-knowing (Omniscient), and He is always present (Omnipresent) meaning before all things, and in Him, all things are constantly held together in His midst, and in His presence at all times.
Furthermore, it teaches that Evil is a reality, as is the material world. Salvation occurs [solely] through faith in Jesus Christ, alone, whose [Holy] Spirit indwells those who believe in Him. The Holy Spirit then brings to fruition the Christian’s lifestyle, thereby
glorifying God [in all that they think, say, and do], and at death, the individual [is ushered into heaven] to enjoy God’s presence forever… [Like people], every religion, including Freemasonry, has a worldview, which it teaches to its adherents. Since it promotes belief in a Supreme Being, Freemasonry’s worldview resembles those of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism (among others) insofar as it subscribes to a belief in a Creator, some sort of moral law that is sanctioned by the Creator, and an afterlife based on one’s experience in the world and one’s relationship to the Deity. (Tsoukalas)
Now let’s explore some of the symbolism used to convey and instill the Masonic worldview among its adherents as taught in Grand Lodge material.
The Pot of Incense is an emblem of a pure heart, which is always an acceptable sacrifice to the Deity; and as this glows with fervent heat, so should our hearts continually glow with gratitude to the great and beneficent Author of our existence, for the manifold blessings and comforts we enjoy.
Grand Lodge of Nevada, a portion of the Fellow Craft Degree Ritual
The Covering of the Masonic Lodge or Temple is viewed as a symbol that teaches belief in a Deity, morality as sanctioned by a Deity, and the immortality of the soul, or afterlife, as a result of living a moral life.
The Covering of a Freemasons’ Lodge is a celestial canopy of diverse colors even the Heavens. The way by which we, as Masons, hope to arrive there is by the assistance of a ladder, in Scripture called Jacob’s ladder. It is composed of many staves or rounds, which point out as many moral virtues, but three principal ones, are Faith, Hope, and Charity: Faith in the Great Architect of the Universe [G.A.O.T.U.], Hope in Salvation, and to be in charity with all men. It reaches to the Heavens, and rests on the VSL [any Volume of Sacred Law], because, by the doctrines contained in that Holy Book, we are taught to believe in the dispensations of Divine Providence…
Emulation Ritual of England page 243-244
Three Steps of the Master Mason degree symbolizes how the individual Mason fits into the world, And it teaches that the end goal is the hope of a “glorious immortality.”
The Three Steps delineated on the Master’s Carpet are emblematical of the three principal stages of human life: Youth, Manhood, and Age. They also allude to the [first] three degrees in Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. In Youth, as Entered Apprentices, we ought industriously to occupy our minds in the attainment of useful knowledge; in Manhood, as Fellow Crafts, we should apply that knowledge to the discharge of our respective duties to God, our neighbor, and ourselves [and family]; so that in Age, as Master Masons, we may enjoy the happy reflection consequent on a well-spent life, and die in the hope of a glorious immortality.
Official Cipher, Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, page169
The examples shown above demonstrate that Freemasonry clearly meets the seventh characteristic of a religion, hence the green checkmark displayed above.
8. A more or less total organization of one’s life based on the worldview.
The lectures contained in Masonic rituals, and other Grand Lodge literature, paint a picture of the world and give an indication of how the individual Mason fits into it. A good illustration of this can be found in the 1st Degree:
A Lodge has six jewels, three movable and three immovable. The Immovable Jewels are the Square, the Level, and the Plumb. They are so termed because they are appropriated to particular parts of the Lodge where they should be found, the Square to the East, the Level to the West, and the Plumb to the South.
Although the brethren occupying these stations, may from time to time be changed, still the Jewels will always be found in their respective stations in the Lodge. The Square teaches morality, the Level, equality; and the Plumb rectitude of conduct.
The Movable Jewels are the Rough Ashlar, the Perfect Ashlar, and the Trestle-Board. The Rough Ashlar is a stone in its rude and natural state, as taken from the quarry; the Perfect Ashlar, one prepared by the workmen, to be adjusted by the working tools of Fellowcraft and the Trestle Board are for the Master Workman to draw his designs upon.
By the Rough Ashlar, we are reminded of that rude and imperfect state which is ours by nature; by the Perfect Ashlar, of that state of perfection at which we hope to arrive by education, our own endeavors, and the blessing of Deity. And as the operative workman erects his temporal building in accordance with the designs laid down upon the Trestle-Board by the Master Workman, so should we, both operative and speculative workmen, endeavor to erect our spiritual building in accordance with the designs laid down by the Supreme Architect of the Universe in the great Book of Revelation, which is our Masonic Trestle-Board.
First Degree Jewels, Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons
Here is another example from the 1st Degree:
As you are now clothed as an Entered Apprentice I present you, emblematically, the working tools which are the Twenty-four Inch Gauge and the Common Gavel, and are thus explained.
The Twenty-four Inch Gauge is an instrument used by operative masons to measure and lay out their work; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. It being divided into twenty-four equal parts is emblematical of the twenty-four hours of the day, which we are taught to divide into three equal parts, whereby are found eight hours for the service of God and a distressed worthy Brother, eight for our usual vocations, and eight for refreshment and sleep.
The Common Gavel is an instrument used by operative masons to break off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builder’s use; but we as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds, as living stones, for that spiritual building—that house not made with hands—eternal in the Heavens.
The Working Tools of an Entered Apprentice, Grand Lodge of Nevada
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania places the Masonic worldview into three categories; God and Religion, Concerning Government and Concerning One’s Self.
Concerning GOD and RELIGION
Whoever, from the love of knowledge, interest, or curiosity, desires to be a Mason, is to know that, as his foundation and great cornerstone, he is to believe firmly in the ETERNAL GOD and to pay that worship which is due to him, as the great Architect and Governor of the universe. A Mason is also obliged,…
A Guide to Mason’s Actions, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
Concerning Government
Whoever would be a true Mason is further to know that, by the rules of his art, his obligations as a subject and citizen will not be relaxed but enforced. He is to be a lover of quiet, peaceable, and obedient to the civil powers, which yield him protection, and are set over him where he resides or works; so far as they infringe not the limited bounds of reason and religion. Nor can a real craftsman ever be concerned in plots against the state, or be disrespectful to the magistracy; because the welfare of his country is his peculiar care.
A Guide to Mason’s Actions, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
Concerning Himself
In regard to HIMSELF, whoever would be a Mason should know how to practise all the private virtues. He should avoid all manner of intemperance or excess, which might obstruct his performance of the laudable duties of his craft, or lead him into crimes which would reflect dishonour upon the ancient fraternity. He is to be industrious in his profession, and true to the Lord and Master he serves. He is to labour justly, and not to eat any man’s bread for nought; but to pay truly for his meat and drink. What leisure his labour allows, he is to employ in studying the arts and sciences with a diligent mind, that he may the better perform all his duties (as aforesaid) to his Creator, his country, his neighbour and himself. For in a few words, — “to walk humbly in the sight of God, to do justice and love mercy,” are the true indispensable characteristics of a real Free and Accepted Mason.
A Guide to Mason’s Actions, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
While there are other examples, these are more than sufficient enough to satisfy the eighth characteristic proving that Freemasonry is, in fact, a religion, hence the green checkmark shown above.
9. A social group bound together by the above.
Freemasonry prides itself on being a fraternal organization and having social interactions. It prides itself in that men of different religious persuasions may unite as brethren under the Four Cardinal Virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice. (Official Cipher, Grand Lodge of Massachusetts)
The Masonic Lodge is portrayed as a social group, by the symbolism of the Trowel that has a glorious purpose.
The Trowel is an instrument used by Operative Masons to spread the cement which unites the building into one common mass; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection,-that cement which unites us into one sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, save that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who can best work and best agree.
Official Cipher, Grand Lodge of New Brunswick
Thus, [Masonic] ritual shows that Freemasonry is a “sacred band or society of friends” united in a glorious purpose. Our final characteristic has been met. (Tsoukalas) Freemasonry is irrefutably a religion, hence the green checkmark is displayed above for the very last time.
CONCLUSION
Freemasonry is not only a religious institution but a religion. the Blue Lodge ritual fulfills the essential characteristics of a religion. What remains for us is to examine the theological tenets of the Craft to see if they are compatible with the essentials of the Christian faith. If they are not, then it is imperative that Christians who are Masons exit the Lodge, for there can be no allegiance with a non-Christian religion. Denominations proclaiming that Jesus is Lord need to study the Craft to understand why members of their churches should not be joined with the religion of Freemasonry.
Masonic Rites and Wrongs, by Dr. Steven Tsoukalas
Regarding God, Albert Pike, renowned prolific Masonic author, and leader infamously once said:
That which we must say to the crowd, is we worship a god, but it is the god one adores without superstition. To you sovereign grand inspector general, we say this and you may repeat it to the brethren of the 32nd, 31st, and 30th degrees – the Masonic religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine. If Lucifer were not god, would Adonay (the God of the Christians) whose deeds prove cruelty, perfidy, and hatred of man, barbarism, and repulsion for science, would Adonay and His priests, calumniate Him?
Yes, Lucifer is god, and unfortunately, Adonay is also God, for the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods. Darkness is necessary for light to serve as its foil, as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive. Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is heresy, and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay, but lucifer, god of light and god of good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the god of darkness and evil.
A.C. De La Rive, La Femme et L’enfant dans La Franc-Maconnerie Universelle, page 588
It has been said, that the first sign of heresy starts with how one defines the nature of God. If one defines God outside of the Biblical context then such a definition is considered heretical from a Christian worldview. Pike’s view of God is a perfect example of a heretical view of God from a biblical perspective. Some Masons may argue that this is merely Pike’s opinion about God and not a Masonic view from a Grand Lodge perspective.
What’s worse, is that many Masons claim this is the “Lie that will Never Die” based on the “alledged” Leo Hoax. Fair points, so let’s look at a Grand Lodge definition of God and compare it to Pike’s definition.
Monotheism is the sole dogma of Freemasonry. Belief in one God is required of every initiate, but his conception of the Supreme Being is left to his own interpretation. Freemasonry is not concerned with theological distinctions. This is the basis of our universality.
Grand Lodge of Indiana, Indiana Monitor & Freemason’s Guide, 1993 Edition, page 41
The Grand Lodge system is the final authority in Freemasonry, and their position on a matter is the final word on it over the jurisdiction for which they preside, and they usually corroborate one another’s position on a topic within the Masonic Order.
Now if we compare the Grand Lodge of Indiana’s definition of God to Pike’s we see that it actually supports Pike. Since Freemasonry is not concerned with theological distinctions; instead it gives Pike and all other members of the Order, the Masonic right to their own conception of the Supreme Being, which is left to his own interpretation.
As you can see, the Masonic view of God is Islamic, Christian and as Pike said, Luciferian, all at the same time. Freemasonry effectively denies the exclusivity of the One and Only True Living God, which is the God of the Holy Bible. Therefore, it is imperative that Masons who profess to be Christians must exit the Lodge, for there can be no allegiance with a false, non-Christian deity.
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania supports its neighboring Grand Lodge of Indiana this way:
Whoever, from the love of knowledge, interest, or curiosity, desires to be a Mason, is to know that, as his foundation and great cornerstone, he is to believe firmly in the ETERNAL GOD and to pay that worship which is due to him, as the great Architect and Governor of the universe. A Mason is also obliged to…likewise shun the gross errors of bigotry and superstition; making due use of his own reason, according to that liberty wherewith a Mason is made free.
Although, in ancient times, the Christian Masons were CHARGED to comply with the Christian usages of the countries where they sojourned or worked (being found in all nations, and of diverse religions and persuasions) yet it is now thought most expedient that the brethren, in general, should only be CHARGED to adhere to the essentials of religion in which all men agree; leaving each brother to his own private judgment, as to particular modes and forms…by whatever religious names or persuasions distinguished…Masonry becomes the center of union among the brethren, and the happy means of conciliating, and cementing into one body, those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance; thereby strengthening and not weakening the divine obligations of RELIGION and LOVE!
A Guide to Mason’s Actions, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
If a Muslim Mason’s view of God comes from the Koran and a Christian Mason’s view of God comes from the Bible, it’s okay because—according to Freemasonry—they are still worshiping the same God. However, if the Koran teaches that God has no Son, and the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, then it stands to reason that it is impossible for both of them to be worshiping the same God. Yet, Freemasonry would have them believe that they do.
If as a believer and follower of Jesus, should you encounter a Mason who professes to be a Christian, ask him this question: “Is the god of Freemasonry perfectly revealed in Christ Jesus?” You’ll throw them off guard for a moment, but they will not be able to answer that question with an emphatic, yes. If they do, then ask them to show you where that is taught in Freemasonry? They won’t be able to provide a Masonic source that supports such a claim, because it doesn’t exist. Therefore, Freemasonry worships a false god, who they call the Great Architect Of The Universe, also known as G.A.O.T.U.
While the Bible does teach that there is only one God, it teaches that this one God is triune and made up of three distinct persons, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The God of the Bible is a jealous God and rightfully doesn’t want us to worship any other god, nor does He want to be worshipped in addition to other gods (Deuteronomy 32:16). Therefore, Freemasonry is teaching heresy about the nature of God.
The Dual Meaning of the Letter “G” in Masonic Symbolism
My Brother, we are now in a place representing the Middle Chamber of King Solomon’s Temple. Behold the letter “G” suspended in the East! It is the initial of Geometry, the first and noblest of sciences, and the basis on which the superstructure of Freemasonry is erected. By Geometry we may curiously trace Nature through her various windings to her most concealed recesses; by it we discover the power, wisdom and goodness of the Grand Artificer of the Universe, and view with delight the proportions which compose the vast machine; by it we discover how the planets move in their respective orbits, and demonstrate their various revolutions; by it we count for the return of the seasons, and the variety of scenes which each season displays to the discerning eye.
Numberless worlds are around us, all framed by the same Divine Artist, which roll through the vast expanse, and are all conducted by the same unerring law of Nature. The letter G to which your attention was directed on your passage hither, has a still greater and more significant meaning. It is the initial and sacred name of God, before whom all Masons, from the youngest Entered Apprentice who stands in the Northeast corner of the Lodge, to the Worshipful master who resides in the East, should most humbly, reverently, and devoutly bow.
A portion of the Fellow Craft Degree ritual, Grand Lodge of Nevada, page 18 & 19, Circa 1986
You have learned that Freemasonry calls God, ‘The Great Architect of the Universe” (G.A.O.T.U.). This is the Freemason’s special name for God, because he is universal. He belongs to all men regardless of their religious persuasion. All wise men acknowledge His authority. In his private devotions a Mason will pray to Jehovah, Mohammed, Allah, Jesus or the Deity of his choice. In a Masonic Lodge, however, the Mason will find the name of his Deity within the G.A.O.T.U.
The Craft and Its Symbols by Allen E. Roberts, pg. 6
In the lodge, a Mason may offer his devotions to the Deity he reveres using the title Great Architect of the Universe, no matter what name he may use in his private religious worship. We, former Masons for Jesus Christ, call this the Masonic Canopy Deity, as shown on the left.
Thus Freemasons worship the Great Architect of the Universe—a symbol of Deity—as named and worshiped in all Masonic lodges.
Can a Christian worship a symbol that is supposed to represent a “generic” God in order to satisfy any Mason’s God including but not limited to Baal, Allah, Ra, Buddha, Jehovah, Vishnu, Lucifer, and Krishna, as well as worship Jesus Christ, and actually be worshipping only the God of the Bible? Of course not, absolutely NOT!
What Freemasonry fails to acknowledge is the fact that one of the most common themes throughout Scripture is some form of idolatry. We know from Scripture—and from common sense—that every person believes something, and everyone worships something or someone. As we study the Bible, we not only learn about truth, we are given much insight into non-truth, and into the false systems of belief that people create for themselves in rebellion against the revelation of the One & Only True Living God.
Freemasonry is such a system. The question to ask is what insight does this give us about the Mason that claims to be a Christian, yet insists on remaining a member of a Masonic lodge?
Vouchsafe Thine aid, Almighty Father of the Universe, to this our present convention, and grant that this candidate for Masonry may dedicate and devote his life to Thy service, and become a true and faithful brother among us. Endue him with a competency of Thy Divine Wisdom, that, by the influence of the pure principles of’ our Fraternity, he may be better enabled to display the beauties of holiness, to the honor of Thy Holy Name. Amen.
Response from the Craft, – “So mote it be.” (Worshipful Master then asks), “In whom do you put your trust?” (Candidates are told to respond) “In God.”
Grand Lodge of New York, Masonic Monitor, pg. 5
Now, let us analyze this for a moment. Notice that even prior to entering the lodge, the Worshipful Master commands that they do so in the name of God. It is then implied to the candidates that they should not embark upon the great and important undertaking of becoming a Mason without the aid of Deity. As for prayer, we know that in the Bible Jesus gave us a pattern for prayer in Luke 11:2. In this passage, Jesus exemplifies that prayer is not only supplication to make known our petitions, but it’s also a form of worship, when he said, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name…”
In the context of this Masonic Prayer notice:
- One deity is petitioned
- By one person
- On behalf of all Masons assembled in the lodge (believers and nonbelievers, Christians and non-Christians alike)
- God is described, and prayer is for the sanctification of the candidate by the principles of Freemasonry
Is this an acceptable form of worship from a Christian perspective? Masons will contend that prayer in the lodge is not any different than prayer during an invocation at a public banquet or the opening of a session in the US Congress where Christians and non-Christians may be assembled.
We will now examine this, first from a broader context, then hone back in on this issue more specifically to demonstrate that prayer in the Masonic lodge violates the First Commandment to place no other God before the God of the Bible, thereby dishonoring Yahweh – the One & Only True Living God. Furthermore, we will show how the Christian Mason offends God by participating in an organization that bears false witness regarding the genuine nature of the one true God.
To illustrate our points, we will use excerpts from a dissertation entitled, The Church in the Public Square in a Pluralistic Society by David L. Adams for two reasons:
- Although the excerpts we are about to present do not address Freemasonry specifically, they serve as a Christian perspective, for establishing the framework that will lead to a better understanding of the fallacy and implications of corporate prayer as conducted in the Masonic Lodge.
- They also serve well to show the striking parallel of the Masonic worldview of worship when juxtaposed to the Christian worldview of worship.
Before proceeding, however, note that this information is not intended to put forth any specific Christian denominational view, but rather to stress some very critical doctrinal implications that apply to all denominations that adhere to those derived from the Bible and confirmed through the ancient ecumenical creeds, as outlined in our Statement of Faith.
Masons argue that because they accept men of all monotheistic faiths, it is appropriate for them to have fellowship and pray together in the lodge. This is particularly poignant when you consider the Masonic worldview of God:
Monotheism is the sole dogma of Freemasonry. Belief in one God is required of every initiate, but his conception of the Supreme Being is left to his own interpretation. Freemasonry is not concerned with theological distinctions. This is the basis of our universality.
Grand Lodge of Indiana, Monitor & Freemason’s Guide, 1993 Edition, page 41
This is further illustrated by prominent Masonic author, Allen Roberts:
You have learned that Freemasonry calls God, the Great Architect of the Universe’ (G.A.O.T.U). This is the Freemason’s special name for God, because he is universal. He belongs to all men regardless of their religious persuasion. All wise men acknowledge His authority. In his private devotions a Mason will pray to Jehovah, Mohammed, Allah, Jesus or the Deity of his choice. In a Masonic Lodge, however, the Mason will find the name of his Deity within the G.A.O.T.U.
Allen E. Roberts, The Craft and Its Symbols, page 6
Unfortunately, what Freemasonry would have its members believe is that not only is there one Supreme Being, but that it is the same God regardless of the respective beliefs of its members. Is this a biblical worldview of God? Absolutely not!
It is possible to work in a friendly and cooperative way with persons from all of these religious traditions if one practices three basic virtues:
- A genuine desire to contribute to the common good;
- A willingness to listen and learn as well as to speak and teach; and
- Personal integrity.
That is not to say that the practice of these three virtues leads to agreement on all the issues. It most emphatically does not. It does, however, at least allow individuals of different faith communities to relate together in the public square in a pluralistic society with some reasonable degree of amity even when they disagree on issues of substance. So I commend these three principles to you as at least a proven starting point for an answer to the question of how individual believers relate to persons of other faiths in the [Masonic Lodge] or in the public square in a pluralistic society.
As America has become more culturally diverse, and more pluralistic, American Civil Religion has in turn become increasingly polytheistic. Today and in the future, barring some tidal shift that would make America more culturally uniform, American Civil Religion is and will continue to be increasingly polytheistic to the point that we must recognize that the “god” in whom our money trusts and to whom we appeal to “bless America” will be defined by each speaker and heard by each listener in his own way.”(Adams)
Living within the same communities, working as fellow employees or citizens together in a friendly and cooperative way, and even participating in social fellowship as neighbors is one thing, yet worshiping together in an inappropriate way is something entirely different.
An event involving Christians of different denominations and confessions participation in the event must be governed by the same principles that govern our interaction with other Christian church bodies.
“First, our commitment to the principle of Sola Scriptura
If we genuinely believe that God has revealed His teaching in His Word for the guidance
of faith and life in His Church, then we are obligated to seek to find that truth and, having found it, to live by it. At the same time, Christ compels us to live and work for the true unity of the Church. But we cannot achieve the latter at the expense of the former. To do so is to deceive ourselves and to lie to the world.” (Adams)
Freemasonry violates Sola Scriptura by claiming that the “Volume of Sacred Law” is that volume which, by the religion of the country of the confessing Mason is believed to contain the revealed will of the Grand Architect of the universe.
“Second, we believe on the basis of the Scripture that coming together as a community to worship God and receive His gifts in the sacraments is the highest expression of the unity of Christian confession, not an instrument to be used to achieve such unity.
It is commonplace today, both within the liberal ecumenical movement and within more conservative evangelicalism to treat worship as a means to achieve unity rather than as a fruit of unity. Such a view reflects an overly-individualistic understanding of the relationship between the believer and the community of faith as it stands before God in worship. We believe that such an understanding is at odds with both the Scriptural teaching and historic Christian practice regarding worship.” (Adams)
Going back to what takes place during prayer in the Masonic Temple; we established earlier that, prayer is worship by the example of Jesus found in Luke 11:2. And, if coming together as a community to worship God is the highest expression of unity, then corporate prayer is not just a group of people praying together. The essence of corporate prayer is unity. It is better to have only two persons praying together if they are united than to have many people praying together if they are not united.
There are two areas of unity that we want to emphasize: Unity of Spirit and Unity of the Mind. The moment you & I were born again, we became united in one spirit with the Lord. There is a union in the spirit & mind, because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
- I Corinthians 12:13 – “For by [means of the personal agency of] one [Holy] Spirit we were all, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, baptized [and by baptism united together] into one body, and all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit.”
- I Corinthians 1:10 – “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
Assume for a moment that Masons who confess to be Christian are truly Born Again believers, although we have shown in the Religion of Freemasonry that a profession of faith does not always correlate with possession of the Holy Spirit. However, if one is really born-again, there is not a question of being one in the spirit. The problem in question is being one in mind with the body of Christ.
Masons who claim to be Christian are, in most cases, utterly naive and unfortunately biblically illiterate. As a result, they are easily deceived by what seems to appear, in their minds, to be a Christian veneer reflected in the civil and religious aspects of the Masonic lodge. This false perception leads them to believe that Freemasonry complements, rather than conflicts with their religious beliefs.
However, there are others who are fully aware of the biblical incompatibility of Freemasonry, yet succumb to the cultural conditioning toward “tolerance at all cost” in our pluralistic society, even if it is at the expense of their Christian faith. As they give in to the ideology and pervasive trends in America Civil Religion, they would rather walk in denial in order to please men, instead of accepting the fact that they are in deliberate rebellion against God.
Moreover, in the same way, we cannot operate together within the Body of Christ if our minds do not agree on the same doctrines and principles, neither can members of the Masonic Order function in harmony unless corporately, they agree on the same Masonic principles.
This is an extremely dangerous predicament to be in for Christian Masons. How is this so dangerous? For the sake of harmony, Christian Masons embrace Masonic principles at the expense of biblical truth and, if they allow themselves to exercise this compromise long enough, they ultimately drift into an unconscious state of apostasy due to spiritual blindness. This assumes, of course, that they were truly born-again believers, to begin with.
Christian participation in a civil religious event with non-Christians must be shaped by the requirements of the First Commandment.
This is the First and most important Commandment:
- Exodus 20:2-4 – “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
- Deuteronomy 6:5 – “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
“I take it as a given that we are all agreed that a Christian who engages in the direct worship of a God other than Yahweh, whether in private devotions or in a civil religious event, violates the First Commandment. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understood this clearly (Daniel 3), and I believe that we do also. If any Christian performs such an act in the context of a civil religious event, he clearly violates the First Commandment.
It is a much more subtle question to ask whether a Christian who worships the true God in the context of those engaged in worshiping other gods also violates the First Commandment. In this respect, we often fail to appreciate the full import of the First Commandment by translating the text (Exodus 20:2-4) as, “You shall have no other gods before me.” The wording of the Hebrew text is rather more precise. God says that we must not have other gods “before my [i.e. His] face” or “in my [i.e. His] presence.” The point here is that Yahweh is not claiming the right to be first in our affections (as “before” can easily be misunderstood to mean), He is prohibiting us from allowing any other god into His presence. Yahweh does not want to be our first god, or to be first in our life; he must be our only god. The First Commandment is a demand for a radical and absolute exclusivity in our relationship with the realm of divine beings.” (Adams)
Therefore, it is clear that when Masons (Christian and non-Christians) gather together in the lodge and pray to their respective gods, Christian Masons are clearly violating the First Commandment by calling on the presence of Yahweh (the God of the Bible, and the only One True Living God) in the midst of unbelievers as they call upon the presence of their false gods.
“We can see the effects of failing to keep this commandment by tolerating other gods in Yahweh’s presence in the example of Solomon. I Kings 11 tells us that Solomon was guilty of unfaithfulness in his relationship with Yahweh in the latter years of his life. How did Solomon sin? He began by tolerating the worship of other gods by his foreign wives.
Over time his wives influenced him so that he himself turned away from Yahweh and worshipped the false gods. He began by violating the First Commandment indirectly and ended by violating it directly. Indeed, the repeated judgment against the kings of Judah that followed Solomon was not that so many of them worshipped false gods themselves, but that nearly all of them tolerated the worship of false gods by failing to tear down the high places, etc. Their toleration of the worship of other gods in the presence of Yahweh was itself a sin.” (Adams)
Throughout its ritual Freemasonry reveres King Solomon for his wisdom in building the Temple of Yahweh, yet by establishing its “generic” canopy-god (G.A.O.T.U.) in order to avoid offending any of its non-bible believing members, while praying to ‘it’ using “generic” canopy-prayers they are, in effect, following King Solomon’s foolish example for the sake of tolerance.
It stands to reason then, that Christian Masons are sinning as they violate the First
Commandment indirectly outside of the lodge, by virtue of their membership in an organization that tolerates the worship of false gods. Ultimately they violate the First Commandment directly whenever they are inside of the lodge participating in Masonic rituals and prayer.
“Today our American cultural conditioning toward tolerance flies in the face of God’s demand for a radically exclusive relationship with us whenever that cultural conditioning leads us to tolerate the worship of false gods in the presence of Yahweh. As Americans, we may (and do) have to tolerate the worship of other gods within civil society; as Christians, we violate the First Commandment any time we tolerate or encourage the worship of other gods in the presence of Yahweh.
The only possible conclusion upon reading the Word of God is that the people of God must not be a party to any activity that encourages or promotes the worship of other gods. Thus it is possible to sin against the First Commandment through the toleration of the worship of other gods in the context of the worship of Yahweh. The most common way in which we violate the First Commandment in this regard is to engage in the worship of Yahweh in the context of the worship of other gods in such a way that the worship of the false god and the worship of Yahweh may be confused or mixed.
We recognize that a speaker cannot control the way that a hearer interprets his words. Nonetheless, in situations where it is likely that an audience, by virtue of its religiously diverse composition, may equate or confuse the worship of Yahweh with the worship of another god, the [Christian] speaker has an obligation to articulate the scandal of particularity with unremitting clarity.” (Adams)
Christian Masons violate the First Commandment in this regard as they engage in the worship of Yahweh in the context of the worship of other gods by non-Christian Masons when praying in the lodge. They do so in such a way that the worship of the false gods and the worship of Yahweh is confused or mixed by the concept of Freemasonry’s universal “generic” god (G.A.O.T.U.).
“As civil religious events become increasingly polydox, the Christian pastor or church leader is obligated to do everything within his power to prevent those who may hear his words from thinking that the worship of Yahweh is the same as the worship of other gods. In this respect, it is not sufficient, to begin with, a statement such as, “We Christians believe that … or any other form of words that could suggest to the hearer that what the speaker is articulating is simply the “Christian version” of religious truth and that there may be other equally valid non-Christian perspectives.
This is the most common mistake that Christian speakers make when talking about God in the public square. Insofar as the assumption that Christian teaching is but one of many equally valid religious perspectives has become a common view among the non-Christians in American society, we must be especially careful to avoid this type of error, which seems on the surface to be an orthodox expression of faith, but which can easily lead the hearer to a false conclusion.
Also arising in this context is the distinction between praying “with” some group and praying “among” some group. There is clearly a difference between these two. Praying “with” those who believe in other gods (i.e. joining with them as they pray to other gods) is, as we have said, a clear and direct violation of the First Commandment. Praying to the true God in the midst (i.e. “among”) those praying to false gods may or may not be a violation of the First Commandment, depending upon how it is done.
However, even praying an otherwise orthodox prayer “among” believers in other gods can violate the First Commandment if it is done in such a way as to confuse the worship of Yahweh with the worship of another god. In other words, the distinction between praying “with” and praying “among” is useful, but cannot be the sole determining factor. The determining factor is whether the worship of Yahweh is confused or mixed with the worship of other gods.
Consider a parallel case from the Old Testament: Elijah at Mt. Carmel (I Kings 18). Here at a time of national crisis and within the confines of a single event, the prophets of Baal pray to their god and Elijah prays to Yahweh. Elijah prays “among” the prophets of Baal. He does not sin in this instance because he does not allow the worship of Yahweh to be confused with the worship of Baal but distinguishes the two by demonstrating that Yahweh alone is the true God, and praying for the defeat of Baal and his prophets.
The only certain way to avoid violating the First Commandment in a polydox civil religious event is to do as Elijah did: distinguish clearly the worship of Yahweh from the worship of all other gods so that there can be no reasonable room for doubt among the hearers that we proclaim that Yahweh alone is God and that we are restored to him only by the death and resurrection of Yahweh incarnate: Jesus Christ. Any message that lacks this degree of clarity is likely to give the impression that the worship of Yahweh and the worship of other gods is the same thing.” (Adams)
Freemasonry’s heretical concept of the universality of God places the Christian Mason directly in a situation that causes him to violate the First Commandment. By virtue of this Masonic concept even praying an otherwise orthodox prayer for example, in Jesus’ name, “among” believers in other gods while in the lodge, he violates the First Commandment because such a prayer lacks the degree of clarity among believers of other gods who embrace the same Masonic principle. It is, therefore, more likely to give the impression that the worship of Jesus and the worship of other gods is the same thing.
“As a practical matter, the Christian pastor or church leader is faced with one of three options when asked to participate in civil religious events in which the public worship of or prayer to other gods is involved: 1) offend the others present by witnessing to the exclusive claims of Yahweh and the Christian faith; 2) offend God by participating in an event in which we bear false witness regarding who the true God is, or 3) decline to participate.
To summarize, then, in relation to polydox civil religious events we may violate the First Commandment in one of two ways: directly when we ourselves engage in the worship of other gods, or indirectly when we allow the worship of Yahweh to be confused or mixed with the worship of other gods. In civic religious services, which are by nature increasingly polytheistic in the modern American context, the Christian pastor will always run the risk of either offending his hearers by proclaiming the scandal of particularity or, of violating the First Commandment by contributing to his lack of clarity to the confusion or mixture of the worship of Yahweh with that of other gods.” (Adams)
By definition, the moment Masons gather together in a Masonic Temple for prayer, the 
lodge suddenly becomes a polydox (activities that involve different faith groups [i.e. Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc.] worshiping a variety of gods together) and participating Christians are immediately guilty of violating the First Commandment.
Therefore, the Christian Mason is faced with one of three options when participating in the Masonic Order: 1) offend the other Masons who are believers in other gods by witnessing to the exclusive claims of Yahweh and the Christian faith; 2) continue to offend God, by his participation in the Masonic Order, which bears false witness regarding who the true God is; or 3) refuse to participate, resign from the lodge, and renounce the heretical teachings of Freemasonry.
Excerpts from The Church in the Public Square in a Pluralistic Society © David L. Adams, 2002. All rights reserved.
Any one of these so-called ‘holy writings’ or all of them can be placed on a Masonic altar during ritual work
One of the hallmark heretical teachings of Freemasonry is their universally accepted Masonic Doctrine of the 21st Landmark, the Volume of Sacred Law (VSL), which states:
It is a Landmark, that a “Book of the Law” (or VSL = Volume of Scared Law) shall constitute an indispensable part of the furniture of every Lodge. I say advisedly, a Book of the Law because it is not absolutely required that the Bible be used. The “Book of the Law” is that volume which, by the religion of the country, is believed to contain the revealed will of the Grand Architect of the universe.
Hence, in all Lodges in Christian countries, the Book of the Law is composed of the Old and New Testaments; in a country where Judaism was the prevailing faith, the Old Testament alone would be sufficient; and in Mohammedan countries, and among Mohammedan Masons the Koran might be substituted.
Masonry does not attempt to interfere with the peculiar religious faith of its disciples, except so far as relates to the belief in the existence of God, and what necessarily results from that belief.
THE BIBLE AND THE RELIGIOUS WRITINGS OF THE WORLD
Genuine Christ-followers agree that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but is it exclusively inspired? What about the Upanishads? Or the Tripitaka, or the Koran?
If the Bible is truly inspired by God, then it follows that it is trustworthy and authoritative in every area it covers (including matters of history and theology). It simply doesn’t stand to reason to acknowledge that the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to humanity and simultaneously holds that its message is unreliable.
However, if we’re to take the Bible very seriously, we also need to realize that its claims conflict with other scriptures that believers in other gods also deem to be inspired. For example, the Upanishads – which are part of the Hindu sacred scriptures – teach that the world is God; while the Bible says Heaven is God’s throne, and the Earth is His footstool. Also, while the Tripitaka – the sacred writings of Buddhism – prescribes morality, meditation, and wisdom as solutions to suffering, the Bible points to Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross as the only real answer to man’s deepest problems, including suffering. And while the Bible centers on Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection, the Koran for example – Islam’s holy book – denies Christ’s crucifixion and says God has no Son.
As it stands, the Bible is clearly at odds with the sacred writings of the world’s religions. And while, of course, it’s logically acceptable for someone to believe that one of the writings is inspired, it makes absolutely no sense at all to believe that they’re all inspired, since their claims and statements are, in many cases, mutually exclusive. If we are to regard the Bible as being the one and only truly inspired Word of God, we can only conclude that He (the Only One True Living God) had nothing to do whatsoever with inspiring other so-called holy writings.
To profess otherwise is to mischaracterize God as someone who Himself is full of contradictions and inconsistencies. Now, I want to make it absolutely clear that the Bible alone gives us the answer for living successfully in this life and in the life to come. In fact, the Bible says, “These things are written so that you may know that you have eternal life.” The Bible is the only answer, and the Bible alone is the inspired Word of God. (A General Introduction to the Bible by Geisler and Nix)
DON’T ALL RELIGIONS LEAD TO GOD?
Can Christianity be faulted for unabashed arrogance in claiming to offer the only way to God? After all, don’t all religions lead to God?
A number of people equate religious tolerance with religious truth. Many assume that all religions are basically the same and that all beliefs are therefore equally valid. They picture each religion as having identical faces hidden behind different masks.
Sound reasoning tells us, however, that all religions are not essentially the same merely because they contain some similarities. A brief survey of a few religions would quickly reveal that every single one of them has competing claims which contradict other religions. How, for example, can someone logically square the Hindu teaching that the universe is God with the Muslim belief that Allah, the God of Islam, is distinct from the universe? Any honest investigator would have to admit that religions harbor irreconcilable differences, demonstrating that they cannot all possibly lead to the same God. Logically speaking, they can all be wrong, but they cannot all be right.
We, therefore, need to ask which religion points to the right God and consider how certain its claims really are. Regarding these questions, Christianity towers above the religions of the world. For instance, while every religion would have man try to reach up to God, Christianity says that it’s God who reached down to man – that only through God’s grace and mercy, and never by mere human effort, can we ever hope to obtain God’s favor.
Furthermore, the Lord Jesus, who declared this message, claimed to be God and backed His pronouncements with His own bodily resurrection. No other religious figure throughout history has ever justified any claim with such power and authority. And precisely because Jesus pointed to Himself as the only way to God His message needs to be heard by everyone, everywhere, regardless of their religious beliefs. (Thoughts from R. C. Sproul, Reason to Believe; and Paul Little, Know Why You Believe)
RELIGIOUS STEW by Gregory Koukl
The great philosopher Socrates once counseled, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” The theological parallel is just as valid: The unexamined faith is not worth believing. Sadly, this advice is often ignored.
A letter to the editor of my local paper is a case in point. Responding to a previous letter by a Christian, one woman ended her comments on religious tolerance with this unusual benediction: “May God, Allah, Buddha, Yahweh, Jehovah, Cosmic Consciousness, and ‘All That Is’ bless you.”
Her gesture was genuine and gracious, an example of the tolerance she wanted to promote. No deity need take offense; all were included in the pantheon of possibilities. Yet it was a statement made without thinking. It was an example of an unexamined faith filled with inaccuracies and contradictions.
Buddha was a man who died, and dead men bless no one. Yahweh or Jehovah (both are variations of the same Hebrew word) is the personal name of the Lord God of the Bible, but according to His own statements, He is a jealous God, as is Allah, the God of Islam. Neither would give their blessings to those who split loyalties.
Out of courtesy to Eastern religions, the author mentioned cosmic consciousness. Invoking the favor of an impersonal force, however, is much like saying, “May electricity bless you,” or “May gravity smile on you today.” Blind forces cannot act in a benevolent way; only persons can. “All That Is” suffers from the same drawback. If everything is doing the blessing, then what is left to be blessed?
This woman’s confusing theology is characteristic of most who espouse the current form of religious pluralism – the view that no religion is objectively more true than any other. Nevertheless, one point ought to be obvious: Everything can’t be true.
Let me give a parallel example. The political equivalent of this philosophy would be, “May Lenin, Jefferson, Idi Amin, or Yasar Arafat rule.” Each was or is a political leader, but the similarity ends there. Each represents a different ideology. In some cases, they’re polar opposites. One can’t dismiss as inconsequential the differences between these men simply because each is associated with politics.
The religions mentioned above are like oil and water; they can’t mix because they represent opposite and competing concepts. An appeal to their similarities doesn’t help. We would never say aspirin and arsenic are basically the same just because they both come in tablet form. It’s the differences that are critical. That’s true in all areas of life, especially the spiritual.
There are other problems with this woman’s commonly held view. She suggested in her letter that proof of a religion “lies solely with the person who has experienced God’s presence in his or her life.” But how does she know that what she’s experiencing is actually God? Adolph Hitler was convinced he had a divine appointment with destiny. That was his experience. Does that vindicate the Third Reich? Charles Manson suffered from the same delusion. I’m convinced the writer would recoil, with the rest of us, at Hitler and Manson and fully condemn what they did. She can only justify that rejection, however, by admitting to some absolute truth that stands outside of her experience and judges it right or wrong. The experience itself is not enough.
If God exists, He’s either personal or not personal. He can’t be both. If God is merely cosmic energy, why ask for His blessing? He can’t hear or respond. If He’s a person, then He’s someone, not everyone.
People looking for truth would do well to bear this in mind. In life, we must make judgments, separating the wheat from the chaff. We do it a hundred times a day. This kind of judgment is necessary for our very survival. If we must discern between truth and error in physical life, what makes us think we can change the rules in spiritual life, which has eternal ramifications? Why do we think we can mix everything together into one holy, religious stew in the area of spiritual truth and not suffer the consequences?
So as you can see, by its Masonic Doctrine of the 21st Landmark, the Volume of Sacred Law (VSL), Freemasonry has insulted the One True Living God by undermining His Word by placing it on the same level as uninspired sacred writings of believers in false gods.
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The Common Gavel is an instrument used by operative masons to break off the corners of rough stone, the better to fit them for the builder’s use, but we as Free and Accepted Masons use it for a more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our minds and consciences of all vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting us as living stones for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
North Dakota Monitor, page 81
First of all, this is a classic example of ‘Masonic Scripture Twisting’. Notice how the following verses were mutilated then blended together and taken completely out of context:
1 Peter 2:5 – “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:1 – “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
There is no mention of Jesus in the Masonic ritual, nor do they teach that those who are in Christ are the tabernacle or temple of the Holy Spirit. Besides, as Christ-followers, how are we to biblically “divest our minds and consciences from vice” (borrowing the Masonic terminology)? By the renewing of our minds, by the Spirit of God through the Word of God (Romans 12). This is accomplished by diligent, daily Bible study (2 Timothy 2:15) and applying to our lives the principles found in Scripture, not the principles of Freemasonry.
Finally, notice the adverb “thereby” in the description of the Common Gavel, which signals the means to salvation. In other words, if a Mason applies Freemasonry’s Common Gavel to his life, he can expect to go to heaven. Yet, the Bible clearly teaches, that the only way to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6), and in His substitutionary, sacrificial atoning death on our behalf. This leads us to another symbol—that of Masonic eschatology.
My Brother, I now present you with this lambskin or white leather apron. It is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason – the distinguished badge of a Mason.
Nevada Ritual
The Lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence. By the lambskin, therefore, the Mason is reminded of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct is so essential to gaining admission to the Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.
Louisiana Monitor
A man may be born without a religious ceremony, he may be married without a religious ceremony, he may live a long-life without ever having a religious ceremony, but one moment comes to every man when he feels the need of that missing thing—when he comes to crossing the great beyond. Freemasonry has a religious service to commit the body of a deceased brother to the dust whence it came, and to speed the liberated spirit back to the Great Source of Light. Many Freemasons make this flight with no other guarantee of a safe landing than their belief in the religion of Freemasonry. If that is a false hope, the Fraternity should abandon furneral services and devote its attention to activies where it is sure of its ground and authority.
Henry Wilson Coil, 33rd Degree Mason, Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia (Macoy Publishing, 1961), p. 512.
The Bible teaches that faith without works, deeds, or conduct of behavior demonstrates that one’s faith is actually alive, vibrant, and true, then such faith is dead (James 2:14-26). In other words, the Bible instructs us that good works are the by-product of genuine faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-13) not a means to salvation. Freemasonry, on the other hand, teaches that good works – without the need for faith in Jesus – will get a Mason into heaven.
Where is the biblical prerequisite for salvation, of faith in Jesus Christ alone found in Masonic ritual? Don’t bother looking, because you will not find it. It doesn’t exist in Masonic rituals. Yet, clearly, the Masonic lecture of the Common Gavel, the White Leather Apron as well as what is said at their Mason Furneral Service, they tell the Freemason. that by applying the principles of Freemasonry, and performing “good works” he can expect to gain admission into the Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.
This phrase [to be “born again”] has passed into theology as the doctrine of “regeneration,” or “new birth,” and it is a sound doctrine, for many men are so ingrained with badness [sic] that their whole nature must be radically changed before they can be trusted to live in harmony and happiness with their fellows.
This doctrine of a “new birth” seems to lie at the heart of Masonry’s great drama of Hiram Abiff. Masonic interpreters have differed greatly among themselves as to the meaning of that acted parable, but they nearly all hold in common the belief that it somehow means that, in order to be a just and true brother a man must be “born again” so that his nature is changed to act in unison with a new world.
The Great Teachings of Masonry by H.L. Haywood
Biblically speaking, the doctrine of salvation is heterosoteric; which means it teaches that man must be saved by another man, namely Jesus Christ our Lord.
For there is [only] one God and [only] one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Timothy 2:5
Masonry’s doctrine of salvation, on the other hand, is autosoteric; it teaches that man must and can save himself. (Orthodox Presbyterian Church)
Freemasonry has taught that each man can, by himself, work out his own conception of God and thereby achieve salvation.
Freemasonry: Its Aims and Ideals, p. 187 by J. S. M. Ward
Masonry’s conception of immortality is something for which man must qualify while still in the flesh. Through the fellowship of a moral discipline Masons are taught to qualify for the fellowship of eternal life.
What Masonry Means p. 171 by William F. Hammond
The Christian way of salvation is supernatural. But the Masonic way of salvation is naturalistic. According to Christianity, the new birth is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. According to many Masonic authorities, a person is born again through initiation into the lodge. (Orthodox Presbyterian Church)
The whole process (of initiation) should be made one of the most crucial experiences of the candidate’s life, one that will change him to the center of his being. It is like the moral and spiritual change which comes over a man who passes through the religious experience known as ‘conversion’ or ‘regeneration.’ Masonic initiation is intended to be quite as profound and revolutionizing an experience. As a result of it the candidate should become a new man.
The Great Teachings of Masonry, pp. 30, 31 by H. L. Haywood
Click on this image to see a modern reenactment of the non-aquatic Masonic Baptism
It was the single object of all the ancient rites and mysteries practiced in the very bosom of pagan darkness. . .to teach the immortality of the soul. This is still the great design of the third degree of Masonry. This is the scope and aim of its ritual. The Master Mason represents man, when youth, manhood, old age, and life itself have passed away as fleeting shadows, yet raised from the grave of iniquity, and quickened into another and better existence. By its legend and all its ritual, it is implied that we have been redeemed from the death of sin and the sepulcher of pollution . . . and the conclusion we arrive at is, that youth, properly directed, leads us to honorable and virtuous maturity, and that the life of man, regulated by morality, faith, and justice, will be rewarded at its closing hour by the prospect of eternal bliss . . . The important design of the degree is to symbolize the great doctrines of the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul; and hence it has been remarked by a learned writer of our Order, that the Master Mason represents a man saved from the grave of iniquity, and raised to the faith of salvation.”
AhimanRezon or Book of Constitutions, pp. 141-2, 1965 Grand Lodge of South Carolina.
So Christian Mason, what is more, important to you? The Holy Bible and what it says, or your Masonic Ritual and what it says? Either what Jesus said in John 14:6 is true, or he is a liar.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In other words, eternal salvation with God comes from no other source than Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Therefore, you have only one of two choices to make:
1. Either you stand with the Church (the Body of Christ) and defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Or, you can stand with the Masonic Lodge (and the teachings of Freemasonry) and defend a false plan of salvation, which is based upon the imitation of a false savior called Hiram Abiff.
But you cannot have it both ways, and the choice you make could have eternal consequences.
The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man is a foundational teaching of Freemasonry. ~ Ephesians5-11.org
What does Freemasonry mean by the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man? Well, it starts with the Masonic view of God:
Monotheism is the sole dogma of Freemasonry. Belief in one God is required of every initiate, but his conception of the Supreme Being is left to his own interpretation. Freemasonry is not concerned with theological distinctions. This is the basis of our universality.
Grand Lodge of Indiana Monitor
It then extends into the Masonic worldview of religion:
The true Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason his religion must be universal: Christ, Buddha, or Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, and bows before every altar, whether in a temple, mosque, or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth.
The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, pg. 65, by Manly Palmer Hall
The Grand Lodge of Louisiana concurs:
To the altar of Freemasonry, all men bring their most votive offerings. Around it, all men, whether they have received their teachings from Confucius, Zoroaster, Moses, Mohammed, or the founder of the Christian religion–just so long as they believe in the universality of the fatherhood of God and universality of the brotherhood of man–meet upon a common level. The Jew returns to his synagogue, the Mohammedan to his mosque, and the Christian to his temple–each better prepared for the solemn duties of life by the associations in this universal brotherhood.
Grand Lodge of Louisiana Monitor
This is further supported by the renowned prolific author, and celebrated 33rd degree, Mason, Albert Mackey:
Now as Masons we decide not between these, but take all in as our brethren, and the One God as our Heavenly Father, revealed to us as such in the Great Light of Masonry.
History of Freemasonry, by Albert Mackey
In order for this concept of the Fatherhood of God to fit into the Masonic worldview of the major world religions, it follows naturally that they should each have their own savior:
All believed in a future life, to be attained by purification and trials; in a state or successive states of reward and punishment; and in a Mediator or Redeemer, by whom the Evil Principle was to be overcome and the Supreme Deity reconciled to His creatures. The belief was general that He was to be born of a virgin and suffer a painful death. The Hindus called him Krishna; the Chinese, Kioun-tse; the Persians, Sosiosch; the Chaldeans, Dhouvanai; the Egyptians, Horus; Plato, Love; the Scandinavians, Balder; the Christians, Jesus; Masons, Hiram.
Grand Lodge of Kentucky Monitor
Notice the similarity of saviors among the various world religions where Krishna is to Kioun-tse, Sosiosch, Dhouvanai, Horus, Balder, and Hiram is to Masons as Jesus is to Christians. This quote clearly states that the fictitious savior Hiram Abiff is on the same level as the one and only true savior—Jesus Christ our Lord. During the Legend of the Third Degree (the latter portion of the Master Mason ritual) each Fellowcraft who seeks to become a Master Mason portrays this phony redeemer, Hiram Abiff. Acting as Hiram Abiff, he is wrongfully murdered, buried, and then raised from the grave, kind of like a baptism, without the water. (Ephesians5-11.org)
The Meaning of Masonry, by Lynn Perkins, sheds some light on this symbolic mockery of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus by newly made Master Masons:
Therefore, Masonry teaches that redemption and salvation are both the power and the responsibility of the individual Mason. Saviors like Hiram Abiff can and do show the way, but men must always follow and demonstrate, each for himself, his power to save himself, to build his own spiritual fabric in his own time and way. Every man in essence is his own savior and redeemer; for if he does not save himself, he will not be saved. The reader who succeeds in getting back to the real teachings of the masters, including Jesus of Nazareth, will find unanimity of thinking on this matter.
Without a doubt, Freemasonry denies the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Instead, it teaches that men of any and all religions are children of God. Freemasonry does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as THE ONLY WAY. Perkins explains why:
Now, therefore, why is Jesus the Christ not mentioned in the Masonic Ritual of the first three degrees? Those who ask this question should remember that Masonry has been, and is now, attempting to promote the idea of a universal brotherhood, a dwelling-together of all peoples on earth in harmony and peace.
Though Avatars have come to all people at different times with the same essential message, nevertheless the Christian Avatar is still not acceptable to some peoples.
The Brotherhood of Man, however, can be established upon the Fatherhood of God, which could and should be a universal unifying synthesis of sufficient power to draw all men together.
Masonry proclaims the universal sovereignty of the All-Father, for it is He, the I Am That I Am, who has sent every divine messenger into the world of humanity to teach men the Way, the Truth, and the Light. The ancient teachings were projected on the earth plane by the great teachers—Avatars, divine messengers, messiahs, way-showers, exemplars, elder Brothers, who at the behest of the Great Architect came into flesh from the Celestial Lodge at different times and to different races of men.
Jesus of Nazareth was sent to be a light to the world to some branches of the human race, but other branches have had, and do now have, their Buddha, their Krishna, their Zoroaster, their Confucius, their Mohammed.
Masonry declares that all these peoples, of whatever religion or creed, are children of God born into a particular race, religion, or creed to derive whatever benefits and self-development they need, or are capable of, on their long journey back to the Celestial Lodge.
As all men live and move and have their being in the Creator, all men are potential Brothers. Hence Masonry emphasizes no one Avatar in its Ritual more than another; and Masons all over the world express their first allegiance to God, as the Universal Father…
Meaning of Masonry, by Lynn Perkins
Sadly, most Masons mistakenly believe that the teachings of Freemasonry are taken from the Bible. However, a close look at what the Holy Bible actually teaches will reveal that what the Masonic Lodge teaches is not only anti-Christ, but also NOT biblical, and it’s anti-Christian.
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without Him, nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-14
The Bible is clear that all people are God’s creation (Colossians 1:16), and that God loves the entire world (John 3:16), but only those who are born again are children of God (John 1:12; 11:52; Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1-10). This passage of Scripture (John 1:1-14) clearly shows that one must be Born Again by receiving Jesus Christ—by faith—as Lord and Savior. To receive Jesus is to receive the Holy Spirit. As a result of receiving the Holy Spirit, one will be given the right to be called a child of God.
But you cannot be led by the Spirit of God if you haven’t received the Spirit of God. Freemasonry encourages its members to continuously search for light in Masonic teachings, its principles, its symbolism, and its allegories. Why is a Mason who professes to be a Christian always seeking light, when they already have the light of the world?
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
The is no greater brotherhood than being a member of the family of God. In Revelation 19:16 Jesus is given the full title “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” The title indicates someone who has the power to exercise absolute dominion over all His realm, which is all of His creation. In John’s vision, Jesus is returning to judge the world and establish His earthly kingdom, as He predicted in Mark 13:26.
When Jesus is called “King of kings and Lord of lords,” it means that, in the end, all other rulers will be conquered or abolished, and He alone will reign supreme as King and Lord of all the earth. It also means that as a child of God, you are royalty and because you are a child of the King of Kings, that makes you a Prince, and your sisters are Princesses in His sight.
Can a Christian be a Mason? Sure, but a better question is, should a Christian be a Mason?
Undoubtedly there are many sincere Christians who are uninformed or even misinformed, concerning the true character of Freemasonry, yet they hold membership in it without any guilt of conscience. But, in no way does that change the fact that membership in the Masonic fraternity is inconsistent with biblical Christianity. If a believer in Christ fully understands biblical Christianity and fully understands the plethora of heretical teachings in Freemasonry, and convicted by the Holy Spirit, he cannot and will not remain a Mason for very long.
Furthermore, if you sincerely believe in Jesus then you should sincerely believe what He teaches. He taught that no one can get to the Father except through him. Jesus is the only way to the Father, there is no other source.
But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
Now in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel [or a working tool] for honorable use, [sanctified] set apart as holy, useful to the Master of the house, and ready for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:19-21
Additionally, the Bible teaches that a child of God is not to associate too closely with those who do not accept Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father.
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership does righteousness have with unrighteousness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? Or what harmony does Christ have with Satan, or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 
Or what agreement does the temple of God have with dead idols or false gods? As believers we are the Temple of the Living God; just as God said,
“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you.”
And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14
This promise from God — to be a Father to you, allowing you to become His child — is conditional. You must have faith in His Son, Jesus, and you should not be yoked with unbelievers. The Bible directly contradicts the Masonic teaching that all men worship the same God while using a variety of different names.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols [or demons], but the Lord made the heavens! Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.
Psalm 96:4-6
Note that:
The sacrifices of unbelievers are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are you trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are you [a mere mortal man] stronger than He?
1 Corinthians 10:20-21
So “Christian” Mason, know that you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Freemasonry at the same time. We welcome you to click here to Join Us instead.
The Foundational Degrees of Freemasonry
1st Degree Entered Apprentice Ritual
3rd Degree Master Mason Degree
Prince Hall Masonic Ritual (First Three Degrees)
Texas Ritual & Monitor (First Three Degrees)
AHIMAN REZON (Grand Lodge of South Carolina)
The Masonic (Non-Aquatic) Baptism
The Higher Degrees on the Right Side of the Masonic Structure
Ancient & Accepted-Scottish-Rite complete Ritual (The Path to Prince the 32nd Degree)
A Bridge to Light (A Closer Look at Becoming a Prince)
The Higher Degrees on the Left Side of the Masonic Structure
Ritual and Monitor: Mark Master, or Fourth Degree
Past Master, or Fifth Degree Ritual and Monitor
Most Excellent Master, or 6th Degree Ritual
Royal Arch, or 7th Degree Ritual
Ritual of the-Commandery (All 3 remaining degrees coded)