The Burning Taper received the following email a few days ago. Anyone like to take a shot at answering this woman's questions?
sir, as a Christian I've always been troubled with the mason being "yoked"as it would seem to non believers, which (to me) would give the non believer the inference that his religion is just as good as Christianity. The "all roads lead to the top" line would sorta fit in that category also would it not?.. Unless Jesus lied, His way is the only way to heaven, so why would the Craft allow the impression that there's more than one way? As such, how could a Christian remain in the bond with non believers without abandoning his stance on wittnessing,contending for the faith etc.?? curious.Appreciate any response. Because late in life my uncles ,for instance, finally had great difficulty remaining in the lodge ,especially, after their dedication to the church/knowledge increased.
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The Burning Taper received the following email a few days ago. Anyone like to take a shot at answering this woman's questions?
Sir, as a Christian I've always been troubled with the mason being "yoked"as it would seem to non believers, which (to me) would give the non believer the inference that his religion is just as good as Christianity.
ReplyDelete-Do you have the same "trouble" with non-Christian police officers or soldiers or football players or stamp collectors being similarly "yoked"?
The "all roads lead to the top" line would sorta fit in that category also would it not?.. Unless Jesus lied, His way is the only way to heaven, so why would the Craft allow the impression that there's more than one way?
-The fraternity does not "allow" any particular "impression". All it does is say that my religious beliefs are as true and personal for me as yours are for you. Accordingly, and because a person's religious beliefs are frequently a source of disagreement and have nothing whatsoever to do with the business at hand, let's leave those discussions to another time and place. The same as at work, at the gym, standing in line at the grocery store or watching a movie.
As such, how could a Christian remain in the bond with non believers without abandoning his stance on wittnessing,contending for the faith etc.??
-How could a Christian remain as an employee in the same company with nonChristians?
How could a Christian remain in a bowling league with nonChristians?
How could a Christian remain as a homeowner in the same neighborhood nonChristians?
How could a Christian shop at the same store with nonChristians?
How could a Christian remain as a member of a gym with nonChristians?
I guess some who call themselves Christians would have a problem. Most, in my experience understand that "to everything there is a season".
Because late in life my uncles ,for instance, finally had great difficulty remaining in the lodge ,especially, after their dedication to the church/knowledge increased.
-Masonry teaches that one should always place his duty to his Great Creator first, his duty to himself and his family next, to his neighbor and country next and to the fraternity after those more important concerns. If your uncles saw their duty as spending more time with their religious pursuits than with the fraternity, then they did the right thing.
Being an employee with non-Christians isn't abominable before the Lord. 'Eating meat' sacrificed to idols, or receiving false doctrine among heretics and heathens is abominable.
DeleteDo you take an 'oath' with a 'penalty' to be in a bowling league with unbelievers? Probably not, unless maybe that's how masons do it in their bowling leagues.
One great reason not to be a freemason: you are yoked to every other mason in the world, one big, nasty, and very prominent one was Aleister Crowley. Just because you don't necessarily believe in his religion doesn't mean that he isn't having an effect on you.
God bless.
The author of the original email is correct in that the tenants of freemasonry are not compatible with fundamentalist religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, however, if they (the original author) have ever considered the fact that others (such as myself) are troubled by the limited world view and biased morals and ethics that often accompany such beliefs?
Probably not. Introspection and metacognition aren't hallmarks of blind faith.
Read the Bible. You don't have to believe the same way as people in fundamentalist churches, and following Jesus doesn't yoke you to other sinners, but to the grace of God. Oh, and the yoke is optional too, lol. You don't have to take an oath, you can come and go as you please. But, once you learn about Jesus, why would you want to go back?
DeleteMatthew 11:30 KJV
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
http://bible.us/matt11.30.kjv
Also, feel free to take a look here for resources and info about freemasonry:
http://www.emfj.org/
God bless.
To The Troubled Christian:
ReplyDeleteI have been a practicing Christian my whole life. My oath and obligation puts me on even ground within the lodge with the other men there. The prerequisite to believe in a higher power is there because it is fairly well established that if you believe in a higher power that you must also believe in an absolute right and wrong. That already puts us on a more level playing field. The reason it is an oath that invokes the name of God is to ensure that you're serious about it. There is nothing unitarian about it.
Masonry intends to improve each man in whatever direction he may choose to grow.
As a Christian, Masonry serves to further remind me to keep my actions in check and my tongue in cheek because I have yet another group helping me improve in that regard. They hold me accountable.
As a thinking man, Masonry exists to help me explore further than I was able to go before. I believe that God gave us our intelligence, and he intends for us to use as any other gift.
As a husband and father, Masonry helps to keep me upright and on the right path and to set a good example for my family. It is not a strictly Masonic example, it is the example of a good man overall.
In lodge proper, we do not discuss religion or politics. That's not what we're there for. Just like you would go to the gym for physical fitness, the lodge is there for reminding you to stretch your mind and your charity.
I hope this sets your mind at ease. Please know that much of the information presented about Masonry as it conflicts with Christianity is out there because of agendas and people hungry to have a power base. I don't believe that God's church is a power base - it is the body of believers.
Lee Coursey
Worshipful Master
Russellville Lodge #17
Russellville, KY 42276
Especially notice verse 34, from Jesus. Also, the second part of verse 37. The Bible doesn't need some 'false power base' like freemasonry, the secular form of mysticism.
DeleteMatthew 5:33-37 KJV
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
http://bible.us/matt5.33-37.kjv
"Unless Jesus lied, His way is the only way to heaven, so why would the Craft allow the impression that there's more than one way?"
ReplyDeleteWhat if Jesus's true words never reached your ears, and the words you are believing to be Jesus' are really man's, and not Jesus's?
Also, there really is no proof that the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible even ever existed.
masonry at least tries to deal with facts and truths that canbe proved, where Christianity needs faith. Faith is in line to suerstition....
maybe Jesus did not lie, but Church leaders throughout the Ages were very prone to lie.
God bless non believers.
Proverbs 30:5 KJV
DeleteEvery word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
John 1:1 KJV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Psalm 119:140 KJV
Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.
Psalm 12:6 KJV
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Any Christian who doesn't have confidence in the Word of God is not a Christian any more, because he/she calls Jesus and the Father liars. Hope is not gone; seek forgiveness and it shall be given.
I wholeheartedly agree with Gene. Well put.
ReplyDeleteI would like to quote two passages, one from Masonry and one from the King James Bible.
Freemasonry "conciliates true friendship among those who otherwise might have remained at a perpetual distance"
And my favourite scripture, 1 John 4:20: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"
Freemasonry promotes social principles, virtues, and morals that leads to harmony within society and improvement in the individual. This is similar to many teachings, including practical doctrines found within many religions. It does NOT, however, venture anywhere along the lines of salvation or how one may obtain it. That is determined by each individual's particular belief weather it be Christ or any of the other religions to be found in this vast world.
As a Christian and a Mason, the most powerful testimony I can share is the way I live my everyday life.
When did the Bible ever say to hate your brother? Are you saying that a person who follows Jesus will hate his brother if he avoids unbelievers, their idols, and false doctrines? If a person call out with the Word to a brother who is out of the way, how is that hate? Let's call it as it is...
DeleteIsaiah 5:20 KJV
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
But it's okay if you don't understand...
John 1:5 KJV
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
The true light is the truth, not some esoteric knowledge or ambiguous brotherly love that (by masonic law) doesn't involve all people. Can a blind man be a mason? What about the deaf, disabled, mentally handicapped? What about atheists? God allows atheists to learn about Him, before they enter His house and become beloved of Jesus Christ. His followers are brothers, and we even love those who hate us. Can you say that?
I am an Orthodox Christian and I see no incompatibility between my faith and being a Freemason. Unfortunately some Christians feel that any organization that teaches morality and values must be Christian to do so.
ReplyDeleteI was also a Boy Scout and being a Christian was not a requirement for membership. As mentioned here there are many organizations that a person can belong to that are not necessarily Christian, yet teach values.
My Brothers and Sisters in Freemasonry come from many different backgrounds racially and in terms of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof). This has never been an issue since Freemasonry is not a religious organization.
WHAT DEGREE ARE YOU!
DeleteTo the Christian lady troubled by freemasonry.
ReplyDeleteMadam,
Unless you make a total segregative prick out of Jesus, how can you understand the message of John 14 as being exclusive? If it is Jesus whose example a Christian is called upon to follow, isn't it the example of someone who lived a life of unconditional love among the outcasts of „proper“ society and rebutted the self-aggrandizing gibberish of the self-righteous? Isn't this the way and the truth and the life about which Jesus speaks – the unconditional love of the Creator for all of creation he, Jesus, embodies and freely gives even to sinners and doubters like Thomas (who is addressed by these very words), and which we should likewise give? Isn't it also the message of Matthew 7: (1) „Do not judge so that you will not be judged. (2) For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. (3) Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? (4) Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye,' while there is a beam in your own? (5) You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.“
In today's world, there are many things a caring Christian living up to the tenets of her/his faith should be troubled about. In my humble opinion, freemasonry is not among them.
Sincerely,
Wolfgang (Christian and freemason)
Being yoked to sinners by your own oath is different than sharing the faith. Are you allowed to proselytize other masons, teaching and preaching the Kingdom of God? Or, are you limited to masonic and secular topics? This is a limitation to your faith and inherently against Jesus' teachings. See my other comments above to see how.
DeleteMay God bless you.
I spent two years as a full-time missionary where I spent all day every day witnessing my faith. Since finishing my time there, I've continued to bear testimony to my friends and acquaintances. I believe in the strait and narrow way taught by Jesus Christ. The best thing I believe I could do for anybody is share the Gospel with them that they might be able to have the blessings that I enjoy.
ReplyDeleteOne of the inalienable rights of human beings is the freedom to believe according to their own conscience. I don't believe that acknowledging the value of other religions or even non-religious theism undermines my faith in Christ. I have never stated that other religions have the same saving power as mine. I don't believe that. I believe that all people, even Masons, have the right to believe is the correct religion as I do.
I would be dishonest if I said I wouldn't be very happy if all other Masons embraced the true Gospel of Jesus Christ of their own free will and choice. However, I don't love or respect them any less because they haven't.
Jesus Christ taught the parable of the unjust steward saying: "Make ye friends of the mammon of the world." Masons who are not Christian are far from the mammon of the world. If Christ taught us to make friends among the worst of those not of our faith, how much should we make friends of the moral people of the world.
Paul's admonition to not yoked with unbelievers means not to adopt the unbelievers' lifestyle. Check the context http://www.crivoice.org/yoked.html
I find that an elitist, holier-than-thou attitude is counterproductive to missionary work and inconsistent with the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.
Mark Tensmeyer
Eagle Rock #19
newfreemasons.com
By partaking of the doctrines (philosophy=love of Sophia, the false wisdom god of greece), and calling yourself Christian, you make Jesus a liar and turn God's commands into a mockery. Brother, you need to read the Bible more and ask yourself why you have more than one master. For as it is written:
DeleteLuke 16:13 (KJV)
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mammon is the false god of material success. Now, honestly, what is the biggest benefit of being a mason? Automatic access to the best social network in town, wherein one has much better chances at becoming successful. Preaching is inhibited and officially banned inside the lodge. Also, the lodge is not open to the public or the poor. You agree to help poor masons, but what about the others Jesus told us to take care of? Do you clothe the naked, feed the hungry, or teach the ignorant (about God, whose doctrine is the way of life)? Or, do you teach vain things?
Matthew 23:10 KJV
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
John 13:13 KJV
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Matthew 23:8 KJV
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Did you know that Rabbi means master and teacher? Now, what do Rabbis teach each other that is condemned by Jesus? The traditions of men. Now, who came up with the 'ancient wisdom' that you learn in lodge? Men, angels, or God? God is One, and he has only one Word, way, and light. His words are pure and true. Also, Kabbalah, which is the Jewish form of mysticism and magic, which also they study right along with scripture in order to pervert it, is basically the same teaching as freemasonry? Look at the tree of life and tell me the two pillars (son vs. moon, masculine vs. feminine, positive vs. negative, etc.) aren't the same. You all ought to do some research and see how much evil is done in the name of secular truth.
First of all there is no "god".
ReplyDeleteAs a Freemason I am sitting in my lodge with brethren of different faith. In the past i would be accused as a heretic and burnt on the stake (greetings from Giordano Bruno). So all peaceloving people should remember the situation in the past, where most of the wars were religious wars and people with different opinions were put to death.
So Freemasonry gives us the opportunity to think and to live in peace. Look around the world and you have a lot of trouble because of "My Way Is The Right Way!".
Jesus said: Love each other.
That's what Freemasonry is doing (well, most of the time if you're not black).
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAs someone that is just beginning his journey in Freemasonry, I am learning that many of my friends and family who are dedicated evangelical Christians are also Freemason, many of them ordained ministers. If I myself hadn't ever decided to become a Freemason, I would have never discovered that they were Freemasons. The person that really shocked me was my dad, a Deacon for 20 years and my greatest role model. It wasn't until his passing did I learn that my dad was a Freemason.
ReplyDeletePrior to making the decision to become a Mason, I did some research and discoverd that many of the early Freemason writers were ordained protestant ministers, and much of what is taught by Freemasonry is fundamental to Christians.
Ephraim quoted 1 John 4:20.
ReplyDeleteNow quote Acts 5:1-11 & ask yourself, "Did Peter not know about 1 John 4:20"? Or was it the Holy Spirit that struck Ananias & Sapphira dead? Didn't Jesus say, "Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing." Didn't Paul say "The greatest of these is LOVE."
In Matthew 19:10-12 Jesus said it was better NOT to get married & you should get CASTRATED for the Kingdom of God. So why don't you practise what He preached.
Oh, one more thing. Judges 19:25. How many times do you think the concubine was screwed? A 100, a 1000, or was it 10,000 times. Did she die from exhuastion?
Too many American Christians have a "John Boy Walton" type of religion. Its a Fairytale, a Myth.
And that is why they LOVE Freemasonry, with all its Myths etc.
I can place my life in the hands of an atheist, Muslim, or Christian to operate on me, can trust them with the bulk of my finances, can drive a car made in part by a worker of practically any persuasion. I do not have to agree with them on any other matter, yet have to trust that they are honest in the matters in which I deal with them. My friend, who is a self-proclaimed Athiest, makes my coffee. Another friend, who is Muslim, I can enjoy an evening with under the stars. Yet another couple of friends are Christians, and another Hindu. Do I think I am 'unequally yoked' to them? I do not think of they or myself as lesser than the other, and place my trust in them. I doubt many would refuse a liver donated to them by a person of another faith, and yet the two are intrinsically entwined. I do not have to agree with any other in lodge regarding matters of faith, yet I can agree to their right to hold to their faith (or lack thereof) as strongly as I hold to mine. I do *not* think of Freemasonry as better than Christianity, or any other faith or non-faith system. I do think we can, each and every one, believe in the rights of others to make up their own minds regarding such matters. If that is 'yoked' to another, I gladly accept the 'yoke' and pull with my fellow man regarding their rights to hold to their beliefs or lack thereof.
ReplyDeleteOaths are dangerous, because they cause people to sin, since they are inherently unable to be true to an oath. That is, unless you say something true of itself, like, "God is true." That would be a good thing to say an oath to. That you will obey a master within the length of a cable tow? Not so much.
DeleteEcclesiastes 5:5 KJV
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Deuteronomy 23:22 KJV
But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.