2B1ASK1 Guest May 06, 2009 4:31 AM	Freemasonry... The Shriners.... Just what is behind the closed doors? Some churches deny their evil, yet some deny you as a Chrisitian for being a mason... Thoughts?
TheresaforJesus Guest May 06, 2009 6:26 AM	might want to check out the History Channel from time to time. It discusses the origins of the Masons/freemasons.....it is decieving in it's talk of good doing, and higher up in the Organization my eyes were open to how the Enemy uses it ( those people) for its own work.
JC's girl 3 posts May 06, 2009 4:59 PM	My great-uncle was with the free masons and the Shriner's. These groups worship the devil. My uncle's membership in this opened the door for evil to get into the generational line of my family and it affected me. Praise the Lord for deliverance ministry at church. I got prayed for three different times before I finally got freed. Do not even think about getting involved with the free masons, Shriners, or any other occultic organization. Stay close the Holy Spirit! Blessings!
havegod4ever Guest May 06, 2009 6:30 PM	I am a Missouri Synod Lutheran and they will not accept you as a member if you are a Freemason period. You must revoke your membership as a mason to become a member of their church. As for myself I feel that there are a lot of things that are mistaken in this society as being good that stem from Satan. I feel that God said to put no other God or God's before him so that includes things that we turn into God. In other words things that we let to take precedence over him. I think Albert Pike wrote a book about Freemasons and it's dark side. I was recently reading something historical about the Rothschild's (sp)and their connection with the Freemasons and the Illuminati but I do not remember the link oh well.
emfesler Guest May 06, 2009 6:48 PM	Please see: http://www.masonicinfo.com/famous.htm Is there selective amnesia prevalent when it comes to the millions of dollars donated by these groups?
DoNotBeDeceived Guest May 06, 2009 7:06 PM	Oh even the evil doers do good deeds to cover the evil tracks by the use of money to make them look good by giving so much. Do not be deceived by them, they will suck you in and before you know it....
Jesus is Lord Guest May 06, 2009 7:20 PM	Talk to Bob Larson the number #1 delieverance minister in the world. The masons worship Satan and it is demonic and evil. You must go through alot of delieverance and generational curses need to be broken to be set free. If you have a background in this or your parents do you need help.
shohnathan Guest May 06, 2009 7:56 PM	Just like the design of Solomon's temple, and the design of Ark, so to is your very mind and this very world we live in. We're created in the image of God and therefore are a holographic representation of the Most High. This is the idea behind these secret societies. They carry wisdom from the ancients in a form that the lower ranking members while clueless of still perform a necessary function of carrying the seed. This is even found in the Christian Bible - where the devil, the Beast, and Christ represent forces within us, that people do not want to deal with so they focus on outside things instead missing the allegorical nature of the scriptures. Of course, the masses can not receive this information, and will turn on it in an emotional uproar usually, thus the necessity for secrecy and concealment of the mysteries for those who are not yet ready. Luke 17:21. Seek until you find.
Theresa Guest May 06, 2009 8:30 PM	I think you have to find the fruit of all things. I do not recognize them in the body of Christ and it seems to be a social secret class and certian rituals occur and the Bible I read suggest strongly to stay away from those associations. From all that I have learned is that they are embedded in our society and those who are in get to be elected in high places and that is a reason for much concern. But it has been the age of increasing knowledge that has allowed these secret things to be revealed...So we need to pray even more and be more alert. Much more is forthcoming!
Cynthia Hooker Guest May 07, 2009 1:22 AM	I read somewhere that BILLY GRAHAM is a Mason - can someone verify this??
Patricia Guest May 07, 2009 5:32 AM	Aslans Place has a prayer for generational deliverance from Freemasons... http://aslansplace.com/articles/?0000000001
Chuck Guest May 07, 2009 7:12 AM	Billy Graham is indeed a Free Mason. So was George Washington along with several other notables in our early history. Harry S. Truman was the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Missouri. Gerald Ford was a Mason. Have you heard of the Shriners crippled children and burns hospitals? The Knights Templars eye foundation? I suggest if people don't know what they are talking about the should not talk. "The brotherhood of mankind under the fatherhood of God" The Knights of Columbus, a similar Catholic organization, exists today because of a Papal Edict against Masonty dating back over 600 years.
Another Chuck Guest May 07, 2009 9:17 AM	My experience having gone through the 3 Blue Lodge degrees, having gone through the Scottish Rite degrees to 32nd and having gone through York Rite edgrees, as well as having sat in the East as Master of my Lodge is that my Freemasonry brought me closer to Jesus than my Catholicism did. I've heard the denigrations, read the libels, and the frothing denunciations and don't find them to match my experiences. I've seen the Fruits of Freemasonry, the practices of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, caring for burn victims, crippled children, and the dental and eye care provided at no cost to the patients. Pike wrote lots of "stuff" which, as I progress through my Masonic Career I find to be honored MUCH MORE in the BREACH than the observance. Most of my Masonic Brethren and Mentors have been about making good men better. Both better MEN and better CHRISTIAN MEN. My bride came to Christ through her experience in one of the Masonic Women's organizations... C. PM George Holley 745, Painesville, OH
Rebekah Guest May 07, 2009 9:47 AM	Reply to Cynthia Hooker: My answer to your concern about the thought that Billy Graham might be a mason. The Bible says that by their fruits you shall know them. Their is nothing concerning Billy Grahams words, actions, or deeds,(which is his fruit)that even suggest in any way shape form or fashion that he is evil or faking being a good person. He is a Godly man which is a Holy man of God. Check out his fruits for yourself and you will see.
Gaylene Guest May 07, 2009 10:12 AM	Freemasons - go to http://cuttingedge.org/fmcorner.html and get educated.
Gaylene Guest May 07, 2009 10:14 AM	Billy Graham Go to http://www.google.com/cse?cx=008515357446032454476%3Abpsrt38o96q&ie=UTF-8&q=Billy+Graham&sa=Search and find out for yourself what is truth and what is not.
Brent Guest May 07, 2009 2:29 PM	Bob Larson is a fraud who wrests what scripture he uses! I would be careful of lists that supposedly name mason members. Of course anything one reads on the internet has to be true.
Passions Poet Guest May 08, 2009 8:17 AM	As I read the posts here I can see the "honorable" way in which many have responded. I can also see much diversion going on. So and so is a mason--according to hearsay or what if so and so is and "I heard". Much is being ignored in any kind of research. I told a friend of mine that I have Jesus--so why do I "need" to become a mason? Good question. Many people call themselves "Christians" because of their behavior instead of their submission and acceptance of Jesus Christ. A question I posed elsewhere asks who is calling you a Christian--yourself or others. It was "others" who came up with the Word "Christians"-not themselves. Paul said in 1Corinthians 1:12 and following "What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ." I know this is lengthy but look up the scriptures and read the rest of the it. Read the whole thing. It does not promote an idea but a person who must come to the Cross and one Man for forgiveness in, at first, one act of repentance and then continually walk in that repentance as he or she compares themselves with God instead of each other--or even Jesus because even Jesus said "no one is good but God". It is by grace you are saved through faith, it is NOT of yourselves so that no one can boast.
Myriah Guest May 08, 2009 5:35 PM	My great-uncle was involved with the masons and the Shriners. He was a very wealthy man. Before he died, he was going to leave his money to the Shriners, but my dad talked him into giving his money to build a new church. Reluctantly, my great-uncle gave his money to have the new church built. My parents and people from my home town go to this church. Because of my great-uncle's involvement with the Shriners and masons, could there be a curse on my parents' church? My great-uncle and aunt did attend church, but they didn't seem to be following Jesus.
havegod4ever Guest May 08, 2009 7:15 PM	Passions Poet That was a great answer I felt you actually sought God's word and his approval before you posted. You did not just post to post "your thoughts" but you actually sought out what God would want you to do. We should always put God first in our lives. When we do not put God first in our lives that is when we struggle with sin. That includes my struggle with sin also. I always remember Peter could walk on water just as Jesus did as long as he kept his eyes and focus on Jesus but the moment he looked away he fell into the water. I think this is the reason some churches frown upon us being in a group like the Shriners, or the Freemasons. If we are pledging allegiance to a group where does our allegiance to God come in before or after the other allegiance?. I try to remember the first commandment and how God does not want us to put any other God before him.
Chuchee Guest May 09, 2009 5:54 AM	My grandfather in law and several of my older relatives were innvolved but they all left when they got closer to the lord.....they never mentioned why but the majority of the people I knew, that later became a more faithful christian renounced the organization......I found a masonic bible and it doesn't teach that Jesus is the only way to God.... King Solomon is their focus and the wealth and power he had......Its not of GOD.......
Robby Evans Guest May 09, 2009 9:21 AM	BILLY GRAHAM was never a mason yet he has stated that they do alot of good. The Charges Of A Free Mason Extracted from The Ancient Records of Lodges beyond Sea, and of those in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the use of the Lodges in London and America : To be read At The Making Of New Brethren Or When The Master Shall Order It. Concerning God And Religion A Mason is oblig'd by his Tenure, to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the Royal 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 it is 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 Honour and Honesty whom love Almighty God, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguish'd; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the Means of conciliating true Friendship among men that might have remain'd at a perpetual Distance. So let the Protstant Mason Catholic Mason Orthodox Mason all Christians unite in brotherly love together with the Jewish Mason for our Holy Savior was of their blood and even us alike through Noah to Adam. That through fellowship with us the Jew may obtain the knowledge of Christ for the God of the Jew is our God the Holy Trinity. Of The Civil Magistrate Supreme And Subordinate A Mason is a Peaceable Subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or works, and is never to be concern'd in Plots and Conspiracies against the Peace and Welfare of the Nation, nor to behave himself undutifully to inferior Magistrates; for as Masonry hath been always injured by War, Bloodshed and Confusion, so ancient Kings and Princes have been much dispos'd to encourage the Craftsmen, because of the Peaceableness and Loyalty, whereby they practically answer'd the Cavils of their Adversaries, and promoted the Honour of the Fraternity, who ever flourish'd in Times of Peace. So that if a Brother should be a Rebel against the State, he is not to be countenanc'd in his Rebellion, however he may be pitied as an unhappy Man; and if Convicted of no other Crime, though the loyal Brotherhood must and ought to disown his Rebellion, and give no Umbrage or Ground of Political Jealousy to the Government for the time being, they can not expel him from the Lodge, and his relation to it remains indefeasible unless he do anything unholy. Of Lodges A Lodge is a Place where members assemble and work; Hence that Assembly, or duly organiz'd Society of Masons, is call'd a Lodge, and every Brother ought to belong to one, and to be subject to its By-Laws and the General Regulations. It is either particular or general, and will be best understoon by attending it, and by the Regulations of the General or Grand Lodge hereunto annex'd. In ancient Times, no Master or Fellow could be absent from it, especially when warn'd to appear at it, with incurring a severe Censure, until it appear'd to the Master and Wardens, that pure Necessity hinder'd him. The Persons admitted Members of a Lodge must be good and true Men, free-born and of marute and discreet Age, no Bondmen, no Women, no immoral or scandalous Men, but of good Report with both eyes and all their limbs goody for work. Of Masters, Wardens, Fellows, And Apprentices All preferment among Masons is grounded upon real Worth and Personal Merit only; that so the Lords may be well served, the Brethren not put to Shame, nor the Royal Craft despis'd: Therefore no Master or Warden is chosen by Seniority, but for his Merit. It is impossible to describe these things in writing, and every Brother must attend in his Place, and learn them in a way peculiar to the Fraternity: Only Candidates may know, that no Master should take on an Apprentice, unless he has sufficient Imployment for him, and unless he be a perfect Youth, have no Maim or Defect in his body, that may render him incapable of learning the Art, of serving his Master's Lord, and of being made a Brother, and then a Fellow-Craft in due time, and even after he has served such a Term of Years, as the Custom of the Country directs; and that he should be descended of honest Parents; that so, when otherwise qualify'd, he may arrive to the Honour of being the Warden, Worshipful Master of his Lodge and at length the Grand-Master of all the Lodges, according to his Merit. No Brother can be a Warden until he has pass'd the part of a Fellow-Craft; nor a Master until he has acted as a Warden, nor Grand Warden until he has been a Fellow-Craft and a Master before his election, who is also to be nobly-born, or a Gentleman of the best Fashion, or some eminent Scholar, or some curious Architect, or other Artist, descended of honest Parents, and who is of singular great Merit in the Opinion of the Lodges. And for the better, and easier, and more honourable discharge of his Office, the Grand-Master has a Power to chuse his Deputy Grand-Master, who must be then, or must have been formerly, the Master of a particular Lodge, and has the Privilege of acting whatever the Grand-Master, his Principal, should act, unless the said Principal be present, or interpose his Authority by a Letter. Only the Grand may appoint Grand Officers. These Rulers and Governors, Supreme and Subordinate, of the ancient Lodge, are to be obey'd in their respective Stations by all the Brethren, according to the Old Charges and Regulations, with all Humility, Reverence, Love and Alacrity before Almighty God that the Holy Name of Christ be Praised within our Lodges. Of The Management Of The Craft In Working All Masons shall work honestly on working Days, that they may live creditably on Holy Days; and the time appointed by the Law of the Land, or confirm'd by Custom, shall be observ'd. The most expert of the Fellow-Craftsmen shall be chosen or appointed the Master or Overseer of the Lord's Work; who is to be call'd Master by those that work under him. The Craftsmen are to avoid all ill Language, and to call each other by no disobliging Name, but Brother or Fellow; and to behave themselves courtesly within and without the Lodge. The Master, knowing himself to be able of Cunning, shall undertake the Lord's Work as reasonably as possible, and truly dispend his Goods as if they were his own; nor to give more Wages to any Brother or Apprentice than he really may deserve. Both the Master and Masons receiving their Wages justly, shall be faithful to the Holy Lord, and honestly finish their Work, whether Task or Journey; nor put the Work to Task that hath been accustom'd to Journey. None shall discover Envy at the Prosperity of a Brother, nor supplant him, or put him out of his Work, if he be capable to finish the same; for no Man can finish another's Work so much to their lord's Profit, unless he be thoroughly acquainted with the Designs and Draughts of him that began it. When a Fellow-Craftsman is chosen Warden of the Work under the Master, he shall be true both to Master and Fellows, shall carefully oversee the Work in the Master's Absence to the lord's profit; and his Brethren shall obey him. All Masons employ'd shall meekly receive their Wages without murmuring or Mutiny, and not desert the Master till the Work is finish'd. A younger Brother shall be instructed in working, to prevent spoiling the Materials for want of Jedgement, and for encreasing and continuing of Brotherly Love. All the Tools used in working shall be approved by the Grand Lodge. No Labourer shall be employ'd in the proper work of Masonry; nor shall Free Masons work with those that are not free, without an urgent Necessity; nor shall they teach Labourers and unaccepted Masons, as they should teach a Brother or Fellow our secrets skills. Of Behavior 1. In the Lodge while constituted. You are not to hold private Committees, or separate Conversation, without Leave from the Master, nor to talk of any thing impertinent or unseemly, nor interrupt the Master or Wardens, or any Brother speaking to the Master; nor behave yourself ludicrously or jestingly while the Lodge is engaged in what is serious and solemn; nor use any unbecoming Language upon any Pretence whatsoever; but to pay due Reverence to your Master, Wardens, and Fellows, and put them to worship. If any Complaint be brought, the Brother found guilty shall stand to the Award and Determination of the Lodge, who are the proper and competent Judges of all such Controversies, unless you carry it by Appeal to the Grand Lodge, and to whom they ought to be referr'd unless a lord's work be hinder'd the mean while, in which case a particular Reference may be made; but you must never go to Law about what concerneth Masonry, without an absolute Necessity apparent to the Lodge. For our Craft Punishes our own of their crimes with justice and severity. 2. Behaviour after the Lodge is over and the Brethren not gone. You may enjoy yourselves with innocent Mirth, treating one another according to Ability, but avoiding all Excess, or forcing any Brother to eat or drink beyond his Inclination, or hindering him from going when his Occasions call him, or doing or saying anything offensive, or that may forbid an easy and free Conversation; for that would blast our Harmony, and defeat our Laudable Purposes. Therefore no private Piques or Quarrels must be brought within the Door of the Lodge, far less any Quarrels about Religion, or Nations, or State Policy, we being only, as Masons of the Catholick Religion above-mention'd; we are also of all Nations, Tongues, Kindreds, and Languages, and are resolv'd against all Politicks, as what never yet conduc'd to the Welfare of the Lodge, nor ever will. This charges has been always strictly enjoin'd and observ'd, but especially ever since the Reformation in Britian, or the Dissent and Secession of these Nations from the Communion of Rome even the Jewish Mason accepts that we while in ludge thus assembled united in harmony. 3. Behaviour when Brethren meet without Strangers, but not in a Lodge form'd. You are to salute one another in a courteous manner as you will be instructed, calling each other Brother, freely giving mutual Instruction as shall be thought expedient, without being overseen or overheard, and without encroaching upon each other or derogating from that Respect which is due to any Brother, were he not a Mason: For though all Masons are as Brethren upon the same Level, yet Masonry takes no Honour from a Man that he had before; nay rather it adds to his Honour, especially if he as deserv'd well of the Brotherhood, who must give Honour to whom it is due, and avoid ill manners. For in the ludge the King is still King yea true yet of no greatness of his brothers as in the ludge we meet upon the Level. Without his Kingship is supreme and this the King with brotherly love accepts joyfully before the Almighty. 4. Behaviour in presence of Strangers not Masons. You shall be most cautious in your Words and Carriage, that the most penetrating Stranger shall not be abole to discover or find out what is not proper to be intimated; and sometimes you shall divert a discourse, and manage it prudently for the Honour of the worshipful Fraternity for the Glory of the Almighty. 5. Behariour at Home, and in your Neighbourhood. You are to act as becomes a moral and wise Man; particularly, not to let your Family, Friends, and Neighbours know the Concerns of the Lodge, but wisely to consult your own Honour, and that of the ancient Brotherhood, for Reasons not be be mention'd here. You must also consult your health, by not continuing together too late, or too long from home, after Lodge Hours are past; and by avoiding of Gluttony or Drunkenness, that your Families be not neglected or injured, nor you disabled from working knowing as the Drunkerd can’t enter Heaven. 6. Behaviour towards a strange Brother. You are cautiously to examine him, in such a method as prudence shall direct you, that you may not be impos'd upon by an ignorant false Pretender, whom you are to reject with Contempt and Derision, and beware of giving him any Hints of Knowledge. But if you discover him to be a true and Genuine Brother, you are to respect him accordingly; and if he is in want, you must relieve him if you can, or else direct him how he may be reliev'd. You must employ him some Days, or recommend him to be employ'd. But you are not charged to do beyond your Ability, only to prefer a poor Brother, that is a good Man and true, before any other poor People in the same Circumstances as he would for you. Finally, all of these Charges you are to observe, and also those that shall be communicated to you in another way; cultivating Brotherly-Love, the foundation and Capestone, the Cement and Glory of this ancient Fraternity, avoiding all Wrangling and Quarreling, all Slander and Backbiting, nor permitting others to slander any honest Brother, but defending his Character, and doing him all good offices, as far as is consistent with your own or his Lodge; and from thence you may appeal to the Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communication, and from thence to the annual Grand Lodge; as has been the ancient laudable Conduct of our Forefathers in every Nation; never taking a legal Course but when the Case cannot be otherwise decided, and patiently listening to the honest and friendly Advice of Master and Fellows, when they would prevent your from going to Law with Strangers, or would excite you to put a speedy Period to all Law Suits, that so you may mind the Affair of Masonry with the more Alacrity and Success; but with respect to Brothers or Fellows at Law, the Master and Brethren should kindly offer their Mediation, which ought to be thankfull submitted to by the contending Brethren, and if that submission is impracticable, they must however carry on their Process, or Law-suit, without Wrath and Rancor not in the common way, saying or doing nothing which may hinder Brotherly Love, and good Offices to be renew'd and continu'd; that all may see the benign Influence of Masonry, as all true Masons have done from the Beginning of the World, and will do to the End of Time. Praise our Holy God the Holy Trinity. God Save the King God Save the Craft Amen so mote it be.
Robby Evans Guest May 09, 2009 9:24 AM	Conscience and the Craft Question on Religion and Freemasonry Expanded Edition by Jim Tresner, Ph.D., 33rd degree, Forward by MW Allan Large, Grand Master of Masons of the State of Oklahoma 1991-1992 Forward Few things are sadder in human affairs than unnecessary conflict, caused by misunderstanding or the unwillingness of men and women to discuss, calmly and factually, the differences they perceive to separate them. In recent years, Freemasons have felt especially victimized by this problem. Some people make themselves adversaries of Masonry without first finding out if a conflict really exist. Often, rather than asking a knowledgeable Mason for clarification or information, they simply read books written by other anti-Masons and find their answers there. I have asked Dr. Tresner to write this pamphlet because I know that most conflicts people see with Masonry -- especially in the area of religion -- are the result of misunderstanding rather than actual differences. Each man seeks in Masonry for himself, and each man finds for himself. Each man has an absolute right to interpret Masonry for himself as he sees fit. With our long tradition of prizing intellectual liberty and individual thought, it could not be otherwise. But if no interpretation of Masonry is officially "right," there are some which are clearly wrong. When someone ascribes words to a person which that person never wrote, or when someone insists that Masons believe something which has never been a part of the lessons of Masonry, it is the duty of every thinking Mason to say, "That is not what Masonry teaches!" It is my prayer that every thoughtful Christian who wants to know more about Freemasonry will read this information and review again in his heart the lessons of Him who taught it is better to love than to hate and fear, and that it is our duty to cherish all mankind, to strive to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday, and to strive to emulate the compassion and caring of the Good Shepherd. Allan D. Large Jim Tresner is the Director of the Masonic Leadership Institute. He holds the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, is the Director of the 33rd degree Conferral Team at his Temple, and is Director of the Works at the Guthrie Scottish Rite temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma. He holds a B.A. with majors in Communications, Theatre, English and Psychology, an M.A. in Communications Theory, an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in Business Communications. He has served on the editorial board of "the Scottish Rite Journal," is on the staff of "the Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason," serves as a video script consultant to the National Masonic Renewal Committee, and is editor of "The Oklahoma Mason." He is considered a scholar in the interpretation of Masonic Symbols and ritual and has authored numerous articles, video scripts and booklets on Masonic subjects -- A.L. Conscience and the Craft Question on Religion and Freemasonry Expanded Edition by Jim Tresner, Ph.D., 33rd degree, I undertake this task with considerable diffidence. Indeed, were it not for a belief that it is sinful to be silent when misunderstandings create pain and confusion, I would probably decline. The world of Masonry is vast, complex and rich, but it is as nothing compared to the immense sweep and scope of thought, faith, history and culture contained in the word Christianity. As a professed and professing member of the Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church, I have never found any conflict between the lodge room and the sanctuary. And indeed as the Reverend Doctor Norman Vincent Peale, one of the best known Christian and Masonic authors of today has remarked, there can never be conflict between Christianity and any other organization which constantly urges its members to live a moral life. Following are some questions often asked by those who are not members of Masonry. The responsibility for the answers is my own, although, I have tried to draw from the best known and most respected Masonic writers. Is Masonry a religion? No, not by the definitions most people use. Religion, as the term is commonly used, implies several things: a plan for salvation or path by which one reaches the after-life; a theology which attempts to describe the nature of God; and the description of ways or practices by which a man or woman may seek to communicate with God. Masonry does none of those things. We offer no plan of salvation. With the exception of saying that He is a loving Father who desires only good for His children, we make no effort to describe the nature of God. And while we open and close our meetings with prayer, and we teach that no man should ever begin any important undertaking without first seeking the guidance of God, we never tell a man how he should pray or for what he should pray. Instead, we tell him that he must find the answers to these great questions in his own faith, in his church or synagogue or other house of worship. We urge men not to neglect their spiritual development and to be faithful in the practice of their religion. As the Grand Lodge of England wrote in "Freemasonry and Religion", "Freemasonry is far from indifferent to religion. Without interfering in religious practice, it expects each member to follow his own faith, and to place above all other duties his duty to God by whatever name He is known." Masonry itself makes only a simple religious demand on a man--he must believe that he has an immortal soul and he must believe in God. No atheist can be a Mason. Why are Masonic buildings called "Temples", doesn't that suggest a religious building? Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary provides a definition for the word "temple" which is as good an explanation as any: "a building, usually of imposing size, serving the public or an organization in some special way; as, a temple of art, a Masonic temple" 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. But that, surely, is not in conflict with Christianity or any other faith. Is Freemasonry a Mystery Religion? No. The relationship (if any) between Freemasonry and the ancient Mysteries is a favorite topic of speculation among Masonic writers. Unfortunately, just as Mathematicians tend to write for other Mathematicians had Historians then to write for other Historians, Masonic writers tend to write for other Masonic writers. Many things are never explained, simply because it is assumed the reader already knowns them. Many Masonic writers say that Freemasonry uses the tradition of the Mysteries. (Others, meaning the same thing, say that Masonry is the successor to the Mysteries.) By that, we simply mean that Masonry also seeks to find men and help them develop in thought and understanding to seek enlightment. The principles of goodness (not to be confused with the principles of salvation) compassion, concern, love, trustworthiness, integrity, a sense or "connectedness" with history-- these are the elements of the Mysteries, along with other schools of thought, preserved by Freemasonry. And they are not in conflict with any faith. Masonry has nothing to do with the religion taught in the Mysteries. Rather, we are concerned with the ethics and morality taught there-- ethics and morality which have been ratified by Christianity and every major religion or mankind. Can a man be a Christian and a Mason at the same time? Perhaps the best answer is that most of us are, at least in the United States. The ranks of Masonry have been and are distinguished by many of the outstanding religious leaders of America. A quick scan through the book "10,000 Famous Freemasons", gives us these names from history, among many others. Rev. Charles T. Aikens, who served as President of the Lutheran Synod of Eastern Pennsylvania. Bishop James Freeman, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington D.C., who first conceived and began the construction of the National Cathedral. Bishop William F. Anderson, one of the most important leaders of the Methodist Church. Rev. Lansing Burrows, Civil War Hero and Secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention. Rev. James C. Baker, who created the Wesley Foundation William R. White, 33rd degree, who served as President of Baylor, and secretary of the Sunday School Board, Southern Baptist Convention. Rev. Hugh I. Evans, who served as national head of the Presbyterian Church It is useful on this question, to let some of America's most honored Clergy speak for themselves. Carl J. Sanders, Bishop of the United Methodist Church and holder of the highest honor conferred by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, writes: "My Masonic activities have never interfered with my loyalty to and my love for my Church. Quite to the contrary, my loyalty to my Church has been strengthened by my Masonic ties. Good Masons are good Churchmen." Dr. James P. Wesberry, Executive Director and Editor of the Baptist publication "Sunday" writes: "It is no secret that Masons love and revere the Bible nor is it a secret that Masonry helped to preserve it in the darkest age of the Church when infidelity sought to destroy it. The Bible meets Masons with its sacred message at every step of progress in its various degrees." The Reverend Louis Gant, 33rd degree, Mason and District Superintendent of the Methodist Church writes: "Let no one say you cannot be a Christian and a Mason at the same time. I know too many who are both and proud to be both." But we are proud, as Masons, that members of all faiths have found value in the fraternity. Rabbi Seymour Atlas, 32nd degree, and holder of some of the highest Masonic honors, writes of what he finds in Masonry: "I was brought up in a religious home, a son of a Rabbi with seven generations of Rabbis preceding me... I am proud to be a Mason who believes in the dignity of God's children and opposes hatred and bigotry, and stands for truth, justice, kindness, integrity and righteousness for all." Is Masonry Anti-Christian? No, Masonry is not anti ANY religion. This charge is raised by some anti-Masonic writers. Quoting Matthew 12:30 ("He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad."), they claim that, since Masonry does not require its members to be Christian, we are actively anti-Christian. First of all, of course, a reading of the entire passage makes it quite clear that Jesus was answering the Pharisees who were criticizing Him; it is not a passage which relates to the present discussion at all. Most people wouldn't agree that there are only two positions in the world-- Christian and anti-Christian. The government of the United States, the city library, even the natural gas company, all serve and employee Christians and non-Christians alike-- but no reasonable person would say they were, therefore "anti-Christian." Masons encourage their members in their individual faiths, we do not oppose any faith. Does Masonry have a hidden religious agenda or practice, known only to "higher" Masons? No, The religious position of Freemasonry is stated often and openly, and we've already mentioned it above. A Mason must believe in God, and he is actively encouraged to practice his individual faith. Masonry has no "god" of its own. Some anti-Masons have said that we are not allowed to mention the name of God in Lodge. That isn't true-- in fact that is one of the two meanings of the "G" in the square and compasses logo (the other meaning is "geometry"). It is true that we generally use some other term, "Grand Architect of the Universe" is most common, to refer to God. That is done only to avoid giving religious offense to anyone whose faith refers to God by another name. But the God to whom Masons pray is the God to whom all Christians pray. But haven't some Masonic writers said that the information given in the early Masonic degrees is incomplete or even misleading? Again, it's a matter of Masonic writers writing for those they assume have a background knowledge. Another way we say the same thing is "Masonry is a progressive science, revealed by degrees." There's nothing astonishing, and certainly nothing sinister in that. ALL knowledge is gained bit by bit, and this is especially true in ethics and morality. A minister, who gave a new member of the church a copy of the works of, for example, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen, and said "When you've mastered those, let me know," would do very little good. Instead, Masonry introduces the idea of ethics and morality, and gives some practical instruction in each. But then it says to the Mason, "We teach by symbols because symbols can be constantly explored. Think about these things, read what others have written. Only in that way can you make the knowledge and insight really your own." Masonry tries very hard to raise questions, and to help its members acquire the tools for thought-- but we do not try to give answers. Why is it so hard to find an official statement of Masonic dogma? Because there isn't such a thing. We've already mentioned everything Masonry has to say officially on the topic. To go further, as an official position would deny a man his right to think for himself and his right to follow the dictates of his own faith. Each Mason has a right to seek Masonry for what he wants to find. It is his right to believe as he wishes; BUT is not his right to force that belief on others. But isn't the Masonic scholar Albert Pike's major book entitled "Morals and Dogma"? Yes. As is clear from his writings, however, Pike using the word in its original Greek sense of "that which I think is true." or "that which has been thought to be true," not in the modern sense of "this is what you are required to believe." And the question of "Morals and Dogma" brings up an important point. Anti-Masonic writers are forever "discovering" something they find shocking in the book, largely because they don't understand what kind of book it is. Pike was attempting the almost impossible task of surveying and condensing the whole history of human thought in philosophy into one volume. He writes about things which were believed in ancient Egypt, China, Persia-- all over the world. It's easy to take a paragraph out of context-- as one writer does with Pike's comment about the ancient Egyptian belief in Osiris-- and then insist that Masons teach and believe that all good comes from Osiris. But a history lesson is not a statement of theology. Some of the anti-Masonic writers seem almost to deliberately twist things to make them say what they want. As an example, the same writer, takes a passage in which Pike in contrasting the immortality of the soul with the temporary nature of earthly things. To illustrate the impermanence of the body as apposed to the sould, Pike notes that, when we die, our bodies resolve again into the earth. The minerals of which it was composed may scatter far. Those minerals may be picked up again by the roots of plants, grow into food, and be eaten by other men. This, the anti-Masonic writer suggests, is pagan Masonic communion-- eating the dead! A simple illustration is distorted into a cannibal feast. Which Masonic writer does Masonry consider authoritative? None, if you mean "authoritative" in the sense that they speak for the fraternity or that what they say is "binding" upon Masons. Each Mason must think for himself, and each is entitled to write whatever he wishes. It's like the situation is studying government. If a person really wants to understand American Government, he or she almost has to read Madison's and Hamilton's "Federalist Papers" as well as de Toqueville and the History of the Constitutional Convention. But none of those things are the law-- they are just commentaries on the way the law was made, and the thinking of the people who wrote the Constitution. It's like that with Masonic writers. Some have a lot of value to say-- some are useless (each man can write whatever he wants, after all)-- but none of them "speaks" for Masonry. He can only speak for himself. Is there such a thing as a Masonic Bible? No. The Bibles sometimes called "Masonic Bibles" are just Bibles (usually the King James Version) to which a concordance, giving the Biblical citations on which the Masonic Ritual is based, has been added. Sometimes reference material on Masonic history is included. Anyone is welcome to read one. Is Freemasonry a secret society? No. A secret society tries to hide the fact that it exists. Masonic Lodges are marked with signs, listed in the phone book and their meeting places and times are usually listed in the newspaper. Members identify themselves with pins and rings. The only secret in Masonry relate to the ways we can recognize each other. The ritual of Masonry, the Monitor, is in print and anyone can read it. Interestingly, the anti-Masonic writers who condemn us for being a secret society are always quoting from the Monitor. If it’s a secret, it isn’t a very well-kept one. So what do Masons mean by "Secrecy?" What kind of secrecy do we teach? The first and most important kind is the ability to keep confidences. All of us value those friends whom we can talk, "blow off steam," really open ourselves to, and still know without any question that the friend will never tell anyone else or use those moments of sometimes painful honesty against us in any way. As it says in Proverbs 11, 13 "a talebearer revealeth secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter." Masons are taught it's important to be such a friend. The second kind of secrecy we teach is the idea of "doing good in silence." One of the degrees says it this way: "Be careful that you do not contribute to showy charities in order to have the reputation of being a charitable man, while sending away from your door the Poor whom God has sent to test you." Secrecy, in those senses, is a virtue, and it is in those senses it is taught in Masonry. Can a Christian take the vows or obligations of a Mason? Yes, with the exception of a very few denominations. If a Christian belongs to a denomination which forbids all vows, such as the Oath of Office of the President of the United States or the common oath of the law courts, "I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God," then he probably could not take the obligation. Any Christian, whose denomination does not forbid the Presidential or the court oath, or the oath taken when entering the Armed Services could take the Masonic obligation. Some anti-Masonic writers have complained about the so-called "penalties" in the Masonic obligations. Those penalties are purely symbolic and refer to the pain, despair and horror which any honest man should feel at the thought that he had violated his sworn word. Does Masonry use symbols which are diabolical in nature? No. Masonry uses many symbols-- it's our primary way of teaching, as it has been the primary way of teaching from ancient times (just try teaching arithmetic without number symbols)-- but there is nothing satanic about them. Symbols mean what the person uses them to mean. X may be a St. Andrew's Cross, ancient symbol of Scotland, or it may mean "multiply two numbers together" (or "10" in Roman Numerals, or "unknown" in algebra, or "don't do this," or "truce," or "Xenon" in chemistry, or "by" as in 2 x 4 board, or "this is the spot," or even "railroad crossing"). It depends on the meaning in the mind of the person using it. It's the same for Masonic symbols. We sometimes use the five-pointed star, for example. Some people chose to see that as a symbol of witchcraft. It's their right to use it that way in their own thinking if they wish. But we use it as a symbol of man, because that is its oldest meaning (the five points refer to the head, the hands and the feet). The five-pointed star, with one point downward, is used by the Order of the Eastern Star. Some anti-Masons like to see it as a symbol of the devil. But it's also known as the "Star of the Incarceration," with the downward-pointing ray representing that moment when God came down from Heaven and was Incarnate by the Holy Ghost. And it is in that meaning it is used by the Eastern Star ("We have seen His star in the East, and are coming to worship him"). But don't some writers say that in the 30th degree of the Scottish Rite the room is filled with diabolical symbols and the candidate comes face to face with Lucifer? Some anti-Masonic writers have said that, but it isn't true. First of all, they mistake a stage-set for a sanctuary. The Degrees of Masonry are plays, some set in the Lodge room and some using full stage settings. The message of the 30th degree is that man should think about death, (not avoid the thought fearfully), and realize that death is not frightening but a natural process. So the setting contains traditional symbols of death, like black curtains and the drawing of a mausoleum. But the material which these writers quote as coming from the 30th degree doesn't. They generally quote from the anti-Masonic book "Scottish Rite Masonry Illuminated". The anonymous author of the book wildly changed materials wherever he wished-- even some of the names of the degrees are wrong. Although the book is presented as a ritual of the fraternity, you need only read through his introductory notes or end notes to realize that he intends it as an attack of Freemasonry, which he calls "a tissue of fearful falsehood." The book is generally quoted by writers who insist that, instead of quoting anti-Masonic materials, they are using only material, written by and/or published by Masons for Masons." Perhaps they have not read the notes. Is Masonry "guilty" of teaching toleration? And proud of it! It seems a strange accusation, but anti-Masonic writers often charge that we accept people with many different religious viewpoints as Brothers. They are correct. Jesus did not say to us, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another-- as long as he goes to the same church you do, or belongs to the same political party." Yet one anti-Masonic writer claims that this toleration is the blackest sin of Masonry. Toleration, he says, "springs from pits of hell and from the father of lies, Lucifer." When you consider what intolerance has produced in the world-- the Inquisition, the burning or Protestants at the stake, the horrors of Hitler, the mass murders of Stalin, the "killing fields" of Cambodia, the massacre of the inhabitants of Jerusalem by the Crusaders-- it is hard to believe that toleration springs from the devil. Does freemasonry teach that man can be saved by good works? That charge is sometimes leveled against us by anti-Masons who mistake both the nature of Masonry and the meanings of its ritual. Salvation is not a grace which Masonry can or does offer. As the Reverend Christopher Haffner points out in his book, "Workman Unashamed: The Testimony of a Christian Freemason", "with in their Lodges, Freemasons are not concerned with salvation and conversion, but with taking men as they are and pointing them in the direction of brotherhood and moral improvement. Insofar as the Order is successful in this aim, it is content, and leaves the member to devote himself to his own religious faith to receive the grace of salvation." In most Masonic rituals, the candidate is reminded of that even before he steps into the Lodge room for the first time. A typical example reads: "You are aware that whatever a man may have gained here on earth, whether of titles, wealth, honors, or even his own merit, can never serve him as passport to heaven; but previous to his gaining admission there he must become poor and destitute, blind and naked, dependent upon the sovereign Will of God; he must be divested of the rags of his own righteousness, and be clothed in a garment furnished him from on high. Is a Masonic service a worship service? No. Except, perhaps, in the sense that, for a Christian, EVERY act is an act of worship. Our meetings open and close with prayer, Masons are encouraged to remember that God sees and knows everything that we do, and the Bible is always open during a Masonic meeting. But it is a meeting of a fraternity, not a worship service. And that brings up one of the most ridiculous charges sometimes made against us-- that our members are "really" worshiping a demon or some pagan god such as the Bal, Bel, Osiris, Mendes, Pan, etc..-- only they don't know it! But you cannot worship something with out knowing it. The act of worship is an act of full concentration, knowledge, and devotion-- "with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind." We honor and venerate GOD, not the Adversary. One example will serve to show the complete lack of foundation of these kinds of charges. The charge of worshiping a demon usually involves one named "Baphomet." Historians know the origin of the story. In brief, during the middle ages, a military monastic order known as the Knights Templar, grew very wealthy. King Philip the Fair of France and the Pope, wanting to confiscate their treasure, had them thrown into prison and accused of heresy (the only charge that would allow for the confiscation of the property) in 1307. Philip, fearing that the Inquisition would be too gentle (!) had his own commissioners involved. After years or horrible torture, some of the knights signed confessions-- of anything their torturers wanted. They were burned at the stake. A standard part of the pre-written confessions was worshiping an idol named Baphomet (language scholars tell us that "Baphoment" was a term for "Mohammed" in the Middle Ages). You can read the full story in any good historical account of the period. So, "Baphomet" wasn't the name of a demon, the Knights Templar did not worship him/it, their "confessions" were obtained under torture and, at any rate, a false charge used to steal from and murder military monks in A.D. 1307 has nothing to do with Freemasonry. Did Albert Pike really say that all Masons were secret followers of Lucifer? No. In many anti-Masonic books you'll see what is supposed to be a quotation from Pike, saying that all Masons of the "Higher Degrees" are secret worshipers of Lucifer or that we regard Lucifer as God. The historical fact is that those words were written in 1894, three years after Pike's death. They were written by a notorious atheist and pornographer named Gabriel Jogand-Pages, but better known by his pen name, Leo Taxil. Taxil was engaged in an elaborate hoax to discredit both Freemasonry and the Church of Rome, and made up the Pike quotation out of thin air. He then "discovered" the letters, and revealed them to the world. He was highly praised by the religious authorities-- showered with honors and listed as a defender of the faith for having revealed the "true evil purposes of Masonry." Then, just as he was being acclaimed all over Europe for his "religious zeal," he publicly announced the hoax, making everyone look like fools. The scandal broke in 1897, but the supposed "Pike letter" had already been published by a man named Abel Clarin de la Rive, who took Taxil's hoax at face value. Rive's book, "La Femme et l'Efant dans la Franc-Maconnerie Universelle", (Woman and Child in Universal Freemasonry) was quoted by Edith Starr Miller in 1933, in her book, Occult Theocrasy. She translated the "quotation" into English. Since that time, several writers of anti-Masonic books have simply repeated the "quotation" without checking on its source or authenticity. Taxil's pubic confession and Rive's subsequent retraction of his book notwithstanding, it continues to shadow the name of Pike, who was, to his death, a sincere and devoted Trinitarian Christian. Can one learn more about Freemasonry without joining the Fraternity? Yes. The Grand Lodge of almost any state can provide information and lists of books which explain Freemasonry in detail. They are the same books that Freemasons read and study to learn more about the fraternity. And I hope that this short discussion may help resolve some doubts. We have neither horns and tails nor halos. Masons are simply your neighbors, joined together in a fraternity which tries to help men become better people as it tries to help the world become a better place through its charities. It is, so to speak, a "support group" for men who are trying to practice ethics and morality in a world which does not always encourage those ideals. Freemasonry's teachings are acceptable to all religions-- upholding the values of faith in the secular world-- an organization for thoughtful Christians-- and all men of good will.
his beloved Guest May 09, 2009 9:27 AM	Read the book, The deadly deception by Jim Shaw. I know in my heart you cannot be a Christian with a close relationship to God through Jesus Christ and be a freemason. The rites are done in darkness and secret. Everything God does is in the light. Freemasonry is a deadly deception as the title of Jim Shaw's book states. The devil will use just enough good works to deceive you into thinking this organization is of God. Read the book, the beautiful side of evil by Johanna Michaelson, I believe is her name. She was deceived by the "good" being done. Exercise discernment people of God. If you don't have it, ask God for it. It is so easy for any of us to be deceived. We must stay very close to the heart of God at all times. If you are in freemasonry, get out as quickly as you can. It is evil. Seek the Lord Jesus, He is the way, the truth and the life.
Robby Evans Guest May 09, 2009 9:32 AM	I understand that some may not want you to become a Master Mason , some of my family , friends and church members where I am a member think Masonry is wrong , I did think like that myself yet I had friends and an uncle who were Christian Freemasons and I knew many Christian ministers that are Master Masons so I talked with them and after much prayer I decided to petition the Lodge for membership. Most of the anti - masons just have a misunderstanding of what Freemasonry is and its purpose. The problem is that masons are told not to argue with those who tell lies on Masonry and if the individuals that spread those lies are granted the privilege to see the truth then they refuse it and choose to hear only some false Conspiracy . I am a True Believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I am a high ranked Master Mason also I can attest that many books in print and in production on the TV and in the movies about Freemasonry are a complete lie. Even the books against Masonry in the Bible Book Stores are wrong, I have many of them in my private collection. Remember I was a strong anti- mason till I prayed and the Holy Spirit open my eyes that I was wrong to persecute my Christian brothers that were Freemasons. Since then after being made a Master Mason I have become a York Rite Mason , which at the top levels only Born again Christian Master Masons may join , no Jewish Masons Because you have to be a Christian Master Mason. Your decision Tim at this time not to petition the Fraternity of Ancient Free and Accepted Freemasons of North Carolina has not unqualified you for future consideration, just let me know if you change your mind Tim. You must do what you think is the best for you and your family , if our God the Holy Trinity wants you to be a Master Mason He will open the door for you. Masonry teaches that God and family and your job come first in that order then Masonry . Most of the five million Free Masons in the world today are of the Christian Faith though the early Free Masons were of the Hebrews. The British Empire spread Masonry across the modern world and thus eventually honest men always Free Born which were Hindus and Muslims were sometimes allowed to join the English Masons yet most Sovereign Grand Masonic Jurisdictions only accepted Free Born Jewish & Christian men to become Master Masons. All Free Masons Must Learn ABOUT ALMIGHTY GOD AND KING SOLOMON WHICH ARE BOTH REVEALED IN THE HOLY BIBLE, THE HOLY SACREAD WORD OF ALMIGHTY GOD. In Christian Masonic Lodges the HOLY BIBLE which is taught to always be the Rule and Guide of a Mason is upon the Holy Altar and no Lodge may be open without the HOLY BIBLE always open upon the Holy Alter in the Lodge ,the Lodge is consecrated and on Holy ground but it is not a Church and the Lodge is never to take the place of a Christian Church or Jewish Synagogue. In some parts of Free Masonry one must ALWAYS be a Born Again Christian no other can join and always a mason must be a man only and of good report. The Letter G in Masonry always represents God and the science that proves He God the Holy Trinity is our Devine Creator for by Geometry the Devine Creation is a scientific Fact ! In the North Carolina Masonic official OSW IN THE THIRD DEGREE LECTURE IT REVEALS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS OUR REDEEMER ALL MASTER MASONS IN NORTH CAROLINA ARE TAUGHT THIS JEWISH MASONS INCLUDED. WHEN A MASON IS RAISED IN NORTH CAROLINA HE IS TOLD IT IS SYMBOLIC OF THE BODY NOT THE SOUL OF G M HAB WHICH WAS ACCORDING TO MASONIC LEGEND REMOVED FROM ONE PLACE AND GIVEN A PROPER AND DESENT BUIRAIL IN ANOTHER PLACE . Never resurrection from the dead ! Is it True what they say about Freemasonry ? I was an out spoken anti - mason yet I knew many Christian Masons so after much humble prayer before the One True Holy Almighty God the Holy Trinity, and praying with a non - mason minister , I decided to join the Masonic Lodge. I thought I could prove Masonry was non- Christian yet I found it to be Judeo - Christian in its origins ,Faith , history and legends. As a real Christian I had to ask Freemasons to forgive me for spreading falsehoods about them which I had read from books, some of which I had bought at Christian Book Stores. Just as the early Church forgave Saul (Paul) they as Christian Masons forgave me. I have now by the Grace of God in just a few years become a Super Excellent Master but most importantly I am a Christian Freemason , a member of the Blue Lodge & the York Rite. To be apart of the high degrees of the York Rite a Man has to be a Master Mason in good standing also he must & shall be a born again Christian. Thus is the slogan All Christian Masons should be York Rite Masons. Their is no Maundy Thursday in the York Rite yet we do in public celebrate Easter Sun Rise service to show our Love for our Holy Lord and Savior Jesus Christ our Holy King the Only Son of our Holy Farther Almighty God. We present free of charge a Holy Bible AKJV to Churches regardless of denomination and by the Grace of God we send a group of many ministers absolutely free of charge regardless of their denomination on a pilgrimage each year to the Holy Land. This helps them relate to others about the Holy Places in the Holy Scriptures when they are preaching the Holy Gospel of our Lord Christ Jesus. If anyone wants to know the real truth about Masonry or the famous anti mason Mr. Jim Shaw ,who never received the honorary 33 ° degree in the Scottish Rite nor was he the master of any Lodge of Freemasons , he was only a Junior Deacon a non elected appointed officer in the Lodge. Then do what I did seek the truth never just take one side of the story. The Duncan Monitor like so many books is wrong yet many non - masons use it to spread a great false witness against Masons. I suggest everyone read the book : Is it True what they say about Freemasonry ? ISBN I-59077-030-7 This is one of the most eye opening books on the Craft of Masonry which gives the proven facts about Freemasonry and has letters to and from the publisher of Mr. Jim Shaw’s book, a book I like so many others have used in ignorance before finding the truth . I must admit though at this present time I am not a member of the Scottish Rite of Masonry and know little of the facts of the Scottish Rite rituials. yet the book Is it True what they say about Freemasonry ? Is very informative if anyone wants truth instead of fairytales. ? Master Mason of Ancient Craft Masonry Selma Lodge No. 320 A.F. & A.M. Selma, North Carolina USA. Royal & Select Master Goldsboro Council No. 33 R. & S. M. Goldsboro, N.C. USA. Most Honorable, Super Excellent Master of the Council Fayetteville Council No. 27 R. & S. M. Fayetteville, N.C. USA Exalted Royal Arch Mason Goldsboro Chapter No.29 Goldsboro, N.C. USA. Sir, Knight , of The Order Of The Temple Goldsboro Commandery # 26 Knights Templar Goldsboro, North Carolina USA. Robby Wayne Evans Christian Master Freemason
Anonymous Guest May 09, 2009 10:05 AM	The deadly deception by Jim Shaw Jim Shaw was never a master of any Masonic Lodge and and he was never a 33rd. degree Scottish Rite member. He was the one who lied twice, in his book that he was the Master of his Lodge and when he publicly told people that he recieved the 33rd. degree of the Scottish Rite when he said Billy Graham was there as a 33rd degree. BILLY GRAHAM is not a member of the Scottish Rite and has never been a mason yet he has stated that they do alot of good. The higest level a mason can recieved is Master Mason of the Masonic Lodge and in some Grand Juristictions the Holy Royal Arch degree must be included with the Master Mason dergee. In American Masonry the Holy Royal Arch degree is in the York Rite.
2b1ask1 Guest May 09, 2009 10:10 AM	http://www.treasuresofnorthcarolinamasonry.org/ http://www.grandlodge-nc.org/ Learn the truth !
brent Guest May 09, 2009 1:53 PM	Why is it when facts are stated about one man, and those facts prove the guilt of another, that the stater of the facts is spreading division? Jesus was the ultimate divider. He came to "set brother against brother." God established the ultimate divider between himself and mankind. God divided the worlds lies with the Truth. He will divide his sheep from the goats in the end. The problem with so much of the church today is people are afraid to call a spade and spade. It might be offensive. Well that is just too bad. We can be one big happy family burning in hell together or we can be the few that seek God and have a reward worthy of that choice. I am proud to be divided. Don't take those scriptures out of context. Concerning the person whose relative's involvement in the cult benefited the church. This is not unscriptural. The bible said that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just. It does not say that wants believers to be doing wicked things to get money. I just hope that the relative knew that good works mean squat at the time of death. I hope he came to know the Lord.
havegod4ever Guest May 09, 2009 6:10 PM	Brent I only want to say AMEN,AMEN. You can be politically correct and burn in hell fore eternity. As for myself I want nothing to do with the Masons. It is not personal I won't try to talk anyone into my beliefs but for me they work. I am a product of generational curses that had to do with things of the darkness that my family practiced, and now in my generation we are all believers of Jesus Christ as our savior. Now in itself that is a miracle as our parents divorced and we were un-churched in our youth. You all can argue about pro-mason, con-mason, but I have better things to do lift my eyes up to my lord Jesus Christ and let you all keep on fighting. To all my Christian brothers and sisters if you know something is true in your heart why argue your faith to other people. Many people antagonize me because of my faith but I try to just walk away because I know my beliefs are supernatural inspired by the Holy Spirit of God himself. Love and peace to all
Robby Evans Guest May 10, 2009 6:36 AM	Amen my brothers , If their is something one Christian is a part of that another Christian is not and the one that is without wants information then they should go to their brother in Love and ask the one that is a part of the group, what does the group do and believe. They should not persecute one another yet they should Love one another as Christians an as brothers in Christ our Lord Jesus they should pray for each other and for each others families and friends and by praying together united in Love the Holy Spirit will guide them into all Righteousness and Truth. It is time we stop satan our enemy who has divided Christian non- masons from Christian masons. With lies because he is the father of lies. If any Christian man does not want to be a freemason ok yet he should base his decision on truth not a misunderstanding of who Freemasons are and what they accomplish for the Kingdom of God. A house divided against its self cannot stand so let us be all Christians first wither we be masons or not. I am a Pentecostal Christian and I have many brothers and sisters in Christ which are not Pentecostal they or just as saved by the Eternal Holy Grace of Christ as I am yet some of them do not understand speaking in tongues in the Holy Ghost , it is completely biblical and of God but they have not received the Light of the knowledge of this and some of them unfortunately think in their own understanding that speaking in tongues by the Anointed Power of Almighty God is not to be for today, and that is why the Holy Spirit does not speak in tongues through them because of their little Faith. I still Love them even in their misunderstandings and pray that the Holy Spirit the Holy Ghost will teach them all Truth . They are still born Christians just as much as I am and I am just as much as Christian as they and I am Pentecostal believer in Christ our Holy Lord and yes I am a Born Again Christian Holy Spirit filed Master Freemason. I acknowledge that I also need to grow by the leading of the Holy Ghost in Christ Jesus! SO LET US All AS THE CHILDREN OF THE HOLY TRINITY BE UNITED IN LOVE AND BE IN ONE MIND AND IN ONE ACCORD. IN THE HOLY NAME OF OUR HOLY ETERNAL LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST SO MOTE IT BE So May It Ever Be AMEN
Kevin&Kathy Guest May 10, 2009 2:19 PM	check out youtube and type in lcmo1999 and look at the hours of research that have been done into what these organization are all about and all of the affiliations that pertain to it and the oaths of the orders and how it operates in its distinctions.
Anonymous Guest May 11, 2009 6:58 AM	http://www.treasuresofnorthcarolinamasonry.org/ http://www.grandlodge-nc.org/
Anonymous Guest May 11, 2009 6:58 AM	A poem known as the "Regius Manuscript" has been dated to approximately 1390 and is the oldest known Masonic text.[6] There is evidence to suggest that there were Masonic lodges in existence in Scotland as early as the late sixteenth century[7] (for example the Lodge at Kilwinning, Scotland, has records that date to the late 1500s, and is mentioned in the Second Schaw Statutes (1599) which specified that "ye warden of ye lug of Kilwynning [...] tak tryall of ye airt of memorie and science yrof, of everie fellowe of craft and everie prenteiss according to ayr of yr vocations"[8]). There are clear references to the existence of lodges in England by the mid-seventeenth century.[9] Goose and Gridiron, where the Grand Lodge of England was foundedThe first Grand Lodge, the Grand Lodge of England (GLE), was founded on 24 June 1717, when four existing London Lodges met for a joint dinner. This rapidly expanded into a regulatory body, which most English Lodges joined. However, a few lodges resented some of the modernisations that GLE endorsed, such as the creation of the Third Degree, and formed a rival Grand Lodge on 17 July 1751, which they called the "Antient Grand Lodge of England". The two competing Grand Lodges vied for supremacy – the "Moderns" (GLE) and the "Antients" (or "Ancients") – until they united 25 November 1813 to form the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). The Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland were formed in 1725 and 1736 respectively. Freemasonry was exported to the British Colonies in North America by the 1730s – with both the "Antients" and the "Moderns" (as well as the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland) chartering offspring ("daughter") Lodges, and organising various Provincial Grand Lodges. After the American Revolution, independent U.S. Grand Lodges formed themselves within each State. Some thought was briefly given to organising an over-arching "Grand Lodge of the United States", with George Washington (who was a member of a Virginian lodge) as the first Grand Master, but the idea was short-lived. The various State Grand Lodges did not wish to diminish their own authority by agreeing to such a body.[10] Although there are no real differences in the Freemasonry practiced by lodges chartered by the Antients or the Moderns, the remnants of this division can still be seen in the names of most Lodges, F.& A.M. being Free and Accepted Masons and A.F.& A.M. being Antient Free and Accepted Masons. The oldest jurisdiction on the continent of Europe, the Grand Orient de France (GOdF), was founded in 1728. However, most English-speaking jurisdictions cut formal relations with the GOdF around 1877 – when the GOdF removed the requirement that its members have a belief in a Deity (thereby accepting atheists). The Grande Loge Nationale Française (GLNF)[11] is currently the only French Grand Lodge that is in regular amity with the UGLE and its many concordant jurisdictions worldwide. Due to the above history, Freemasonry is often said to consist of two branches not in mutual regular amity: the UGLE and concordant tradition of jurisdictions (mostly termed Grand Lodges) in amity, and the GOdF, European Continental, tradition of jurisdictions (often termed Grand Orients) in amity. In most Latin countries, the GOdF-style of European Continental Freemasonry predominates[citation needed], although in most of these Latin countries there are also Grand Lodges that are in regular amity with the UGLE and the worldwide community of Grand Lodges that share regular "fraternal relations" with the UGLE. The rest of the world, accounting for the bulk of Freemasonry, tends to follow more closely to the UGLE style, although minor variations exist.
Traveler Guest May 11, 2009 7:02 AM	A Lodge must hold regular meetings at a fixed place and published dates. It will elect, initiate and promote its members and officers; it will build up and manage its property and assets, including its minutes and records; and it may own, occupy or share its premises. Like any organisation, it will have formal business to manage its meetings and proceedings, annual general meetings and committees, charity funds, correspondence and reports, membership and subscriptions, accounts and tax returns, special events and catering, and so forth. The balance of activities is individual to each Lodge, and under their common constitutions and forms of procedure, Lodges evolve very distinctive traditions.
Hiram Guest May 11, 2009 7:20 AM	The three degrees of Craft or Blue Lodge Freemasonry are those of: Entered Apprentice – the degree of an Initiate, which makes one a Freemason; An Apprentice Stone Mason. Fellow Craft – Fellow of the Craft “ union” or Masons Guild an intermediate degree, involved with learning; Craft = Guild. Master Mason – the "third degree", a necessity for participation in most aspects of Masonry. A Master Stone Mason. The degrees represent stages of personal development. No Freemason is told that there is only one meaning to the allegories; as a Freemason works through the degrees and studies their lessons, he interprets them for himself, his personal interpretation being bounded only by the Constitution within which he works. A common symbolic structure and universal archetypes provide a means for each Freemason to come to his own answers to life's important philosophical questions. As previously stated, there is no degree of Craft Freemasonry higher than that of Master Mason. Although some Masonic bodies and orders have further degrees named with higher numbers, these degrees may be considered to be supplements to the Master Mason degree rather than promotions from it. An example is the Scottish Rite, conferring degrees numbered from 4° up to 33°. It is essential to be a Master Mason in order to qualify for these further degrees. They are administered on a parallel system to Craft or Blue Lodge Freemasonry; within each organization there is a system of offices, which confer rank within that degree or order alone. In some jurisdictions, especially those in continental Europe, Freemasons working through the degrees may be asked to prepare papers on related philosophical topics, and present these papers in open Lodge. There is an enormous bibliography of Masonic papers, magazines and publications ranging from fanciful abstractions which construct spiritual and moral lessons of varying value, through practical handbooks on organization, management and ritual performance, to serious historical and philosophical papers entitled to academic respect. Signs, grips and words Freemasons use signs (gestures), grips or tokens (handshakes) and words to gain admission to meetings and identify legitimate visitors. From the early 18th century onwards, many exposés have been written claiming to reveal these signs, grips and passwords to the uninitiated. A classic response was deliberately to transpose certain words in the ritual, so as to catch out anyone relying on the exposé. However, since each Grand Lodge is free to create its own rituals, the signs, grips and passwords can and do differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Furthermore, Grand Lodges can and do change their rituals periodically, updating the language used, adding or omitting sections. Therefore, any exposé can only be valid for a particular jurisdiction at a particular time, and is always difficult for an outsider to verify. Today, an unknown visitor may be required to produce a certificate, dues card or other documentation of membership in addition to demonstrating knowledge of the signs, grips and passwords. Obligations Obligations are those elements of ritual in which a candidate swears to abide by the rules of the fraternity and to keep the secrets of Freemasonry, which are the various signs, tokens and words associated with recognition in each degree, as well as to perform certain duties and to avoid doing those things which are prohibited by his Obligation. In regular jurisdictions these obligations are sworn on the aforementioned Volume of the Sacred Law Holy Bible AKJV and in the witness of the Almighty God and often with assurance that it is of the candidate's own free will. Details of the obligations vary; some versions are published while others are privately printed in books of coded text. Still other jurisdictions rely on oral transmission of ritual, and thus have no ritual books at all. Moreover, not all printed rituals are authentic – Leo Taxil's exposure, for example, is a proven hoax, while Duncan's Masonic Monitor (created, in part, by merging elements of several rituals then in use) was never adopted by any regular jurisdiction. The obligations are historically known amongst various sources critical of Freemasonry for their so-called "bloody penalties", an allusion to the apparent physical penalties associated with each degree. This leads to some descriptions of the Obligations as "Oaths". The corresponding text, with regard to the penalties, does not appear in authoritative, endorsed sources, following a decision "that all references to physical penalties be omitted from the obligations taken by Candidates in the three Degrees and by a Master Elect at his Installation but retained elsewhere in the respective ceremonies". The penalties are interpreted symbolically, and are not applied in actuality by a Lodge or by any other body of Masonry or by any Freemason. The descriptive nature of the penalties alludes to how the candidate should feel about himself should he knowingly violate his obligation. Modern actual penalties may include suspension, expulsion or reprimand. Whilst no single obligation is representative of Freemasonry as a whole, a number of common themes appear when considering a range of potential texts. Content which may appear in at least one of the three obligations includes: the candidate promises to act in a manner befitting a member of civilized society, promises to obey the law of his Supreme Being, promises to obey the law of his sovereign state, promises to attend his lodge if he is able, promises not to wrong, nor defraud the Lodge or the brethren, and promises aid or charity to a member of the human family, brethren and their families in times of need if it can be done without causing financial harm to himself or his dependents.
passions poet Guest May 11, 2009 8:46 AM	I have to wonder how many are feathers are getting ruffles here. Please know that it only take one act to ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and confess with your mouth Jesus Is Lord. It does not take "degree's". I asked that friend of mine I mentioned earlier what "God" do they serve or speak of--is it "different" gods to accept anyone or is it the God of Israel. If their is one man they speak of, is it Jesus Christ or is it another and try to hide Jesus with another name not given Him. Just some thought provoking questions. Please know here that we as "born again believers" and "followers" of Jesus Christ are NOT to bully or treat "them" with contempt but Love them in the the Love of THIS GOD of Israel by the grace provided through Jesus. Please remember that being a Jesus follower is not a behavior it is a decision to surrender your ability to get to God and accept the sacrifice of the Lamb of God (of Israel). Peter said when Jesus told the disciples that they must drink His blood and eat His flesh (after many left Him after hearing that statement) Lord to whom shall we go? YOU HAVE the words of eternal life. I know there are many men and women out there that seek the fellowship of born again believers but do not find it in "christian" circles because religion has crept in, so they find it elsewhere,(to our shame) but what if we became the Christ-ians of Acts who gave ourselves to Christ and to each other instead of to a denomination or "belief system". (I'm starting to preach) Church is still important to get the Word of God, but each of us must study to show "ourselves" approved. We do need to leave associations at times to seek Jesus and come back into relationship with Him. Some need to come the first time and the others to "repent" back to relationship with God through Jesus Christ. There is no other name under by which we must be saved. The name of Jesus. He LOVES YOU STILL.
Robby Evans Guest May 11, 2009 9:13 AM	Masonic Landmarks The Landmarks of Masonry are defined as ancient and unchangeable principles; standards by which the regularity of Lodges and Grand Lodges are judged. The concept of Masonic Landmarks appears in Masonic regulations as early as 1723 A.D. , and are adopted from the ancient regulations of the operative stone mason guilds. ~ 1 ~ A belief in the existence of Almighty God the Holy Trinity as the Great Architect of the Universe, Is one of the most important Landmarks of the Order. It has always been admitted that a denial of the existence of the Holy Supreme Being and His Superintending Power is an absolute disqualification for initiation into Masonry. The annals of the Order never have furnished or could furnish an instance in which an avowed Atheist was ever made a Freemason. The very initiatory ceremonies of the First Degree forbid and prevent the possibility of such an occurrence. ~ 2 ~ Subsidiary to this belief in The Holy God, as the first great Landmark of the Order, is the belief in a resurrection to a future eternal life of love, peace and joy through the Holy Savior. ~ 3 ~ It is a Landmark that a Book of the Law shall constitute an indispensable part of the furniture of every Lodge. a requirement that the Old and New Testaments be used. The Book of the Law is that Holy volume which, by the Christian religion of the country of our King is believed to contain the revealed will of the Great 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 is the prevailing faith, the Old Testament alone is sufficient. Freemasonry does not attempt to interfere with the particular religious faith of its members , except so far as it relates to the belief in the existence of Almighty God, and what necessarily results from that belief, each mason seeks his own salvation from Almighty God. The Book of Law is to the Speculative Freemason his spiritual Trestle board; without this he cannot labor; whatever he belies to be the revealed will of the Great Architect constitutes for him in his hours of speculative labor, to be the rule and guide of his conduct. The Landmark, therefore, requires that a Book of the Law, a religious code as the revealed will of God, shall form the most essential part of the furniture of every Lodge. ~ 4 ~ The modes of recognition as a Landmark are unquestioned. They admit of no variation. ~ 5 ~ The division of symbolic Freemasonry into three Degrees is a Landmark that has been better preserved than almost any other. ~ 6 ~ The Legend of the Third Degree is an important Landmark, the integrity of which has been well preserved. There is no Rite of Freemasonry, practiced in any country or in any language, in which the essential elements of this Legend are not taught. Any Rite which should exclude it, or materially alter it, would at once, by that exclusion or alternation cease to be a Masonic Rite. ~ 7 ~ The government of the Fraternity by a presiding officer called a Grand Master, who is elected from the body of the Craft, is a noble Landmark. Many persons suppose that the election of a Grand Master is held in consequence of a law or regulation of a Grand Lodge. Such, however, is not the case. The office is indebted for its existence to a Landmark of the Order. ~ 8 ~ The equality of all Freemasons . This equality has not reference to any subversion of those graduations of rank which have been instituted by the usages of society. The monarch, the nobleman and the common laborer are all equal within Freemasonry. ~ 9 ~ The prerogative of the Grand Master to preside over every Assembly of the Craft, wheresoever and whensoever held, is a worthy Landmark. It is in consequence of this Landmark, derived from ancient usages, that the Grand Master assumes the chair at every Communication of a Grand Lodge; and that he is also entitled to preside at the communication of every subordinate Lodge where he may happen to be present or at his will and pleasure send his representative. ~ 10 ~ The prerogative of the Grand Master to grant Dispensations for conferring Degrees at irregular times is another very important Landmark. The statutory law of Freemasonry requires a month, or other determinate period such as twenty eight days , to elapse between the presentation of a petition and the election of a candidate. But the Grand Master has the power to set aside or dispense with this probation, and to allow a candidate to be initiated at once. This prerogative he possessed before the enactment of the law requiring a probation, and as no statute can impair his prerogative, he still retains this power. ~ 11 ~ The prerogative of the Grand Master to give Dispensations for opening and holding Lodges is another Landmark. The Grand Master may grant in virtue of this, to a sufficient number of Freemasons, the privilege of meeting together and conferring Degrees. The Lodges thus established are called Lodges Under Dispensation. ~ 12 ~ The necessity for Freemasons to congregate in Lodges is another Landmark. From time immemorial, the Landmarks of the Order always prescribed that Freemasons should, from time to time, congregate together for the purpose of either Operative or Speculative labor, and that these Congregations should be called Lodges. Formerly, these were extemporary meetings called together for special purposes, and then dissolved, the Brethren departing to meet again at other times and other places, according to the necessity of circumstances. But Warrants of Constitution, by-laws, and permanent officers are modern innovations wholly outside of the Landmarks, and dependent entirely on special enactments of a comparatively recent period. ~ 13 ~ The government of the Craft, when so congregated in a Lodge, by a Master and two Wardens is a Landmark. A Congregation of Freemasons meeting together under any other government will not be recognized as a Lodge. The presence of a Master and two Wardens is as essential to the valid organization of a Lodge as a Warrant of Constitution is at the present day. ~ 14 ~ The necessity that every Lodge, when congregated, should be duly tiled, is an important Landmark of the Institution which is never neglected. The necessity of this Landmark arises from the private character of Freemasonry. The duty of guarding the door, and keeping off cowans and eavesdroppers, is an ancient one. ~ 15 ~ The right of every Freemason to be represented in all general meetings of the Craft, and to instruct his representatives . Formerly, these general meetings, which were usually held once a year, were called General Assemblies, and all the Fraternity, even to the youngest Entered Apprentice, were permitted to be present. Now they are called Grand Lodges, and only the Masters and Wardens of the subordinate Lodges are summoned. But this is simply as the representatives of their members. Originally, each Freemason represented himself; now he is represented by the officers of his Lodge. While in most Grand Lodge Jurisdictions all Master Masons may attend their Grand Lodge Annual Communication only the Masters and Wardens may vote yet every Master Mason has a voice and one vote in his local Lodge. ~ 16 ~ The right of every Freemason to appeal from the decision of his Brethren, in Lodge convened, to the Grand Lodge or General Assembly of Freemasons under the Grand Master . Is a Landmark highly essential to the preservation of justice, and the prevention of oppression. ~ 17 ~ The right of every Freemason to visit and sit in every regular Lodge is an unquestionable Landmark of the Order. This is called the Right of Visitation. This right of visitation has always been recognized as an inherent right which inures to every Freemason as he travels through the world. And this is because Lodges are justly considered as only divisions for convenience of the regular universal Masonic fraternity. ~ 18 ~ No visitor unknown to the Brethren present, or to some one of them as a Freemason, can enter a Lodge without first passing an examination according to ancient usage. If the visitor is known to any Brother present to be a Freemason in good standing, and if that Brother will vouch for his qualifications, the examination may be dispensed with, as the Landmark refers only to the cases of strangers, who are not to be recognized unless after strict trial, due examination or lawful information. ~ 19 ~ No Lodge can interfere in the business of another Lodge, nor give Degrees to Brethren who are members of another Lodge unless by the permission of the other Lodge as courtesy work . This Landmark is founded on the great principles of courtesy and fraternal kindness, which are at the very foundation of our Ancient Institution. ~ 20 ~ It is a Landmark that every Freemason is amenable to the laws and regulations of the Masonic Jurisdiction in which he resides, and this although he may not be a member of any Lodge in that Jurisdiction ~ 21 ~ Qualifications of a candidate for initiation, he shall whole heartily believe in Almighty God and be a man, of his own free will and accord, worthy and well qualified duly and truly prepared , unmutilated, free born, of mature age and properly vouched for of good report and well recommended. ~ 22 ~ The prerogative of the Grand Master to make Freemasons at sight . ~ 23 ~ The maintaining of the secrecy of the Institution This is a very important Landmark. If the Institution were divest of its secret character, it would cease to be Freemasonry. This secrecy is based on the forms and modes of recognition so that one Freemason may know another. These private and confidential ancient forms of identification and the ceremonies connected with them are the only confidential parts of Freemasonry and protects the fraternity and its members from the fraudulent acts of ungodly imposters. ~ 24 ~ The foundation of a Speculative Science upon an Operative Art, and the symbolic use and explanation of their terms of that art, for the purposes of moral teaching. The Temple of Solomon is the symbolic cradle of the Institution, and, therefore, the reference to the Operative Masonry which constructed that magnificent edifice, to the materials and implements which were employed in its construction, and to the artists who were engaged in the building, are all component and essential parts of the body of Freemasonry, which could not be subtracted from it without an entire destruction of the whole identity of the Order. ~ 25 ~ The last and crowning Landmark of all is, that these Landmarks can never be changed. Nothing can be subtracted from them -- nothing can be added to them -- not the slightest modification can be made in them. As they were received from our predecessors, we are bound by the most solemn obligations of duty to transmit them to our successors unchanged.
Christian Mason Guest May 11, 2009 9:40 AM	In respectfull response to Please know that it only take one act to ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and confess with your mouth Jesus Is Lord. It does not take "degree's". Your corect it does not take degrees to be saved thats why the degrees of freemasonry never teach salvation tha is between a mason and God.
Fran Guest May 12, 2009 9:05 AM	Jesus never did anything in secret. He was very open. Traditions of men make void Gods Word- Mark 7:13. What are traditions of men? Well, many churches do traditions of men. Catholics practice do not eat meat on Friday; Lutherans need you to sign in before you receive Communion or go before the pastor before one take Communion. The list goes on. One needs to check what is written in Gods Word to see if a preacher, pastor is speaking correctly, otherwise one is making Gods Word void. Nothing is written that Jesus held any secret meetings, so free masons is a false teaching. Bible says to study Gods Word so one is approved 2Ti 2:15. One can not know what is truth if one does open up his Bible to find truth so one is not deceived. Be blessed fran
ANother Chuck Guest May 12, 2009 9:36 AM	In reference to the comment on curses, both generational and "on " a church supported by a Shriner..... The last time I checked, there was nothing in Christianity that acknowledged any kind of "curse" based on something a human might do. Feel free to school me otherwise in Scripture if I'm inaccurate. Bro evans is quite accurate in his postings, though I would say that the wording IS somewhat different in other Jurisdictions. WB chuck rienzo
fran Guest May 13, 2009 4:08 AM	In response to ANother Chuck- Oh curses are real. But this was why Gal. 3:13 says Jesus took the curse on the cross for us. It is revelation knowledge that reverses the curse. It is knowing that as it says in Isaiah 55:3 He was wounded for iniquities that reverses the curse. For it says that the sins of the father is passed down to the 3rd and 4th generation of those who reject God-Exodus 20:5. People wonder why are somethings happening in their life. Could it be their parents, grandparent, great grandparents went that way ? Praise the Lord for Jesus because He paid for this to be broken! It is knowledge that you know the curse of what ever happened in times past, was paid for by Jesus. Be blessed fran
Robby Evans Guest May 13, 2009 10:13 PM	Jesus never did anything in secret,this is Truth but He did teach with words and stories that some could not understand . He spoke in allegory and parables in such a way that when in private He revealed what the meaning of His parables meant to his followers, for their understanding of His Holy Gospel . He taught openly in plain sight of the multitudes yes this is Truth also but to only a few did He reveal in private the secret meanings of His Holy Gospel. Those secrets are revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament , Praise be to God that we have the full gospel of Christ Jesus today and the guidance and understanding of His Holy Word by the Holy Ghost! One might say that through allegory and parables Freemasonry also teaches, not Faith but moral values in a sort by three groups of lessons or degrees . In old time fables and legends or at sometimes historic events taken from literature or the Holy Bible, Freemasons reveal moral truths to one another. Sometimes the Freemasons just as the modern Christian Church will refer to the ancient Apocrophia Scrolls of the early Church , which teach many lessons such as, that Saint peter was crucified upside down at his request, as he said he was not worthy to be crucified as his Lord. This humble submission of Saint Peter teaches us all the lessons of Love, fatefulness and respect for the Holy Christ even unto our physical death that our eternal part may stay loyal to our Holy Christ Jesus. God Bless Us All ! In Christ Holy Name SO MOTE BE Amen
Robby Evans Guest May 27, 2009 10:09 AM	Masonry Teaches Pure Religion Though Freemasonry is not a religion and by its character and system of governance Never could be a religion, Freemasonry is religious in so much that its teachings are moral and in line with the Holy Scriptures and that its members are men of faith , thereby promoting the environment for the flourishing of that Pure religion which is agreeable to all men yet more especially to all Freemasons. Pure Religion PURE RELIGION AND UNDEFILED BEFORE GOD AND THE FATHER IS THIS, TO VISIT THE FATHERLESS AND WIDOWS IN THEIR AFFLICTION, AND TO KEEP HIMSELF UNSPOTTED FROM THE WORLD. James 1 : 27 Holy Bible AKJV Book of James Chapter One Twenty Seventh Verse
Robby Evans Guest Jul 19, 2009 1:15 PM	Who is the God of Freemasonry ? The North Carolina Masonic Ceremonies is officially printed and distributed by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina Ancient Free & Accepted Masons , which is the first and legal Grand Lodge Jurisdiction in North Carolina with Lodges originally Chartered by the Grand Lodge jurisdictions of several legal English Grand jurisdictions as well as the Scottish Lodges & the Irish military Lodges. The Grand Lodge of Tennessee received its Masonic Chartered from GLNC because Tennessee was at one time Western North Carolina with legal Lodges there charted or working under dispensation under the legal jurisdiction of GLNC. The North Carolina Masonic Ceremonies contains 162 Pages which officially within its contents teach without doubt that JEHOVAH God is the True God of Masonry and Freemasons. This OFFICIAL Masonic manual , the NCMC also mention that masons are to act in Christian Love. From this Official Masonic Grand Lodge Manual 37 pages out of 162 pages teach directly about Almighty God, with several pages making undeniable references to Jesus The Holy Christ , when quoting the Holy Scriptures . Some parts of this Official Manual mention that the Holy Bible is the Rule and Guide of Masons the Holy Bible being the Great Light of Freemasonry. All of this is taught to every Master Mason in the private and public meetings of Freemasons .
Anonymous Guest Aug 08, 2009 3:19 AM	WHAT CAN I TELL MY NON-MASONIC FRIENDS Masons, as a rule, are very circumspect when it comes to discussing with non-masons. Some members are so careful that they are afraid to even mention the things that everyone knows about the organization. This is no doubt because they believe freemasonry is a secret society and that the members are forbidden to talk about the association with non-members. This is a mistaken idea and there are many things that a mason can tell non-Masonic friends. Let us consider a few of these things: the first question that is usually asked by a non-mason is “What is Freemasonry?” There are many definitions of the word but none is complete because the organization embraces a wide scope of activity. But a short definition is; Freemasonry is a fraternal organization, religious brotherhood of man, which does charitable work in the community and among its member, and through it teaching and ceremonials seeks to make good men better, and thereby make the world a better place to live in. Freemasonry is a voluntary association in that no one is invited to become a member. You can tell your non-Masonic friends that, unlike college fraternities, and other organizations, masonry never has a membership drive and never solicits anyone to become a member. As a matter of fact you should make it clear that it is a violation of Masonic Law for any member to invite anyone to join the craft. You should emphasize that the prospective member must truly come of his own free will and accord, and that he usually seeks membership because of the high opinion he has of the craft, as a result of the upright conduct of masons. You can make it clear that freemasonry is not a religion. Sometimes, outsiders claim that the craft is a religion. You can explain to your non-Masonic friends that masons do not look upon their organization as a religion or as a church, and that most masons belong to various churches. Masons do not go to worship God; they do this on Sunday and any other day they choose when if mason goes to his own church. It is religious in that one can not become a member unless he believes in God; but there are no religious test applied to the prospective member; nor is he required or asked to subscribe to any religious tent or dogma. You can explain that it is forbidden to discuss politics or religion in the lodge. You can explain that freemasonry is not a “secret society”. A secret society is one that keeps its existence a secret and whose members do not make known their affiliation with the group. Freemasonry is not a secret society because it does not hide its existence, members do not hide their membership, but on the contrary, the organization meets in buildings located on public streets, announces its meetings in newspapers and magazines, engraves the words “Masonic Temple” or “Masonic Lodge” on many of its buildings, published periodicals, and has homes for the orphans and the aged. Like most organizations, it has some “Secretes”, but is not a secret society. You cannot, of course, discuss the ritual, the password, and the matters of a confidential nature, but you can tell them the things printed in the booklet for non-masons authorized by a Grand Lodge. You can go so far as to tell them three degrees of masonry consist of a ceremony of a strictly serious nature, without horseplay, which teaches basic moral truth in an impressive and solemn manner. You can tell them that the rituals contain a philosophy of life which provides the new member with something on which to build a hope that is eternal. Sometimes a non-mason wants to know about the ceremony of initiation. You can tell him in general terms, that each candidate takes part in a ceremony of initiation, is then advanced to the second degree, and later promoted to the third. You can tell him that promotion depends on his proficiency in learning certain things relating to freemasonry, its ethics, and its philosophy. Certainly you can tell him that no man ever took degrees without becoming a better man. They are lessons based on the Golden Rule, tolerance towards all men, respect for one’s family, charity towards all, and being true to God for his manifold blessings. We should be proud to proclaim to the world that we are a serious organization of mature men— an organization that instills the love of God, teaches charity in the broadest sense and shows each member how to live a better life. Non-masons sometimes wonder at the close bond that exists between masons. There is a simple explanation; masons are bound together by the deep and abiding knowledge that each of them during the ceremonies of the degrees has accepted certain high ethical standards of conduct. These standards insure a bond of faith and confidence between masons. You need not be afraid to discuss freemasonry with the non-mason; thousands of books have been published on the subject. The matters discussed in this paper is just a few of the things you can tell your non-Masonic friends, but they are enough to show him that freemasonry is one of the great organizations of the world and a standing influence in a faltering world. -Author Unknown Son’s of Light Masonic Lodge Washington Jurisdiction Schweinfurt, West Germany
Paul Donelson Guest Oct 10, 2009 5:48 PM	I'm a thirty second degree Mason. I'm also a United Methodist pastor. There is nothing in Masonry that worships the devil or Satan. If anything, Masonry's purpose is to point the way toward God and arouse a person's interest in being more involved with their church. It is a Fraternal organization based on the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment. It is a shame that persons who haven't even been in Masonry talk about it like they do. On local levels, Masonry helps to bring order into persons' lives. Even in the higher levels of Masonry, there is great fellowship and concern for persons who are in need.
From The East Guest Oct 21, 2009 12:38 PM	While we Masons may not have ever big secret, we do have treasures – including the gavel that George Washington used to hammer in the cornerstone on the United States Capitol building in 1793. The head of the gavel is made from the same marble used in the original interior of the Capitol, the handle made from native American cherry wood.
Robby Evans Guest Oct 21, 2009 12:47 PM	Freemasonry does not require improper oaths The solemn promises taken in Freemasonry are no different than the oaths taken in court or on entering the armed services. The much-discussed "penalties," judicial remnants from an earlier ancient age, are symbolic only, never literal. They refer only to the pain any honest man should feel at the thought or action of violating his solemn word, and his affirmation may be given as this is accepted if he desires not to swear yet he should remember that The Holy Almighty God is watching as is a multitude of Masons. Thus bound by the strong tie of brotherhood before Almighty God, a man should not go against his solemn word. Freemasonry is a fraternity, not a religion As a fraternal association dedicated to making good men better, Freemasonry respects the religious beliefs of all its members. Freemasonry has no theology and does not teach any method of salvation. In particular it does not claim that good works gain or guarantee salvation. One’s Salvation is between the individual and Almighty God. A Freemason must seek his on Salvation with The Holy Almighty God. Freemasonry is an open, not secretive, society Masonic meetings are announced publicly, Masonic buildings are marked clearly and are listed in phone directories, and Masons proudly wear jewelry identifying their membership. Freemasonry inherited a tradition of trade secrets from the cathedral-building guilds of medieval Europe. The only "secrets" still belonging to modern Masonry are traditional passwords, signs of recognition, and the dramatic presentations of moral lessons which are preserved within the three degree levels in Freemasonry. Quotes from Famous Freemasons: "There is no doubt in my mind that Masonry is the cornerstone of America." Dave Thomas Founder of Wendy's International "Freemasonry embraces the highest moral laws and will bear the test of any system of ethics or philosophy ever promulgated for the uplift of man." US. General Douglas MacArthur "We represent a fraternity which believes in justice and truth and honorable action in your community...men who are endeavoring to be better citizens.. to make a great country greater. This is the only institution in the world where we can meet on the level all sorts of people who want to live rightly." President USA. Harry S. Truman Many of the world's most respected men-including religious leaders,business, military, intellectual, entertainers, artists, authors , poets, scientist, and political leaders-have been or are Masons.
gfd Guest Oct 21, 2009 1:02 PM	Is it true that the York Rite is for Christians ?
Robby Evans Guest Nov 23, 2009 8:06 PM	The Royal Arch Masons and Royal and Select Masters and the Supper Excellent Masters may be Jewish and Christian yet the Higher Levels of the York Rite are the Christian Orders of Knighthood and thus only Christians may join these Orders because it requires a written statement of the Royal Arch Mason to be a believer in Jesus The Holy Christ.

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