In the previous post, I discussed some of the statements and doctrines made by Masons in comparison to God’s word.  I will now discuss some Masonic practices to measure them against the Bible.  The practices of the Freemasons are many and are given various meanings at the lower degrees to hide their true meanings which are often only disclosed when one reaches the 33°.

The use of symbols

Here are a few of the symbols with their meanings:

• Compass & square: Masons at lower degrees are told that the square symbolizes the squaring of his actions and the compass is to make sure he stays within the boundaries of mankind and fellow Masons.  The “G” in the middle stands for God who shows us the light so we can accomplish these goals.  As a whole, the symbol stands for the point within the circle.

According to Albert Mackey, the Master Mason, “The point within the circle is an…important symbol in Freemasonry…The symbol is really a beautiful but somewhat abstruse allusion to the old sun-worship, and introduces us for the first time to that modification of it, known among the ancients as the worship of the phallus.” (Mackey, Albert.  The Manual of the Lodge.  New York: Clark Maynard Co., 1870, p. 156)  So in reality the compass & square are symbolic of the male and female sex organs coming together to form the  “G” which is the “generative principle”, i.e. sexual intercourse.  Since there is an emphasis on sexual intercourse, is it any surprise that men in Masonic organizations like the Shriners have been rumored as committing sexual harassment against women?

• Baphomet, the horned god:  Masons claim they inherited this symbol from the Knights Templar (who fought in the religious, ungodly wars of the Crusades on behalf of the Vatican).  The Templars claimed that Baphomet taught them the secrets of magic which enlightened them.

As you can see from the picture, this so-called horned god is the same as the well-known goat’s head used by Witches and Satanists.  In Jesus’ parable, the sheep were separated from the goats on Judgment Day and the goats were the ones who were rejected and sent to hell.

• The pentagram, or five-pointed star: This is symbolic of the five points of fellowship in Freemasonry.  However, the pentagram is a prominent fixture in occultic practices.  In reality, the pentagram refers to “the law of fives.”  This law of fives appears in two different forms of two orders within the Masons.  In the order of the Palladium, there are five steps in their program, namely:

Adoption: fellowship with Lucifer by an oath

Illumination: to open oneself to psychic powers by using drugs and the occult

Conversation: communicating with the dead (necromancy)

Congress: being joined in spiritual marriage to the dead (possession by an evil spirit)

Union: being totally controlled by an evil spirit

In the Order of the Illuminati there are five stages that they try to control human history with:  (1)Chaos: no set order, (2) Discord: a class arises to seek control, (3)Confusion: making attempts to resolve conflicts between stages 1 and 2, (4) Bureaucracy: the obsession of monitoring everything in a society, and (5) Aftermath: the decline of society that leads back to stage 1.

• All-seeing eye: Freemasons claim this is the eye of God, who is always watching us and sees everything we do.  This eye is actually part of step 2 of the Palladium mentioned above which teaches that to open the Third Eye (the Ajna chakra in Hinduism), one must use drugs and learn the occultic methods of the Illuminati.  When this eye is opened, the person becomes psychic and has open fellowship with Lucifer.

• Unfinished Pyramid with the All-seeing eye:  This symbol on the back of our dollar bills is borrowed from the mysticism of ancient Egypt, referring to the eye of an Egyptian deity.  It has been called the “Eye of Providence”.  To the higher Masons, it denotes the Masonic hierarchy with those who have been illumined (Illuminati) to Lucifer’s power at the top.  The unfinished pyramid means that the ultimate goal of the freemasons (one world government with a one world religion) has not been accomplished yet.  On our dollar bills, you will notice at the bottom of the pyramid is 1776 in Roman numerals.  That date is actually referring to the year the Illuminati began which happens to be the same year the founding fathers declared independence from Britain.  “Annuit Coeptis” means “He [Providence] favors our undertakings.”  “Novus Ordo Seclorum” means “new order of the ages.”  The U.S. government in February 2008 tried to debunk the idea that the seals on the back of the U.S. dollar are masonic in nature, but our government has been known to follow the policy of “lie and deny” when it suits them.  There are too many coincidences occurring in these symbols for them to be non-conspiratorial and non-Masonic.

It’s obvious that these symbols are adopted from pagan practices and are anti-Christian in nature.

The use of oaths

Before joining the Masons, the person is told by the Master of the Lodge while blindfolded and dressed in tattered clothes symbolizing slavery, “Mr. so-and-so, before you can be permitted to advance any farther in Masonry, it becomes my duty to inform you that you must take upon yourself a solemn oath or obligation, appertaining to this degree, which I, as Master of this Lodge, assure you will not materially interfere with the duty that you owe to your God, yourself, family, country or neighbor.  Are you willing to take such an oath?” (Duncan, Malcolm C.  Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor.  New York: David McKay Co., Inc., p. 33)

If he agrees, he ends his oath by saying, “All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform the same…binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low-water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours, should I ever knowingly violate this…obligation.”  (Duncan, Malcolm C.  Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor.  New York: David McKay Co., Inc., pp. 34-35)  In other words, “if I break my oath, you have my permission to murder me.”

When someone reaches the Royal Arch degree, he vows “I will keep all the secrets of a Companion Royal Arch Mason (when communicated to me as such, or I knowing them to be such), without exceptions. …I will not speak evil of a Companion Royal Arch Mason, behind his back nor before his face, but will appraise him of all approaching danger, if in my power. …[I will] employ a Companion Royal Arch Mason in preference to any other person of equal qualifications.” (Duncan, Malcolm C.  Duncan’s Masonic Ritual and Monitor.  New York: David McKay Co., Inc., pp. 229-230)

Jesus said, “…ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all…But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:33-34, 37)

“Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” Matthew 23:10.  There’s one Master and he’s definitely not the Master of the Lodge.

Furthermore, it’s clear these oaths are contradictions and lies.  When he is first initiated, the person is told he will not have to materially interfere with anyone by his oath.  Then at the end of his oath, he gives them permission to kill him.  Isn’t that a material interference?  Additionally at the Royal Arch oath he has to keep secrets no matter what (another material interference if someone has been harmed) and he promises to show favoritism in his hiring practices (which is another blatant material interference on a non-Mason’s life).  Apparently the oaths don’t mean much if you can break them by using another oath.

Taking into account these practices by the Freemasons which fly in the face of God’s word–teaching people to embrace paganism, lies, favoritism, and deceptive practices–how can a Christian remain involved in such an organization?  Could they use the excuse that the Lodge is a big help to them in getting to know important people?  Should they be a part of it because its family tradition?

Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” 1 Corinthians 10:20-21

Therefore, a Christian who is giving his sacrifices of money, time, and other resources to the Lodge is fellowshiping with devils and needs to examine himself.  If he is truly of God, he will not continue to allow anyone or anything jeopardize his relationship with God.  Freemasonry is about being the slave of Lucifer, otherwise known as Satan.

Source: Schnoebelen, William.  Masonry: Beyond the Light. Ontario, CA: Chick Publications, 1991.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Freemasonry is an organization that supposedly dates back to ancient times and it is difficult to determine who started it and how they started it.  There are documents mentioning it in the 1300s and afterwards, but it is believed that consistent documentation of the organization did not take place until 1717 when the Grand Lodge of England was formed.  There are different stages in freemasonry that a member can advance to, called degrees, with the 33° being the highest one can reach.

Freemasonry, with several of the Founding Fathers including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin being Masons, enjoyed a great deal of popularity when the U.S. was first established as a nation.  But this popularity suffered a severe blow when Captain William Morgan, a Royal Arch Mason, was abducted from a  jail in Batavia City, New York in 1826 and was murdered by a group of Masons for openly revealing the secrets of the Masons.  The Masons responsible for his death were never punished for his murder.  Since the judge involved in the trial was a Mason himself, it became a popular notion that there was a cover-up in play regarding the Morgan affair, and most U.S. citizens began an anti-Mason campaign which was strong for several decades in the 1800s.  Nevertheless, Freemasonry bounced back since many prominent figures in the U.S., including Presidents, kept joining the secret society.

Masons often present themselves as being a harmless secret fraternal society that loves to do charitable work.  Many people who have no involvement with freemasonry often look at it as being suspicious since Masons are so secretive about what they do and what they believe.  Is freemasonry really harmless or should we beware of them?  Are they a religion or just a social organization?  Let’s take a look at some of the things that are taught in the Lodges and see if they are in line with the ultimate truth–the word of God.

• A highly respected 33° Mason named Albert Pike (who was also a Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War) once said “Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion and its teachings are instructions in religion. …Masonry propogates no creed except its own most simple and sublime one; that universal religion taught by nature and reason.” (Pike, Albert.  Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.  Charleston, SC: Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree, 1950, p. 213).
• The Bible says man should live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3) and that he should not rely on his own reasoning (Proverbs 3:5) since our ways are always right in our own eyes (Proverbs 21:2) which leaves us open to deceive ourselves.
• Albert Pike claimed that “[t]o understand [freemasonry's] mystic meanings, you must open the pages of the Sohar and Siphra de Zeniutha, and other kabalistic books, and ponder deeply on their meaning. It must suffice to say, that … the Creative Energy of the Deity, is represented as a point, and that point in the centre of the Circle of immensity. It is to us in this (33rd) Degree, the symbol of that unmanifested Deity, the Absolute, who has no name.” (emphasis mine.  Pike, Albert.  Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.  1871)
• The Bible says the one true God of the universe is not unmanifested.  He has manifested himself in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 3:15-16).  Additionally, the true and living God has a name, which is stated in several places in the Bible (see Exodus 6:3 and Psalm 83:18).
• According to Albert Mackey, another highly regarded 33° Mason, the god of freemasonry can be any god you choose.  “Be assured…that God is equally present with the pious Hindu in the temple, the Jew in the synagogue, the Mohammedan in the mosque, and the Christian in the church.” (Mackey, Albert.  Mackey’s Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry.  Richmond, VA: Macoy Publishing, 1966, pp. 409-410).
• Jehovah said “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father [Jehovah], but by me.”
• Albert Pike once said, “Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also god.  For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods: darkness being necessary for light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the state. …                    Thus the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay; but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the God of Darkness and Evil.” (de LaRive, A. C. La Femme et l’Enfant dans la Franc.  Paris, France: Maçonnerie Universelle, 1889, p. 588.
• The word of God states that God is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  Lucifer was created by God and is in no way his equal since he is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient like the most High is.  Lucifer wanted to be like the most High but he was cut down to hell (Isaiah 14:12-16).
• The Knights Templar ritual that an initiate goes through in Masonry teaches that in order to be saved, an initiate has to do works of penitence and undertake long pilgrimages and fight to defend the Christian religion.
• God’s word says we are saved by God’s grace (unearned favor) through faith in Jesus Christ.  Works have nothing to do with us receiving salvation and the defense of our faith is by our words not by physical violence.
• Freemasonry holds to the doctrine that Jesus is neither divine, nor did he rise from the dead.
• It is written, “…every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist…” (1 John 4:3)
• Albert Pike said, “No man has any right in any way to interfere with the religious belief of another.”  In other words, no preaching of the gospel allowed.
• Jesus commanded, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:19-20.

Eye-opening video on Freemasonry
Albert Pike and his influence on Freemasonry

Albert Pike (1809-1891) has been one of the most influential Masons to walk the Earth.  As I mentioned above, he fought for the Confederacy as a general in the Civil War and his racist, segregationist views are why, even until recent times, American lodges of the Scottish Rite have resisted recognizing lodges that are mainly African American.  He stated in his book Irano-Aryan Faith and Doctrine As Contained in the Zend-Avesta that:

“…both the Creation account of Genesis and Darwin’s theory of evolution were false because the white man could not have come from the same source as the black man!”

The fact that he disputed the Biblical account shows that Pike, who claimed to be Christian in public, was in fact anti-Christian in his actions.  The Bible cleary states God “made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,” [Acts 17:26].  His anti-Christian nature is further proven by his membership in the Theosophical Society, an occultist organization founded in 1875 for the purpose of “spiritualist investigations” (including seances and sorcery) with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, a famous occultist, as his friend and associate. [David Carrico, Lucifer--Eliphas Levi--Albert Pike and the Masonic Lodge, Evansville, IN: Followers of Jesus Christ, 1991, p.  14]

Pike held the positions of Grand Master of the Central Directory of Washington, D.C., Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of Charleston (top position of American Masons), and Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry (top position of worldwide Masons) all at the same time.  He alone was responsible for writing or rewriting all Masonic rituals from the 4th degree to the 33rd degree. [William T. Still, New World Order: The Ancient Plan of Secret Societies, Lafayette, LA: Huntington House, 1990, p. 124; Henry C. Clausen, Messages for a Mission, Supreme Council, 1977, p. 20]

A lot of Masons claim they don’t know about Albert Pike, but Masons of higher degrees have a great deal of respect for him even more than 100 years after his death.  Fred Kleinknecht, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction of Masonry wrote the following about Pike in the November 1992 Scottish Rite Journal:

Correctly understood, Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma provides our Brethren a stimulus to thought, a source of inspiration, and even an aid to Scottish Rite growth.  Pike’s great work is not the book of an hour, a decade, or a century.  It is a book for all time …

I’ll give more info on freemasonry in my next post.  To find out more about the philosophies of the highly regarded Mason, Albert Pike, go to the Project Gutenberg website to read his writings.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–