THE ORIGINS AND TEACHINGS OF FREEMASONRY

The Origins and Teachings of Freemasonry

Dr. Robert Morey
A book review
With additional thoughts and quotes
by
Dr. Stanford E. Murrell
For many conscientious Christians one great concern is
whether or not to join the Masons. Dr. Robert A. Morey has
written an excellent book to help formulate a decision.
Dr.Morey is the executive director of the Research and
Education Foundation, which is committed to examining
issues influencing Western culture. A prolific writer and
quality scholar Dr. Morey has used his considerable talents
to examine the origins and teachings of Freemasonry with
some non-traditional conclusions.
Between a brief introduction to the topic and selected
bibliography at the end of the book Dr. Morey traces the
origin of the Masons, the corruption of the secret society and
two possible solutions as to what the future of this
organization should be. Eight short but readable chapters
cover this general historical survey. Every major point is
fully documented for independent verification. Prior to
reading The Origins and Teachings of Freemasonry it would
be beneficial if the reader were familiar with some leading
Masonic figures, specific concepts, and specialized words.
The author assumes his readers will know many religious
terms that are part of antiquity. Perhaps the following short
definitions of people and places, religions and rituals will be
of help.
• Ancient Mysteries. The mythologies associated with
polytheism (belief in many gods) varied among the Greeks,
Romans, Egyptians, and Teutonic (German) peoples. There
were gods for every aspect of nature and of human life..
From such mythologies developed the mystery religions of
Greece and Rome. These secret cults had common meals
and initiation rites that symbolically celebrated death and
resurrection. “In the late 18th and early 19th centuries many
Europeans, Masons among them, found their way to the
Middle East, where they discovered the relics of those
cultures which had practiced the Ancient Mysteries. Masons
with a philosophical turn of mind recognized the similarities
between their Order and the ancient traditions. The similar
symbolism, some of which, like the ladder from a Temple of
Mithras, is shared with Masonry, encouraged the idea of
Freemasonry's direct connection with those ancient
rites."(W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry - A Journey through
Ritual and Symbol)
• Freemason. “The term freemason appears as early as
1375 in the records of the city of London. It referred to
working masons who were permitted to travel the country at
a time when the feudal system shackled most peasants
closely to the land. Unlike the members of other crafts of the
time - smiths or tanners for example - the masons gathered
in large groups to work on majestic, glorious projects,
moving from one finished castle or cathedral to the planning
and building of the next. For mutual protection, education,
and training, the masons bound themselves together into a
local lodge - the building, put up at a construction site,
where workmen could eat and rest. Eventually, a lodge
came to signify a group of masons based in a particular
locality” ("Freemasons; Mortar and Mysticism", Ancient
Wisdom and Secret Sects).
• (Cabal) Kabal refers to a small number of persons
organized for the purpose of engaging in
secret or private intrigue is a cabal. Cabal was originally a
Hebrew word that meant "a secret."
Today it is usually a term of reproach with a sinister
connotation. In England the word was used
throughout the 17th century to describe certain secret or
extralegal councils of the king.
• Deism as a religious movement began about 1688-1790
by advocating a natural religion based on reason rather than
revelation. Followers of deism included Benjamin Franklin,
Thomas Jefferson, Rousseau, and Voltaire. Deism argues
that God is entirely apart from the world. He created it,
established its laws, and set it to operating without
interfering in its operation. Natural laws make the world selfsufficient
in nature, and moral laws are all that are needed
for human life. These laws are discoverable and usable by
human reason.
Druids Celtic priests were called druids, and their religion,
druidism. Little is known of the druids because their rites
were never written down. Apparently their gods were similar
to those of other early peoples. The druids of Gaul (France)
were both judges and priests who sacrificed criminals to
their gods. The druids of Britain were chiefly religious
teachers. Only men of good family could become druids.
Membership was highly prized because druids did not have
to fight or pay taxes. The druids taught that the soul was
immortal, passing after death from one person to another.
They deemed the mistletoe sacred, especially if grown on an
oak tree. The oak was also sacred, and druids often held
their rites in an oak forest. Wise in the lore of plants,
animals, and stars, the druids were also magicians and
astrologers.
• Hinduism. The major religion of the Indian subcontinent
is Hinduism. The word derives from an ancient Sanskrit term
meaning "dwellers by the Indus River," a reference to the
location of India's earliest known civilization in what is now
Pakistan. Apart from animism, from which it may have partly
derived, Hinduism is the oldest of the world's religions. It
dates back more than 3,000 years, though its present forms
are of more recent origin. Hinduism is unlike any other
religion and is difficult to define with any precision. It has no
founder. Its origins are lost in a very distant past. It does
not have one holy book but several. There is no single body
of doctrine. Instead there is a great diversity of belief and
practice. Many doctrines would be at odds with each other in
any other religion. Hinduism, however, has always tended to
be inclusive rather than exclusive. There are many sects,
cults, theologies, and schools of philosophy, and all of them
find a home within Hinduism. It is a religion that worships
many gods. Yet it also adheres to the view that there is only
one God,
called Brahman. All other divinities are aspects of the one
absolute and unknowable Brahman.
• Illuminati. The Illuminati refers to a rationalistic type of
religious society founded in Bavaria in 1776 by Adam
Weishaupt (1748-1830). It claimed enlightened religious
views, but was banned in Bavaria in 1785. The term
"illuminati" was also used for other rationalistic-type and
anticlerical religious sects from the 16th to 18th centuries.
• Jacobites. When used in a political context as a slur the
word is equivalent to a pretender or
someone who claims to be the legitimate sovereign, though
another occupies the throne. In British history the name is
applied especially to the son and grandson of the exiled
James II (1633-1701). Many English and Scottish nobles
remained faithful to this Roman Catholic branch of the
House of Stuart. They were called Jacobites, from the Latin
Jacobus, for "James."
• Landmarks. In ancient times, boundary stones were used
as landmarks, before title deeds were known, the removal of
which was strictly forbidden by law. With respect to the
landmarks of Masonry, some restrict them to the sign,
tokens, and words. Others include the ceremonies of
initiation. Some think that the Order has no landmarks
beyond its peculiar secrets. (Duncan’s Ritual of
Freemasonry)
• Luciferian Conspiracy refers to an anti-Masonic charge
that Masons secretly pledged their allegiance to the devil
himself who then empowered his devotes with super natural
abilities. This is an unworthy charge.
• Mackey, Albert was a prolific writer and able champion of
the Masonic order though not always accurate in his
historical development of the movement. To his credit he did
repudiate the Masonic writers who went before him and
denounced their attempts to establish a historical link with
so called antiquity manuscripts alleging to prove that the
Masons existed prior to 1717. The truth of the matter is that
Masonry began on June 24, 1717, when the Grand Lodge of
London was organized at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern.
• Masonry may be divided into two general classes:
Operative and Speculative. Operative Masonry refers to
those men who were actually engaged in the craft of stone
masonry. They built stone houses, churches, bridges, and
government buildings. Speculative Masonry is just that, a
philosophical mystical identity with true masons.
• Mayans. Dwelling in Central America the Mayan Indians
lived within the Mesoamerican region enjoying an advanced
culture. Mayan culture had begun to decline after AD 900,
possibly due to overpopulation, stresses in the social
structure, and deforestation. Nevertheless, as a people they
were able to resist the Spanish conquests of the region
longer than did the Aztec of Mexico or the Inca of Peru. In
the end many Mayans did flee to northern Guatemala to
establish the city of Tayasal as a place of refuge. They
maintained autonomy until 1697. Then Indians were
congregated into villages and towns where they were
converted to Roman Catholicism. Sheep, pigs, horses, and
cows, unknown to the Indians, were introduced as were new
grains, fruits, and vegetables. Indians were also shown how
to use metal implements such as hoes, plows, and saws, and
they were taught how to craft products of fiber, clay, wood,
leather, and metal. The Spanish in building their new cities
needed these products. A major contribution was the rise of
the mestizo (often called the Ladino in Guatemala), a racial
group made up of mixed white and Indian blood.
Unfortunately, the arrival of the Spanish also ushered in a
host of diseases--such as measles, smallpox, and malaria--
against which the Indians had no immunity. Their numbers
decreased dramatically so that by 1600 no more than 1
million Indians remained. The population stabilized near that
level for the following two centuries. It was not until the
early 1800s that the population began to increase again.
• Newman, John Henry (1801-1890) was the eldest of six
children. He was born on Feb. 21,1801, in London, England.
His father was a banker. At Ealing Academy Newman
mastered his lessons easily and spent much of his time
editing the school paper. He was 16 when he entered Trinity
College, Oxford. Newman won a fellowship to Oriel College,
Oxford, in 1822. In 1824 he was ordained a priest in the
Church of England. John Henry Newman attempted to
reform the Church of England in the direction of early
Catholicism—the church as it had existed in its first five
centuries. Failing in this, he eventually joined the Roman
Catholic Church in 1847 and rose in its ranks to become a
cardinal. In 1847 Newman became a Roman Catholic priest
in Rome. He founded congregations near Birmingham and
London.
• Oxford Movement. Led by John Henry Newman who
served as curate of an Oxford parish while a fellow of Oriel
College the Oxford movement sought a renewal of
"catholic," or Roman Catholic, thought and practice within
the Anglican Communion. His zeal for a church with the
power and grandeur of medieval times led him to join the
Roman Catholic Church in 1845. He was convinced that the
Protestant element in the Church of England would never
accept his traditionalist views. He was right.
• Pantheism is a view that says God is identical with the
world.
• Pike, Albert (1809-1891), lawyer and soldier, was born
on Dec. 29, 1809, in Boston, Mass.He moved to Arkansas
and became a teacher in 1833. The Arkansas Advocate hired
him and later became sole owner of the paper. Pike sold the
paper in 1837 and began to practice law. He was a brigadier
general in the American Civil War but was released from
duty in 1862. He had meanwhile become a Freemason and
was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme
Grand Council in 1859. He was in that position for 32 years
during which time he rewrote the rituals of the Freemason
order and produced many poems. Pike was almost singlehandedly
responsible for the creation of the modern form of
Scottish rite Freemasonry. Wealthy, well read and
possessing an extensive library, he served as Grand
Commander of the order from 1859 until his death and
wrote a number of books on history, philosophy and travel,
the most famous being Morals and Dogma.
• Rosicrucianism and the Rosicrucian Manifestoes are
members of a worldwide brotherhood claiming to possess
esoteric wisdom handed down from ancient times. The name
derives from the order's symbol, a combination of a rose and
a cross. The teachings of Rosicrucianism combine elements
of occultism reminiscent of a variety of religious beliefs and
practices. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
• Scottish Rite. All Masons are initiated in the “Blue Lodge”
consisting of three degrees. Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft
and Master Mason. These steps are commonly called the
'Blue Degrees' because the color blue is symbolically
important to them." Upon completion of the third degree the
candidate attains the rank of “Master Mason.” At this point a
Mason is eligible to progress by secret oaths and rituals and
pursue further degrees through one of two paths: the “York
Rite” or the more popular “Scottish Rite.”
• Theosophy comes from the Greek Theos, meaning "god,"
and Sophia, meaning "wisdom." Loosely translated, it means
"divine wisdom." Theosophy is a religious philosophy with
strong overtones of mysticism. Mysticism is the belief that
beyond the visible material world there is a spiritual reality--
which may be called God--that people may experience
through meditation, revelation, intuition, or some other
state that takes the individual beyond a normal
consciousness.
• Vedas. Sometime between 1500 and 1200 BC, the period
of Aryan conquest and consolidation, the Rig Veda was
composed. It is the oldest religious scripture in the world.
The Rig Veda is a collection of 1,028 hymns to the gods.
Three other collections—the Sam Veda, Yajurveda, and
Atharvaveda--were added later. These were all composed
over a period of several centuries and collected in their
present form sometime during the 1st millennium BC.
Between 800 and 600 BC a body of prose writings called the
Brahmanas as attached to the Vedas. These contain
explanations of the ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas.
Even later additions, called the Aranyakas and the
Upanishads, presumably written between 600 and 300 BC,
were added to this body of literature. All of these texts,
along with some later books, became the sacred scripture of
Hinduism as it evolved in the second half of the 1st
millennium. Of them the Rig-Veda is the most revered,
though its contents are not
much known by most Hindus today.
• York Rite. The York Rite, like the Scottish Rite, is an
appending body of Masonry, and offers degrees beyond the
Blue Lodge's three degrees. It consists of nine degrees
additional degrees: Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent
Master, and
Royal Arch Mason; the Cryptic Degrees of the Royal
Master, Select Master, and Super Excellent Master; and the
Chivalric Orders of the Order of the Red Cross, Order of the
Knights of Malta and the
Order of Knights Templar.
Chapter One: Opening Principles
Striving for historical accuracy and scholastic integrity Dr.
Morey openly sets forth the
foundation principles that guided his research.
! The First Principle: Objectivity
! The Second Principle: A Commitment to the truth
! The Third Principle: Dismissal of anything but documented
evidence ! The Fourth Principle: An attitude of skepticism
toward Masonic writers Note. A healthy skepticism is
essential for the Masonic writers have not always been
careful with the truth. In fact, there has been fraudulent
documentation in order to give credibility to the movement.
Fraudulent Documentation has included the
following.
• The Antiquity Manuscript
• The Leland/Locke Manuscript
• The John Moore 1715 Letter
• The Henry Bell 1754 Letter
• The Charter of Cologne
! The Fifth Principle: An attitude of skepticism toward anti-
Masonic writers
Note. A healthy skepticism towards anti-Masonic writers is
necessary for some unscrupulous critics have engaged in
unworthy criticism and accusations.
• The Norton Affair
• The Luciferian Conspiracy
! The Sixth Principle: Rejection of the idea that Freemasonry
can be traced back to a
single origin With these six guiding principles Dr. Morey
methodically began researching
Freemasonry; by reading the vast body of material available
in chronology order. The wisdom of
this approach was duly rewarded as a thesis merged which I
have taken the liberty to summarize
in the following statement.
While Freemasonry was established as a Christian
organization Generally speaking, Freemasonry has became
corrupted by so many philosophical elements it is now
essentially a pagan organization
which should be redeemed by concerned Christians or
abandoned by the same.
Chapter Two: Christian Origins
Citing a surprising display of evidence Dr. Morey argues that
“from the very beginning, Freemasonry was viewed as a
Christian institution and its symbols, degrees and
ceremonies were all interpreted according to fundamental
Christian doctrines. The founders of Masonry did not view
themselves as pagans, cultists, occultists, Mayans, Druids,
witches, Hindus, or Buddhists. They never claimed that
Masonry descended from ancient Mystery cults or the
worship of Isis. They knew nothing of such ideas.” If this is
true, then on what basis is the Masonic order challenged?
The answer in part is that Masonry has radically changed.
Since its initial inception in June 1717 Masonry has officially
been de-Christianized.
Initial Attempts to De-Christianize Freemasonry
According to Albert G. Mackey, the first attempt to de-
Christianize the Craft was by Hemming in 1813 (History of
Freemasonry, Masonic History, Co., NY, 1898, I: 136). This
early attempt to transform the Lodge was rejected but other
men emerged. Starting in 1871 Albert Pike tried but failed to
shake Masonry free from its Christian heritage. His pagan
views were ignored for the most part in his own day but
weeds were sown that were to spring up to choke the
Christian life of the Lodge in years to come. A critical time
period was the 1920’s when an avalanche of Masonic books
were produced seeking to trace Masonry to pagan origins.
Surprising enough, while the leader was moving in a pagan
direction the majority of those led were conservative in
nature—and Christian. There in is the problem, the Masonic
Lodge is philosophically schizophrenic. For the vast majority,
the Craft is a Fraternity and not a religion. In particular, it is
not some kind of pagan religion, which would contradict
their Christian convictions. This is why they feel insulted
when a modern anti-Mason reveals the dark side of the
movement. Nevertheless, the tough questions have to be
asked. In particular is the question that deals with the roots
of the organization. Is Masonry a modern religious political
movement of the eighteenth century or is it rooted in
antiquity?
Is Freemasonry Rooted in Antiquity?
The simple answer is no. “The attempts to find the origins of
Freemasonry in a pre-biblical religion or in the Bible itself; is
an exercise in futility. There is absolutely nothing in the
Bible about Freemasonry. That say that Adam’s fig leaf was
a Masonic apron stretches all credulity. Masons have
traditionally been told that the Craft began with the building
of Solomon’s Temple. But there is nothing in the Biblical
record that even remotely by any stretch of the imagination
hints of this idea” (Robert Morey). The earliest historical
records of the practice of Freemasonry date no further back
than 1717 with the first minutes of a Masonic meeting being
held in 1723. James Anderson, who lived at this time, is
credited with writing his Constitutions, a revision of a 14th
century stonemason’s Christian guidebook.
Chapter Three: The Legacy of Albert Pike
“Much of the writings of Albert Pike are extracted from the
books of the French magician, Eliphas Levi, one of the
greatest transcendentalists of modern times. Levi was an
occultist, a metaphysician, a Platonic philosopher, who by
the rituals of magic invoked even the spirit of Apollonius of
Tyana, and yet Pike has inserted in his Morals and Dogma
whole pages, and even chapters, practically verbatim.”
Rather than renounce Pike he is exalted to an extraordinary
degree within Masonic history. “To Pike the following
remarkable tribute was paid by Stirling Kerr, Jr., 33? Deputy
for the Inspector General for the District of Columbia, upon
crowning with laurel the bust of Pike in the House of the
Temple: 'Pike was an oracle greater than that of Delphi. He
was Truth's minister and priest. His victories were those of
peace. Long may his memory live in the hearts of the
Brethren.' Affectionately termed 'Albertus Magnus' by his
admirers, Pike wrote of Hermeticism and alchemy and hinted
at the Mysteries of the Temple. Through his zeal and
unflagging energy, American Freemasonry was raised from
comparative obscurity to become the most powerful
organization in the land." (Manly P. Hall, Rosicrucian and
Masonic Origins pp 413-414)
Chapter Four: Pagan Origins
Trying to defend the principle of antiquity for their order
Masonic writers appeal to ancient mystery cults for
validation. Trying to discredit Masonry anti-Masonic writers
do the same and yet both groups are wrong to do this.
Simply enough, the Masonic order began along Christian
lines but was deliberately transformed by men such as
Albert Pike into a pagan temple complete with its own
religious ceremonies such as Hindu baptism (Masonic
Baptism: Reception of a Louveteau: Adoption, 1871). The
Masonic baptism used water, oil, salt, and incense. After the
Master Mason sprinkled the water on the head of the child,
he was to use the oil to make the sign of a triangle on the
forehead of the child. The triangle was used instead of the
cross because the triangle referred to the Hindu trinity of
Siva, Krishna and Brahma. During his lifetime the majority
of Masons were Christian and they simply refused to be
converted to a heathen religion. Pike’s Masonic baptismal
ritual was seldom used and was eventually discarded. Most
Mason’s are not even aware of its existence. However, the
larger point is that Pike was successful in sowing the seeds
of Hinduism into the lodge. His book Moral and Dogma
published in 1871 is nothing more than a presentation of the
doctrines of classical
Hinduism with a mixture of astrology, magic, and
reincarnation. Albert Pike has never been
renounced by present day Masons. Indeed, a large statue of
him stands in Washington DC on the
corner of 3rd and Indiana Ave., N. W. The continuing
influence of Albert Pike in de-Christianizing the Masonic
order is reflected in the fact that The Temple Publishers now
produce books that use non-Christian principles to interpret
its rituals. In addition, it is because of the influence of Pike
and others that Masonic writers can argue for the antiquity
of the order and anti-Masonic writers can follow suite.
However, on this latter point, the reality is that a new order
has super imposed ancient
pagan rituals and concepts into its flow of consciousness in
order to give historical validity.
Confirmation that Freemasonry is not an ancient religion
from the dawn of time is that the Masonic writers contradict
each other as to time, identity, nature, teachings and
location of this religion. Because this is true anti-Masonic
writers need not labor to find a historical connection as to
the origin of Masonry with Stonehenge, the occult arts,
mother India, China’s Buddhism, Egypt, Assyria, Palestine,
Greece Italy, France, Sweden, nor South or North American
Indians. That these elements were found within the writing
and thinking of its leaders. And is due to a recent embracing
of eastern mysticism (1832 to present), not an ancient one.
Chapter Five: Historical Origins
One immediate problem that Masonic writers face when
appealing to antiquity for the origin of Masonry is that they
must embrace paganism with zeal. Surprisingly enough
many Masonic writers do not hesitate. One author boldly
notes that "According to a very old Masonic tradition, the
Egyptian god Thoth "had played a major part in preserving
knowledge of the mason craft and transmitting it to mankind
after the flood...." (The Origins of Freemasonry, David
Stevenson). Another writer, Malcolm C. Duncan (Duncan’s
Ritual of Freemasonry, page 266), in the attempt to find
historical confirmation for masonry is bold enough to declare
that Achilles was a Freemason! The evidence that is set forth
for this preposterous position is when Homer has Achilles
giving Priam THE HAND, when the latter is supplicating for
the body of his slain son:
“Thus having spoken, the old man’s right hand oat the wrist
He grasped, that he might not in any respect be alarmed in
mind.”
Chapter Six: Conspiracy Theories
Unfortunately, in an attempt to discredit the Masons anti-
Masons have claimed that Freemasonry was and is part of a
secret political or religious conspiracy. Most of the
conspiracy theories can be dismissed—except those
proposed by the Masons themselves—these need to be
challenged. Consider some of these Masonic Myths.
• It is a myth that all the signers of the Declaration of
Independence were Masons. Out
of the fifty-five signers, only five or six were Mason
according to any concrete
evidence.
• It is a myth that the Boston Tea Party was a Masonic act of
a Boston Lodge.
• It is a myth that all of Washington’s general were Masons.
• It is a myth that George Washington forced General
Lafayette to become a Mason in order to fight in the
Revolution. Lafayette claimed that he had become a Mason
in France when a young man.
• It is a myth that Washington was a loyal Mason, who
faithfully attended his lodge,
dressed in fully regalia, or laid a single cornerstone in the
nation’s capitol as a Mason.
Note. The simple fact is that while Washington was elected
to various Masonic honors and even had his portrait painted
in full regalia without his knowledge approval or presence he
always withdrew from the honors conferred. After being
informed that he had been elected Grand Master over all the
Lodges in America, Washington refused to accept the office.
In a letter dated September 25, 1798,
Washington stated “And which allows me to add little more
now, than thanks for your kind wishes and favorable
sentiments, except to correct an error you have run into, of
my Presidency over the English lodges in this Country. The
fact is, I preside over none, nor have I been in one more
than once or twice, within the last thirty years” (The
Writings of Washington, Vol 36 p. 453).
Chapter Seven: Anti-masonry Movements
Many motives make people into anti-Masons.
• First, there are those who have personal reasons as to
why they are against Freemasonry. Perhaps the language of
calling another man Worshipful Master offended them.
Perhaps they detected racial prejudice or maybe they simple
did not get their way in a particular matter.
• Second, there are those who have political reasons for
attacking the Lodge. In France Masonry gained a unique
political character due largely to the intense hatred of the
French people against the Jesuits who dominated and
exploited them for so long.
• Third, there are those who have sincere religious
objections to the secret oaths, symbolism, degrees and
teachings of modern Freemasonry. The motivation to oppose
Masons is expressed in three ways.
• First, some anti-Masons have taken it upon themselves to
publish all the secrets of the Lodge. Samuel Prichard did this
in 1730 in his book Masonry Dissected, Being an Universal
and Genuine Description of all its Branches From the Original
to the Present Time. Since 1730 books, pamphlets, and
videotapes have revealed all the secrets in the ritual of the
Crafts.
• Second, some anti-Mason attack Freemasonry for being a
secret society. In all fairness it is safe to say that it is and is
not a secret society. The group does not try to keep its
existence a secret. Indeed, there is an active campaign to
recruit new members. The temples of the Masons dot the
land and a special ring displays who may be a Mason. On the
other hand, like every business and organization the Masons
do have certain secrets that they try to keep among
members.
• Third, some anti-Masons focus on certain objectionable
elements found in the rituals, symbols and teachings of
modern Freemasonry. There is room for concern. The
conservative Missouri Synod Lutheran Church issued its ban
on Masonic membership in 1964 for valid reasons.
1. Freemasonry is a religion—as many Masonic writers
declare.
“For every Masonic writer who says that Freemasonry is not
a religion, there are five Masonic writers who claim that it is
a pagan religion.” (Robert Morey) The terminology of the
Masonic Lodge also testifies to its religious nature.
2. Freemasonry claims to have come from ancient pagan
mystery religions, which deny Christian doctrines.
Note. "The ancient Mysteries did not cease to exist when
Christianity became the world's most powerful religion.
Great Pan did not die! Freemasonry is the proof of his
survival. The pre-Christian Mysteries simply assumed the
symbolism of the new faith, perpetuating through its
emblems and allegories the same truths, which had been the
property of the wise since the beginning of the world. There
is no true explanation, therefore, for Christian symbols save
that which is concealed within pagan philosophy. Without
the mysterious keys carried by the hierophants of the
Egyptian, Brahmin, and Persian cults the gates of Wisdom
cannot be opened." (Manly P. Hall, Masonic, Hermetic
,Quabbalistic & Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy)
3. Freemasonry officially teaches the doctrine of
universalism or the salvation of all men.
4. Freemasonry is officially anti-Christian.
“That this is true can be seen if we ask when was the last
time that a Christian interpretation of the Craft was
published, supported and recommended by high officials,
state lodges and supreme councils? We have seen hundreds
of Hindu, Buddhist, Gnostic, Druid, occultic, New Age,
Hermetic, etc. interpretations! If we have missed such a
book, please let us know.” (Robert Morey)
5. Freemasonry teaches that salvation comes through good
works or worse yet that man is god!
Note. "One who would walk in the Way of the Craftsman
must do one thing more. He must remember, always, that
he is building a temple to God. He is building an edifice in
consciousness in which he, himself, is an individual stone. In
time, each human being will square his stone and place it in
that temple, and when that temple is complete, God will
behold God in the Mirror of Existence
and there will be then, as there was at the beginning, only
God." - W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman
6. Freemasonry downgrades the name of Christ."...During
the years between 1723 and 1813 the invocation of the
name of Christ in the endings of prayers gradually died out.
In Masonic quotations of scripture the name of Christ came
very pointedly to be deleted from the text. "It is perhaps
because the Freemasonic God, as revealed to Royal Arch
Masons, is so far from being 'that Religion to which all men
agree' that it was determined that Holy Royal Arch workings
should not be conducted in Lodges but separately in
'Chapters' under the control of a Grand Chapter and not of
Grand Lodge." (The Brotherhood, Stephen Knight)
7. Freemasonry has a false view of God.
Note. The God of Masonry was at the beginning the
Christian Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But then as
the British Empire spread itself over the world and the rich
and power of the earth wanted to be in the Lodge room had
to be made for rich Muslims and Hindus whose views of God
did not come from the Bible. So the rituals of Masonry were
changed to accommodate Muslims and Hindus.
8. Freemasonry denies the supremacy of the Bible by using
other books such as the Hindu Vedas or the Muslim Koran.
9. Freemasonry officially forbids people to pray in the name
of Jesus.
10. Freemasonry does not reflect Christian values with its
own bloody oaths and secrets.
Note. Most Masons today to not take these oaths seriously.
If they did they would be on the same level as Jim Jones or
Charles Manson for the oaths are to commit murder by
slitting someone’s throat and then disemboweling him. It is
interesting that these oaths were not part of early
Freemasonry but are the remnants the political conspiracies
of the Illuminati and Jacobites.
Chapter Eight: Concluding Thoughts
The challenge many Christians face is how to respond to the
Masonic order. Dr. Morey suggests that practicing Masons
either reform the organization throughly or withdraw
completely. While Dr. Morey’s book does not dwell on this
next point at length it can be noted that a voice of protest
should arise from within the organization concerning many
of the Masonic rituals and teachings for outside the lodges
the Christian community has not been officially silent. Many
Christian churches forbid members to belong to or be
involved in Masonic Lodges.
Among the Protestant denominations the Lutheran Church of
Austria has stated that “all
organizations, whether secret and oath-bound or open,
which are either avowedly religious, or
practice the forms of religion, without confessing as a matter
of principle the Triune God and
Jesus Christ as the Son of God comes in the flesh and our
Savior from sin…are anti-Christian.”
(Doctrine Statements and Theological Opinions, 1956).
The Baptist Union of Scotland concluded that “total
obedience to Christ precludes joining any organization such
as the Masonic movement which seems to demand a whole
hearted allegiance to itself, and at the same time refuses to
divulge all that is involved in that allegiance prior to joining.
The initiate is required to commit himself to Masonry in a
way that a Christian should only commit himself to Christ.”
The Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland concluded its
investigation into Freemasonry by declaring that “there is an
inherent incompatibility between Freemasonry and the
Christian faith. Also that commitment within the movement
is inconsistent with a Christian’s commitment to Jesus Christ
as Lord.” Similar statements have been articulate by the
Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1942, the
Christian Reformed Church in 1974, the Wesleyan Methodist
Church of Australia, the Salvation Army, and the Anglican
Diocese of Sydney. In short there is worldwide concern in
the highest echelons of Christendom that the Masonic Lodge
is not the place where God’s people ought to congregate.
Nevertheless, the Masonic Lodge continues to attract
Christians because of an unclean message illustrated by the
position the Southern Baptist took in May 1993. In March
1993 the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist
Convention published a report on Freemasonry.
The report recommended Freemasonry
• For its works of charity and education and
• For upholding values such as honesty, integrity, industry,
and moral character.
At the same time the report noted several incompatibilities
between the Christian faith
and Masonry such as
• The use of offensive titles such as ‘Worshipful Master’
• The taking of bloody oaths and obligations
• The pagan and occult nature of many of the writings of
past Mason leaders
• The Bible’s shared role among other items in Masonic
temples
• The doctrine of salvation by works
• The doctrine of universalism
• The historical absence of African Americans to
membership.
It is somewhat disconcerting to many Christians to hear a
major denomination officially charge—with documentation—
the horrendous beliefs of Freemasonry and then leave the
final decision to stay in the movement to the individual’s
conscience without a pastoral note of exhortation to come
out and be separate. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my
sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” What some
will not do, I will. I will exhort God’s people to disassociate
themselves from Freemasonry. Let the Church be the
Church— and let the people rejoice.
Appendix
Questions for Masons
1. Question. Would you be surprised to learn that many of
the Masonic symbolism are
Identified with ancient mysteries as well as occult rituals and
practices?
The twelve star signs on the roof of a Masonic Lodge
The serpent eating its tail
Circumambulation (lit. to walk around)
The inverted five pointed star
The equilateral triangle
The point within a circle
The speaking of mantras and of sacred words not mentioned
in the Bible
The east-west alignment of Masonic Lodges
The three basic degrees of initiation
The practice of striking a blindfolded initiate on the head
before giving him new light "The ancient Mysteries did not
cease to exist when Christianity became the world's most
powerful religion. Great Pan did not die! Freemasonry is the
proof of his survival. The pre- Christian Mysteries simply
assumed the symbolism of the new faith, perpetuating
through its emblems and allegories the same truths, which
had been the property of the wise since the beginning of the
world. There is no true explanation, therefore, for Christian
symbols save that which is concealed within pagan
philosophy. Without the mysterious keys carried by the
hierophants of the Egyptian, Brahmin, and Persian cults the
gates of Wisdom cannot be opened." (Manly P. Hall,
Masonic, Hermetic, Quabbalistic & Rosicrucian Symbolical
Philosophy)
A Biblical Response. The Bible forbids believers to be
involved in any form of witchcraft or
occultism.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11 There shall not be found among you
any one that maketh his son or
his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth
divination, or an observer of times, or an
enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with
familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Leviticus 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits,
neither seek after wizards, to be
defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.(cf Exodus 7-8; 1
Samuel 28)
2. Question. Would it surprise you to learn that George
Washington was never a practicing
Mason as President neither of the United States nor for two
decades before that?
3. Question. Is the sacred name for God “Jahbulon”? Did
you know that this name really unites
two pagan gods with the special name of Jehovah?
In the ritual of exaltation, the name of the great Architect of
the Universe is revealed as JAHBULON....
Each syllable of the 'ineffable name' represents one
personality of this Trinity:
JAH = Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews
BUL = Baal, the ancient Canaanite fertility god associated
with 'licentious rites of imitative
magic
ON = Osiris, the Ancient Egyptian god of the underworld
Note. Using clever words some Masonic writers sensitive to
the Christian community try to
distance themselves from the reality of uniting these two
well-known pagan gods to the
sacred name of the Lord. But it cannot be done. The
indictment stands.
4. Question. How can the Masonic Lodge’s advocacy of a
religious order that rivals Christian
be justified? How can the Koran of the Muslim faith and the
Vedas of Hinduism be placed
on the same altar and be held with the same esteem as the
Word of God?
5. Question. Why won’t the Masons just remove the
offensive bloody and violent oaths from
their ceremonies? How can such language even be utter in
light of Colossians 3:8 which says
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out
of your mouth. “? Then there is Philippians 4:8 “Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true
, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
6. Question. Does the Masonic triangle still represent the
Christian Trinity of the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit as the founders of Freemasonry believed or
does it now represent the Hindu
trinity of Krishna, Shiva, and Brahma as claimed by modern
pagan writers?
Note. Words do have meaning and so do symbols. The
Masonic triangle cannot be meaningful to both the Hindu’s
and Christians at the same time. There is a principle of logic
that says that if something means everything it means
nothing.
7. Question. How can there be a Revival of Masonry in
1717 when there is no evidence that it
existed prior to June of that year?
Note. As partisan as Albert Mackey was for the Masons he
was honest enough to confess
that “prior to the year 1717, there never were Grand
Masters or a Grand Lodge except such
as were mythically constructed by the romantic genius of Dr.
Anderson…We cannot,
therefore, in these points call the organization which took
place in that year a Revival”
(History of Freemasonry, IV: 890-891).