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FACTS
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As of 1990, the Masonic Lodge had a U.S. membership of 4,000,000 and worldwide membership of 6,000,000 (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, p. 323). Membership is marked by various degrees through which one may pass. Also available are numerous affiliate organizations with specific memberships:

Youth - Demolay

Women - Eastern Star

Relatives - Job's Daughters



To become a Mason, one must go through the Blue Lodge, which is the parent or mother Lodge of Freemasonry. The Blue Lodge consists of three degrees which serve as initiatory stepping stones into the deeper areas of Freemasonry:

1. Entered Apprentice

2. Fellow Craft

3. Master Mason



After completing these degrees, one is a full Mason and may either stop or progress further along the Freemasonry route with a choice of two branches: the Scottish Rite, consisting of 30 degrees; or the York Rite, which consists of the Chapter degree, the Council degree, and the Commandery degree.
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WORSHIP
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Freemasonry has no worship services because it is not a church per se, but rather a fraternal organization. Masonic gatherings are more like club meetings, which may involve a number of issues such as Masonic-sponsored community projects, current events, or Lodge business. Yet Masonry has all the trappings and nomenclature of a deeply religious organization: the meeting place is a "temple" that has an "altar" and a "sacred book"; "prayers" are spoken by a "chaplain"; rituals are performed.
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LEADERS OF FREEMASONRY
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Freemasonry has never had one authoritative leader. Masons are led by the laws and regulations of Freemasonry itself. Each separate Lodge (meeting place) elects its own officers. Even so, all lodges worldwide have the same symbols, degrees, and teachings. Grand Lodges, which are a combination of more than one Lodge, also have elected officers. All Freemasons are bound through obedience to the ancient mystery "truths" that are gradually revealed as they advance in rank (degree).
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PUBLICATIONS
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Freemasonry is a secret fraternity that does not publicize its Lodge rituals or its sacred beliefs. The three most authoritative works on Freemasonry are Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia by Henry Coil, Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey, Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike.
The following is a quote from Albert Pike's "Morals And Dogma", Published by the authority of the "Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third Degree For The Southern Jurisdiction Of The United States" in March, 1919:


"Masonry, like all the Religions, all the Mysteries..., conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be mislead...Truth is not for those who are unworthy or unable to receive it, or would pervert it."
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GENERAL STATEMENT OF BELIEFS
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Masons will often claim publicly that they are not part of a religion, but authoritative Masonic writings give Freemasonry the character of a religion. "Freemasonry may rightfully claim to be a religious institution...We open and close our Lodges with prayer; we invoke the blessing of the Most High upon all our labors; we demand of our neophytes a profession of trusting belief in the existence and the superintending care of God" (Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, 2:846))

Other literature written by Masonic authorities shows that the religion being promoted through Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity. Freemasonry denies the Trinity, the deity of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, the uniqueness of the Bible, and a number of other Christian beliefs. Masonry also promotes involvement with the occult as a means of achieving higher degrees of "truth".
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FREEMASONRY THEOLOGY
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All non-Masons are in spiritual darkness and can arrive at the light of truth only through Masonry.

(("The Masonic Initiate has long been in darkness, and now seeks to be brought to light" (Malcom C. Duncan, Masonic Ritual and Monitor, n.d., p.29)
A Christian already has the light of life (Jn 8:12) because God has rescued him from the dominion of darkness and brought him into the kingdom of His Son (Col 1:13). For the Christian to claim still to be in darkness is to lie and not to live by the truth (1 Jn 1:6).))

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Light is obtainable only through Masonry because Masonry is of divine origin and, as such, is the true religion.

(("Masonry is of divine origin" (J. Blanchard, Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated)
"Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instructions in religion...reward is the knowledge of the True God...Masonry is a worship...It is the universal, eternal immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity" (Liturgy of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, Part Two, pp. 167, 198-99).

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (Jn 1:4; 8:12; 9:5; 12;35-36). Unless Masonry teaches this truth, it cannot be the true religion, for it denies that "the true light that gives light to every man" has come into the world (Jn 1:9).))
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The Bible is affirmed, and even revered, by Masons, but not as the infallible and inerrant Holy Word of God. Scripture is nothing more than a symbol of the will of God. It is no more divine or inspired than any other "holy" book of other religions

(("...the Bible, so rich in symbolism, is itself a symbol...It is a sovereign symbol of the Book of Faith, the Will of God as man has learned it in the midst of the years...Thus, by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith...joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes oath on the Koran, and with the Hindu as he makes covenant with God upon the book that he loves best (Joseph Fort Newton, The Bible in Masonry, p.5)
The Bible is the inspired Word of God (2Pe 1:20-22), written by men who had "the Spirit of Christ in them" (1Pe 1:11) The purpose of this God-breathed revelation is not merely to be a symbol of God's will, but to make people wise for salvation through faith in Christ and to train and equip people for a life of righteousness and good works (2Ti 3:15-16)))

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The Bible is not to be taken literally. Its contents are not divine

(("The prevailing Masonic opinion is that the Bible is only a symbol of Divine Will, Law, or Revelation, and not that its contents are Divine Law, inspired, or revealed. So far, no responsible authority has held that a Freemason must believe the Bible or any part of it" (Henry Wilson Coil, Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, p. 520)
God's Word is truth, not a symbol of truth (Jn 17:17)))

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The Bible cannot be properly understood except by Masons

"The Hebrew books were written only to recall to memory the traditions; and they were written in Symbols unintelligible to the Profane [non-Masons]" (Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, pp. 744-45).
The truth of God is knowable and intelligible to all who will allow the Spirit of God to reveal God's truth to them (Jn 8:31-32; 14:26; 15:26; 16:13; 1Co 12:3)))

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The degrees of Masonry are a new birth, bringing man from darkness into light. The Mason is reborn into divine truth through rituals, ceremonies and words.

(("There he stands without our portals, on the threshold of his new Masonic life, in darkness, helplessness and ignorance. Having been wandering amid the errors and covered over with the pollutions of the outer and profane world, he comes inquiringly to our door, seeking the new birth, and asking a withdrawal of the veil which conceals divine truth from his uninitiated sight." --Albert G. Mackey, Masonic Ritualist, p22-23
"You have entered a new world. Symbolically and spiritually you have been reborn. This started the moment you were prepared to become a Mason... The lodge becomes a symbol of the new world to which you have been reborn... You learn that your entrance is not a mere opening of a door. It is accomplished by forms, ceremonies, actions and words designed to impress upon you mind wise and serious truths. You know that this is not a frivolous event, but one of spiritual impressiveness." --Allen E. Roberts, The Craft and Its symbols, p3, 14-15

We are reborn through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that we walk in the light.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Ephesians 5:14

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7))

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POSITION SUPPORT/RESPONSE
All non-Masons are in spiritual darkness and can arrive at the light of truth only through Masonry. "The Masonic Initiate has long been in darkness, and now seeks to be brought to light" (Malcom C. Duncan, Masonic Ritual and Monitor, n.d., p.29)
A Christian already has the light of life (Jn 8:12) because God has rescued him from the dominion of darkness and brought him into the kingdom of His Son (Col 1:13). For the Christian to claim still to be in darkness is to lie and not to live by the truth (1 Jn 1:6).

Light is obtainable only through Masonry because Masonry is of divine origin and, as such, is the true religion. "Masonry is of divine origin" (J. Blanchard, Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated)
"Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instructions in religion...reward is the knowledge of the True God...Masonry is a worship...It is the universal, eternal immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity" (Liturgy of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, Part Two, pp. 167, 198-99).

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (Jn 1:4; 8:12; 9:5; 12;35-36). Unless Masonry teaches this truth, it cannot be the true religion, for it denies that "the true light that gives light to every man" has come into the world (Jn 1:9).

The Bible is affirmed, and even revered, by Masons, but not as the infallible and inerrant Holy Word of God. Scripture is nothing more than a symbol of the will of God. It is no more divine or inspired than any other "holy" book of other religions. "...the Bible, so rich in symbolism, is itself a symbol...It is a sovereign symbol of the Book of Faith, the Will of God as man has learned it in the midst of the years...Thus, by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith...joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes oath on the Koran, and with the Hindu as he makes covenant with God upon the book that he loves best (Joseph Fort Newton, The Bible in Masonry, p.5)
The Bible is the inspired Word of God (2Pe 1:20-22), written by men who had "the Spirit of Christ in them" (1Pe 1:11) The purpose of this God-breathed revelation is not merely to be a symbol of God's will, but to make people wise for salvation through faith in Christ and to train and equip people for a life of righteousness and good works (2Ti 3:15-16)

The Bible is not to be taken literally. Its contents are not divine "The prevailing Masonic opinion is that the Bible is only a symbol of Divine Will, Law, or Revelation, and not that its contents are Divine Law, inspired, or revealed. So far, no responsible authority has held that a Freemason must believe the Bible or any part of it" (Henry Wilson Coil, Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, p. 520)
God's Word is truth, not a symbol of truth (Jn 17:17)

The Bible cannot be properly understood except by Masons "The Hebrew books were written only to recall to memory the traditions; and they were written in Symbols unintelligible to the Profane [non-Masons]" (Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, pp. 744-45).
The truth of God is knowable and intelligible to all who will allow the Spirit of God to reveal God's truth to them (Jn 8:31-32; 14:26; 15:26; 16:13; 1Co 12:3).

The degrees of Masonry are a new birth, bringing man from darkness into light. The Mason is reborn into divine truth through rituals, ceremonies and words. "There he stands without our portals, on the threshold of his new Masonic life, in darkness, helplessness and ignorance. Having been wandering amid the errors and covered over with the pollutions of the outer and profane world, he comes inquiringly to our door, seeking the new birth, and asking a withdrawal of the veil which conceals divine truth from his uninitiated sight." --Albert G. Mackey, Masonic Ritualist, p22-23
"You have entered a new world. Symbolically and spiritually you have been reborn. This started the moment you were prepared to become a Mason... The lodge becomes a symbol of the new world to which you have been reborn... You learn that your entrance is not a mere opening of a door. It is accomplished by forms, ceremonies, actions and words designed to impress upon you mind wise and serious truths. You know that this is not a frivolous event, but one of spiritual impressiveness." --Allen E. Roberts, The Craft and Its symbols, p3, 14-15

We are reborn through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that we walk in the light.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Ephesians 5:14

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

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Jesus is just one of many

(("It reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the lawgiver of the Jews, in Confucius and Zoroaster, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabian Iconoclast, Great Teachers of Morality, and Eminent Reformers, if no more: and allows every brother of the order to assign to each such higher and even Divine Character as his Creed and Truth require." (Pike, p. 525).
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved". (Acts 4:12)

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Cor. 8:6).))

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Jesus was not God. Belief in Jesus as God is a manmade doctrine.

((Christian Theologians first made a fetish of the Impersonal Omnipresent Divinity; and then tore the Christos from the hearts of all humanity in order to deify Jesus, that they might have a god-man peculiarly their own" (J.D. Buck, Symbolism or Mystic Masonry, p. 57)
The belief that Jesus achieved Christ-consciousness, in a way that we all can do, is a New Age teaching. Scripture makes clear that Jesus at birth was the Christ (Lk 2:11) and is still the Christ who will come again as the judge of all humanity (Tit 2:13; Rev 22:12).))

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The "Christ" is not a title reserved for Jesus. "Christ" is a higher consciousness that resides in all men. It can be achieved through

((In deifying Jesus, the whole humanity is bereft of Christos as an eternal potency within every human soul, a latent (embryonic) Christ in every man. In thus deifying one man, they have orphaned the whole humanity of its divinity" (R. Swineburne Clymer, The Mysticism of Masonry, p. 47)
The Greek title Christos is the equivalent to the Hebrew Moshiach or the English Messiah and means one anointed for God's purpose. Prophecies about the coming Messiah can be found throughout the Old Testament (Ps22 and Isa 53). They are very specific in giving His credentials even to the point of naming the city (Bethlehem) where He would be born (see Mic 5:2). Jesus is the only Messiah and Christ who fits the criteria laid out in the Bible.))

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Salvation is obtained apart from Christ through good works alone

(("If your life is without soil or blemish, you will be received at the pearly gates of heaven and there be presented with the pure white robe of righteousness" (Raymond Allen et al., Tennessee Craftsmen or Masonic Textbook, p. 61)
"Perform the duties of your respective stations...and you will receive from your Almighty Father an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away (p. 126).

The Bible makes it clear that salvation is only by god's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." (Acts 16:31)

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22-24)))

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Part of the Masonic plan of salvation includes the ultimate realization that we are not only basically good, but divine.

(("The great secret of Masonry is that it makes a man aware of the divinity within him" (Joseph Fort Newton, The Builders: A Story and Study of Freemasonry P. 284)
"Masonry's purpose is to reach the spiritual and divine within himself" (Henry C. Clausen, Clausen's Commentaries on Morals and dogma, p. 157).

Man is not divine. It was Satan's temptation of man in the Garden of Eden to "be like God" that led to sin (Genesis 3:5). God alone is God (Isa 45:5), and He condemns all efforts on man's part to achieve divinity. (See Isaiah 14:12 and Genesis 11)))

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Masonry promises its members that if they pursue obedience to the Lodge and good works, they will dwell with the B.A.O.T.U. for eternity.

(("Let us imitate the good man in his virtuous and amiable conduct, in his unfeigned piety to God, in his inflexible fidelity to his trust, that we may welcome death as a kind messenger sent from our Supreme Grand Master to translate us from this imperfect to that all perfect and glorious Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides" (Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason, p.68).
The Bible commends us for imitating the good conduct of others (1Co 11:1; Heb 6:12), but not in order to earn an eternal reward. Salvation is by faith alone.))

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It has been asserted that Freemasonry is racist in that blacks are not allowed to join. Because those of African descent are barred from Freemasonry, such persons have established their own Lodges, known as Prince Hall Masonry. Many white Masons do not recognize black Masonry as legitimate

(("The Committee believes that in view of the existing social conditions in our country, it is advisable for the official and organized activities of white and colored Freemasons to proceed in parallel lines, but organically separate and without mutually embarrassing demands or commitments" ("Report on Negro Freemasonry by the M. W. Grand Lodge of Massachusetts," November 25, 1946)
"Regardless of the way and manner that Negro Freemasonry arose in America it is today regarded as spurious and illegitimate" (Delmar Duane Darrah, History and Evolution of Freemasonry, as quoted in Cults Sects & Religious Movements by H. Wayne House pp. 148)

A Christian is not to be racist in any way and certainly not in terms of membership in an organization. Christians are to show love and respect to all people (Lk 6:27-31) and recognize that in Christ all are one (Gal 3:28). Therefore they are committed to do good to all people (Gal 6:10). The Bible is also insistent that all come from Adam (Ge 2:7), all come from Eve (Ge 3:20), all come from Noah (Ge 9:18) and that all are of one blood (Ac 17:26).))

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FREEMSONRY'S HISTORY
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Modern Freemasonry dates to 1717, when several members of four lodges met at London's Goose and Gridiron Tavern to form the first Grand Lodge. By 1723 the organization had adopted James Anderson's Constitution as a guide. Anderson's work clearly reflected a divergence from the Old Charges of operative Masonry, which had been in use since the fourteenth century. The Old Charges were distinctively Christian in tone and, according to Fraternal Organizations by Alvin J. Schmidt, dealt primarily with God and religion, the craft of masonry, and regal duty. The Constitutions, however, omitted the Trinitarian formula and "spoke of a 'religion in which all men agree'" (Fraternal Organizations, p. 121)

In 1738 Anderson produced another accepted document titled "The Old Charges of the Free and Accepted Masons." By that year, operative Masonry had evolved into accepted Masonry. It continued to evolve until, by the second half of the eighteenth centruy it had become speculative Masonry, which interpreted "the symbols and artifacts of operative masonry in an allegorical, religious manner". For example, whereas operative Masons built stone edifices, speculative Masons seek to build spiritual edifices.

The first Masonic Lodge was established in the United States on April 13, 1733. In the United States it yielded great influence. In fact, many scholars believe that Freemasonry helped inspire the American Revolution (Revolution and Freemasonry, 1680 to 1800 by Bernard Fay). There is also evidence that Freemasonry was influential in the formation of the U.S. Constitution. It has even been theorized that the designs on the back of American currency can be linked to Masonic signs and symbols (Fraternal Organizations, p.122).


!!!! its my 1st time to read about it. even knowing about it lol!! am i the only one!!!

[yialousa1971]

Ask Paphitis!

[Svetlana]

Freemasonry is a 'Society of Secrets', dating back many centuries, perhaps as far back as the Crusades. It requires a belief in Divine Being - be it Christian, Moslem, Hindu, or whatever.

Although in many countries, the US, France etc it is open to both men and women, in Cyprus, Freemasonry is strictly male. It's objectives are: self- development and contributing to the community. Freemasonry in Russia dates back to Peter the Great.

I have been to many of its social events in Pafos, which are aimed at raising money for charity.

You will find a lot of misinformation about the this topic, on the Net; everyone who knows nothing about it, is an expert! perhaps any Masons here would like to give their views.

[Paphitis]

Freemasonry is a 'Society of Secrets', dating back many centuries, perhaps as far back as the Crusades. It requires a belief in Divine Being - be it Christian, Moslem, Hindu, or whatever.

Although in many countries, the US, France etc it is open to both men and women, in Cyprus, Freemasonry is strictly male. It's objectives are: self- development and contributing to the community. Freemasonry in Russia dates back to Peter the Great.

I have been to many of its social events in Pafos, which are aimed at raising money for charity.

You will find a lot of misinformation about the this topic, on the Net; everyone who knows nothing about it, is an expert! perhaps any Masons here would like to give their views.

And the biggest experts on the subjects are Christians headed by the Orthodox Church.

They even call them satanical sun worshipers!

[TALISMAN]

Very good post Svetlana, there are of course Lodges in Cyprus that follow the English constituition, some slight differences.

Never heard the Orthodox Church being mentioned, as you say those that are not involved spread all sorts of disinformation.

[Svetlana]

Hi Talisman

Yes, the Lodges in Cyprus are split between both the English and Greek Constitution, although the 'English' Lodges have many Cypriot members, including the Distict Grand Master, whom I have met.

Lana

[Wingnut]

freemasons worship a god, they have to invoke his name in the higher rites. the lower ranks, the backslappers and ass-kissers who get into freemasonry to advance their careers, have little knowledge of these higher rites. they are kept in the dark until they are deemed ready to be inducted.

the name of the freemason god is JAHBULON

Jahbulon is a devil-god. the word is a compound of the names of three gods worshipped in the ancient Middle East :

Jah (Jehova)

Baal - (baal- ze bub) the Semitic high god Ba'al Hadad was depicted as a human, a ram, or a bull, the demon Bael was in grimoire tradition said to appear in the forms of a man, cat, toad, or combinations thereof. An illustration in Collin de Plancy's 1818 book Dictionnaire Infernal rather curiously placed the heads of the three creatures onto a set of spider legs.

On - represents the name of the Egyptian Sun god, another demon god.

freemasonry is essentially devil worship, hence incompatible with orthodoxy and roman catholicism, although many christians are freemasons. most freemasons dont even know whatb they are doing, its like a boy's club for them, somewhere to go for dinner and make contacts etc, with a bit of mysticism and secrecy thrown in to titilate them and make them feel special.

[Svetlana]

Now, Wingnut, did you ever become in the 'higher rites' to learn all this?
or is this hearsay?

From my studies of comparative religions, in Freemasonry, the word 'Jahbulon' means 'The Lord is our Help' as opposed to 'Abaddon' which, from the Hebrew Scriptures, means 'Place of Destruction'.

[Wingnut]

i know a few freemasons, yes. some on the higher levels, although they talk little about it.

the meaning of jahbulon is mentioned a few times in select masonic books

try and get hold of 'the grand cyclopedia of freemasonry' or stephen knight's 'the brotherhood'

[Svetlana]

I have a copy of The Brotherood, but it is pretty much an 'anti' book rather than an impartial evaluation.

Interestingly, Kinight rejected his early Chriatian upbringing, became a Sannyasin and changed his name to Swami Puja! Not that I he suggesting that he may have a bit of an alternative view of life!!!!