Can a Freemason be a Christian?

Is being a Freemason compatible with being a Christian?

Let's examine some of the characteristics of a Christian and compare them with some of the characteristics of being a Mason. There should be considerable overlap if they are compatible.

Characteristics of a Christian

First, a Christian is a student (or disciple) of Jesus. As a Christian, you want to know all about Jesus and what Jesus taught. Jesus made clear to his 11 disciples (the apostles) that they should now teach people to observe everything Jesus commanded.

Matthew 28:17-20 And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Amen.

The teachings of Jesus should be uppermost in your mind as you deal with day to day struggles. It should be his guidance you think about as you go through your day.

Second, Jesus taught that everyone should now change their mind (repent) about how they thought and acted. He taught moral principles and expected people to obey him.

During his ministry, Jesus called on people to repent:

Matthew 4:12, 17 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee... From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

The moral teachings of Jesus are numerous. Perhaps the best know teaching is the sermon on the mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7. Let's look at just one example of moral teaching in this discourse.

Matthew 5:21-26 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, 'Thou shalt not kill,' and 'Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.' But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool,' shall be in danger of hell fire. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. "Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art on the way with him, lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."

In the above passage, Jesus makes it very clear that your attitude is toward others is important. If you have a very negative view of others, you could be in danger of ultimate condemnation.

As a consequence of this, if you know that someone has something against you, it is your responsibility to remove the barrier to salvation for your brother by trying to be reconciled with your brother.

Further, if you refuse to do so (while you are on the way to the judge), you, yourself are in danger of condemnation.

So, not only did Jesus amplify the law, he indicated the consequences that result from violating the law.

Jesus taught that these moral principles were more than simply nice ideas. There were to be taken to heart and obeyed. Later in the sermon on the mount, Jesus made this clear.

Matthew 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in Heaven."

Obedience to Jesus's teaching is not an option. But, to obey you must know and become a student (disciple) of Jesus. You must change your mind about how your think and act and decide to follow the teachings of Jesus.

Compare the Characteristics of a Christian with the Characteristics of a Freemason

So, how does the Masonic Lodge stand up to Christianity?

First, the center of moral life of a Freemason is not Jesus, but Hiram Abiff. Hiram Abiff was the first notable worker of metals and worked on Solomon's temple. He is said to have had the knowledge of a Master Mason and was murdered by other workmen who wanted the secret knowledge. Since the Bible does not record the death of Hiram Abiff, it is supposed that he was resurrected from the dead.

During the elevation of a Masonic candidate from the second degree (Fellow Craft) to the third degree (Master Mason) the candidate re-enacts the murder and resurrection of Hiram Abiff.

In this resurrection of Hiram Abiff, the candidate learns that in his new birth as a Master Mason, he must keep the Masonic teachings secret. And, the candidate will earn immortal life by learning and following all the Masonic teachings.

A Freemason does not try to learn about Jesus, for Jesus is not to be mentioned in the Masonic Lodge. Rather, it is Hiram Abiff that is help in high regard and is to be emulated by Freemasons.

Second, while the Bible may be on the Masonic altar, it is not the moral guide for Freemasons. Albert Mackey in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry indicated:

The Bible is used among Freemasons as a symbol of the will of God, however it may be expressed. Therefore, whatever to any people expresses that will may be used as a substitute for the Bible in a Masonic Lodge. Thus, in a Lodge consisting entirely of Jews, the Old Testament alone may be placed upon the altar, and Turkish Freemasons make use of the Koran. Whether it be the Gospels to the Christian, the Pentateuch to the Israelite, the Koran to the Mussulman, or the Vedas to the Brahman, it everywhere Masonically conveys the same idea-that of the symbolism of the Divine Will revealed to man.

The "god" of the Freemasons is often called the "Great Architect of the Universe". This is the god that provided books of law to various local tribal groups. It is the god that stands behind all tribal gods. And the local books of law are merely symbols of the Divine Will revealed to men.

A standard for morals for Freemasons is the book by Albert Pike, now revised as Morals and Dogma for the 21st Century. Here is a description of the value of that book:

Further, in the discussion of the original Morals and Dogma, Albert Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry indicated that it comprised a collection of material from a variety of sources. Specifically it had this to say:

This preoccupation and passion with "old religions and old philosophies" is manifest in Morals and Dogma the book given to each Candidate by the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, S.J., and called, though Pike would have resented the description, "the Bible of the Scottish Rite." ... Moreover, as he said, he had not been able to bring his studies of the Zend-Avesta, Vedas, etc., down to date, and to make use of the works of modern scholars; this in turn is why Bro. A. V. W. Jackson, the world famous authority on Zoroaster and the Zend-Avesta, of Columbia University, found in his critical analysis of the pages in Morals and Dogma that Pike had used authorities now discarded, and lacked the mass of knowledge acquired by archeology and Oriental language researches, and that Pike's picture of Zoroastrianism is not now acceptable to authorities. This win not disturb Masons who read Morals and Dogma; they have never read it for sake of what of philosophy and of Zoroastrianism and metaphysics there is in it; they have read it for the sake of what they find of Pike in it; he is the object of their studies. Pike's vision of Freemasonry was a sound one, even though his Orientalism was that of an amateur; he saw that there is a Masonry of the MIND, and that if Masonry were not sound and true in its philosophy it could not be sound and true anywhere else.

If you don't have time to read Morals and Dogma, here are some startling facts you ought to understand. Albert Pike elevates Lucifer as the light bringer who blinds feeble, sensual or selfish souls:

Chapter XIX LUCIFER, the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual or selfish Souls ? Doubt it not! for traditions are full of Divine Revelations and Inspirations: and Inspiration is not of one Age nor of one Creed. Plato and Philo, also, were inspired. The conviction of all men that God is good led to a belief in a Devil, the fallen Lucifer or Light- bearer, Shaitan the Adversary, Ahriman and Tuphon, as an at- tempt to explain the existence of Evil, and make it consistent with the Infinite Power, Wisdom, and Benevolence of God.

Here is a video summary of this Masonic doctrine:

Albert Pike's Morals and Doctrine also admonishes one to respect all forms of religion and not to seek converts:

Chapter XX To respect all forms of worship, to tolerate all political and religious opinions; not to blame, and still less to condemn the religion of others: not to seek to make converts; but to be content if they have the religion of Socrates; a veneration for the Creator, the religion of good works, and grateful acknowledgment of God's blessings:

And further, it is by good works that a Mason can gain admission to that Celestial Lodge above where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. This is clearly stated in the Masonic funeral service:

Friends and Brother, we bid thee a long farewell. Thou art at rest from thy labors, may it be in peace! (Holds up an apron) The lambskin or white apron is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason. It is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle, more honorable than the Star and Garter. This emblem I now deposit on the casket of our deceased Brother (places it on the casket). By it we are reminded of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct so essentially necessary to our gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.

Here is the full Masonic funeral service. Listen carefully for the way the Masonic brother gains admission to the Celestial Lodge above:

Here is the commentary on the funeral service comparing it to Christianity:

Conclusion

Freemasonry is a gnostic religious cult. It is gnostic because it emphasizes secret knowledge only for the initiated. It is religions because it shows a way of salvation, of getting to the Celestial Lodge above where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. But, these teaching conflict with those of Christianity.

Freemasons are taught that all religions lead to god. It doesn't matter whether your "book" is the Bible, the Qur'an, the Vedas or any other religion text. The god of Masonry is a universal god, giving laws that all these books merely symbolize. They do not exalt Jesus as the true light of the world.

Freemasons, therefore, are not taught to be disciples of Jesus. They are taught to be like Hiram Abiff who died rather than reveal the secrets of a Master Mason. They are further taught a compilation of morals and doctrines from a variety of religious sources rather than the teachings of Jesus.

Second, Freemasons are taught that their conduct must reflect well on Masonry and that the purity of their conduct will gain them eternal life in the Celestial Lodge above. This directly contradicts Jesus' clear teaching to Nicodemus: "As Moses lifted up the snake on a pole in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. Then everyone who believes in him will have eternal life."

It is clear that Masonry is a religion that teaches a way of eternal life that directly contradicts the teaching of Jesus. They do not give honor to the teachings of Jesus, but some Masons appear to honor Lucifer (who tried to overthrow God and then became known as Satan or the devil) and they honor Lucifer as the light bringer.

There should be no doubt in your mind that Christianity and Freemasonary are not compatible.

If you are a Freemason, especially a "church going" Freemason, it is now time to repent. Change your mind regarding your beliefs. Recognize that Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity. You must both renounce and denounce the Lodge. You cannot remain a Freemason and claim to follow Jesus.

Jesus can set you free from your wicked oaths and welcome you into his wonderful kingdom of true light.

I welcome your comments: