Christianity and Freemasonry

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This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

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Christianity and Freemasonry have had a mixed relationship, with various Christian denominations strongly discouraging or even prohibiting members from becoming Freemasons.

Contents

[edit] Ties to Christianity

Various Masonic bodies require a statement of Christian faith to one degree or another. Some Masonic rites vary in their requirements depending on the jurisdiction, these include the Knights Templar and the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite (aka the Ancient & Accepted Rite) as practiced in England. Other Masonic bodies require an affirmation of Christian Faith in all jurisdictions. These include (but are not limited to) the Rectified Scottish Rite, the Swedish Rite, Societas Rosicruciana, the Royal Order of Scotland and the Red Cross of Constantine. Additionally, there are numerous Masonic orders and degrees that while not specifically requiring a profession of faith, require that potential members belong to one or more of the bodies which do and as a result limit their membership to professing Christians (e.g. the Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon, the Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, the Knight York Cross of Honor (KYCH), the York Rite College, etc.)

[edit] Biblical imagery

The use of Biblical imagery was seen in the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia as being done in such a way as to deny the revelation of Christianity.[1] However this complaint was not included in the 1967 edition.

[edit] Sons of Noah

Noah is referred to in the Twenty-first Degree - Noachite, or Prussian Knight from the Scottish Rite, an appendant body which requires candidates to be Master Masons. It is suggested that in the early years of speculative Masonry the central legendary figure of many lodges was Noah.[2] This is seen as placing all Freemasonry in a pre-Christian ethic,[1]

[edit] Allegations of deism

One of the persistent Christian criticisms of Freemasonry is that it advocates a deist or naturalist view of creation. Whilst it is recognised that Masonry is not atheistic (Masons are asked if they believe in God before joining),[3] its references to the "Supreme Architect of the Universe" are seen by some Christians as contending that God created the Universe but did not intervene in the world after this.[4] This was a common heresy that arose in the Enlightenment.[5] Freemasons - especially Christian Freemasons - deny this claim.

A specific charge made in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia[6] against Freemasonry is that the introduction of speculative Masonry in the early eighteenth century specifically aimed at "dechristianising" the old operative masonry lodges. However, this charge was dropped from subsequent editions. Whereas the constitutions of previous lodges of operative Masonry stated that "The first charge is this that you be true to God and Holy Church and use no error or heresy"[7] in 1723 the constitution of the Grand Lodge of England:[8]

A Mason is obliged by his Tenure, to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient Times Masons were charged in every Country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet 'tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men and true, or Men of Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguished; whereby Masonry becomes the Centre of Union, and the Means of conciliating true Friendship among Persons that must have remained at a perpetual Distance.

This change is seen as moving towards a Deist view.[4]

[edit] Christian opposition

[edit] Catholic Church

Main article: Catholicism and Freemasonry

The most persistent critic of Freemasonry has been the Catholic Church.[9] Since the early 18th century, the Vatican has issued several papal bulls, banning membership of Catholics from Freemasonry under threat of excommunication - a penalty that still applies for all Catholics active in Freemasonry.

The Church argues that Freemasonry's philosophy discourages Christian dogmatism and that it is at many times and places anti-clerical in intent.[10] The 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia argued that some of the ceremonial is anti-Catholic.[11] However this claim does not appear in subsequent editions.


[edit] Protestant churches

A number of Protestant denominations discourage their congregants from joining Masonic lodges, although this differs in intensity according to the denomination. Churches that, in some form or other, discourage membership of Freemasons include the following:

The Church of Scotland does not ban congregants from becoming Freemasons, but in 1989 the general assembly said there were "very real theological difficulties" with Church of Scotland members being Freemasons.[30]

The 1985 Methodist Conference in England said that Freemasonry competed with Christian beliefs,[31] asking that Methodist Freemasons reconsider their membership and that Masonic meetings be banned from Methodist premises. It did not, however, call for a ban on membership.[32]

[edit] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Main article: Mormonism and Freemasonry

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a longstanding policy of maintaining no official position on Freemasonry. However, some people see links between the two movements in practice, structure, and symbolism, which go back to the church's origins.

It can be said the early Mormon Church and Freemasonry had an amicable relationship. While the impact of Freemasonry in Mormon Church doctrine is the subject of intense debate, it is known that the family of the church's founder and first president, Joseph Smith, Jr., was active in Freemasonry as early as 1816. When the Mormon Church was headquartered in Nauvoo, Illinois, Smith and several of his followers – including his first four successors as church president – became Freemasons. Many features of the church's temple endowment ceremony as established by Smith in Nauvoo parallel rituals and ceremonies practiced in Freemasonry. When the church relocated to Utah in the 1840s after Smith's death, there was even talk of forming a "Mormon Grand Lodge." However, this notion was ultimately rejected by church President Brigham Young.

However, many non-Mormon Freemasons harbored strong anti-Mormon sentiments. Soon after Smith and his followers were initiated, the Grand Lodge of Illinois was compelled to revoke the charters of several predominantly Mormon Lodges. In 1872 the Grand Lodge of Utah was formed as an openly anti-Mormon organization. Over time the hostility increased, ultimately leading to the Grand Lodge of Utah banning Mormons from joining its constituent Lodges altogether. While the church never banned Freemasons from its ranks, it did at one time prohibit Freemasons from holding leadership positions in the church priesthood.

In 1984 the Grand Lodge of Utah and church leadership under President Spencer W. Kimball mutually agreed to drop their antagonistic positions against each another. While some suspicion remains on both sides, today there is no formal barrier preventing a male Mormon from becoming a Freemason or vice versa.[33][34]

[edit] Separation of church and state

Freemasons are consistent advocates of the Freedom of Religion, as found in the First Amendment[35] of the US Constitution. The idea that the establishment clause means a strict separation of church and state is seen, especially by the Roman Catholic church, as a veiled attack on its place in public life.[36] The Roman Catholic Church also saw in the advocacy of a strict separation of the state from the church as manifesting a "Religious Indifferentism" which did not accept any religion as true or revealed.[37] Some specific areas which Freemasons were accused of aiming for a democratic separation of church and state were:

[edit] New religion

Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it is not a religion, nor a substitute for religion.[40] There is no separate "Masonic" God.[41] Nor is there a separate proper name for a deity in any branch of Freemasonry.[42][43] There is no general interpretation for any of the symbols.[44]In keeping with the geometrical and architectural theme of Freemasonry, the Supreme Being is referred to in Masonic ritual by the attributes of Great Architect of the Universe (sometimes abbreviated as G.A.O.T.U.), Grand Geometer or similar. Freemasons use these variety of forms of address to God to make clear that the reference is generic, not about any one religion's particular God or God-like concept.

Nevertheless, Freemasonry is seen as encouraging of religious indifferentism,[45] it is said to show many characteristics of a separate religion:

  • Freemasonry has an altar[46] upon which will be found a sacred book (Sometimes referred to as the "Volume of the Sacred Law", in most cases this will be the Judeo-Christian Bible, but other sacred books are specified in non-Christian countries. Some lodges will place multiple religious texts upon the altar to reflect the multi-religious make up of their membership.)[47]
  • There are regular ritualistic meetings
  • In a Chapter of the Royal Arch (part of the York Rite, an appendant body of Freemasonry, the presiding officer is called "High Priest" (or in the case of the various supervising Grand Chapters: "Grand High Priest")[48]
  • Some Scottish Rite jurisdictions have buildings they call Cathedrals[49]
  • It has a large amount of iconography and symbolism
  • Some groups of Masons (especially the Scottish Rite) call their meeting places "temples",[50] (a Lodge is a group of Freemasons operating under a charter or dispensation.[51] The place where they meet is sometimes called a temple, but usually, several lodges use the same temple)[52]
  • Dates are sometimes reckoned in Anno Lucis, "Year of Light" in preference to Anno Domini" or "Year of Our Lord"[53] (To figure the date Anno Lucis, Masons simply add 4,000 years to the Anno Domini year)[54]
  • It uses an obscure name for the Creator - the Great Architect of the Universe,[55] which Masonic historian S. Brent Morris says is no doubt derived from John Calvin's reference to God as "the Architect of the Universe" in his Institutes of Christian Religion.[56]
  • It has its own way of saying "amen" ("So mote it be" or "So may it be", which is claimed to be a literal translation of "Amen")[57]
  • It has rituals which are far more developed than those of many organized religions[citation needed]
  • Any person from any religious background can be a member of the Freemasons as long as they accept the belief in some form of a Creator[58]

In chapter one of his exposé, Masonic Rites and Wrongs, author and Christian apologist, Steven Tsoukalas argued that Freemasonry is undeniably a religion, saying "Freemasonry is not only a religious institution, but a religion."[59]

[edit] Religious indifference

Christian critics of Freemasonry allege that it refuses to see one faith as being superior to any others, while at the same time contains religious-type rituals that are said to inculcate an indifference to religion.[60][61] Freemasonic behaviour is seen as a denial of the truth of Christian revelation.[62]

The Masonic author Mackey called Freemasonry "a science which is engaged in the search after the divine truth".[63]

Anderson's Ancient Charges of a Freemason, 1723, says of Freemasons, that it is "expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves".[8] Freemasons understand this to mean that personal beliefs are not to be discussed in the lodge, avoiding argument with those holding different beliefs.[64] It has been suggested that this ban on religious discussion was especially important in Eighteenth Century England[65] where a civil war, in part caused by religious conflict, had only recently ended.

[edit] Links to Esotericism

Certain types of Freemasonry, most notably the Swedish Rite are said to be connected to Esoteric Christianity,[66] which holds that orthodox Christian doctrine is for the duller masses and that "real" Christianity holds the secret knowledge concerning the sacrifice of Christ on Golgotha.[67]

[edit] Pre-Christian pagan influences

The Catholic Encyclopedia says that the Masonic authors Clavel, Ragnon, Pike and Mackey claim Masonic symbolism is rooted in the solar and phallic worship of pre-Christian mystery religion, particularly Egyptian religion.[68]

[edit] Rosicrucian influences

Main article: Rosicrucian

Freemasonry has many links to the Rosicrucian movement. The Rosicrucian symbol of the Rose Cross is also found in certain rituals of appendant bodies to Freemasonry which require candidates to be Master Masons.[69]

The Catholic Encyclopedia, claims that Rosicrucians were linked to the Knights Templar.[70]

Many Anti-Masonic Christian authors have stated that Rosicrucianist Robert Fludd (1574-1637) was a Mason. However there is no evidence supporting this contention. Nor is there any documented evidence to support Arthur Edward Waite's (1857-1942) speculation that Fludd may have introduced a Rosicrucian influence into Freemasonry. Robert Vanloo states that earlier 17th century Rosicrucianism had a considerable influence on "Anglo-Saxon" Masonry.

A list of groups linked to both Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism, which requires for membership admission to be Christian and Master Mason (see websites), includes:

Manly Palmer Hall, a noted occultist and author on Masonic topics, wrote a book called Rosicrucian and Masonic Origins in 1929 (long before he ever became a Mason)[71] and the Rosicrucian author Max Heindel wrote a book in the 1910s,[72] both of which portray Catholicism and Freemasonry as being two distinct streams in the development of Christianity.

[edit] Claims of Satan worship

Many Christian critics of Freemasonry, especially some evangelical Christians, claim that Freemasonry is a religion whose purpose is the worship of Satan. This allegation is well represented on Anti-Masonic websites.[73]

This has been confused with denunciations from the Roman Catholic Church, that Freemasons serve "the kingdom of Satan" (Humanum Genus) or that Masonic Lodges are the "synagogue of Satan" (Etsi multa). The Catholic Church does not believe that Masonic ceremonies are consciously Satanic, but rather that the aims of Freemasons - in that they are accused of aiming to weaken the role of the Church in society or the dogmatic exclusiveness of Christian salvation - are by definition acting against the "City of God" and so are acting for God's enemy. In addition, Catholics - and some Protestant groups such as the Methodist church and the synod of the Church of England[74] - have also objected to what they see as Freemasonry's ritual being a parody of Christian ceremony, and it has been alleged that it may include blasphemy. None of these criticisms should be confused with the idea that Freemasons, even higher level Freemasons, consciously worship Satan.

Below are the some of some of the more common quotes used on the internet to substantiate the claim that Masons worship Satan, and some notes about them:

[edit] Waite

First Conjuration Addressed to Emperor Lucifer. Emperor Lucifer, Master and Prince of Rebellious Spirits, I adjure thee to leave thine abode, in what-ever quarter of the world it may be situated and come hither to communicate with me. I command and I conjure thee in the Name of the Mighty Living God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, to appear without noise and without ....[75]

This is also not a quote from a Masonic source. Waite is not identified as a 33rd degree Mason in this book, as shown on the cover,[76] but rather as an individual with an interest in the occult. Here again, there is no Masonic link whatsoever with this material other than a that a future Mason wrote it (the book was written and published in 1898; Waite became a Mason in 1902). Additionally, according to the Masonic research document "The Lie of Luciferianism"[77] Waite was not a 33rd degree Mason; he never joined the Scottish Rite.

[edit] Hall

I hereby promise the Great Spirit Lucifer, Prince of Demons, that each year I will bring unto him a human soul to do with as it may please him, and in return Lucifer promises to bestow upon me the treasures of the earth and fulfil my every desire for the length of my natural life. If I fail to bring him each year the offering specified above, then my own soul shall be forfeit to him. Signed..... {Invocant signs pact with his own blood}[78]

This passage is from the chapter "Ceremonial Magic and Sorcery." Manly Palmer Hall is not discussing Freemasonry at all, but rather summarizing how a magician would invoke a spirit and giving an example of how a demonic pact might read. Hall was also an occultist, and according to one source,[79] was a well-established lecturer on the occult and other esoterica by the age of 20, before he was even eligible to become a Mason. He is not identified as a 33° Mason anywhere in the book, nor is there a record of his reception of the 33°Cited in any readily available source that does not include the above quote. According to the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon, Hall was initiated into Freemasonry, but not until 1954,[80] when he was 53 years old. The secret Teachings of All Ages was published in 1928,[81] when he was only 27.

When The Mason learns that the Key to the warrior on the block is the proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the Mystery of his Craft. The seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands and before he may step onward and upward, he must prove his ability to properly apply this energy.[82]

This quote is a legitimate quote but the book is not a Masonic book but a book by a Mason. It appears in Chapter 4 (titled "The Fellowcraft") which has nothing to do with the actual Fellowcraft degree.[83] but the meaning changes when it is put back into the context of the chapter it comes from: it is part of a larger philosophical discussion which can also be read to imply that the improper use of "energies" can make the Mason a tool of Satan. Furthermore, even taken out of context, this passage does not refer to worshipping Satan per se. As with the previous quote from Secret Teachings of All Ages, the book was written well before Hall became a Mason. In his Introduction to the book Hall clearly states: "At the time I wrote this slender volume, I had just passed my twenty-first birthday, and my only contact with Freemasonry was through a few books commonly available to the public".[77]

[edit] Blavatsky

Lucifer represents..Life..Thought..Progress..Civilization.. Liberty..Independence..Lucifer is the Logos..the Serpent, the Savior.[84]

These quotes as part of an Ancient and Accepted Primitive Rite are not used in the Grand Orient of France, or any Masonic Rite practised by recognised Lodges in the U.S. or Europe, or anywhere else, if it ever in fact existed outside of Blavatsky or Yarker's own writing. This is conflating things Masonic and not: one, the Antient and Accepted Primitive Rite was started by John Yarker in the United States, and had nothing to do with the Grand Orient of France. Blavatsky did receive a certificate from Yarker that was not the result of any Masonic initiation.[77]

[edit] Pike and Taxil

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 to light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive.[85]

This passage was included in a letter which con artist Leo Taxil claimed was from Pike, and was later demonstrated to be a forgery. See Taxil hoax.

[edit] Conspiracy theories

Matthias Pöhlmann of the Protestant Centre for Religious and Ideological Issues of the Evangelical Church in Germany refers[86] to the political scientist prof. Dr. Armin Pfahl-Traughber[87] that the first Anti-Masonic conspiracy myth was brought up in Germany.[88] According to Pöhlmann, an anonymous written book in 1786 called Enthüllungen des Systems der Weltbürger-Politik (“Disclosure of the System of Cosmopolitan Politics”) was published. Its author was an employee of the Weimar government, Ernst August von Göchhausen (1740–1824).[87] He described a horrorful image of a cosmopolitan conspiracy of Freemasons, Illuminati and Jesuits and predicts unavoidable revolutions to the world.[86] This was three years before the French Revolution and seemed to confirm his prophecies, so the Anti-Masonic conspiracy became a powerful weapon of propaganda.[86] Freemasons were accused to be the driving force of the destruction of the social system and the alliance between Throne and church.[86][89] Supporters of the Anti-Masonic conspiracy theories were especially Christian counterrevolutionaries[86][89] who saw Freemasons behind every force against the social system.[86][89] Their main goal of the defamation campaign against Freemasonry was the expansion of Liberalism and Socialism, religious tolerance and the enlightening rationalism.[86] Until the 19th century this affect dominated the Anti-Masonic publications.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ a b "In the text of 1738 particular stress is laid on "freedom of conscience" and the universal, non-Christian character of Masonry is emphasized. The Mason is called a "true Noahida", i.e. an adherent of the pre-Christian and pre-Mosaic system of undivided mankind." From Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia
  2. ^ "Although it is less discussed in Freemasonry today, in the 1700s and early 1800s there was a strong Masonic tradition which placed Noah as one of the Craft's major patrons involved with the preservation of the knowledge of antediluvian arts and sciences during the Flood and its transmittal to the generations which followed. Some systems went so far as to make Noah the central legendary figure rather than Hiram." from Twenty-first Degree - Noachite, or Prussian Knight from the Scottish Rite Journal
  3. ^ "We do ask a man if he believes in God and that is the only religious test." Freemasonry and religion, from the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon
  4. ^ a b "The nature of the Masonic God is best seen in their favorite title for him: the Supreme Architect. The Masonic God is first of all a deistic God, who is found at the top of the ladder of Masonic wisdom", Jolicoeur and Knowles, pp. 14-15 cited in THE PASTORAL PROBLEM OF MASONIC MEMBERSHIP, sent out as a part of the Letter of April 19, 1985 to U.S. Bishops Concerning Masonry by Cardinal Bernard Law
  5. ^ Deism, in the European Enlightenment Glossary
  6. ^ Masonry (Freemasonry)
  7. ^ Quote from The Builders by Joseph Fort Newton, 1914
  8. ^ a b Article I of The Ancient Charges of a Freemason, James Anderson, 1723
  9. ^ The Catholic Church has continually prohibited members from being Freemasons since In Eminenti Secula in 1739
  10. ^ "French Masonry and above all the Grand Orient of France has displayed the most systematic activity as the dominating political element in the French "Kulturkampf" since 1877." From Masonry (Freemasonry) from the Catholic Encyclopedia
  11. ^ "The Kadosh (thirtieth degree), trampling on the papal tiara and the royal crown, is destined to wreak a just vengeance on these "high criminals" for the murder of Molay [128] and "as the apostle of truth and the rights of man" [129] to deliver mankind "from the bondage of Despotism and the thraldom of spiritual Tyranny"." From the article Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia
  12. ^ We also reject participation or membership in religious organizations which have features that are in conflict with the Christian faith, such as the Masonic Lodge and similar organizations." A Concise Doctrinal Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod from the Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School
  13. ^ The "Closer Look" concludes by noting that while many Christians and leaders have been and are Masons, "several points of the lodge's teachings are non-biblical and non-Christian." It also states that "while Freemasonry encourages and supports charitable activities, it contains both multireligious and inclusivistic teachings that are not Christian in its religious instruction." New publication on Freemasonry available from SBC's North American Mission Board, June 9 2000, James Dotson, Baptist Press
  14. ^ For the first time in the history of the SBC, however, the Convention concluded, “many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity or Southern Baptist doctrine.” A Closer Look at Freemasonry (PDF), North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention quoting Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993, Nashville: Executive Committee, Southern Baptist Convention, 1993, p. 225
  15. ^ For example, the constitution of the Lutheran Church in America (the LCA) says that "no person, who belongs to any organization which claims to possess in its teachings and ceremonies that which the Lord has given solely to his church, shall be ordained or otherwise received into the ministry." The Truth About Freemasonry, Lloyd Worley, hosted by Grand Prairie Chapter Order of DeMolay
  16. ^ Q. Could someone please explain briefly why Masons are not allowed in the Lutheran Church?
  17. ^ ""The lodge member who desires to become a member of the church must be kindly but firmly shown that membership in the lodge and in the church of Jesus Christ involves a double commitment which our Lord himself does not tolerate. Those in the church who affiliate with the Lodge must be shown the error of their way, and if they refuse to repent must be placed under the censure of the Church." Acts of the Synod, C.R.C.A., 1974, quoted in Freemasonry: What Do Christian Churches Really Think about The Lodge?, hosted by Jubilee Resources International
  18. ^ "The Brethren objected to the oaths required of the mason, and even more to the evidence of heathen beliefs about Jesus Christ incorporated in the higher levels of this secret society. Joining such was forbidden" from Brethren Life
  19. ^ "In consideration of the foregoing, all ministers affiliated with us should refrain from identifying themselves with any of the secret orders which we recognize as essentially of the world, worldly, and we advise any who may have identified themselves with such orders to sever their connections therein (2 Cor 6:17). Furthermore, our ministers are requested to use their good influence among our lay members to dissuade them from such fraternal affiliations (1 Tim 4:12; 2 Tim 2:24-26)." Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, 47th General Council, Indianapolis, Indiana, August 5-10, 1997, Section 4: Membership in Secret Orders, quoted in the Saints Alive website
  20. ^ "The Quakers will not join secret societies, such as Freemasonry, which specialize in oaths." The Quakers, or Our Neighbors, The Friends by William J. Whalen, 4:Practices, republished by the Friends General Conference
  21. ^ "Therefore, United Brethren members must not be members of any other church, group, or organization which teaches a way of salvation incompatible with the United Brethren Confession of Faith, such as a Masonic lodge or the Order of Oddfellows.", Art. 119 Lodges and Other Heretical Groups, CHAPTER 4 Membership Standards, 2005-2007 Discipline, Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA
  22. ^ "They found the main body of the church disinterested in their reforms and broke away to form the Free Methodist Church, which survives to this day as a small group which does not permit its members to join any lodge." FOUR FACETS of FRIENDSHIP THE SHORT TALK BULLETIN Short Talk Bulletin - April 1972, by George Helmer, hosted on the Masonic Leadership Center
  23. ^ "She talked of Free Masonry and the impossibility of a man's being a Free Mason and a Seventh-day Adventist at the same time.", Ellen White, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventists, quoted in Chapter Eight, God Revealed Secrets Through Ellen G. White
  24. ^ "Other groups hostile to Lodge membership include many branches of Lutheranism, the Christian Reformed Church, most Pentecostals, the Church of the Nazarene, the Seventh-day Adventists, the Holiness churches, the Quakers, the United Brethren in Christ, the Mennonites, the Free Methodists, the Church of the Brethren, the Assemblies of God, the Wesleyans, the Regular Baptists, the Salvation Army and significant minorities in such mainline churches as the Episcopal." The Pastoral Problem of Masonic Membership, Report For The Bishops' Committee For Pastoral Research And Practices, American (Catholic) Bishops Conference
  25. ^ "membership in the Masonic fraternity is inconsistent with Christianity", Christ or the Lodge? A Report on Freemasonry, Committee on Secret Societies, ninth General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, June 2–5, 1942
  26. ^ "... in the minds of the committee, according to their interpretations of the Scriptures, membership of Freemasonry... is inconsistent with a profession of the Christian faith." Unnamed report, quoted in Freemasonry: What Do Christian Churches Really Think about The Lodge?, hosted by Jubilee Resources International
  27. ^ "However, the clear conclusion we have reached from our enquiry is 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." From Baptists and Freemasonry, date and author unknown, published by the Baptist Union of Scotland and endorsed by the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland
  28. ^ "No one shall be received into membership into a PCA church who is a member of a Masonic organisation. Present members of a church in the PCA who are members of a Masonic organisation will be given a period of one year to read the report of the Committee to Study Freemasonry, pray and consider their membership in the Order in light of the clear statement of incompatibility of Freemasonry with Biblical Christianity. After said year, they will be allowed to resign membership or become the subject of formal church discipline." Unnamed report adopted by the General Assembly of PCA, April 15-16, 1988, quoted in Freemasonry: What Do Christian Churches Really Think about The Lodge?, hosted by Jubilee Resources International
  29. ^ "4. Unchristian Fellowship - True fellowship exists only between those who are united by saving faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. Freemasonry, for example, excludes the mediation of Christ and accepts, as brothers, representatives of many non-Christian religions. Scripture, however, clearly teaches that we can have fellowship with one another only because "our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ." From The Church and Secret Societies on the church's home page
  30. ^ Many Kirk members still Masons despite earlier call to 'think again' Saturday 15 Feb 2003
  31. ^ "It is clear that Freemasonry may compete strongly with Christianity. There is a great danger that the Christian who becomes a Freemason will find himself compromising his Christian beliefs or his allegiance to Christ, perhaps without realizing what he is doing.", Methodist Conference Faith and Order committee, quoted in the Daily Telegraph 17 June 1985, quoted in turn in The Angelus, August 1985
  32. ^ Hamill, John M. (May 1989). "CONTEMPORARY ANTI-FREEMASONRY". Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  33. ^ The Mormon Church and Freemasonry
  34. ^ An Introduction to Mormonism and Freemasonry
  35. ^ "Amendment I - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.From the Constitution of the United States
  36. ^ Pope Leo XIII ETSI NOS (On Conditions in Italy), Item 2
  37. ^ "If the Bloc has been established, this is owing to Freemasonry and to the discipline learned in the lodges. The measures we have now to urge are the separation of Church and State and a law concerning instruction. Let us put our trust in the word of our Bro. Combes" from quoted as footnote 158 in the article Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia
  38. ^ "the position of the religious authorities as to the education of the young utterly ignored" Pope Leo XIII ETSI NOS (On Conditions in Italy), Item 2
  39. ^ Oscar J. Salinas Mexican Masonry- Politics & Religion
  40. ^ For example, this is stated in exactly these words on the web site of the United Grand Lodge of England
  41. ^ Also from United Grand Lodge of England
  42. ^ United Grand Lodge of England
  43. ^ An article From Masonic Quarterly Magazine[need quote]
  44. ^ another article from Masonic Quarterly Magazine[need quote]
  45. ^ "The peculiar, "unsectarian" (in truth, anti-Catholic and anti-Christian) naturalistic character of Freemasonry, by which theoretically and practically it undermines the Catholic and Christian faith, first in its members and through them in the rest of society, creating religious indifferentism and contempt for orthodoxy and ecclesiastical authority." From Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
  46. ^ http://www.freemasoninformation.com/esoterica/themasonicalter.htm The Masonic Altar] from freemasoninformation.com
  47. ^ "The central piece of furniture in any well governed Masonic Lodge is the Holy Bible or Volume of Sacred Law (VSL)." from phoenixmasonry.org
  48. ^ Grand High Priest
  49. ^ For example in Indianapolis, Dallas and Detroit
  50. ^ The Historic Masonic Temple of Detroit
  51. ^ See for example Charter Ye Olde Lodge of Dumfries
  52. ^ For example ten craft lodges use the Detroit Masonic temple
  53. ^ Anno Lucis et al by Harry Mendoza, 1980, Ars Quatuor Coronatorium
  54. ^ Anno Lucis (the year of light) is based on a chronology that puts the year of creation as 4,004 B.C. and is traditionally derived by adding 4,000 to the year in question., What is the Masonic Calendar? http://www.freemasonry.london.museum/faqs.htm] Library and Museum Charitable Trust of the United Grand Lodge of England. Retrieved on 22 August 2006
  55. ^ The Meaning of "the Great Architect of the Universe"
  56. ^ "This phrase was introduced in Reverend James Anderson's 1723 Constitutions of the Free-Masons, and he no doubt picked ut up from John Calvin's Institutes of Christian Religion. God is referred to as The Architect of the Universe and His creation as Architecture of the Universe no less than ten times. In Calvin's commentary on Psalm 19, God is called the Great Architect or Architect of the Universe. S. Brent Morris, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry, Alpha/Penguin Books, ISBN 1-59257-490-4, p.212
  57. ^ SO MOTE IT BE from masonicworld.com
  58. ^ "Members can come from any religious background, but they all must profess a belief in God and possess a sincere desire to serve all their fellow creatures." Abe's rule and guide by Charles Brame a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of San Bernardino
  59. ^ Masonic Rites and Wrongs: An Examination of Freemasonry, by Steven Tsoukalas, ISBN 0-87552-457-5
  60. ^ "The March 11, 1985, issue of L'Osservatore Romano carried an article titled "Irreconcilability Between Christian Faith and Freemasonry" as a comment on the Nov. 26, 1983, declaration. In part the Vatican newspaper said a Christian "cannot cultivate relations of two types with God nor express his relation with the Creator through symbolic forms of two types." Quoted in the THE PASTORAL PROBLEM OF MASONIC MEMBERSHIP in the Letter of April 19, 1985 to U.S. Bishops Concerning Masonry by Cardinal Bernard Law
  61. ^ "The truth of the matter is, Freemasonry espouses universalism, embraces religious pluralism and has effectively created a unique syncretistic religion." Order of Former Freemasons
  62. ^ "No one can come to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)
  63. ^ Mackey, Symbolism of Freemasonry, 1869, 303, Cited in the article Masonry (Freemasonry) from the Catholic Encyclopedia
  64. ^ S. Brent Morris, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry, Alpha/Penguin Books, ISBN 1-59257-490-4, p. 202-203
  65. ^ S. Brent Morris, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry, Alpha/Penguin Books, ISBN 1-59257-490-4, p. 203
  66. ^ "In the Swedish system, practised by the German Country Grand Lodge, Christ is said to have taught besides the exoteric Christian doctrine, destined for the people and the duller mass of his disciples, an esoteric doctrine for his chosen disciples, such as St. John, in which He denied that He was God." Findel, "Die Schule der Hierarchie, etc.", 1870, 15 sqq.; Schiffmann, "Die Entstehung der Rittergrade", 1882, 85, 92, 95 sq. Cited in Masonry (Freemasonry), from the Catholic Encyclopedia
  67. ^ Steiner, Rudolf, Exoteric and Esoteric Christianity [Das Sonnenmysterium von Tod und Auferstehung], 1922
  68. ^ footnotes 113 and 114 in Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia
  69. ^ For example the name of the Scottish Rite degree Knight Rose Croix.Knight Rose Croix
  70. ^ "Soon after 1750, however, as occult sciences were ascribed to the Templars, their system was readily adaptable to all kinds of Rosicrucian purposes and to such practices as alchemy, magic, cabbala, spiritism, and necromancy." From Freemasonry (Masonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia
  71. ^ Hall, Manly Palmer, Rosicrucian and Masonic Origins, 1929
  72. ^ Heindel, Max, Freemasonry and Catholicism, 1910s
  73. ^ The search satan worship masons showed 64,200 pages when searched on 4 March 2006
  74. ^ John Hamill, Grand Librarian and Curator of the United Grand Lodge of England, Contemporary Anti-Freemasonry
  75. ^ Arthur Edward Waite 33° The Book Of Black Magic, page 244 - cited by Cephas Ministry
  76. ^ The cover of A E Waite's book, retrieved 11 January 2006
  77. ^ a b c The lie of luciferianism, retrieved 11 January 2006
  78. ^ Manley Palmer Hall 33° The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Page CIV - cited by Choosing Truth Ministries
  79. ^ The Secret Teachings of All Ages, retrieved 11 January 2006
  80. ^ Manly Palmer Hall, retrieved 11 January 2006
  81. ^ 'The Secret Teachings of All Ages', by Manly P. Hall,retrieved 11 January 2006
  82. ^ Manley Palmer Hall 33° The Lost Keys Of Freemasonry, Page 48 - cited by the http://www.plymouthbrethren.com/success.htm Plymouth Brethren]
  83. ^ 'The Lost Keys of Freemasonry', chapter IV, by Manly P. Hall, retrieved 11 January 2006
  84. ^ 'Helena Petrovna Blavatsky 32°: Pages 171, 225, 255 (Volume II) - cited by John-Lee Ministries
  85. ^ 'Albert Pike 33° Instructions to the 23 Supreme Councils of the world Supposedly issued July 14, 1889; A. C. De La Rive in La Femme et l'Enfant dans la Franc-Maconnerie Universelle (page 588) - cited by Learnthebible.org
  86. ^ a b c d e f g Matthias Pöhlmann: Verschwiegene Männer, Protestant Centre for Religious and Ideological Issues of the Evangelical Church in Germany
  87. ^ a b prof. Dr. Pfahl-Traughber: Der antisemitisch-antifreimaurerische Verschwörungsmythos
  88. ^ Matthias Pöhlmann referring to Dr. Armin Pfahl-Traughber:<ref></ref> „Der Freimaurer-Verschwörungsmythos wurde in Deutschland aufgebracht.“
  89. ^ a b c Dr. Johannes Rogalla von Biberstein, historian and librarian of the University of Bielefeld: Die These von der Verschwörung 1776–1945. Philosophen, Freimaurer, Juden, Liberale und Sozialisten gegen die Sozialordnung, Flensburg 1992

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