Freemasonry

[Albion]

Not opinion, but witnessed first hand; deny it all you want, it is what it is.

I'd say it was what it was. Either an exception, something that was true of a bygone era, or a regional peculiarity. I'm also sure that such people would have operated the same way if their bond had been the labor union, a certain denomination, or some other club. It's not characteristic of Masonry. In fact, some of it (as described) is forbidden by Masonry.

 

[Albion]

the history of Freemasonry is steeped in vague Deism, war-mongering and occult secrecy
it is a child of the Age of Enlightenment, which brought us such lovely things as the French Revolution

You really should stop raving on about things you don't know.

 

[yeshuasavedme]

I am part of the Scottish Rite. My point is you are crossing the philosophy between the blue lodge and the other bodies.

If your friend had a Masonic burial, there was nothing satanic about it. I've performed hundreds of those thru the years.

I've been part of the shrine as well. At no time did I dress in Arabic attire.

Islamic attire is the dress of Shriners when they parade in our annual city parade, in which the wife of our deceased friend dressed with other women in the same organization in the same parade like women looking like something out of "The Arabian Knights".
The men dressed in similar Islamic attire to march in our parades.
The Shriners initiation does include an oath to allah, does it not?

Is this true or not -did you participate in this?:
Freemasonry and Shriners

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]When a freemason is being initiated into the third degree he is struck on the forhead in the dark, knocked back either into a coffin or onto a coffin shape. His fellow masons lift him up and when he opens his eyes he is confronted with the skull and bones of 'a mason who broke his vow of secrecy'.[/FONT]

Is this true, or not, did you take these oaths?:

Freemasonry and Shriners

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]THE OATH[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The initiate can break up to 4 Commandments of God simply by taking the oath to become a Mason.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]"...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the seas... So help me God..”[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]1. “Thou shalt not Kill” This includes your own body. Suicide is murder. Thus breaking the 6th Commandment.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]2 "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in Vain" If you say the oath is not taken seriously, you have used God's name in vain, even kissing the Bible. Thus you have broken the 3rd Commandment.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]3. Breaking the 2nd Commandment, the Square and Compass are reverenced as "Idols"on the alter.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]4 Breaking the 1st Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other God's before Me." The God of Freemasonry is NOT THE GOD OF THE BIBLE.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Every Mason who swears this blood oath has placed his family under a curse! For an illustration of this curse by Chick tracts, click here![/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Prayer to break Masonic Curses This page is very detailed about the curses, secret words and rituals of each Masonic degree.[/FONT]

You say you are part of the Scottish Rite: how can you justify, as a Christian, these things, reported below? Note: Abaddon is Apollyon who is the Destroyer who is the Satan over Sheol who is the Satan who eats the dust of men/which is Corruption who eats the flesh and feeds Sheol the souls of men who are held there when they depart the flesh body, since the curse put on Adam at the fall:

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]In the Scottish Rite (17°) they declare God's name to be “Abaddon". Abaddon is a Hebrew word (Strongs Concordance #11) that means "destroyer" which is the "demon of the bottomless pit" and is referred to in Rev. 9:11. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Rev. 9:10-11 [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. [11] And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]I certainly wouldn't want this demon to be MY God![/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Click here " JAH-BUL-ON " for visual copy of "Duncan's Ritual and Monitor" page 250 which clearly shows BUL and ON to be the demon gods of other nations.[/FONT]

 

[yeshuasavedme]

...

I've been part of the shrine as well. At no time did I dress in Arabic attire.

Freemasonry and Shriners

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]SHRINERS OATH in the name of another god![/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The full name of the Shriners is the "Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine".[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Shriners are well known for their "Shriner Circus" where they claim to raise money for their burn hospitals. In June, 1986, a daily newspaper in Florida, the Orlando Sentinel reported that less than 2% of the circus money raised actually went to the hospitals and that, by 1982, the Shriners had become the richest charity in America, amassing $1.2 billion in *assets. Of the $17.5 million raised in 1984, $17.3 million went into their own pockets while only $182,051 went to support the hospitals! The Shriner hospitals are a "front" appealing to compassionate hearts in order to accumulate great wealth for the Shriners themselves! (Full Article)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]* As of 9-30-04, Forbes reports that the Shriners had assets of $8.62 billion. Of the $948 mil. raised, the Shriners retained $412 mil with only a slight more than half, $505 mil. going to charitable services! Top Shriner, Ralph Semb, was paid $406,659 in salaries.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]* As of 12-31-06, Forbes magazine reports the Shriners have amassed a $9.54 billion empire retaining $636 million of the money raised that same year. Top Shriner, James Full, collected a healthy $1,207,369 in salaries.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Reader, be informed, the Shriners are getting filthy rich under the guise of "Charity!"[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]In their initiation ritual, the Shriner makes a blood oath of secrecy by appealing to the Pagan God of the feared terrorist Muslim religion! Every

Shriner who has confessed an oath to "Allah" which is the great Shahada, or “confession,” which faithful Muslims around the world declare daily, has denied the Lord Jesus Christ by committing idolatry! Please read this study on the idol called Allah.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]To read the Shriners oath click here![/FONT]

 

[yeshuasavedme]

No wonder I bawled so much from deep within my soul at our dear friend's funeral service. It sprang from the sorrow/grief of the Holy Spirit in me, for his untimely death and suffering and involvement in that which destroys -even though he said he had made it right with Jesus, he never renounced those false gods.

Freemasonry and Shriners
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]To read the Shriners oath click here![/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]

[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]This Shriner symbol shown above, was borrowed from the "symbol of Islam", the worship of the moon god, (Allah) represented by the crescent moon. In pre-islamic times, Allah was the chief God with lesser goddesses (Al-lat, Al-uzza and Manat) which may be represented by the star. The symbol originates from the Ottoman Empire! [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]

[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]National Flags of the Muslim nations of Algeria, Pakistan and Tunisia[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]In the crescent moon of the Shriners symbol, you will also notice the face of the Sphinx, (a lions body with a face of a man) which literally means "the strangler" (Webster's Dictionary). In Greek mythology, the sphinx at Thebes strangles all those who pass by that are unable to guess its riddle. The scimitar or sword used through the centuries to behead the Christians who would not deny Jesus and confess "Allah" as God (and confess Muhammad as God's prophet), hangs over the crescent moon! [/FONT]...


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Candidates for induction into the Shriners are greeted by a High Priest, who says:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] “By the existence of Allah and the creed of Mohammed; by the legendary sanctity of our Tabernacle at Mecca, we greet you.” [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The inductees then swear on the Bible and the Koran, in the name of Mohammed, and invoke Masonry's usual gruesome penalties upon themselves:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] “I do hereby, upon this Bible, and on the mysterious legend of the Koran, and its dedication to the Mohammedan faith, promise and swear and vow … that I will never reveal any secret part or portion whatsoever of the ceremonies … and now upon this sacred book, by the sincerity of a Moslem's oath I here register this irrevocable vow … in willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three-edged blade, my feet flayed and I be forced to walk the hot sands upon the sterile shores of the Red Sea until the flaming sun shall strike me with livid plague, and may Allah, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same. Amen. Amen. Amen." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]With this oath, Christians swear on the Koran, and declare Allah to be “the god of our fathers.” From the perspective of Christianity and Islam alike, Shriners take the name of God in vain, and mock both faiths.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Excerpt from The Origins and Influence of Masonry[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]by Lee Penn, SCP Journal Vol. 25:2-25:3 2001[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]P0 Box 4308, Berkeley, CA 94704[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Jesus People www.mission.org/jesuspeople[/FONT]

 

[Albion]

Islamic attire is the dress of Shriners when they parade in our annual city parade, in which the wife of our deceased friend dressed with other women in the same organization in the same parade like women looking like something out of "The Arabian Knights".
The men dressed in similar Islamic attire to march in our parades.

I don't see anything to this. Lots of "fun" organizations in the past playacted at dressing up like foreign cultures. The Mummers' Parade used to be a big thing, you may remember. But times change.

The Shriners initiation does include an oath to allah, does it not?

I wouldn't know. But then, neither do you. Let's see if anyone can turn up real evidence.

Click here " JAH-BUL-ON " for visual copy of "Duncan's Ritual and Monitor" page 250 which clearly shows BUL and ON to be the demon gods of other nations.

Not that it matters to you, but the link does not "clearly show" (or show at all) what you say. It discusses various theories about some possible meanings of the term.

 

[yeshuasavedme]

I don't see anything to this. Lots of "fun" organizations in the past playacted at dressing up like foreign cultures. The Mummers' Parade used to be a big thing, you may remember. But times change.


I wouldn't know. But then, neither do you. Let's see if anyone can turn up real evidence.

Freemasonry and Shriners

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]To read the Shriners oath click here![/FONT]


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Candidates for induction into the Shriners are greeted by a High Priest, who says:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] “By the existence of Allah and the creed of Mohammed; by the legendary sanctity of our Tabernacle at Mecca, we greet you.” [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]The inductees then swear on the Bible and the Koran, in the name of Mohammed, and invoke Masonry's usual gruesome penalties upon themselves:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] “I do hereby, upon this Bible, and on the mysterious legend of the Koran, and its dedication to the Mohammedan faith, promise and swear and vow … that I will never reveal any secret part or portion whatsoever of the ceremonies … and now upon this sacred book, by the sincerity of a Moslem's oath I here register this irrevocable vow … in willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three-edged blade, my feet flayed and I be forced to walk the hot sands upon the sterile shores of the Red Sea until the flaming sun shall strike me with livid plague, and may Allah, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same. Amen. Amen. Amen." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]With this oath, Christians swear on the Koran, and declare Allah to be “the god of our fathers.” From the perspective of Christianity and Islam alike, Shriners take the name of God in vain, and mock both faiths.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Excerpt from The Origins and Influence of Masonry[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]by Lee Penn, SCP Journal Vol. 25:2-25:3 2001[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]P0 Box 4308, Berkeley, CA 94704[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Jesus People www.mission.org/jesuspeople[/FONT]

 

[Albion]

I said "real" evidence, not a website making unproven claims from something called "Jesus People."

And by the way, the Jah-Bul-On word is not a part of Scottish Rite Masonry, so the whole charge is obviously ignorant.

 

[yeshuasavedme]

I said "real" evidence, not a website making unproven claims from something called "Jesus People."

...

What have you got against "Jesus" people?

 

[yeshuasavedme]

Testimonies of Men who have Left the Lodge to Follow Jesus

In January of 1968, I was installed a Worshipful Master of a Masonic Lodge of about 600 men. As far as I was concerned, I had reached the pinnacle of life. As a Worshipful Master, I had total autocratic authority over the affairs of my Lodge with accountability only to the Grand Master of my State.

I was married, had two children, a great job, pay and benefits, as well as great health. In fact, I even believed that I had obtained a special knowledge of God, mankind, the Universe, Heaven, and how to live a successful and fruitful life. What more could a man ask for?

Very early during my term as Worshipful Master, while conducting a Masonic business meeting, one of the brothers present voiced his objections to the closing of Lodge prayers in the name of Jesus Christ. Masonic tradition in Maryland had been to close the prayers by saying:

May every moral and social virtue cement us, Amen, So Mote it Be
​

In all my years as a Mason, I had never heard one objection to the name of Jesus being used by our Chaplain to close his prayers. I assured the Masonic brother who objected that I would take up the matter with the Grand Master.

Several days later, I met with the Grand Master and explained the problem with the prayers, as well as other concerns. The Grand Master informed me that Freemasonry accepts for membership men of every faith or religion, so long as the prospective member believes in a Supreme Being (whomever he may be) and in the resurrection of the body to a future life (however and through whomever that was accomplished.) This was a great shock to me. I had not realized that those who were members of anti-Christian religions could become Masons.

The Grand Master informed me that one of my duties as a Worshipful Master of my Lodge was not to offend any brethren who were not Christians, even if this meant I had to refrain from using the name of Jesus Christ in my prayers. He advised me that as Grand Master he had the authority to disband my Lodge and remove its Charter as a Lodge, if I persisted in using the name of Jesus with members present who objected.

In March of 1973, The Grand Lodge of Maryland Committee on Masonic Education approved the following statement regarding prayers in a Masonic lodge:

All prayers in a Masonic Lodge should be directed to the one Deity to whom all Masons refer as The Grand Architect of the Universe. We address Him as our Heavenly Father, Eternal God, Almighty, or Everlasting God. We should close our prayers with an expression such as, 'In Thy most holy and precious name we pray...’, using no additional words which could be in conflict with the religious beliefs of other Masons present at the meeting. The brother who offers up the prayer does so for all members and visitors present, rather than for just himself. (Maryland Mason Magazine, March 1973).
​

Needless to say, my faith and trust in the teachings of Masonry were shaken. After all, my pastor and the deacons of my church were all Masons. They believed in the Jesus of the Bible, didn’t they?

In the center of every Blue Lodge is an altar. Resting on top of the altar is what many Masons refer to as the Great Light of Masonry, the Bible. I later discovered that Freemasonry declares the sacred book of any and all religions in the world equivalent to the Bible. Any "sacred book" may rest on the altar in a Masonic Lodge, to oblige a Mason who does not accept the Bible as God's word.

I now had an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, namely the God of the Universe, Jesus Christ, and the god of Freemasonry, Satan. How could both belief systems be regarded as truth? I believed that the primary purpose of every Masonic degree was to depart spiritual light, wisdom, truth, and knowledge regarding life, death, the hereafter, and our interpersonal relationships with others.

After reading and studying various Masonic authors, I realized that Freemasonry considers Jesus Christ as no greater than Moses, Elijah, Mohammed, or Buddha.

I began to converse with pastors, read the Bible, pray, and debate with other Masons, including the Grand Lodge of the State of Maryland, about who Jesus Christ is, and where absolute truth is to be found. This went on for two years, until one night I decided to watch a Billy Graham crusade on TV. Reverend Graham was preaching on Hebrews 4:12:

‘For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edge sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart’.

​

He also discussed Romans, 3:10-18, which describes the total depravity of mankind, before coming to Jesus Christ for salvation.

For the first time in my life I saw myself as God saw me, a sinner without hope and on my way to Hell. That night I got on my knees and asked Jesus Christ to forgive me for my sins, come into my life, save me, and be the Lord of my life. At that moment, I accepted the God of the Universe, Jesus Christ, and rejected the god of Freemasonry. The irresistible force of God’s Holy Spirit pushed aside the immovable object of the lies of Masonry, as only He could do.

At last I was free, as God’s word states in John 8:32:

Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
​

I was set free by the One who is The Truth, Jesus Christ. The shackles of Masonic lies were broken. God’s word reveals that as a born-again Christian, I am clothed with His righteousness, as stated in Ephesians 6:14, having shed the soiled garments of sin. (Romans 3:10-18) Thereby, by the grace of God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, I went from rags to riches that night.

I obeyed God’s word in 2 Corinthians 6:14:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness?
​

I renounced all of the branches of Freemasonry that I was a member of, including the Blue Lodge, Royal Arch Chapter, Knights Templar, and the Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S.). They all teach doctrines contrary to God’s word, and lead men to Hell, instead of to Heaven.

If you are a Mason, spend much time in God’s word, especially the books of John and Colossians, comparing them to the teachings of the Lodge. My prayer for you is that our Savior will open your spiritual eyes to the only absolute truth found in the Person of Jesus Christ, and that you will reject the god of Freemasonry, Satan.

 

[yeshuasavedme]

Helton

A Prodigal Son

I was saved during a revival at our church when I was 13. Growing up I went to church and was trying to do right by the Lord. But when I joined the Army and left home to see the world, well, old Satan went with me.
For the next 15 years Satan kept me in bars, strip joints, other women's beds and out of the church. In 1994, I felt something was missing in my life. At about that time I met a guy who was a Mason. My daddy, and my grandpa were both Mason's but I hadn't thought much about it until I met the man. To make a long story short he helped me to join the lodge. I was made a Master Mason on the first of September, 1994. I thought I had found what I had been missing. But it was still the devil up to his old tricks.
In January, 1996 I did a tour in Japan and met a man who would help change my life. Howard was a good friend and dedicated Christian. For the next two years he tried to get me to church and I tried to get him to the lodge. Shortly after the new year (1997), I finally went to church with him. The next Sunday, after much heartache and a lot of soul searching, I finally found what I was really looking for.....Jesus.
I rededicated my life to the Lord and the next day another friend, came up to me and passed me a Chick tract on Freemasonry. Well after reading that and spending the next two weeks in research, the Lord opened my eyes and showed me what I had really been doing. Needless to say I promptly demitted from my lodge, and got rid of all my Masonic stuff (regretfully now, for the research value). The next Sunday I made a clean public break with the lodge at church. Incidentally, the Holy Spirit also helped me to quit smoking. I haven't looked back since.
I felt that I was alone, until I found Ex-Masons for Jesus. I hope to be able to have long and fruitful friendships. If the Lord leads me, I hope to have a ministry here in the south. Your assistance and fellowship will greatly help.
In Christ,
Chuck H.

 

[Simpleman25]

Helton

It's not for everyone.

BTW emfj is a cult itself. I wouldn't use them as a reference point.

 

[yeshuasavedme]

Ex-Masons give Honest Answers to Important Questions

The Truth Shall Set You Free!

Honest Answers

to Important Questions


As former Masons who have embraced the truth found in Jesus Christ, we are in a unique position. Since we have repented of our involvement in Freemasonry and have confessed our involvement in Freemasonry as sin, we have been cleansed from unrighteousness and restored to fellowship with God through our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.
While we were Masons, we sometimes were asked questions about Freemasonry by other church members who were not Masons. Because we had taken an oath to ever conceal and never reveal the secret teaching of Freemasonry, under the penalty of having our throats cut from ear to ear, we were reluctant to respond truthfully. We beg the forgiveness of our brothers and sisters in Christ for the less than honest answers we provided while we were Masons. Since we have repented (embraced God’s viewpoint on the issue) we have been released from the oaths. (Lev 5:4-6.) We came to realize that God did not want us to take the oaths to begin with. (Matthew 5:33-37 & James 5:12) As Christians who walk in the light of Jesus Christ, we are now willing to respond truthfully to the questions we continue to be asked.

Ex-Masons for Jesus​

The Questions

Can a man leave the Masonic Lodge?
Are Masonic oaths binding?
Is Freemasonry just a social organization?
What roll does education play in Freemasonry?
Are Masons naked when they are initiated?
Are Masons Christians?
What are the requirements of becoming a Mason?
Do Masons believe in the God of the Bible?
What topics are covered in Masonic Lectures?
What types of charity are Masons engaged in?
Masonic teaching is symbolic. What is the most important symbol?
Does Freemasonry have a plan of salvation?
Is Freemasonry a religion?
Can a Christian be a Mason?
Do you have a question which is not covered here?

Ask a question to be answered privately by E-mail

 

[Simpleman25]

Well, we learned some things from our neighbours I guess.



I attended college and worked there (Toronto) for two years back in the late '70s and witnessed the "old boy's club" first hand; not only was the establishment fighting tooth and nail against reforms in the city hiring practices, but I came to know a number of City workers who were not only Masons, but made no bones about how that affiliation was how they got their jobs.

At that time, not only were there few non Masons and fewer still visible minorities employed, but virtually no women either (other than secretarial/clerk positions.

In the 80's, about 100 miles from Toronto I bought a business (from a Mason), the town and surrounding aria was predominantly populated by reformed protestant Masons. We did quite well for the first few months until I was approached by a couple of Lodge-men who invited me to join their Lodge. When I declined and offered an explanation why (when asked) that my Church prohibited it, business began to drop off immediately to the point where we had to close our doors.

The only people who have benefited from the Lodge have been members of the lodge, and much was at the expense of fair and equitable treatment of others.


Not opinion, but witnessed first hand; deny it all you want, it is what it is.

One thing I won't do is defend anyone if they are wrong. IF what you say it's true, your talkIng about a very small group when considering how many masons there are world wide. You are using your own personal bias to sway the opinion of the thread.

Look at the facts when it comes to what we really do. 87% of the children treated at shriners hospitals have no Masonic affiliations.

 

[Simpleman25]

Ex-Masons give Honest Answers to Important Questions

The Truth Shall Set You Free!

Nothing honest about this cult called emfj.

First off, there is one former mason. Not plural.

Everyone of their claims had been proven to be false. The majority of them made up lies to further the advancement of their cult.

 

[yeshuasavedme]

[SIZE=+3]RITE OR WRONG?[/SIZE]

My Masonic History
I was raised in a Masonic family in Kennewick, Washington. My Dad was a 32-degree Mason and completed both the York Rite and the Scottish Rite. My Mother was in Eastern Star, and both my parents were in Amaranth. My parents also made sure that my brother and sister and I went to a Christian church almost every Sunday. In the summer of my sixth grade year, at church camp, I became a "born-again" Christian. I joined DeMoley, the Masonic boys' organization, in about the 9th or 10th grade. I was extremely dedicated and helped 15 other boys to join within two years. Three months after my 21st birthday, wanting to follow in my father's footsteps, I joined the Kennewick Masonic Lodge.
What Was I Taught (As a Kid)?
I was raised to believe in honesty, justice, love, fidelity, respect, and brotherhood, among other virtues. I was taught that people should be decent human beings and respect their elders. I was taught that God would not send good, virtuous people to hell, and that anyone who is basically a good person will go to heaven. I was taught that Masonry was not a religion, but a fraternal group helping good men get better.

Why Did I Join?
I knew that my father had gone through all the Masonic ceremonies up through the 32nd degree, and I was proud of my Masonic family heritage. With my parents' encouragement and my DeMoley preparation, I felt confident I was doing the right thing by joining.

How Was I Admitted?
For my initiation into the Masonic Temple, I had to dress in funny clothes. I had only one shoe on, and a rope called a cable tow, which looked like a hangman's noose, around my neck. I was blindfolded, then lead by the rope around the inner lodge room to different ìstations.î I finally ended up kneeling at the alter in the center of the room. When my blindfold was removed, I was asked to repeat an oath which all Masons are required to take. I politely started following instructions and began repeating the oath of an Entered Apprentice Mason. Although it started out fairly innocently: "I, Marshall Almarode, of my own free will and accord, in the presence of Almighty God and this worshipful lodge...do hereby and hereon most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will always...conceal and never reveal any of the secrets, arts, parts, or points of the hidden mysteries of Freemasonry...to any person or persons whomsoever ...except it be to a...brother Mason or in a lodge of Masons..." it ended "...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots, my body buried in the sands of the sea at low water mark where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever willingly or knowingly violate this my solemn oath of an Entered Apprentice Mason, so help me God and keep me steadfast."

So What's The Problem?
DeMoley had an oath of secrecy that we kept on our honor. However, as you can see, the Masonic oath contains a solemn promise of secrecy with a penalty of death. Initially, I wanted to become a Mason very strongly, so I tried to memorize this first oath of death. We were required to memorize it, and had to recite it word perfect in order to advance to the second degree. I never got that far; the more I memorized the words, the more they bothered me. I slowly became more convicted that there was something very wrong with this oath. I could not picture myself offering ìmy life to be taken if I revealed any of the secrets I learnedî in the Masonic Temple that day. I kept remembering tidbits from my Christian training in the Bible: "Swear neither by Heaven nor by earth...but let your word be your deed." At age 21, I didn't know what to do. I just quit going. Eventually, I repented of the sin of swearing an oath of death. I remembered that Jesus came to give life and to save lives. I realized that this oath was against life (what Jesus stands for). I never told my Dad the real reason why I quit going, I just told him I was too busy right now. I didn't have the courage to tell my Dad about my objection to the oath of death. Eight years later, my Dad died of a heart attack. He was given a Masonic funeral and was buried in his Masonic apron. Four years after my dadís funeral, I began collecting old Masonic books to learn more about Freemasonry.

Secret Oaths?
I discovered that Masons have been violating their own oaths of death since the 1800s, by printing their complete ceremonies in books called rituals or monitors. I have now collected three bookshelves of Masonic books. One of the books is a First Edition Scottish Rite ritual printed in 1887. It contains the secret ceremonies and oaths of death performed on each candidate who takes any of the 17th through the 33rd degrees. Another book on my shelf is called Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor. It is readily available to the public in any B.Y. Dalton book store, and has been proclaiming the supposed secrets of Masonry to the public for many decades. It is the York Rite ritual and contains the ceremonies and oaths of death of an Entered Apprentice (1st degree) to the Royal Arch (7th degree). Finding and reading these and other books on my bookshelf lead me to discover that I had been lied to by members of the Kennewick Masonic Lodge when they told me that these degrees were secret. I was also lied to about the religious compatibility of Freemasonry and Biblical Christianity.

Is Masonry a Religion?
Freemasonry claims not to be a religion, yet it does claim to be religious in that each Mason must believe in a supreme being and in the immortality of the soul.I was told that, in order to join, I must first believe that there is only one God, a supreme being who is the Grand Architect of the universe. Masons meet in a temple with an alter that usually has a large open Bible, candles and a kneeling board on it. They open and close the meetings with prayer to a generic god. Atheists are not allowed to join

The God of Freemasonry
I discovered that the God of Freemasonry was not the God of the Bible. In order to bring differing religions together as brothers, Masonry has compromised the definition of God so that he can fit all monotheistic religions. The God of Freemasonry cannot be limited to the specific god of any one faith. In order to satisfy most of the requirements of most of the faiths, Freemasonry must teach a generic god. If they were to limit their God to only the specifics of the Bible, they would, for example, be denying Allah of the Koran. The God of Freemasonry is a consolidated god whose attributes are unified from parts of many monotheistic religions.
Masonry tries to join all the monotheistic religions together as one under the umbrella of Freemasonry. In Masonry, all members are sworn to protect and uphold their "Brother Masons." Each religion must give up the specific tenets of their faith that don't agree with the next person's faith in order to be able to agree with their "brothers". Open intolerance and at times hostility is displayed toward anyone who will not conform. Though Masonry teaches its beliefs as absolutes, in order to accommodate the beliefs of differing faiths, it allows its members to ascribe to higher or optional teachings as the individual desires. However, these are not allowed to be displayed in the lodge for fear of offending the brothers of other faiths. Thus, the use of the name of Jesus is highly discouraged in the Lodge.

Freemasonry's Method of Salvation
Freemasonry claims to be the repository for the Keys necessary to enter into that Grand Lodge Above, where God dwells. To be admitted, you must join the Brotherhood, learn the secrets of Freemasonry (the secret handshakes, secret tokens, and secret words), and become more and more virtuous. These qualifications have to do with a person becoming worthy of heaven by virtue of his own efforts. I discovered that salvation in Freemasonry was dependent upon being a nice person outwardly. This is in agreement with most monotheistic religions. However, it is absolutely opposed to the Biblical Christian method.
Masonry assumes there are two types of people: the good people and the bad ones. They seek to only have the "good" ones join them. Bad men will be "black balled" and not allowed to join. Masonry neglects to deal with the problem of sin. They reject the Biblical teaching that ìall men are sinnersî and therefore, before a perfect God, all men are bad.
The Bible says that man is sinful and cannot make it to Heaven by his own efforts. The Bible says that Jesus has to save us or we can't be saved at all. Jesus gives all his followers eternal life for free. This is in direct contradiction with the method of Freemasonry. In the 28th degree, members are told that ìthe true Mason...raises himself by degrees until he reaches heaven... In Biblical Christianity, no one can make it without Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one goes to the Father but by me." Christianity is very exclusive in that there is no other way to be saved, other than by the innocent shed blood of Jesus the promised Messiah.

No Courage
The church I was raised in was a weak church. They were more interested in not offending people than in courageously telling the hard truth, which might offend. I was a weak, uncourageous Christian when I joined the Masonic Lodge, yet I recognized some error in it. I lacked the courage to tell my Dad the truth about the death oaths, because I was afraid of offending him. I now have the courage to proclaim that Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity. Belief in the false god of Freemasonry and participation in its "secret" ceremonies causes most Masons to reject or be hostile toward those who preach the real Jesus of the Bible and His free gift of salvation. By their actions, they have "black-balled" Jesus from the Masonic lodge.

The Danger of Freemasonry
I believe that Masonry has many nice people who believe that they are going to Heaven because they have learned the Keys of Freemasonry, and haven't done anything major wrong. They have good morals, high virtues, and believe in family values. They have been taught by Masonry that they will go to the same place as their Christian "Brothers." Masonry misleadswell-meaning people into the mistaken belief that anyone can make it to Heaven without Jesus Christ.

Marshall Almarode​

[SIZE=+1]More info on this topic:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]www.ephesians5-11.org[/SIZE][SIZE=+1] Ephesians 5:11 Ministry. Exposing the Darkness of Freemasonry.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]Truth and Light Ministries[/SIZE] P.O.Box 20214 Baltimore, Maryland 21284
Exposing the darkness of the teachings ofFreemasonryto the light found only in the
person of Jesus Christ (John 8:12). E-Mail...MasonCult@aol.com Fax.....410-494-0000

 

[yeshuasavedme]

From the above link, the public Libraries have all the proofs of the secret rites of Freemasonry written By Freemasonry itself....and the oaths are taken in opposition to the Word of God.

Secret Oaths?
I discovered that Masons have been violating their own oaths of death since the 1800s, by printing their complete ceremonies in books called rituals or monitors. I have now collected three bookshelves of Masonic books. One of the books is a First Edition Scottish Rite ritual printed in 1887. It contains the secret ceremonies and oaths of death performed on each candidate who takes any of the 17th through the 33rd degrees. Another book on my shelf is called Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor. It is readily available to the public in any B.Y. Dalton book store, and has been proclaiming the supposed secrets of Masonry to the public for many decades. It is the York Rite ritual and contains the ceremonies and oaths of death of an Entered Apprentice (1st degree) to the Royal Arch (7th degree). Finding and reading these and other books on my bookshelf lead me to discover that I had been lied to by members of the Kennewick Masonic Lodge when they told me that these degrees were secret. I was also lied to about the religious compatibility of Freemasonry and Biblical Christianity.
RITE OR WRONG?


[SIZE=+1]More info on this topic:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]www.ephesians5-11.org[/SIZE][SIZE=+1] Ephesians 5:11 Ministry. Exposing the Darkness of Freemasonry.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]Truth and Light Ministries[/SIZE] P.O.Box 20214 Baltimore, Maryland 21284
Exposing the darkness of the teachings ofFreemasonryto the light found only in the
person of Jesus Christ (John 8:12). E-Mail...MasonCult@aol.com Fax.....410-494-0000

 

[Simpleman25]

I enjoy the way antimasons clutter up a thread. Especially when they use quotes from a cult like emfj and e5:11.

Research your quotes, and who they are!

 

[Albion]

What have you got against "Jesus" people?

I have something against unreliable splinter religions, whatever attractive name they may assume. You would do well to be occasionally discriminating yourself, instead of believing everything that's on the internet.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

One thing I won't do is defend anyone if they are wrong. IF what you say it's true, your talkIng about a very small group when considering how many masons there are world wide. You are using your own personal bias to sway the opinion of the thread.

Look at the facts when it comes to what we really do. 87% of the children treated at shriners hospitals have no Masonic affiliations.

Apples and oranges, even Muslems take care of children.

Small Group? Masons in Toronto and what we now call the Greater Toronto Area in the 1960's and 70's; thousands would not be too far off, possibly 10s of thousands might be closer.