Originally posted by EJO
Freemasonry requires its members to believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and also to believe that there is only One God. Freemasonry refers to its god as the Great Architect of the Universe. It teaches that all men, of all the various religions, worship the one God, simply using a variety of different names. It is on that basis that Masons may be Hindus, Moslems, Buddhists, or men who profess to follow Jesus. Freemasonry requires a belief in the existence of A Supreme Being, but does not define that being.
Here we go again with the "Freemasonry's god" gambit. First, the phrase Grand Architect of the Universe was coined by a Christian minister, the famous Joh Calvin. In the Bible God has many names: Adonai, Elochiem, and so on.
Freemasonry allows each member to worship God as that member perceives God to be and according to his own religious beliefs.
The Holy Bible however, reveals that the truth is somewhat different. The Bible does state that there is only one God: I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. (Isaiah 45:5)
Isn' that what
Freemasonry teaches: there is one God?
With these facts clearly documented from the Holy Bible, it is easy to know that the foundational teaching of Freemasonry, namely that all men worship God, is not true. Since Freemasonry does not follow in the teachings of Christ, the god of Freemasonry cannot be the God of the Bible.
Once again--there is no "god of
Freemasonry." Each member has his own personal beliefs as to what or who God is. The premise that
Freemasonry has and requires worship of its own god is patently false, and anyone who says so is a liar. Each lodge member is to worship the supreme being which he believes in the house of worship of his choice. The only worship that goes on inside a Masonic Lodge are the prayers said and the start and end of Lodge meetings and a certain points in rituals--prayers with which each member may pray to his personal supreme being. We do, however, recite scripture from the Holy Bible as a candidate is presented for a degree.
And what are the teachings of Christ that
Freemasonry does not follow? And please do not cite the writings of St. Paul or the other apostles; cite only the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not the many Masonic charities--especially those for children--follow Christ's teaching to be charitable to all ("What you do the least of them, you do to me")?
Are our principle tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth contrary to what Christ taught? If so, how?
Is the obligation of Masons to aid and support widows and orphans contrary to what Christ taught? If so, how?
Since God is a Spirit, a question you might ask of a Worshipful Master, or other Mason, is the following: Is Vishnu, the god which Hindus worship, the same spirit which you refer to as the Great Architect of the Universe?
A loaded question, but I will answer, "I don't know--and neither does anyone else for sure." Anyone can arrive at either answer based on how he or she interprets what has been written about the subject and what he or she has been taught. Personally, I and many other Freemasons do not believe Vishnu is the Supreme Being (maybe A supreme being, but not THE Supreme Being, the Creator of All), but a Freemason who is a Hindu does. Again--it is the Hindu's personal choice to believe such.
When I pray in the Lodge to the G.A.O.T.U., it is to God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth--the God of the Holy Bible who gave his only Son that all may not perish. Others in the Lodge may be praying otherwise. The Lodge does not and will not dictate to its member to whom they should pray other than it be the supreme being in which they believe.
Does Freemasonry lift up Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation as is documented in John 14:6?
No, we do not.
Freemasonry is neutral regarding religion: it does not favor one religion over another. Discussion of religion and religious beliefs in the Lodge is forbidden because of the dissension it can cause.
Clearly, Freemasonry does not follow in the teachings of Christ. Therefore, Freemasons do not have God. (2 John 9)
Again please iterate specifically the teachings we do not follow.
Freemasonry is a pagan religion.
Pagan maybe, as defined by the American Heritage College Dictionary ("Not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim," "One who has no religion," A non-Christian," "Professing no religion.")
Freemasonry has a religious basis, but is not a religion per se. It requires its members to have a religion, but is itself not one. It is a "course of moral instruction taught agreeably to ancient established usages of signs, symbols, and allegorical figures."
From "Conscience and the Craft: The Question on Religion and
Freemasonry" By Jim Tresner, Ph.D., 33rd degree:
Is Masonry a religion?
No, not by the definitions most people use. Religion, as the term is commonly used, implies several things: a plan for salvation or path by which one reaches the after-life; a theology which attempts to describe the nature of God; and the description of ways or practices by which a man or woman may seek to communicate with God.
Masonry does none of those things. We offer no plan of salvation. With the exception of saying that He is a loving Father who desires only good for His children, we make no effort to describe the nature of God. And while we open and close our meetings with prayer, and we teach that no man should ever begin any important undertaking without first seeking the guidance of God, we never tell a man how he should pray or for what he should pray.
Instead, we tell him that he must find the answers to these great questions in his own faith, in his church or synagogue or other house of worship. We urge men not to neglect their spiritual development and to be faithful in the practice of their religion. As the Grand Lodge of England wrote in "Freemasonry and Religion", "Freemasonry is far from indifferent to religion. Without interfering in religious practice, it expects each member to follow his own faith, and to place above all other duties his duty to God by whatever name He is known." Masonry itself makes only a simple religious demand on a man: he must believe that he has an immortal soul and he must believe in God. No atheist can be a Mason.
If a man has bought into the Masonic lie that all men worship the same god, simply using a variety of different names, then he cannot be worshiping in truth. Therefore, he cannot be worshiping God when he goes into the lodge.
If that is how you interpret the situation, but I disagree.