jbarr

I was recently raised to the degree of Master Mason, and I have to honestly say that as a Christian, I found nothing about the Master Mason degree work that caused me to question my faith in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, after reviewing and thinking about what I experienced, I found the degree work to be quite complimentary to my Christian faith. That said, I feel that it is very important that I provide some qualification to that conclusion: Yes, the third degree does deal with death, the immortal soul, and eternity. And yes, it deals with rewards in Heaven based on works. From a Christian perspective, however, this is consistent with Christian doctrine for the man who is saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. A Christian will certainly receive rewards in Heaven based on those good works he does--this is Biblical fact. And as a Christian he should know that it is not by those works that he receives salvation, but only by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. So as a Christian Mason, i find the Masonic teachings can be complimentary to Christian belief, not conflicting. A Christian does, however, need to take on the responsibility to discern what is an allegorical story, and what is Biblical Truth. But what about the non-Christian? I do concede that a non-Christian could receive a false hope from the teaching of the Master Mason degree. In that case, I believe that it becomes the paramount responsibility of his Masonic brothers who are Christians to evangelize to him. And outside the lodge, that is 100% acceptable. In fact, in many lodges in many Southern states in the USA, it is made very clear within the lodge that salvation is not conferred by works, but by the blood of Jesus--I know this from experience. I think it's important to understand that Freemasonry's goal is to focus on building a man of character, morality, and integrity, and this is done through its symbols and stories. Freemasonry also does not discuss salvation through Jesus Christ for two main reasons: 1. it keeps religious and political topics at bay in order to maintain a neutral ground allowing people to assemble without getting caught up in religious and political bickering. 2. Freemasonry's teachings are fictional stories based on historical elements of the Old Testament--a time that pre-dates Jesus' life in the New Testament. Freemasonry does not claim that its teachings are "truth". On the contrary, the myth and legends of Freemasonry are accepted and well-understood to be allegorical, symbolic, and fictional. But the teachings do provide memorable and impressive illustrations about one who faces death. Finally, I think that is important to clarify that when I speak of Masonic degrees, I am speaking only of the three Blue Lodge degrees which comprise all of the degrees of Masonry. All other "higher" degrees are conferred by the York or Scottish rites, which are separate organizations that, while based upon Blue Lodge teachings, do not speak for nor represent the three Blue Lodge degrees. I look forward to your comments.

Isn't that a bit unfair considering that much of the criticism of Freemasonry described above and elsewhere focuses on the "higher" degrees?

Unfortunately, this is a point on which we will have to agree to disagree. Yes, the path to salvation is only through Jesus Christ, but "access" to God is not reserved exclusively to Christians. To imply that one who is not a Christian, yet believes in one true God cannot pray to "God" and be heard by God, in my opinion, is absurd. People can certainly "know God" and not be Christian. It boils down to their own free-will choice to accept or deny the saving blood of Jesus. Again, we will have to agree to disagree as I believe that there is only one true God (see above.) And while prayer can be a form of worship, praying, in and of itself, is not necessarily worship. Again I ask, do you believe that Congress engages in worship because it prays at the opening of its session? Do you believe that Congress is engaging in desistic worship? And that is why I answered before that no, I do not believe that the lodge is a place of worship. It is a place of discussion and learning. The prayers offered to God at the opening and closing of the lodge are intended to remind us that we are not in control, God is, and that our actions and thoughts are to be be conducted within a God-centric, not man-centric context. The irony is that the lodge I go to is mostly comprised of professed Christians, and all prayer is ultimately given in the name of Jesus Christ. Personally? No. I believe that it is an instructional tool. However I concede that there are many who believe it to be. As a Christian should you be participating in a spiritual exercise outside of the Church and the Worship of Jesus Christ whether you hold it to be one or not? That's an unfair question. It's like asking if I should participte in a Christian church service when I know that some of the members do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. My point is that to me and the majority of fellow lodge members, what goes on in the lodge is not spiritual but instructional and intellectual--big difference. Maybe this is not the prevailing view of the majority of Masonry, but it is the prevailing viewpoint of several of the lodges I have attended. Something entirely different for as of now and for the last two thousand years there has been and is no other way to come to Father except through the Son. It would be incumbent upon you to not allow his charade to continue but to be prepared with an answer both in season and out. For as a Christian you know the Truth. However you are standing with him and allowing him to remain in the darkness by agreeing with his misunderstanding. So what prevents me from evangelizing before or after a lodge meeting? Freemasonry is not trying to deny the truth of Christianity. It is trying to provide a level playing field where the bitterness that comes from religious and political disagreement do not exist. If religious and political discussions were permitted, then it would distract from and impede the meetings. We can evangelize all we want outside the lodge. In fact, by gaining an understanding of a lost person (Masonic or otherwise) we can better approach them as Christians.

Thank you all for your inputs. You have provided some good information to ponder and consider. I believe that prayer is the most prudent thing one can do on either side of the issue. That said, I must stand firm on one point: The "higher degrees" (4-33) of the Scottish Rite do not speak for or represent the three degrees of Blue Lodge Freemasonry. Those three degrees are complete, and comprise the totality of Freemasonry. Appendant organizations like the Scottish Rite, York Rite, and Shriners are separate and distinct form Blue Lodge Freemasonry. They may claim to go into more depth or extend the Blue Lodge degrees, but they are just that, extensions. This historical chronology of the development of Freemasonry confirms this fact.

Quick question: When did Freemasonry become 33 degrees? Aren't the degrees of 4 through 33 exclusive to the Scottish Rite which are separate from the three Blue Lodge degrees? And how does the York Rite fit into the picture? My understanding is that the York Rite is actually considered more of an extension of the three Blue Lodge degrees than the Scottish Rite.

And one other point: I believe that the rites, lectures, and degree work of Freemasonry are merely allegories and stories rooted in history, legend, myth, and imagination--unlike Biblical Truth. I believe that they are designed to promote thought, contemplation, and are a method of moral and ethical improvement in one's self. Again, many Freemasons do not see it that way. And this is consistent with the beliefs of many with whom I have spoken in our lodge.

<Dang! I messed up the editing of this, so my original comment here was lost. Sorry.>

It may just be an issue of semantics--it's not so much being "secret" as it is keeping something "private". The history of operative masonry, which is the historic foundation on which modern Freemasonry was built, clearly established a real and honest justification for concealing or keeping private the "secrets" of its craft, which were nothing more than the specific skills and knowledge that he had. It was about ensuring that the skills and knowledge that were gained were controlled in a society where openly revealing trade secrets could ruin a man. Speculative Masonry simply uses the same model to control Do you us a computer that requires a password for access? At a church, is that which is specifically discussed at a deacons' meeting open to the general public? Are business decisions often made behind closed doors? Is what goes on in a husband and wife's bedroom meant to be public knowledge? My point is that most people, both privately and publicly, do keep secrets in many areas of their lives. And in doing so, they are not necessarily doing anything that is incompatible with Christianity.

Given that I am still early in my Masonic experience, I can only comment on my research and observation. I would speculate that none of the rites of the Blue Lodge are really secret any more, because they have all been generally exposed in one form or another. But yes, they are meant to be kept secret, as are the modes of recognition and the obligations. I wanted to add and ask. Which God? Respectfully, I would like to stick with one topic at a time for clarity, and address that separately later, because the answer is, in my opinion, complex.

This is a very interesting thread. I'm new here, so first off, please be assured that my intent is not to stir things up, but to gain better understanding as a Christian man and Mason. I am a second degree Mason, and I am also a Christian--which I need to clarify: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that only through true belief in His atoning blood sacrifice can one gain eternal salvation by grace. All the good works and intentions will not get you into Heaven. I also believe, unlike some elements in Christianity, that once a person is saved by grace, that his salvation can never be taken away--I believe that God clearly promises that in the Bible--and that short of denouncing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, one's salvation cannot be taken away. OK, what I find interesting is that at our lodge, probably 90% or more of the members are Bible-believing, professed Christians. During the various ceremonies that confer the degrees upon the initiates, the master of the lodge specifically tells us that Freemasonry is not intended to provide a path to salvation, but to provide a moral and ethical method for learning to suppress one's passions and to better himself as a man through moral and ethical teaching, rooted in the belief in God. He specifically said that we are to pursue our own understanding of salvation by going to church and learning from the church, family, and friends. And he offers to go into more detail (aka present the Gospel) after the meeting closes should the candidate so choose. Maybe this is regional (we are on the buckle of the Bible Belt) but this does not seem typical, yet from talking to some of the older members, it is consistent with how Freemasonry has been conducted in the South. So my question is this: Just as one group of Christians does not necessarily speak for or represent all Christians, is it possible that a small group of Freemasons do not necessarily speak for and represent all Freemasons? Looking forward to hearing your answers! -In Christ...