By Pastor Michael Frisbee, DD/DM
Though Freemasonry is not considered by many as a subject or a part of the paranormal, there are many aspects of Freemasonry that falls into special rituals, oaths, and such that fall into a quasi-religious aspect, and I will outline, have a pagan and non-Christian origin. As always, I know I will be stepping on a lot of toes here, but considering the dangers for Christian and my mission to shine the light of God’s Truth, I feel that I must tackle this age old subject.
There is a great deal out there regarding Freemasonry. For those who only have a passing awareness of this organization, here is a description:
Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and Grand Lodge of Ireland, over a quarter of a million under the jurisdiction of the United Grand Lodge of England and just under two million in the United States.
The fraternity is administratively organized into independent Grand Lodges or sometimes Orients, each of which governs its own jurisdiction, which consists of subordinate (or constituent) Lodges. The various Grand Lodges recognize each other, or not, based upon adherence to landmarks (a Grand Lodge will usually deem other Grand Lodges who share common landmarks to be regular, and those that do not to be "irregular" or "clandestine").
There are also appendant bodies, which are organizations related to the main branch of Freemasonry, but with their own independent administration.
Source – Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
The most basic unit is your local “Masonic Lodge”. Members join and begin as initiates known as an Entered Apprentice. The member then works through the various rituals and requirements to attain the 2nd degree, titled Fellow Craft. Then upon completing the various goals for advancement, becomes a Master Mason. This comprises what is called the Blue Lodge Masonry. Once completing the three degrees of the Blue Lodge, a mason is then allowed to go into either the Scottish rite of Freemasonry which has 32 degrees or the York rite which has 13 degrees. These are advanced degrees, where you pay more dues, and expect to learn (and don't) the secrets of Freemasonry. As one progresses through the degree work of these rites, they tell you that you are on a quest to find the lost name of God.
The most disturbing part of Freemasonry is the large number of Christians that have come under sway and membership of this organization. They are drawn by the alleged networking of fellow businessmen, of the community work being done, etc. Back in 1993, the Southern Baptist Convention took notice of this, formed an investigative commission, and it created a report that was one of the most in-depth. There were eight areas of concern the commission identified as being “contrary to Christian belief.”
1) Freemasonry uses offensive, non-biblical, and blasphemous terms relating to God.
2) Freemasonry insists on the use of “bloody oaths” or obligations, which are strictly forbidden by the Bible (Matt.5:34-37).
3) Freemasonry urges that occultic and/or pagan readings be used, and that their teachings be appropriated in interpreting such concepts as the Trinity.
4) Freemasonry includes the Bible as part of the “furniture of the lodge,” but only as an equal with non-Christian symbols and writings.
5) Freemasonry misuses the term “light” to refer to moral “reformation” as a means to salvation.
6) Freemasonry teaches that salvation may be attained by “good works” and not through faith in Christ alone.
7) Freemasonry advocates in many of its writings the non-biblical teachings of universalism.
8) In some of its lodges, Freemasonry discriminates against nonwhites.
Source - Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1993
Under the Scottish Rite, once you achieve the 33rd Degree, you can now join additional advancement organizations, such as the Shriners. We all recognize them, Red Fezzes, funny little cars at the parades, they have a front of doing great works in the community, much leaning towards charity work for children.
What many ignore is the very symbolism of what they proudly display. The fez itsef is an affront to Christianity. So named after the city of Fez, Morocco…which by the way has been the site of numerous documented massacres of both Jews and Christians by various Muslim conquerors. The Fez is a distinctly Muslim symbol and, at least indirectly, celebrates the Muslim conquest of the area.
The emblem found on the fez is that of Muslim origin. It contains the Arabic pagan god symbols of the Crescent Moon and Star, originally the symbol of the Ottomon Empire, now an international symbol of Islam. The symbols are hung under a "scimitar" or an Arabic sword of war. This is the sword that has killed the "infidels" down through the ages under Muslim conquest.
The Shriner meets in a "temple" most of which have distinctly Arabic names. They are often built to resemble a Mosque. He wears his fez with the Muslim symbols on it. He takes his oaths and says his prayers in the name of ALLAH. Many of his secret passwords and code phrases are in Arabic, which he is required to memorize in order to be in the "order".
Candidates for induction into the Shriners are greeted by a High Priest, who says: “By the existence of Allah and the creed of Mohammed; by the legendary sanctity of our Tabernacle at Mecca, we greet you.” The inductees then swear on the Bible and the Koran, in the name of Mohammed, and invoke Masonry's usual gruesome penalties upon themselves:
“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."
Source - Excerpt from The Origins and Influence of Masonry by Lee Penn, SCP Journal Vol. 25:2-25:3 2001
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. I know many Shriners will deny this, but many who have left and re-committed their lives to Christ have shared this truth.
Tomorrow night, Rev. Hunneman and I will cover in more detail what the SBC found, as well as other researchers into Freemasonry. There is a great deal that is not openly shared, and what many do not know, is that there are degrees above the 33rd. Join us tomorrow at 7 PM EST – show link can be found at http://www.theparanormalchristian.com
