The Christian and the Masonic Lodge

 

In this article, I intend to show why membership in the Lodge of Freemasonry is incompatible with the Christian Faith. I am responding particularly to those Mason's whom I have met who claim that Masonry is not only acceptable, but even desirable for Christians. I do not doubt the sincerity of those who make this claim, nor do I deny that Mason's have done much good through their philanthropic works. But for the Christian, the bottom line is God's Word, and it is at just this point that Masonry is found wanting.

The modern beginning of Freemasonry is usually dated at 1717 with the forming of the first Grand Lodge in London England. All Masons must join the Blue Lodge which consists of the first three degrees of Masonry, which are:

1. Entered Apprentice
2. Fellowcraft
3. Master Mason

There are rites for those who want to go deeper into Masonry. They are the York Rite (consisting of 10 degrees), and the Scottish Rite (consisting of 30 further degrees, the last of which is an honorary degree). There are also affiliated or auxiliary Masonic organizations for family members of Masons.

For women with relatives in Masonry there is the "Order of the Eastern Star." For boys 14-21, there is Demolay, and for girls , there is the "Rainbow Girls and Job's Daughters, For adults, the Shriners (Ancient Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine A.A.O.N.M.S.), Tall Cedars of Lebanon (must be a Master Mason), Square Clubs for any associated with Masonry.

"There are approximately 2.5 million Masons in the United States and nearly 6 million throughout the world" (Facts About Freemasonry, Masonic Information Center, Silver Spring MD, Brochure n.d.).

Is Masonry a religion?

Many Masons will claim that Freemasonry is not a religion, but is only a fraternal organization. Let us examine this claim.

Webster's New World Dictionary (Second Collegiate Edition, New York,: Simon and Schuster, 1984) defines religion as: "belief in a divine or superhuman power . . . to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe: 2) expression of . . . [this] belief in conduct and ritual."

With Webster's dictionary definition in mind, let us examine the statements of Masonic authorities on the subject. Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia states:

"Some attempt to avoid the issue by saying that Freemasonry is not a religion but is religious, seeming to believe that the substitution of an adjective for a noun makes a fundamental difference. It would be as sensible to say that a man had no intellect but was intellectual or that he had no honor but was honorable. . . . Freemasonry certainly requires a belief in the existence of, and man's dependence upon, a Supreme Being to which he is responsible. What can a church add to that, except to bring into fellowship those who have like feelings? That is exactly what the lodge does. . . . It is said that Freemasonry is not sectarian, by which is meant that it has not identified itself with any well-known sect. But, if it has a religious credo, may it not, itself, constitute a sect to be added to the others? . . . Only by judging from external appearances and applying arbitrary gauges can we say that Freemasonry is not a religion . . . Nothing herein is intended to be an argument that Freemasonry ought to be a religion; our purpose is simply to determine what is has become and is" (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, 1961 as cited by L. James Rongstad in How To Respond to the Lodge, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis: MO, 1977, p. 12, hereafter Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia).

"Freemasonry may rightfully claim to be called a religious institution" (Albert Mackey, Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia, Volume 2, p. 847, as cited by John Ankerberg & John Weldon, Cult Watch, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1991, p. 101, Hereafter, Mackey's Revises Encyclopedia).

Blue Lodge Masonry has a Worshipful Master, Senior and Junior Deacon, chaplains, altars with the Bible or other holy book placed upon them, Chaplains, rituals including Scripture, and meetings that open and close in prayer. Meetings are held in buildings called temples. Further, belief in a deity known as the "GAOTU" is required for involvement Masonry. There is an emphasis on moral improvement. Masonry claims to bring the initiate out of the darkness and into the light. At funerals, the Worshipful Master assumes the role of "High Priest." Mason refer to each other as "brothers."

"In the opening of the lodge, the Great Architect of the Universe must be worshipped, and His blessings upon the work about to be done must be supplicated" (The Holy Bible- Masonic Edition, John A. Hertel Co., Revised Edition, 1957, p. 34, as cited by James Rongstad in How To Respond to the Lodge, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis: MO, 1977, p. 20).

"All [Masons] unite declaring it to be a system of morality, by the practice of which its members may advance their spiritual interest, and mount by the theological ladder from the Lodge on earth to the Lodge in heaven" (Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia, p. 269).

"It is a science which is engaged in the search after Divine Truth" (Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia, p. 269).

"The fact that Freemasonry is a mild religion does not mean that it is no religion" (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, p. 512).

"No institution was ever raised on a better principle or more solid foundation; nor were ever more excellent rules and useful maxims laid down that are inculcated in the several Masonic lectures" (Ralph P. Lester, ED., Look To The East, A Ritual of the First Three Degrees Of Masonry, Ezra A. Cook Publications, Inc., Chicago: IL, 1977, p. 36, Hereafter Lester).

This statement is from the ceremony for the first degree of the Blue Lodge, something every Mason would be familiar with. It is amazing in that it seems to place Masonry on an equal if not greater level than Christianity. It is my experience that Masons pay lip service to the church, but their real zeal is dedicated to Masonry. The foregoing makes clear that Masonry is indeed a religion, and though it borrows much imagery from the Bible, it is not Christian. Rather, it is ultimately a demonic deception to draw souls away from sincere and total devotion to Jesus Christ and his church.

Masonry and the Bible

What does Masonry have to say about God's Word, the Bible? One Masonic authority states:

"The prevailing Masonic opinion is that the Bible is only a symbol of Divine Will, Law, or Revelation, and not that its contents are Divine Law, inspired, or revealed. So far, no responsible authority has held that a Freemason must believe the Bible or any part of it" (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, p. 520).

This Masonic understanding of the Bible is clearly contrary to the self-witness of Scripture itself:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, all biblical quotes from the New International Version).

Another Masonic authority said:

"Whether it be the Gospels to the Christian, the Pentateuch to the Israelite, the Koran to the Mussulman . . . or the Vedas to the Brahman, it everywhere Masonically conveys the same idea - that of the symbolism of the Divine Will revealed to man" (Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia, Volume 1, p. 133).

A further Masonic writer stated:

"Thus, by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in which men find help for to-day and hope for the morrow, joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes oath on the Koran, and with the Hindu as he makes a covenant with God upon the book that he loves best. For Masonry knows, what so many forget, that religions are many, but Religion is one" ((R.W. and Rev. Joseph Fort Newton, The Bible in Masonry, The Holy Bible, The Great Light In Masonry, Masonic Edition, A. J. Holman Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1957, pp. 5-6, Hereafter, Newton).

Another Masonic statement goes further:

"But what are 'His [Sovereign of the world, i.e. God] declarations'? . . . . They are the inspired wisdom contained in the Bible, the Talmud, the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita or any of the other Great Books of Faith" (Freemasonry and Religion, brochure published by The Supreme Council, 33 Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite Of Freemasonry Mother Jurisdiction Of The World, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. Washington D.C., August 1993, Hereafter, Freemasonry and Religion).

How can a Mason be party to an organization that elevates the "scriptures" of false religions to the same level as the Holy Bible? Further, how can a Christian support an organization that claims that the message of the Bible is the same as that of the "Holy Books" of false religions? The Bible alone affirms that Jesus Christ is the only hope and way of salvation for all of mankind (John 14:6).

Syncretism

Not only do we see that Masonry devalues the Bible, and elevates the holy books of false religions, but we also see the same idea toward the Christian faith. Mason's do not accept the biblical idea that Christianity is the only true religion. Rather, Masonry affirms the belief that all the world's major religions are true as the following quotes display:

"Thus, by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in which men find help for to-day and hope for the morrow, joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes oath on the Koran, and with the Hindu as he makes a covenant with God upon the book that he loves best. For Masonry knows, what so many forget, that religions are many, but Religion is one . . . Therefore, it invites to its altar men of all faiths, knowing that, if they use different name for 'the nameless one of a hundred names,' they are yet praying to the one God and Father of all; knowing, also, that while they read different volumes, they are in fact reading the same vast Book of the Faith of Man as revealed in the struggle and sorrow of the race in its quest of God" (Newton, pp. 5-6).

Newton also said:

"'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 which 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 else have remained at a perpetual distance.' Still deeply religious, Masonry had become universal" (Newton, p. 35).

"On this principle, Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance" (Lester, p. 57).

These statements stand in stark contrast with the biblical witness that "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12).

Masonic authors seem oblivious to the biblical importance of avoiding compromise by an admixture of true and false religion as more Masonic quotes will show.

"The religion of Freemasonry is not sectarian. It admits men of every creed within its hospitable bosom, rejecting none and approving none for his peculiar faith. It is not Judaism, thou there is nothing in it to offend the Jew; it is not Christianity, but there is nothing in it repugnant to the faith of a Christian. Its religion is that general one of nature and primitive revelation handed down to us from some ancient and patriarchal priesthood--in which all men may agree and in which no men can differ" (Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia, Volume 2, pp. 847-848).

Mackey claims that "there is nothing . . . to offend the Jew." Is not the Christian claim that Jesus is the Messiah and only savior of the world offensive to the Jew? But these Christian truths are absent from Masonry. Mackey also said that there "is nothing in it repugnant to the faith of a Christian," to which I say nonsense. Masonry is filled with ideas foreign and repugnant to biblical Christianity.

For example, in the Royal Arch Degree of the York Rite, the initiate is told the name of the true god is Jah-Bul-On. This blasphemous name combines the names of the true God Jehovah -Yahweh, with the false gods, Baal (the Assyrian god) and On (the Egyptian god of the sun).

"The chaplain of the Masonic lodge who prays as the voice of the lodge does not pray in the name of the carpenter of Nazareth or the name of Jehovah or the name of Allah, He Prays to the Grand Artificer or the Great Architect of the Universe. Under that title men of all faiths may find each his own deity. Failure to mention any deity by name is not denial, but merely the practice of a gracious courtesy, so that each man for whom prayer is offered can hear the name of his own deity in the all inclusive title of Great Architect" (Short Talk Bulletin, Vol. 36, No 8, p. 7, as cited by L. James Rongstad in How To Respond to the Lodge, Concordia Publishing House, ST. Louis: MO, 1977, p. 20).

Notice the antagonism that Masonic authority, Henry Wilson Coil displays for biblical truth:

"Men have to decide whether they want a God like the ancient Hebrew Jahweh, a partisan tribal god, with whom they can talk and argue and from whom they can hide if necessary, or a boundless, eternal, universal, undenominational, and international Divine Spirit, so vastly removed from the speck called man, that he cannot be known, named or approached" (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, p. 516-517).

The "god" of Masonry is not like the God of the Bible, for the God of the Bible wants to have an intimate relationship with us, and in fact our salvation depends upon it. Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

"[The Mason] may name Him [God] as he will, think of Him as he pleases; make Him impersonal law or personal and anthropomorphic; Freemasonry cares not . . . God, Great Architect of the universe, Grand Artificer, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge above, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, or Great Geomoter" (Carl H. Claudy, Introduction to Freemasonry, Volume 2, Washington, D.C., The Temple Publishers, 1984, p. 110, as cited by John Ankerberg & John Weldon, Cult Watch, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1991, p. 118).

On what basis can a Christian join hands with men of other faiths in spiritual unity, considering those in other religions like Hinduism and Islam his "brothers"?

"The true Mason is not creed bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason his religion must be universal: Christ, Buddha or Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth .. . . No true Mason can be narrow, for his Lodge is the divine expression of all broadness. There is no place for little minds in a great work" (Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, Macoy Publising and Masonic Supply Company, Inc., Richmond: VA, 1976, p. 65).

We wonder if Mr. Hall included Jesus Christ in the company of those with "little minds" because he 'narrowed' salvation to only those who followed him: "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)?

One Masonic tract stated:

"Is Masonry 'guilty' of teaching toleration? And proud of it! It seems a strange accusation, but anti-Masonic writers often charge that we accept people with many different religious viewpoints as brothers. They are correct" (Jim Tresner, Forward by Ed Waldon, Grand Master of Masons of Minnesota 1992-93, Conscience And The Craft-Questions on Religion and Freemasonry, Masonic Grand Lodge Of Minnesota, p. 8, Hereafter, Conscience And The Craft).

Mackey agrees saying:

"But its universality is its boast. In its language citizens of every nation may converse; at its altars men of all religions may kneel; to its creeds disciples of every faith may subscribe" (Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Vol. 1, p. 149).

Well-known preacher Norman Vincent Peale, a 33 Mason, felt the same way:

"As a result, men of different religions meet in fellowship and brotherhood under the fatherhood of God" (Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, 33 in Freemasonry and Religion).

Masonic Versus Biblical Salvation

We now proceed to examine what Masonry teaches about salvation and contrast it with Biblical teaching.

"He who wears the lambskin as a badge of a Mason is thereby continually reminded of purity of life and conduct which is essentially necessary to his gaining admission into that celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the universe presides" (Malcom C. Duncan, Masonic Ritual and Monitor, New York, David McKay,. N.d., p. 50, as cited by John Ankerberg & John Weldon, Cult Watch, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1991, p. 102).

This passage implies that salvation, and entrance into heaven is gained by "purity of life and conduct" which stands in stark contrast to the biblical gospel in which salvation is gained by faith in Christ and based upon the work of Christ at Calvary.

Ankerberg and Weldon quote a similar statement from Masonic authority Henry Wilson Coil:

"Freemasonry has a religious service to commit the body of a deceased brother to the dust whence it came, and to speed the liberated spirit back to the Great Source of Light. Many Freemasons make this flight with no other guarantee of a safe landing than their belief in the religion of Freemasonry" (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, p. 512).

I believe that Coil is exactly right. Many Masons, though claiming to be Christians, do not really understand the biblical plan of salvation, and are tragically depending on their Masonic involvement for salvation.

Masonic ritual and imagery displays this same idea when it pictures those who are not Masons as though lost in darkness, and those who enter into Masonry as though they are finding true spiritual light.

Masonic authority Albert Mackey, speaking of an initiate into Masonry states:

"There he stands without our portals, on the threshold of his new Masonic life, in darkness, helplessness and ignorance. Having been wandering amid the errors and covered over with the pollutions of the outer and profane world, he comes inquiringly to our door, seeking the new birth, and asking a withdrawal of the veil which conceals divine truth from his uninitiated sight" (Albert Mackey, The Manual of the Lodge, New York, Clark Maynard, 1870, p. 20, as cited by John Ankerberg & John Weldon, Cult Watch, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1991, p. 111).

It is astonishing (and blasphemous) to picture a Christian seeking entrance into the lodge as being in "darkness" and "ignorance," and in need of the "new birth" and "light."

"The common gavel is an instrument made use of by operative masons to break off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builder's use; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our minds and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our bodies as living stones for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (Lester, pp. 38-39).

Tom McKenney, author of two books exposing Masonry sums up the Masonic view of salvation this way:

"The Masonic plan of salvation is a three-part plan of self-redemption. The Mason is redeemed (made spiritually perfect and sinless) by (a) being enlightened (having both secret knowledge and the proper understanding of it), (b) faithfulness to his oaths of obligation (death oaths), and (c) his virtuous life (by "being good"). Each man's salvation is his own responsibility; he is his own savior" (Tom C. McKenney, Please Tell Me, Questions People Ask About Freemasonry-And The Answers, Huntington House Publishers, Lafayette, LA, 1994, p. 84).

Whereas "Freemasonry labors to make good men better" (Freemasonry and Religion), Christ takes bad men and makes them saints!

The Oaths

I want to include the oaths that Masons swear to because they are so contrary to open and honest way that the Bible calls Christians to live. We have nothing to hide, but a great truth to proclaim!

The first three oaths are from the Blue Lodge to which all Masons belong. One Masonic brochure defends the Oaths this way:

"Freemasonry does not require improper oaths. The solemn promises taken in Freemasonry are no different than the oaths taken in court or on entering the armed services. The much discussed 'penalties,' judicial remnants from an earlier age, are symbolic, not literal. They refer only to the pain an honest man should feel at the thought of violating his word" (Facts About Freemasonry, Masonic Information Center, Silver Spring MD, Brochure n.d.).

I will leave it to the judgment of the reader to decide if the above statement is accurate and whether the oaths are proper for the Christian.

Entered Apprentice (1rst Degree)

"I, A.B., of my own free will and accord, in the presence of Almighty God, and this Worshipful Lodge erected to him and dedicated to the Holy Saints John, do hereby and hereon (Master presses his gavel on candidates knuckles) most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear that I will always hail, forever conceal, never reveal any of the secret arts, parts or points of the hidden mysteries of Masonry which may have been heretofore, or shall be at this time, or at any future period. . . I furthermore promise and swear that I will not write, print, paint, stamp, stain, cut carve, hew, mark, or engrave them on any thing moveable or immovable. . . whereby. . . the secrets of Masonry be thereby unlawfully obtained by my unworthiness. . . All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear. . . binding myself under no less penalty that that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the sands . . . Should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly violate or transgress this my Entered Apprentice obligation. So help me God, and keep me steadfast" (Lester, pp. 30-31).

Fellowcraft (2nd Degree)

"All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same, without the least equivocation, mental reservation or self-evasion whatsoever; binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my left breast torn open, my heart plucked from thence, and given to the beasts of the field and birds of the air as a prey, should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly, violate or transgress this my Fellow Craft obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast" (Lester, p. 96).

Master Mason (3rd Degree)

"All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same, without the least equivocation, mental reservation or self-evasion whatever; binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my body severed in two, my bowels torn from thence and burned to ashes, and these scattered before the four winds of heaven, that no more remembrance might be had among men or Mason of so vile a wretch as I should be, should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly violate or transgress this my Master Mason's obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast" (Lester, pp. 154-155).

Shriner's Oath "Having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three edged blade, with 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" (Cook, The Mystic Shrine, p. 22, as cited by ).

"The Candidate for initiation is greeted by the high priest who says, 'By the existence of Allah and the Creed of Mohammed, by the legendary sanctity of the Tabernacle at Mecca we greet you . . .' The Candidate must kneel before a Muslim altar, put his hand on the Koran (in some cases also a Bible), and take his horrible death oath calling upon the pagan god, Allah, for help: 'May Allah, the god of the Arab, Moslim and Mohammendan, the god of our father, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same, Amen, Amen, Amen" (The Mystic Shrine, an Illustrated Ritual of the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Rev, ed., Chicago: IL, Ezra Cook Publishers, n.d.. p. 2, as cited by Tom McKenney, Please Tell Me, Questions People Ask About Freemasonry And The Answers, Huntington House Publishers, Lafayette: LA, 1994, p. 39-40).

When we see the Shriner's at parades or their circuses, we should realize that they have made the compromise above in the name of the false god of Islam. James P. Wesberry, a 32 Mason and Baptist stated:

"While the true secrets of Masonry are lodged safely in the repository of faithful breasts, there are many things Masonry teaches that are not secret" (Dr. James P. Wesberry, 32 in Freemasonry and Religion).

If Masonry indeed dispenses important truth and light, how can a Christian take an oath to keep such truth secret. Indeed, whether the oaths are understood as literal or symbolic, Masons take them very seriously, refusing to discuss the inner workings of Masonry.

Who is in charge?

Masons will often respond to the information I have provided in this essay by saying that the Masonic writers were just giving their own opinions and do not represent the official position of Masonry. By this simple maneuver, the mason hopes to silence criticism. Is that fair? One Masonic writer, Jim Tesner, a Director of the Masonic Leadership Institute and a 33 member of the Scottish Rite, stated:

"Why is it so hard to find an official statement of Masonic dogma? Because there isn't such a thing. . . . Which Masonic writers does Masonry consider authoritative? None, if you mean 'authoritative' in the sense that they speak for the fraternity or that what they say is 'binding' upon Masons (Jim Tresner, Forward by Ed Waldon, Grand Master of Masons of Minnesota 1992-93, Conscience And The Craft-Questions on Religion and Freemasonry, Masonic Grand Lodge Of Minnesota, p. 5).

However, if Mr. Tresner is correct, we naturally wonder why we should believe him. If there are no authoritative voices that speak for Masonry, then Mr. Tresner is not authoritative voice either. Since the Masonic statements that I quoted are by respected and active Masons, and experts (Albert Mackey, Henry Wilson Coil, etc) to which they speak, published by Masonic publishing concerns, it seems that those who disagree with their statements are merely using the "no authoritative voice" claim as a device to escape valid criticisms of the Lodge.

It may be possible that some Masons themselves are not familiar with some of the information presented in this article, possibly, because they are only Blue Lodge members, and haven't advanced in either the York or Scottish Rites. They are welcome to check the information herein contained with more knowledgeable Masons to confirm its accuracy.

A Closing Challenge For Christians In The Lodge

I want to close by asking Masons why they want to be in the Masonic Lodge? What does membership in the Lodge offer that is not available in the Christian church? From the simple point of the amount of time invested, would not that time be better invested in serving Jesus Christ and his church? Peale observed the same thing: "I have always been interested as to why Masons devote so much time to their Fraternity" (Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, 33 , Freemasonry and Religion).

Is Satan using something that seems good to keep men away from God's best? Why spend time in Masonry trying to improve men's morals, when real change can only happen when the Holy Spirit enables men to become like Jesus Christ? What is the price you pay as a Mason by compromising your faith in Christ, joining together with those who worship false gods? Since prayer in Jesus name is generally forbidden in the Lodge, so as not to offend Masons of other religions, how can you be involved with such an organization that will not allow you to pray in the name of your Lord Jesus Christ?

Further, since you are not allowed to evangelize or share your faith with non-Christians in the Lodge, how can a Christian be a Mason? Not only can you not reach out to the lost in the Lodge with the gospel, but you even have to call these unbelievers "brothers." The words of Jesus Christ are appropriate:

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).

If you are a Christian that has been involved in the Lodge, I appeal to you to repent and turn back with a sincere and total devotion to Jesus Christ and his Church. God will indeed fruitfully reward your act of faith!

Pastor Steve Lagoon
Christian Apologetics Ministries