How can someone be a Christian and be a Mason?

Question

Christians should not try to keep secrets at all. People who may be trying to understand what Christianity is all about or how they may be able to get to Heaven could be confused be the secretive nature of someone who claims to be a Mason but also a Christian. Masons say they seek truth- well, Jesus IS truth! What more do you need? Was Jesus a mason? Was Jesus secretive about anything? I know what He is-- The Standard by which we should measure ourselves daily!

Answer 1

It looks like you are not asking a question to truly get an answer but to preach to your already converted. However, I will answer this on the chance that your mind and heart are still open to let the Spirit of Love and Fellowship taught by that most blessed Rabbi shine in.

For early Christians it was death to be known as a Christian. Not all Christians were publically known. Then during the times of Reformation, Anabaptists and Lutherans were tortured and killed by other Christians (Catholics) when found out. To reveal them to the authorities was to sign their death warrant. Hitler killed Masons. So did dictators in other countries including Portugal. And that was recently, too.

Did Jesus use a cell phone? Well, then no one should use one. Sorry, that logic does not work either. And I believe my studies taught me Jesus kept kosher. Don't see many of his followers doing that these days. Cheeseburgers? Shrimp? Yeah, those aren't kosher.

We do not know much of Jesus' life. Some do speculate He was an Essene. The Essenes had many secrets, wrote in coded language, wore ceremonial aprons. Some speculate part of Masonic heritage comes from the Essene community. Those who continued (broke away after John the Baptist was killed) set up a community in Iraq and were talked with in the 1980s. One wonders if they still exist since the latest "holy" war? Their rituals may have some clues to things Freemasons wonder about themselves.

And Masonic secrets? Is it a secret who is a Mason? Look on their cars. Look on their hands. Go to their Lodge buildings. Masons do not hide who they are.

What we do swear to do is hold safe a Brother's trust in us unless it is about a felony. We also do not go publishing about our rituals because we want our participants to experience those fresh without inner dialogue. You ever see a movie after having read the book? Yep, spend the entire time saying "Well, that isn't how it goes in the book!"

Jesus ate with and talked with all strata of society. He healed lepers. Later Paul took His message to folks that Jews would not talk with (the Gentiles). You folks are Christian because of Paul calling Brethren a wide spectrum of people. Freemasonry is NOT a Religion but we are a society to help aid mankind and to help teach morality.

We welcome in our ranks men (and in my Order women) of all faiths who believe in God, all colors of skin, who are of already good repute (we want no anarchists or people bent on destroying any religion or church), who are not slaves (slavery these days includes slaves to drugs and alcohol). We do our best to become better people and to help not only fellow Freemasons who are in distress but to help all of mankind.

Tell me you have not heard of the Shriners Hospitals? They treat kids who have been burned or hit with some crippling injury. You know how much the parents have to pay for that treatment? Nothing. Not a penny. No child is turned away. Shriners are all Freemasons; that is a requirement. One of my Lodges helps a women's shelter that puts up women and their children during the breakup of a relationship. I know all the Lodges helped out after Katrina. Masons have always stepped up to help when somone has been in distress. That is what we do.

We do good works not with the hope of going to Heaven. Some of our Brothers would tell you that it is by Faith in Jesus alone that gets one there. We do good works because we want this world to become better. I do it because when I start to feel sorry for myself, the best cure is to do something for someone else. How about you? Why do you do good things for others?

And for those who would quote Albert Pike's _Morals and Dogma_, know that there is no dogma in Freemasonry. The title is a joke for those who know such. Each Mason is free to speculate upon the degrees and working tools as he (or in our case, she) sees fit. We are a Speculative bunch of folks. No one tells you gospel. That is for the things we learn in Church, right? Bro. Pike had problems with Christianity. It shows.

Gerald Ford is a Freemason so was Harry S Truman (those are the last two Presidents of the US) so was FDR and Theodore Roosevelt.

Being a Freemason, at least in my Order, is not easy. You are called upon to study and to apply that to your daily life. You are challenged to live your life upright as a Plumb Rule, to treat everyone from begger on the street to prince and potentate on the Level, to make your dealings with men and most especially your God on the Square. I travel about 800 miles a month to attend my two Co-Masonic Lodges. In some aspects it is a little like Alcoholics Anonymous - not that I am a drinker, far from it - we go to support each other in a quest to become better.

You are never asked to become a member. You have to ask to join. So, you are welcome to decide on your own. I wonder at your motivation in posting these questions. Have you applied and been turned down?

How can someone be a Christian and a Mason? Do not believe all the temptation for hate and discord the Devil spreads on the Internet. "By their fruits ye shall know them." Look at what an organization does.

Whatever your brand of religion is, though, you have to be willing to sit as a Brother and treat as a Brother someone of a faith different from yours. I am sure you would do that in the Chamber of Commerce or in a war. At least I hope you would.

If I can be of service, feel free to write. If you wish to know about American Co-Masonry (Freemasonry for women and for men) please click on the link below.

I am a Master Mason in
Hiram Lodge No. 11 (Santa Cruz, CA)
Amon Ra Lodge No. 9 (Los Angeles, CA)
Sapientia Lodge of Research (Larkspur, CA)

BTW, my Bachelors of Science (1974) in Biology was at a Christian school, Baylor University, where I did make A's in OT and NT.

Answer 2

The origin of the Masonic order was in the middle ages. Actual stonemason, mostly employed in the building of Cathedrals, formed these groups to share the secrets of their craft. The math and geometry used to build large buildings was a huge trade secret, and you had to be a member to learn. It was basically to protect their jobs.

The modern Masons are just a bunch of old guys that have a boys club. They do charity work and make up excuses to go out with the their friends. I don't see any reason why being a mason should conflict with ones religion. Can Moose Lodge, and Lions Club members be good Christians?

And further more, the Grand Mason is just the president of a local chapter.

Answer 3

There's no incompatibility between Christianity and Masonry. There are plenty of people who are both. The Masons were the first organization in the world to categorically reject religious and racial discrimination. Long before a black man could worship in a white church, or a Jew be considered equal the masons taught equality and brotherhood and had mixed lodges. Today Masons do a lot of good work for charity and their communities, so what if they enjoy their rites and keep their secrets?

Answer 4

I think that both things are like water and oil. Masons are antichristians. In the XIX century they said that with the guts of the last Pope they would hang the last king of Italy.
They were always conspiring against the kings and similar, like , in the colonies, the people fighting for independency were mostly masons, and they were secretive because conspiration is not something that you can do in public.
Nowadays, there are practically no kings nor colonies, but they keep conspiring, who knows against what.
In Mexico, in the beginning of the XX century, the masons made a terrible war against Christians. Even recently, the Pope could not be received as Chief of State because the masons forbid it.
Just a few years ago, Salinas de Gortari made modifications to the constitution about this

Answer 5

I don't know enough about the Masons to say much, but anyone who joins a secretive society is sinning, in my opinion. Jesus didn't show favoritism and we are told repeatedly in the Bible that He is the way to heaven, not our good works or "religiousness". The Masons from what little I have heard seem like an "elite" group of do gooders. When you got the Lord, you don't need anything else to save you.
We are not to brag when we help others. Sometimes it seems like those type of groups just want special attention.

Answer 6

Not only are masons secretive, have you ever heard the term Grand Mason. Guess what that's all about. I don't think it's very christian, but then I guess it's not for me to judge.

Answer 7

I dont know but i see a lot of old guys at my church with those masonic rings. My grandpa was a mason too.