Freemasonry: an occult society in practise or false religion? True or not true?

Question

Per Albert Spike (Supreme Pontiff of Universal Freemansonry):
1.A Mason does not know what is really going on until he gets up to the higher degress of Freemasonry. He is intentionally misled by misinterpretation (from:Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry,1950) - a clear secrecy and more lies?
2. "Freemasonry is a universal, eternal, immutable religion" - a society with secrets as they prefer to see
3. With Manly Hall: both stated that Lucifer is the god of Freemasonry: using the name of GAOUTO (the devil) - the only true god of Freemasonry and using the secret name of JAH BUL ON. JAH:means Jehovah, BUL: is Baal fertility god,ON: name of Egyptian god - in summary, the god of the underworld!
Ian Gordon-an ex-mason in his The Craft and the Cross states: secrets, secrets, secrets everywhere, more secrets to be revealed later then still more as one moves upwards through the degrees towards the ultimate 33rd!

Answer 1

Right on all counts!

Answer 2

Not true. Freemasonry is neither an occurlt society in practice nor a false religion.

To make a slightly different point --- I am assuming you know what The True Religion is??? By definition there could only be one, but Truth requires proof, and religion is based on faith...

The points you quote are the same misunderstood quotes that every anti-mason points out.

Please provide the quote by Manly Hall you are referring to.

There are no secrets, Gordon is just telling you what you want to hear so you'll buy his stuff and he can make money off of you.

Incidentally, Albert Pike (not Albert Spike...) is hardly know outside of the US, and even in the US, almost no freemason has read any of his writings; he was head of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite. Also, there is NO such thing/person/title as "Supreme Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry" that was a fabrication of anti-masons....it does sound cool though, in a "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" cartoon sort of way --- that is the mental level of the typical anti-mason.

to some other responses:

* Wrong on all counts; study the Catholic position on freemasonry and you will learn it is based on lies (admitted to be such by the Vatican) and spread by uneducated zealots
* There is no secret work in freemasonry
* Don't forget Hitler was a christian as are all the skinheads, etc... oh yeah it was the Catholic church that started the Crusades, caused the "Dark Ages" and another Christian branch in England that went around killing anyone who was not Protestant...and that doesn't even consider the Teutonic Knights... but let's not digress into this sort of a point/counter-point discussion. If you will --- let's be Christian and spread peace, love, charity, and sympathy rather than lies and hatred.
* there are no masonic graveyards, most masons are buried in their religion's graveyard (catholic, protestant, etc...)
* the Shrine is not "about as high as you can go"....
* DeMolay is a co-masonic body in the US; I've never heard any mason claim they weren't... I don't know what DeMolay you studied, but there is nothing remotely like the garbage the anti-masons spew in any of it...

Answer 3

Albert Pike as a mason speaks only for himself. Masonry is not an occult society nor a religion. In Pike's time (what over 100+ years ago) many people, masons or not, were interested in various "spiritual/occult/weird" practices, this tradition has not carried on into today's masonry.

Edit:
Ian Gordon obviouly has no clue as the 33rd degree is an honorary degree given for great service andoften to non-masons. It also is only applicable to one "branch" or rite, and has no bearing n the rest of the masonic family.

Answer 4

Free Masons are a bunch of old farts getting together and doing stuff. More often than not they are doing something to help the cities where they live. My grand father was a free Mason and high up in the club. Nothing sinister was going on. And brfore you say he was not high enought to know anything he was about to become Shanier, not spelled right.. About as high as you can go. He was given the honor of be buried in the masona graveyard.

Answer 5

Not true!!!

I am a 32nd degree mason and a Shriner.

If you ever have any serious questions, not the anti-mason junk that has been around for over 100 years, I would be glad to answer them for you.

Dan

Answer 6

Not true Freemasonry is a fraternal organization. >>> read

When A Man Is A Mason by Dr. J.F. Newton
* When he can look out over the rivers, the hills and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and courage - which is the root of every virtue.
* When he knows that down in his heart that every man is as noble, as vile, as divine, as diabolic, and as lonely as himself, and seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellow man.
* When he knows how to sympathise with men in their sorrows, yes, even in their sins, knowing that each man fights hard against many odds.
* When he has learned how to make friends, and keep them, and above all, how to keep friends with himself.
* When he loves flowers, can hunt birds without a gun, and feels the thrill of an old forgotten joy when he hears the laugh of a child.
* When he can be happy and high-minded amid the meaner drudgeries of life.
* When the star-crowned trees and the glint of sunlight on flowing waters subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead.
* When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid, without response.
* When he finds good in every faith that helps any man to lay hold of divine things and see majestic meanings of life, whatever the name of that faith may be.
* When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something beyond mud, and into the face of the most forlorn fellow mortal and see something beyond sin.
* When he know how to pray, how to love, how to hope.
* When he has kept faith with himself, with his fellow man, with his God; In his hand a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of a song, glad to live, but not afraid to die!
* Such a man has found the only real secret of Masonry, and the one which it is trying to give all the world.

Answer 7

Not true - not an occult society nor their own religion. They are merely a Fraternal Order who at least in my community does a lot of charity work and is very community active.

Many of my male ancestors were Masons.

George Washington was a Mason also, yet I don't see anyone knocking him for it.

Answer 8

This pretty well hits the nail on the head. When I became a Christian, I denounced my association with DeMolay which is, protestations notwithstanding, a junior Masons.

Answer 9

No, it's just a social fraternity for men. You're reading into it way too much.

Answer 10

Doesn't sound good to me .

I feel bad for the rest of the guys then, the secret may work against them. ; )

take care now you hear !

Answer 11

I thought you christians were supposed to be the persecuted ones, but instead I see christians lying about and persecuting all others that they don't understand and disagree with