Ok, first let me admit that I know nothing about masons other than their recruiting pitch. So I have to ask, what is so bad about them? I have heard a great deal of pentecostal and protestant hoopla, but nothing that ever really sounded true, and definitely nothing that could be backed up by facts. I am not trying to be controversial, I truly want to know. What is the Orthodox stance on Masons. Why is it that way, and what are the sources.
Masons: What's so bad
This article affirms some of the more relevant information I have found in books. It is not a "conspiracy" article. If you read it, you will find it very informative, I think.
Masons (Freemasonry)
Christian or Anti-Christian?*
Freemasonry refers to the principles, institutions, and practices of the fraternal order of the Free and Accepted Masons. The largest worldwide society, Freemasonry is an organization of men based on the "fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man," using builders' tools as symbols to teach basic moral truths generally accepted by persons of good will. Their motto is "morality in which all men agree, that is, to be good men and true." It is religious in that a belief in a Supreme Being and in the immortality of the soul are the two prime requirements for membership, but it is nonsectarian in that no religious test is used.1 The purpose of Freemasonry is to enable men to meet in harmony, to promote friendship, and to be charitable. Its basic ideals are that all persons are the children of one God, that all persons are related to each other, and that the best way to worship God is to be of service to people.
Masons have no national headquarters as such, but the largest regional is the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction (35 Southern states), which is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. U.S. membership is claimed at about 3.5 million, with about five million worldwide. The basic unit of Freemasonry is the lodge, which exists under a charter issued by a grand lodge exercising administrative powers. The lodges are linked together informally by a system of mutual recognition between lodges that meet the Masonic requirements. The lodge confers three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. Additional degrees are conferred by two groups of advanced Freemasonry: the York Rite, which awards 12 degrees; and the Scottish Rite, which awards 30 higher degrees. In the United States and Canada, members have formed a large number of groups to enable them to expand their social and charitable activities. The best known of these groups is the Shriners (official name: "Ancient Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine"), who hold festive parades and support hospitals for crippled and burned children. (To be a Shriner, one must be a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, or its equivalent in the York Rite [Knights Templar]). [The 33rd degree is an honorary degree bestowed upon especially worthy masons who have accomplished outstanding work in such fields as religion and politics.]
Although only men (of at least 21 years of age) can be Masons, related organizations are available for their relatives -- there is the Order of the Eastern Star for Master Masons and their wives; the Order of De Molay for boys; and the Order of Job's Daughters and the Order of Rainbow for young girls. The Masonic Lodge has more than a hundred such fraternal organizations, including Daughters of the Nile, The Tall Cedars of Lebanon, The Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets Of The Enchanted Realm, The Knights Of The Red Cross Of Constantine, and The Blue Lodge.
Though some Masons trace their organization's origin back to the beginning of time (much of their teaching is tied to Solomon's temple, but they also claim that John the Baptist and the Apostle John were Masons), modern Masonry dates only to 1717. It was in that year that four lodges in Great Britain formed the first Grand Lodge of England, which became the Premier Grand Lodge of the world. Since that time, lodges have spread all over the world with local grand lodges formed whenever enough lodges exist in an area. Lodges first appeared in America in Philadelphia (1730) and Boston (1733).
The terminology and symbolism of Masonry seem to come mostly from the actual craft of stonemasonry during the Middle Ages. The "free" in Masonry probably came from the "freestones" (stones that could be cut without splitting) with which Mason's worked. Stonemasons had three classifications for workers practicing their craft: Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. As mentioned earlier, this is also the terminology used for the first three degrees in Masonry today.
Many allegories and symbols are used in Masonry. The old English Constitution refers to an ancient definition of the ancient craft: "Freemasonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbol," [Freemason' symbols can be made to mean almost anything a person chooses to make them; Master Masons take an oath, "Ever to conceal, never to reveal."2] It seeks to make good men better through the form of belief in "the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and the immortality of the soul."
Masonry was originally a means by which people in the occult could practice their "craft" and still remain respectable citizens. The official publication of "The Supreme Council 33" of Scottish Rite Freemasonry is titled New Age. Some church denominations are also led by avowed Masons. For example, a 1991 survey by the Southern Baptist Convention Sunday School Board found that 14% of SBC pastors and 18% of SBC deacon board chairs were Masons; it is also estimated that SBC members comprise 37% of total U.S. lodge membership. (A 2000 updated SBC report found that over 1,000 SBC pastors are Masons.)
Many other secret societies seem to be patterned after the Masons. L. James Rongstad says that Freemasonry "is the 'Granddaddy' of all lodges. Its teachings, rituals, customs and practices, and its secrecy have had an inspirational effect on other similar groups such as the Moose, Eagles, Elks, and the National Grange." Mormon Temple rites are also strikingly similar to Masonic Lodge practices (probably because Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, was also a Mason). Most of the rituals of today's college fraternities are also based more or less directly upon Masonic rituals.
The symbols on the back of the U.S. dollar bill (pyramid, all-seeing eye, the number of feathers on the eagle's spread wings, the stars above the eagle's head in the shape of the Star of David, and the mottos e pluribus unum [out of many one] and novus ordo seclorum [a new order of the ages]) also appear to emanate from Freemasonry; this would not be surprising considering many of America's so-called founding fathers were themselves Masons -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, John Hancock, John Paul Jones, Paul Revere, Robert Livingston, and 35 other lesser known men who were signers of the Declaration of Independence and/or the Constitution. (It should be noted that there were also a number of the founding fathers who condemned masonry: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, James Madison, Millard Fillmore, Daniel Webster, and Charles Sumner.) Other notable men in history who have been Freemasons include Mozart, Henry Ford, Rudyard Kipling, Gerald Ford, Norman Vincent Peale, Douglas MacArthur, and Will Rogers.
Since Masons are involved in so many worthy causes, many are unaware that Masonic leaders readily admit that Freemasonry is actually a religion, not merely a "fraternal, social, civic service organization." Joseph Fort Newton (1880-1950), an Episcopal minister and recognized authority in the Masonic world, said, "Masonry is not a religion but Religion -- not a church but a worship in which men of all religions may unite." In fact, Freemasonry even sees itself as superseding and unifying all religions. (At various times and places, Freemasonry has met religious and political opposition. Religious opponents, especially the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, have traditionally claimed that Freemasonry is a religion and is a secret organization.)
Henry Wilson Coil is the author of the encyclopedia that many lodges now accept as their authoritative source (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia). Coil says that if Freemasonry is not a religion, nothing would have to be added to make it such, and that the religious service at the funeral of a Mason is evidence enough that Freemasonry is a religion. But the fact that Freemasonry is religion would not necessarily condemn it, except that the views of the Masonic religion are in open conflict with Biblical Christianity, so much so that, in our opinion, a knowledgeable and committed Mason could not possibly be a true Christian.
Below is detailed what the Masons believe about their source of authority, God, Jesus Christ, sin, and salvation and future life:
- Source of Authority. Masons refer to the Bible as the "Volume of the Sacred Law" (V.S.L.), and it is considered an indispensable part of what is called "the furniture" in a Masonic Lodge. But the Bible is used only in a so-called "Christian" lodge -- the Hebrew Pentateuch is used in a Hebrew lodge, the Koran in a Mohammedan lodge, the Vedas in a Brahmin lodge, etc. Jim Shaw, a former 33rd degree Mason, says that Masonry is not based on the Bible (referred to as "The Great Light"), but on the Kabala (Cabala), a medieval book of mysticism and magic. Masonic authority Henry Wilson Coil also admits that the Kabala's teachings can be seen in some of the mystical and philosophical degrees of Masonry. Albert Pike (see next), the man responsible for virtually rewriting the Scottish Rite degrees into their present form, said that the Masonic "search after light" leads directly back to the Kabala, the ultimate source of Masonic beliefs (Morals and Dogma). [HJB]
One of the great authorities on Masonry was Albert Pike (1809-1901), Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Supreme Council of Scottish Right Freemasonry in the USA and "an honorary member of almost every Supreme Council in the world" (Albert G. Mackey, 33rd degree, and Charles T. McClenachan, 33rd degree, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, The Masonic History Company, 1921, rev. ed.; 2:564). Pike authored Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree, which was published by its authority. This compendium of official Masonic lore clearly traces Masonry to Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and other Eastern religions. Albert G. Mackey, co-author of Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, is also one of Masonry's highest authorities. In his Manual of the Lodge, he traces Masonic teaching back to "the ancient rites and mysteries practiced in the very bosom of pagan darkness. ..." (Albert G. Mackey, Manual of the Lodge, Macoy and Sickles, 1802, p. 96).
In the final analysis, Masons do not adjust their beliefs to fit the Bible, the Bible is adjusted to fit their beliefs. A Mason's loyalty is never to God but to the Lodge. Coil has concluded that: "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." Masonry's only concern is that each person must swear by the most holy book he knows, so that he will then keep the oaths of Freemasonry. (See Endnote #2 again.)
God. Masons require one to believe in God to be a member, but the candidate is never required to say what god he believes in -- "Masonry ... requires merely that you believe in some deity, give him what name you will ... any god will do, so he is your god" (Little Masonic Library, Macoy Publishing, 1977, 4:32). Masons commonly refer to their deity as the "Great Architect of the Universe" (G.A.O.T.U.) or the Supreme Being. God is further described as Grand Artificer, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge Above, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, or Great Geometer. (The "G" in the Masonic ring can refer to God; it can also refer to geometry.) Masons claim that the actual name for God has been lost (cf. Jn. 14:8,9; Phil. 2:9-11; 1 Jn. 5:20) [HJB].
Jesus Christ. The name of Christ is seldom referred to in Masonic literature, apparently due to Masons not wanting to offend their non-Christian members. Some Masonic leaders even teach that the Messiah will not be an individual, but "the perfection of the human race." One such leader thinks that the stories about various Messiahs have their origin in the most ancient of religious beliefs -- Solar Worship. Masons, therefore, consider the discussion about the deity of Christ to be an endless, futile argument. When quoting from the Bible, references to Christ are omitted, and prayer is never allowed to be offered (in a "well-ordered" lodge) in the name of Jesus Christ. Masons do not care whether a person privately petitions God or Jehovah, Allah or Buddha, Mohammed or Jesus, the God of Israel or the "Great First Cause," but in the Lodge, the only petition allowed is to the "Great Architect of the Universe." [HJB] Clearly then, Freemasonry does not believe that Jesus Christ is God, nor that salvation is available only through Him (cf. 1 Jn. 4:3). Freemasonry is a religion without a Savior.
At the heart of Masonry is a secret Luciferian doctrine which a Mason only comes to understand as he reaches the higher levels. Manly Palmer Hall, another of the great authorities on Masonry, writes, "When the Mason ... has learned the mystery of his Craft, the seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands. ..." (Manly Palmer Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, p. 48). The Apostle John warned that those who deny that Jesus is the only, all sufficient Christ, and that He came once and for all in the flesh, have embraced the spirit of Antichrist (1 Jn. 4:1-3). That Jesus was not the Christ, but that He had attained to the state of "Christ-consciousness" available to all mankind, is again part of Masonry: "Jesus of Nazareth had attained a level of consciousness, of perfection, that has been called by various names: cosmic consciousness, soul regeneration, philosophic initiation, spiritual illumination, Brahmic Splendor, Christ-consciousness" (Lynn F. Perkins, The Meaning of Masonry, CSA Press, 1971, p. 53).
Sin. Sin is seldom referred to in Masonic literature. The reality of sin in the Biblical sense is denied (much like the Christian Scientists); Masons think that any "shortcomings" can be overcome by greater enlightenment. Yet in attaining the degree of Master Mason, the symbolism implies that a person is redeemed from the death of sin and sin's pollution. [HJB]
Salvation and Future Life. Masons think that salvation refers to being brought from the material to the spiritual; i.e., when man returns to "his forgotten inherent spirituality." Masons believe that the degree of Master Mason is symbolical of old age, which allows a person to happily reflect on a well-spent life and to "die in the hope of a glorious immortality." Because they deny the reality of sin, Masons see no need of salvation in the Biblical sense. They see salvation as a step-by-step enlightenment, which comes through initiation into the Masonic degrees and their mysteries. [HJB]
In the 19th degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, the initiate is told that attachment to Masonry's "statutes and rules of the order" will make him "deserving of entering the celestial Jerusalem [heaven]." In the 28th degree, he is told that "the true Mason [is one] who raises himself by degrees till he reaches heaven" and that one of his duties is "To divest [him]self of original sin ..." Masons clearly teach a salvation by works, or character development, not a salvation by faith in Christ alone. Even in the 32nd Degree, a Mason never can nor will find the "light" he is looking for.
Endnotes
1 Sectarianism is simply the belief that one's faith has an exclusive corner on the Truth and that all others are false. In fact, Christianity is deemed by Freemasonry to be a sect, and Christians who believe in Jesus alone are said by Masons to be sectarian. Since it is revealed that their Masonic "God" hates sectarianism, in effect, Freemasonry's elite are admitting that they hate Jesus Christ. That is why the Masonic institution freely accepts Buddhists, Moslems, Zoroastrians, Voodooists, and even Satanists into its fraternal chambers. All are welcomed so long as each agrees that his particular religion is not exclusive. That would be sectarianism. However, Jesus Christ testified that He alone is the one true God, that He alone is "The Way, The Truth, and The Life." Therefore, all those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior refuse to give glory to any other deity. Every true Christian, in the strictest Masonic view, is therefore, necessarily hated and despised as a divisive, sectarian believer. (Source: 1/95, Flashpoint.) [Return to Text]
2 Most do not realize the terrible oaths that Masons are required to take for each advancing degree in this cult. Each Entering Apprentice, for example, is required to repeat:
"... most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will always hail, ever conceal, and never reveal, any of the arts, parts or points of the hidden mysteries of ancient Freemasonry. ... All this I most solemnly, sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform the same, without any mental reservation or secret evasion of mine whatever binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the rough sand of the sea at low water mark where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly or willingly violate my solemn oath and obligation as an Entered Apprentice Mason. So help me, God."
Each succeeding degree has a similar horrible oath and penalty connected with it. But Jesus commanded His followers to "not swear at all" (Matthew 5:34; James 5:12). In addition, Jesus would never sanction these required oaths, for He said: "I have said nothing in secret" (John 18:20). Masonry claims to have found the truth, and yet demands that its members swear never to reveal and always to conceal its teachings! -- How unlike true Christianity in which believers are commanded to "go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15). Masonry's methods stand condemned by the Word of God. [Return to Text]
Exact science must presently fall upon its own keen sword...from Skepsis there is a path to "second religiousness," which is the sequel and not the preface of the Culture.
Oswald Spengler
Albert Pike wrote this to a member of a lodge in Italy:
"We shall unleash the Nihilists and Atheists, and we shall provoke a formidable social cataclysm which in all its horror will show clearly to the nations the effects of absolute atheism, origin of savagery and of the most bloody turmoil. Then everywhere, the citizens, obliged to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will be from that moment without compass, anxious for an ideal, but without knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view, a manifestation which will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time."
Illustrious Albert Pike 33°
Letter 15 August 1871
Addressed to Grand Master Guiseppie Mazzini 33°
Archives British Museum
London, England
Exact science must presently fall upon its own keen sword...from Skepsis there is a path to "second religiousness," which is the sequel and not the preface of the Culture.
Oswald Spengler
A PASTORAL ENCYCLICAL
OF
HIS GRACE, BISHOP EPHRAIM OF BOSTON,
AND HIS GRACE, BISHOP MAKARIOS OF TORONTO
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To the Beloved and Pious Priests, Deacons, Monastics and Faithful Flock of
our North American Parishes
Beloved brethren and children in the Lord,
At our General Clergy Synaxis held in September of 1992, it was decided that an Encyclical be prepared on the question of Freemasonry. Already, articles in periodicals of our Church have documented how many non-Christian concepts and New Age ideas have infiltrated the Papal and Protestant denominations. With grief, we note that identical anti-Christian beliefs have appeared in statements made by ecumenistic, nominally Orthodox bishops.
We believe that the cause for this ominous development lies, in part, in the influence of Freemasonry. Most Protestants today see no problem with the Masonic movement, and hence, many are members of it. Although the Papacy still does not approve of membership in the Masonic lodge, its position in this ma membership in the Masonic lodge, its position in this matter became somewhat ambiguous when, on January 25, 1983, it officially dropped the penalty of excommunication against those of its adherents who had become members of Freemasonry.
On her part, the Orthodox Church has repeatedly condemned the Masonic movement. For example, Archbishop Cyprian of Cyprus (later slain by the Moslems) issued a very strong encyclical against Freemasonry on February 2, 1821. Likewise, Archbishop Hierotheus of Patras, Greece, published two comprehensive encyclicals against Masonry, one on October 5, 1897, and another on August 22, 1899.
In the circles of today's World Orthodoxy, however, the current hier- archy, for the most part, has maintained a steadfast silence on this subject. Although a few synods -- such as that of the State Church in Greece back in the 1930's -- took a stance against Freemasonry, other key churchmen of this century, including Ecumenical Patriarchs Meletius Metaxakis and Athenagoras, were acknowledged Freemasons. Furthermore, in recent decades, Masonic periodicals in Greece have published the names of patriarchs, metropolitans, and archbishops who, it is alleged, are members of the Masonic order. Yet, the hierarchs in question have consistently declined to refute these statements (Orthodoxos Typos, October 30, 1992). Some individuals have ascribed this to the oathss have ascribed this to the oaths of secrecy that Masons take.
Only the fact that they are members of the Masonic Lodge could explain why these prominent bishops evade giving a definite answer. They could praise the Masons' philanthropies and declare that there was nothing harmful for Orthodox Christians in the Lodge, but state that they were not members. Just as Patriarchs Demetrius of Constantinople and Parthenius of Alexandria lauded the Moslems, calling Mohammed a prophet of God, yet they could state honestly that they were not Moslems. Denying that they were members would not necessarily be a condemnation of Masonry; nonetheless, they refuse to answer.
It would appear, in fact, that many bishops of World Orthodoxy have capitulated. For example, the new calendar Greek religious newspaper, Orthodoxos Typos (December 9, 1988), openly laments: The leadership of many local new calendar Churches -- that is, bishops, other clergy,theologians, etc. -- have been overcome by Masonry. Well-known church leaders are accused of being Masons. And when they are asked if they are Masons, they avoid answering. A recent example is [the new calendar Archbishop] Iakovos of America, who, despite the challenge made by Orthodoxos Typos (Apr. 29, 1988) [that he answer this question], evaded taking any position on the subject of Masonry, although various periodicMasonry, although various periodicals accuse him of having joined its ranks. The usual response to this matter is, "But Freemasonry is not a religion, nor does it purport to be one." This, however, is not true. Perhaps the best response is to allow authoritative voices within the Masonic movement to speak for themselves. Clearly and without bias, they define Freemasonry's true nature.
One remarkable work on the subject of Masonry is J.W. Acker's Strange Altars (now out of print), which is the source of most of the citations that follow.
Let us begin with Albert G. Mackey, Past General Grand High Priest and Secretary General of the Supreme Council, 33rd degree, for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, and universally recognized authority on Freemasonry in the United States. In the Masonic Ritualist, Mackey writes, "Masonry is a religious institution" (p.44). On page 46 he says: "Freemasonry is indebted for its origin to its religious and philosophic character." Again, on page 14 he declares: "A lodge is said to be opened in the name of God and the holy Saints John [the Baptist and the Evangelist], as a declaration of the sacred and religious purposes of our meeting."
Charles C. Smith in The Builder, II, 50, writes: "Masonry is a branch upon the tree of religion. Masonry wn the tree of religion. Masonry without religion is like a branch severed from the vine. The particular lodge that is not permeated with the religious spirit is not true Masonry as such."
As J.W. Acker, the author of Strange Altars, observes: "Masonry has many of the featuresof a religious institution. The buildings in which Masons meet are called 'temples' and 'cathedrals.' The lodge hall is fitted out with an altar, upon which lies an open Bible. Each lodge has a chaplain, who opens and closes the meeting with prayers, and prefaces initiations and other ceremonies with petitions addressed to a Supreme Being. Speculative Freemasonry is a religious philosophy which pretends to the possession of divine truth."
In the Iowa Quarterly Bulletin of April 1917, (p.14), it is explicitly stated that Masonry is "a divinely appointed institution, designed to draw men nearer to God, to give them a clearer conception of their proper relationship to God as their Heavenly Father, to men as their brethren,and the ultimate destiny of the human soul." Mackey, in his book, Masonic Ritualist, (p.101), explains the purpose of the rites of the lodge: "Here must commence his Masonic labor -- here he must enter upon those glorious, though difficult, researches, the end of which is to be the possession of divine truth."
"
In Malcolm Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor, (p.50), an explanation is given of Freemasonry's plan of salvation and of how a good Mason may, through good works, obtain a blessed hereafter. Duncan writes that by the lambskin each Mason wears, he is reminded "of that purity of life and conduct which is essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the celestial lodge above where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides."
But if "purity of life and conduct" can, in themselves, accomplish all this, what need is there of Christ? Cannot an idolater or an agnostic accomplish the same? Furthermore, the "Supreme Architect of the Universe" cannot be the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for such a teaching would offend all Muslim and Jewish Masons.
As J.W. Acker notes, "Although Masonry is a religious institution, it is not a Christian institution. Witness its own authorities on this point. Chase in his Digest of Masonic Law,(p.208), says: 'Blue Masonry (the first three degrees) has nothing whatever to do with the Bible. It is not founded on the Bible. If it were, it would not be Masonry.'"
What is Masonry's view of the Bible? Asahel W. Gage in The Builder, I, 235, writes: "God's Holy Book, His revelation to us, is the guide in ourevelation to us, is the guide in our search for light. To the Jew this Holy book is the history of Israel, substantially the Old Testament. To the Christian it is the Old and New Testaments. To the Mohammedan, it is the Koran; to the Hindu, the Veda. But whatever book it is, it is the Holy Book of the seeker for Light and that which he believes to be the Word of God. The Holy Book, together with the square and compasses are the great lights of Masonry." From this statment it should be obvious that Masonry places the books of other religions on an equal footing with the Bible.
The Iowa Quarterly Bulletin, July 1915, (p.17), has the following quotation: "Therefore [Masonry] invites to its altar men of all faiths, knowing 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." As Acker remarks, "Though the Bible is open on the altars of Masonic lodges in this country, that does not mean that it is regarded by them as the only or chief source of revelation. All Masons are reading 'the same vast Book of the Faith of Man.'"
What attitude does Masonry have toward God? Ward, in Freemasonry: Its Aims and Ideals, (p.187), writes: "Freemasonry has taught that each man can, by himself, work out his own conc himself, work out his own conception of God and thereby achieve salvation." In New Age (January 1943, p.33), we find these verses:
The one Great God looked down and smiled
And counted each his loving child
For Turk and Brahman, Monk and Jew,
Had reached Him through the God he knew.
"Now," writes Acker, "if after reviewing these citations from Masonic authorities a Christian nevertheless feels that he can conscientiously worship the Trinity at the Altar of Masonry, he should consider that in the 'Holy' Royal Arch Degree of Masonry the ['Lost Word'of the original 'Three Grand Masters'] is claimed to have been rediscovered after 470 years and is revealed as 'Jah-Bul-On.' This is the Masonic Trinity. 'Jah' is an abbreviation for the Hebrew name for God, Jahweh, or Jehovah; 'Bul' or 'Bal' is the name for the Assyrian deity [Baal]; 'On'is the designation for the god of the Egyptians, or, as some contend, the god of the sun, [since the Egyptian city of On -- Heliopolis -- was identified with sun-worship]. In the face of this Masonic concept of God, how can the Christian maintain that he is not guilty of an act of blasphemy if he worships at the altar of Masonry erected to this non-existent idol? Should not such an altar be for him a Strangould not such an altar be for him a Strange Altar?
In short, the Masonic concept of God is deism. Or, more popularly expressed, 'Any god will do.' Now, if this view of God is permitted to permeate the Church, and its members are allowed to subscribe to such a notion of God in becoming members of the Masonic fraternity,the Church, to be consistent, should abandon all mission work, particularly in foreign fields. Why should we spend millions of dollars in sending missionaries to India, Japan, New Guinea, Africa, etc., and in supporting their work there? Why should we ask young men and women to sacrifice many of the best years of their lives in bringing the Gospel of Christ to pagans, if, after all, the heathen idol is just another true representation of the 'one God and Father of us all,' if it makes no difference by what name God is called, so long as you worship Him under somename and by some cult?
This mentality, beloved faithful, explains why a Russian Orthodox bishop can say that he intends to print the Koran for Soviet Muslims; it explains why a Greek Orthodox patriarch can say with impunity, "When I speak against...Buddhism, then I am not found in agreement with God"; it explains why a pope of Rome can take part in pagan rites and allow statues of Buddha to be placed on top of papal altars, and have Hindu deities invoked in papal churches; it explains win papal churches; it explains why participants at the General Assemblies of the World Council of Churches can invoke the "dead" spirit of Jesus and sponsor pagan ceremonies and prayers to various heathen deities.
In other words, "Any god will do."
Obviously, something has gone very wrong within the fabric of these "Christian" denominations if they are now party to or condone this sort of thinking.
Beloved faithful, much more could be said about Freemasonry's inherently syncretistic and anti-Christian character, but what we have noted above is sufficient for any intelligent Orthodox Christian. It is clear even from these few Masonic sources which we have quoted that Freemasonry's religious character is an established fact. Since this is the case, surely, is it not absolutely mandatory, especially for the current patriarchs of today's "official Orthodoxy" and,in particular, the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Patriarch of Alexandria, the Patriarch of Antioch, and their exarchates abroad -- to pronounce their condemnation of this pagan-inclusive and deistic religion that has led so many people astray?
The issue is clear and requires only a simple statement on the part of these churchmen: One cannot be an Orthodox Christian and a Freemason at the same time.
If such a statement is not issue
If such a statement is not issued, it will only provide additional proof of what we have been saying all along: the bishops of these jurisdictions have ceased being Orthodox.
Just recently, on April 9, 1993, prompted by a petition signed by 11,000 laypeople, the new calendar Church of Cyprus condemned Freemasonry as a religion incompatible with Christianity. Would that the hierarchy of the other Patriarchiates and Local Churches followed suit and took a similar step in the right direction.
By means of this encyclical, beloved faithful in the Lord, the clergy of our Church felt that it was our pastoral duty to set forth our concern regarding the Masonic religion -- not only for our own flocks, which, thank God, are informed in this matter -- but primarily in order to make known once again the Church's position on this subject, and also to draw attention to Masonry's anti-Christian tenets and the active role these principles play in today's religious life -- especially in the Ecumenical Movement.
In this matter, it is important that all of us, clergy and laypeople alike, take a stand; for all Orthodox Christians are called upon to defend and uphold the Holy Orthodox Faith, no matter what their rank may be.
In their reply to Pope Pius IX in 1848, the Orthodox Patriarchs declared that:
<
Among us, neither Patriarchs nor Councils were ever able
to introduce innovations, because the defender of Religion
is the very Body of the Church, that is, the people themselves.
Likewise, Saint Theodore the Studite teaches us:
It is a commandment of the Lord that we should not be
silent when the Faith is in peril.So, when it is a matter
of the Faith, one cannot say, "What am I? A priest, a
ruler, a soldier, a farmer, a poor man? I have no say or
concern in this matter." Alas! the stones shall cry out,
and you remain silent and unconcerned?
(PG 99, 1321 AB)
Therefore, beloved, let us devote ourselves to the study of our holy Faith, so that, not only in this matter, but in all matters that pertain to the Orthodox Faith we may, "be ready always togive an answer to every man concerning the hope that is in us" (cf. I Peter 3:15).
With these sentiments, we pray that the grace, peace, love, and truth of our Saviour, the all-holy Theotokos, and of all the Saints be with you all, ever protectioly Theotokos, and of all the Saints be with you all, ever protecting you from the snares ofthe enemy of our salvation, and guiding your footsteps in the truth. Amen.
Sunday of All Saints
Protocol Number 518
Your fervent suppliants unto God,
Ephraim, Bishop of Boston
and
Makarios, Bishop of Toronto
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Acker, J.W. Strange Altars, A Scriptural Appraisal of the Lodge. St. Louis: Concordia Press, 1965.
Duncan, Malcolm C. Masonic Ritual and Monitor. Chicago: Ezra A. Cook, 1947.
Hannah, Walton. Christian by Degrees. London: Britons Publishing Co., 1964.
Mackey, Dr. Albert G. Masonic Ritualist. New York: Maynard©Merrill & Co. A Masonic monitor containing charges, general regulations, emblems, and accounts of the public ceremonies of the order.
The Builder. A Journal for the Masonic Student, published by the National Masonic Research Society, Anamosa, Iowa. The editor is appointed under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Iowa.
New Age. Published in Washington, D.C., this is the official American organ of the Supreme Council, 33rd Degree of the Scottish Rite, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons.
Quarterly Bulletin of the Iowa Masonic Library. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. An official publication of the Grand Lodge of Iowa.
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My late grandfather was a Freemason for most of his life. When he left the Masons he mysteriously lost his gas station/repair shop; he lived in a small town with a small lodge. I also occasionally talked to him about religion. Once I mentioned holy water when talking about baptisms and he said, "All water is holy." Perhaps it was just his partial Native American ancestry talking but it does not explain the twenty years he spent as an active big shot at the local lodge. My mom told me that when she was a kid she used to hear him practicing "speaking in tongues" in the basement. Apparently a part of some odd Masonic ritual. My grandpa and the few other Masons I have met were only nominally Protestant,(United Methodists and Lutherans) and did not and do not seem to take Christianity too seriously. Basically the Masons great ruse is that at the local level it is able to convince members that it is not anti-Christian but just preaches a vague Universalist doctrine of Salvation that tends to please most common men who are poorly catechized, if at all, in their religion, usually Protestant. The Masons are currently dying out and while I admit they still pose a threat most of those at the local level are just regular old men.