Freemasonry
It's a network for professionals who raise money for charity. One of the requirements for joining is that you have to believe in God. My grandfather was a freemason. There was nothing sinister about him. Don't believe idle tittle tattle from people who don't like anything to be kept in the dark. Invite your neighbour round for coffee instead.
Pardon me for being ignorant, but does all this idle tittle tattle, mean the libraries of stuff written about Freemasonry..............what Gods do they worship. Enlighten me Paul.
Hello Dawn,
Have a look at the following link from an USA website
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/masonry.html
It is quite a long article so I have not posted any of it, as it goes over the 10 sentence rule!
I have a friend who goes along to many of the mason fundraising balls. She informed me that a rule for being a member is that there must be a belief in a higher being. i.e. belief in a God, but not a particular God, therefore you do not have to belong to a certain religion. She claims there is nothing sinister at all and I am inclined to believe her. Of course that does not mean that I approve of "Jobs for the boys" that is rumoured to go hand in hand with Freemasonry.
Interesting article Tim especially the way the true secrets are kept from the new intake and revealed by degree as and when they can be trusted, leaving a lot of people in the dark as to what they are involved in and where it is leading them. If there is nothing to be ashamed of why keep it secret and why deliberately mislead people. I smell a rat !
While I do not think it is likely that you will have your neighbour trying to induct you or anything like that...just remember Jesus did nothing in secret or keep anything from others in the way Freemasons do. That would set alarm bells off. I have read a lot about them and watched several good DVD's too.
The deeper you look into what they actually believe the more alarming it is (including their initiation rites, Baal worship etc). I haven't really got a lot of time now to write anymore...I will later and provide books (some from ex-Masons) and DVD's that you should be aware of.
I agree with Steven148 that you probably won;t find yourself being pressured to join the Masons. However, I'd encourage you to pray and seek God, and to come under His protection as we all should. Remember: you are in the light, and the darkness has not overcome it. Who knows what glorious opportunities He will open up.
Freemasonry has strong religious elements, and many people who have been healed (by God) of sicknesses and other issues have received their healing when attachments to Freemasonry (even going back several generations) have been broken. A healing ministry called Sozo (www.sozo.org.uk) produces good material on this. You'll find good books and personal testimonies of former Masons in your local Christian bookshop.
PS re "nothing sinister" - that's very much a matter of definition. Clearly they aren't the Nazis, and they don't do child sacrifice.
However, they do lift up a god who is clearly not the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, because they state that any deity from Allah to Vishnu may be acceptable as the Supreme Being (thus breaking the first of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods besides me," and ignoring Jesus' saying, "I am the way, the truth and the life; nobody comes to the Father except through me." in John 14:6); they encourage covenant relationships with this god and their organisation, and if I have understood correctly they exercise a considerable amount of control over members in very subtle ways.
They do not stand on the gospel of repentance from sin and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and that alone ought to mark them out as unsuitable for Christians.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Masonry
Is there an element of truth a lot of Actors and musicians are free masons? If they are why would they be one?
Sorry guys...just got back from Bible Study...
The Masons can be traced back to Biblical times through the worship of Baal. This false god was called the "god of corn" and we can see the links between this pagan god and the Masons even today...we only need to look at buildings (many especially in places like Washington DC and London) where there are Baal figureheads carved into them (with ears of corn to show who this person really is).
When Freemasons conduct ceremonies involving the cornerstone of new buildings today they pour oil, wine and corn onto it. This is supposed to represent...joy (oil), corn (plenty), and wine (refreshment). However such symbolic references have many levels of meaning. Symbols reveal and they also CONCEAL. While the Masons will have you believe that these 3 things represent what I have just stated, they have a deeper, hidden meaning (Baal worship). What I mean by this is that Masons have at least 2 different meanings to their symbolism...esoteric meanings and exoteric meanings. The esoteric meaning is the real meaning behind a symbol...only given to a select few (even some Masons do not know the real meaning behind the society)...however...the exoteric meaning is what is given to the majority (and this is not the real, honest meaning). This is very important when looking into what they believe and practice.
I have no doubt that some Masons have no idea what really goes on at the very top of such a secret society. There are 33 degrees of Masonary (the most commonly accepted number anyway to my knowledge) with most average people like the person who has moved next door to the member on here, never getting beyond the 1st or 2nd degree.
One of the oaths that they have to swear by goes like this...and I'll quote:
I DO HEARBY SWEAR THAT I WILL ALWAYS CONCEAL AND NEVER REVEAL ANY OF THE SECRETS OF MASONARY TO ANY PERSON. IF I DO (I CONSENT TO) HAVING MY THROAT CUT FROM EAR TO EAR, MY TONGUE TORN OUT AT THE ROOTS, MY BODY BURIED IN THE SEA AT THE LOW WATER MARK.
Now Jesus said in Matt 5:34 not to swear at all (see also James 5:12) This is in obvious contradiction to what Christ wants us to do. In John 18:20 Jesus said "in secret I have said nothing" so why do those who profess to be Christian do such things in Freemasonary?
Albert Pike, generally regarded by many as being the most famous mason there has ever been said of who they really worship:
THAT WHICH WE MUST SAY TO THE CROWD IS:WE WORSHIP A GOD...BUT IT IS THE GOD THAT ADORNS WITHOUT SUPERSTITION. TO YOU SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTORS GENERAL WE SAY THIS...THAT YOU MAY REPREAT THIS TO THE 32ND, 31ST AND 30TH DEGREES...THE MASONIC RELIGION SHOULD BE...BY ALL OF US INITIATES OF THE HIGH DEGREES...MAINTAINED IN THE PURITY OF THE LUCIFERIAN DOCTRINE....YES LUCIFER IS GOD. (JULY 14 1889...instructions given to others within the Freemason society)
There are many good DVD's on such topics. I would recommend RIDDLES IN STONE. It is absolutely brilliant at exposing what exactly they believe, despite what they tell you. I cannot recommend it highly enough!!! It is simply awesome.
The bottom line is that Masonary is nothing more than pagan worship at best, at worst...Satanic. No Christian should have anything to do with it. If you are in the Masons...get out.
Hi Dawn, I echo peoples concerns voiced above about Masonary.
Put on your Ephesians 6 full armour of God, He is your refuge and strength.
Greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world. 1Jn 4v4
A lot of actors and musicians may well be in this but they're in my opinion
just trying to network/get ahead .. far better to focus on God. God Bless.
hi all my father became a christian just before he became the worshipful master at the main london lodge.he is with the lord now but after attending a sozo conference.The truth of the scret society showed how dark the inauguaration ceremonies are.Jesus is the king and we dont have to fear but be wise and ask jesus to show the light of himself to those caught in its grip.
If Freemasonry were just a 'harmless bit of fun' or nothing more than just a social club for men, then why do they take it so seriously and why are they so fearful and defensive when you question them?
(My view of the psychology behind it: A club for people desperate to belong to something and feel the security of having pseudo-father-figures to worship and provide approval.)
I recently went to the freemason hall in london as they have an exhibition. Best to look into it for yourself. Perhaps you could chat with him. There is lots of hype but it is difficult to pin down things as they were considered a secret society and now a society of secrets.. I think it is that way round. Not sure if he would chat with you about it but always worth a try.
p.s I am not saying look into it to join, just to make that clear!!
I have just heard that my new neighbour is The Worshipful Master of our local Lodge! I don't know anything about Freemasons, should I be concerned? Is a spiritual battle about to take place or is it all harmless nonsense?