What is Freemasonry & Eastern Star?

What is Freemasony & Eastern Star?

FIRST 3 LEVELS - BLUE LODGE Structure of Freemasonry Freemasonry is separated into several groups.  First, an initiate must ask to be a Freemason and starts his pathway by entering into the Blue Lodge, where he goes through the first three degrees.  Once this has been accomplished, he can choose to advance through either or both legs of advancement, the Scottish Rite or the York Rite, as well as he can petition for membership in the Shrine. FIRST 3 LEVELS - BLUE LODGE 1° Entered Apprentice 2° Fellow craft 3° Master Mason Source: http://www.guthriescottishrite.org/degrees4-14.html

SYMBOLS OF FREEMASONRY

What is Freemasonry? Freemasonry is a "Fraternal Order" which has a plan of salvation. The Masonic plan of salvation does not require faith in Jesus Christ, but rather depends on imitating Hiram Abiff. At many places, Masonic ritual encourages Masons to believe that they will go to heaven. Consider the Covering of a Lodge: it is "a clouded canopy or star-decked heaven where all good Masons hope at last to arrive.

What is Freemasonry? Who are Master Masons? They include Hindus, Moslems, Buddhists, Jews and men of many other religions which reject the claims of Jesus. Freemasonry is encouraging false hope in unsaved men. Just after Hiram is raised, ritual tells us that we should imitate Hiram Abiff so that we can welcome death and get into heaven.

The Freemasons' 'god', p.236 In the ritual of exaltation, the name of the Great Architect of the Universe [The Freemason's god] is revealed as JAH-BUL-ON - not a general umbrella term but a precise designation that describes a specific supernatural being - a compound deity composed of three separate personalities fused in one. Each syllable of the 'ineffable name' represents one personality of this Trinity: JAH -Jahweh, The God of the Hebrews. BUL - Baal, the ancient Canaanite fertility god associated with 'licentious rites of imitative magic'. ON - Osiris, the Ancient Egyptian god of the underworld.

Freemasonry as a Religion Albert Pike, the noted Masonic scholar, said that "it is the universal, eternal, immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity."(9) Pike, in his book Morals and Dogma, says this about religion and Freemasonry: "Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion."(10) According to the modern day interpreters of Masonry, it has now taken its logical place as the unifier of all religions.

Freemasonry as a Religion Albert Pike was even more direct when he stated, "The Blue Degrees are but the outer court of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry."(14)

Freemasonry as a Religion The Masonic god is all-inclusive and all-embracing. All potential Masons must acknowledge a "God" in order to gain membership in the Lodge, but there is no definite criteria regarding which "God" is implied or what "God" is acceptable. In other words, the biblical God is reduced to the level of all the other gods and at the same time rendered as equal with the false gods of those religions. Therefore, Christianity is stripped of its uniqueness as the one true religion that offers humanity its only hope for salvation.

The Masonic Jesus Jesus Christ is not to be looked upon as God incarnate, or as the Savior of humanity, but He is to be considered as no different than any other great spiritual leader or guru. To follow through with this conclusion, the Lodge does not permit the name of Jesus or Christ to be used in any of its prayers or rituals.

The Masonic Jesus Masonic prayers are not to include the name of Jesus Christ, but they are to refer to the Great Architect of the Universe. The Maryland Master Mason magazine offered this statement concerning prayer in the Lodge: "All prayers in Mason lodges should be directed to the one deity to whom all Masons refer to as the Grand Architect of the Universe."(19)

Masonic Light and Darkness "Freemasons are emphatically called the Sons of Light, because they are in possession of the true meaning of the symbol; while the profane or uninitiated who have not received this knowledge are said to be in darkness."(21) In other words, the Mason has been delivered from the darkness into the light and is elevated above those who have not received the initiation into the degrees and mysteries of Freemasonry.

Masonic Light and Darkness The Mason is faced with this dilemma: if the Lodge has the Light that mankind is looking for and if Jesus is that Light, how is it then that Jesus is not to be mentioned in the Lodge if He is indeed the Light of the world?(24) This idea becomes increasingly difficult when the Christian attempts to reconcile what the Bible says regarding Jesus and what the Craft says about the presence of Jesus in the Lodge.

The Hidden Things of Freemasonry Masonry has numerous symbols. For the Christian, Masonry utilizes the Bible as one of its symbols as it uses the Koran, the Vedas, the Gita, or any other "holy" book. When the Christian candidate sees the Bible on the Masonic altar and hears the Bible referenced to in the rituals, he assumes that Freemasonry is indeed Christian as he has, most likely, been told. However, the Bible is seen only as a symbol by the Lodge, as are all the other "holy" books of other religions.

Freemasonry is Tolerant of All Religions! Albert Pike, 33rd degree Mason and author of Morals and Dogma, p.226 wrote: "Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God who is above all the Baalim, must needs leave it to each of its Initiates to look for the foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own religion.”

Freemasonry Places the Bible as Equal to all other Religious Books "The Book of the Law shall be an indispensable article of the lodge furniture. This book, however, need not necessarily be the Holy Bible; but according to the religious faith of the members of the lodge. It may be the Koran, the Zend Avesta, or the Vedas or Shasters. (The Freemasons Pocket Companion, p.44-45)

FREEMASONIC OATHS ".. binding myself under no less penalty that of having throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, a cable length from the shore where the tide.." - from the oath of obligation Entered Apprentice/First Degree.------------- ".. binding myself under no less penalty than having my left Breast torn open, my heart plucked out, and given to the beasts of the field and fowls of the air as prey." - from the oath of obligation, Fellow craft/Second Degree.------------- ".. binding myself under no less penalty that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken out and burned to ashes, the ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven.." - from the oath of obligation, Master Mason / Third Degree.---------------- " .. in willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to thru center with a three edged blade, my feet flayed and forced to walk the hot sands upon the sterile shores of the red sea until the flaming Sun shall strike with a livid plague, and may Allah the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same." - from the oath of obligation, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ("Shriners")-------------- "You must conceal all the crimes of your brother Masons... and should you be summoned as a witness against a brother Mason be always sure to shield him.. It may be perjury to do this, it is true, but your keeping your obligations." - Ronayne, Handbook of Masonry p. 183 SOURCE: http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/NWO/Freemasonry.htm

Freemasonry and the United States

THE UNITED STATES Washington, George – Master of Grand Lodge of Maryland – “The United states was, and is, the “Great Masonic Experiment” (http://www.masonicsites.org/blue/georgewashington2.htm, http://www.masonicinfo.com/famous2.htm

IN GOD WE TRUST? In God We Trust – When an initiate [Entered Apprentice] in the Blue Lodge kneels before the altar of Freemasonry, they are asked the question: “In whom do you put your trust?” The answer is: “In God I trust.” This is the same message on all US coins. Unfortunately, the god of Freemasonry is GAOTU not the true God. Sources: http://www.mastermason.com/3rdnorthern/library/stb-96-09.htm

Freemason- Founded Businesses

Freemason- Founded Organisations

The Mason falls within one of four categories regarding his continued relationship with the Lodge First, there are some who do not have a clear knowledge of Christianity. They believe that religion and Christianity are the same and that if someone uses the Scriptures, that person must be a Christian. A second category would be those who do not know what Masonry is and what it teaches. They are not only uninformed about Christianity but are equally uninformed about the teachings of Freemasonry. These individuals are without any theological foundation on which to discern truth from error. Likewise, they are often ignorant of the occult direction the Lodge has taken over the past few decades.

The Mason falls within one of four categories regarding his continued relationship with the Lodge 3. A third group is made up of individuals who profess Christ, yet continue as Masons regardless of how much they know about Christianity and Freemasonry. They are indeed in a state of rebellion and have chosen not to follow the truth of Christ. 4. The final group are those who profess Christ and yet have abandoned the Christian faith. Those who have embraced this position are essentially Unitarian in their belief. They no longer hold to the absolute deity of Christ or His blood atonement.

Breaking the Lies of Freemasonry - Not all roads lead to God. The only way to God is through Jesus Christ. (Proverbs 14:12; John 14:6) - Humans are essentially evil and need the blood of Jesus Christ to purify them. They must repent of their sins and turn to God in faith in Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23; Luke 13:5) - There is no dualism with God. God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all! (1 John 1:5)

- God will punish all those who follow other gods - God will punish all those who follow other gods. The first commandment is to have no other gods besides Him. (Exodus 20:3) Masons who swear to other gods invite Almighty God’s wrath. - Freemasonry denies the Deity of Jesus Christ. However, Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh. He is God and always will be! (John 1:1; John 8:58; John 10:30; 2 Corinthians 13:14) - Freemasonry exalts man in the place of God; however, God resists the proud, and will judge them, but gives grace to the humble who repent and put their trust in Him. (James 4:6)

SO… The Mason who is a Christian is put in a very difficult position. Therefore, the Mason must ask himself whether he can, in good faith, remain a part of an organization that devalues the God of Christianity.