By Jarrod Jacobs
The religion of Masonry dates itself back to the time of Solomon. It is said that a man named Hiram Abiff (the widow’s son and architect of the Temple) was attacked by three of his fellow-workers (Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum) during construction of the Temple. These three men met Hiram after he had worshiped in the Temple, and one after another accosted and beat him because he refused to give them the Master Masons’ word, or secrets of the Master Mason, which would allow them to receive wages as a Master Mason in other countries after the Temple was built. At Hiram Abiff ’s refusal to tell any of the three the words, he was subsequently killed. A short time later, these three men were discovered as the murderers of Hiram Abiff and they were executed tor their crime.
Thus, begins the religion of Freemasonry. Hiram Abiff is put on an equal plane with Jesus Christ. Masons consider Hiram Abiff to be their redeemer. Please read the following (emphasis mine, JJ): “All antiquity solved the enigma of the existence of evil by supposing the existence of a Principle of Evil, of demons, fallen angels, an Ahriman, a Typhon, a Sivi, A Loki, or a Satan, that, first falling them- selves, and plunged into misery and darkness, tempted man to his fall and brought sin into the world. All believed in a future life, to be attained by purification and trials; in a state of successive states of reward and punishment; and in a Mediator or Redeemer by whom the Evil Principal was to be overcome and Supreme Deity reconciled to His creatures. The belief was general that He was to be born of a virgin and suffer a painful death. The Hindus called him Krishma; the Chinese, Kiountse; the Persians, Sosiosch; the Chaldeans, Dhouvanai; the Egyptians, Horus; Plato, Love; the Scandinavians, Balder; the Christians, Jesus; Masons, Hiram” (Kentucky Monitor xiv, iv).
Yes, dear readers, Masonry is a (false) religious organization, just like the Baptists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Mormons, Pentecostals, Methodists, etc. In Albert Pike’s book, Morals and Dogma, Pike makes it clear that Masonry is a religion, and those who say otherwise, including those in the “Blue Lodge” (first three degrees of Masonry) are “intentionally misled by false interpretations. . . . deceived.” Pike says, “it is well enough for the mass of those called Masons to imagine that all is contained in the Blue Degrees” (Morals and Dogma 819). From the pen of Mr. Pike, himself, we learn that people are deceived, and merely imagine that all is contained in the first three degrees of Masonry, You see, the “truth” has been reserved for the higher-ups in Masonry! Pike again says (emphasis mine, JJ), “Masonry, like all other religions, . . . conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts (skilled person, expert, JJ) and Sages (profoundly wise men, JJ), or the Elect (person or pawns worthy to be chosen, JJ), and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it. Truth is not for those who are unworthy or unable to receive it or would pervert it” (Morals and Dogma 104-105). Not only is Masonry a religion, but they use tactics to fool and mislead those they consider “unworthy.” No wonder there are so many confused as to what Masonry is all about!
Further Proof That Masonry Is Considered to Be A Religious Institution
1.The Master’s Lodge represents“Sanctum Sanctorum,” the holy of holies in Solomon’s temple.
2. Such men as Albert Mackay and Albert Pike have said in no uncertain terms that Masonry is a religion. They have said that it is a religious institution in which the Lodge is used for “sacred and religious purposes.” Albert Mackey said that Freemasonry “will produce an active religious faith and lead in the end to a building not made with hands, eternal in the heaven.”
3. They teach that Masonry produces religious faith.
4. Masons have their own “worship” during their meetings. This includes: prayer and ceremonial songs such as: “Lord of all! below-above — Fill our hearts with truth and love, When dissolves this earthly tie, Take us to Thy lodge on high.” Another song they sing is, “Hail, Masonry divine, Glory of ages shine; Long may’st thou reign! Where’er thy lodges stand, May they have great command, And always grace the land, Thou art divine.”
5. Masonry teaches its own “new birth.” It teaches that salvation is in the Lodge, and that it gives light. Masons teach that a person outside the Lodge is in darkness, help- less, and ignorant. In fact in the first degree of Masonry, a potential candidate must stand outside the doors, and declare he is “in search of light.”
Yes, Masonry is a religion, and anyone claiming to be a Christian could not be a Mason any more than they could be a Christian and a Baptist at the same time.
Hiram Abiff
A man named “Hiram” is mentioned in the Bible in connection with the building of Solomon’s temple. This is found in 1 Kings 7:13-40 and 2 Chronicles 2:14-15. He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, his father being of Tyre. However, this man was one “skillful to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, stone, timber, purple, blue, fine linen, crimson . . . to grave any manner of graving” (2 Chron. 2:14). He was also responsible for building the Temple pillars, Jachin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:21). He was a “cunning man” but the Bible says nothing about his being an architect on the Temple! Nor does the Bible give us his last name! Interestingly enough Hiram is not mentioned outside of these verses, and he most assuredly takes a back seat to Jesus Christ in the Bible! Yet the Masons want to hold up this man Hiram as something great, as their Redeemer! Why?
The Contradictions and Conflicts Between Christ and Masonry
The following reasons will make clear why a Christian cannot be a Mason:
1. Masonry claims the status of “religious institution,” therefore, it conflicts with the Bible when it says there is “one body” (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4; Col. 1:18, 24). Along this same line, we see that if Christ is the head of his one body, the church, then who is the head of the Masons?
2. In a related point, the Masons teach that the Lodge is a better institution than the church! They say, “No institution was ever raised upon a better principle or more solid foundation; nor were ever more excellent rules and useful maxims laid down” (Kentucky Monitor 53-34). Can anyone else see a problem here? The Bible says that the church was founded upon Christ (1 Cor. 3:11; 1 Pet. 2:6-8). According to them, their lodge has a “more solid foundation” than that! The Bible says that the church follows the “perfect law of liberty,” the gospel (Gal. 1:6-9; Jas. 1:25). The Masons say that the Lodge has “more excellent rules” than the Bible! Who can believe it? What true Christian would say, or believe such a thing?
3. The Masons claim their redeemer is Hiram Abiff. The Bible says our redeemer is Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Luke 19:10; 1 Tim. 1:15). When a Christian becomes a Mason, does he now have two redeemers? No! He has a choice
to make, Christ or Hiram (Matt. 6:24).
4. Masonry practices “unity-in doctrinal-diversity” to the greatest degree. They speak of “one common altar of Masonry on which the Veda, Shastras (sacred books of Hinduism, JJ), Sade, Zend-Avesta (religious books of Iran and India, JJ), Koran (Muslim), and Bible shall lie untouched by sacrilegious hands, and at whose shrine the Hindoo, the Persian, the Assyrian, the Chaldean, the Egyptian, the Chinese, the Mohammedan, the Jew, and the Christian may kneel with one united voice celebrate the praises of the Supreme Architect of the Universe” (Kentucky Monitor 95). The Bible teaches that a Christian must “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them” (Eph. 5:11). A Mason cannot obey this verse. The Bible teaches that true unity comes when we all submit to the same standard, being of “one mind” and “striving together” (Phil. 1:27; 2:2). This cannot happen when all those various books are on the “same altar” of Masonry! The Bible says that Christians are not to have fellowship with those who do not live by and teach the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11). How could a Christian consider a Mason a “brother” in a religious sense when they are their own religious body, doing their own things? Jesus said those he considers “brothers” are those who do his will (Matt. 12:48-50). Are we doing his will when we endorse Masonry and its various teachings? Of course, not!
Conclusion
Why any Christian would want to be a Mason is beyond me. If one claims to be a Mason and a Christian “at the same time,” why not claim to be a Christian and a Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic, or Jew, “at the same time”? It does not work! Freemasonry has no part in the life of a Christian. It is sinful.