Freemasonry and God

Joseph Newton, "For Masonry, God is the first truth and the final reality." (Short Talks on Masonry, page 4)

Henry Clausen, ". . . Masonry inculcates its belief that there is One God, Creator and Preserver of the Universe under eternal laws; that He breathed into man the breath of life and immortality; that man can do evil or choose good and is responsible for his acts and subject to punishment for his sins . . ." (Clausen's Commentaries on Morals and Dogma, page 174)

Freemasonry teaches that God is a God of love, you need not be terrified of Him. Hold Him in awe and respect, but do not assume He is a malignant being who is looking for a chance to do you harm.

Masonry teaches that God is a Paternal Being, and has an interest in his creatures, such as is expressed in the title Father; and interest unknown to all the systems of Paganism, untaught in all the theories of philosophy.

Jim Tresner, "To every Mason, there is a God . . . One, Supreme, Infinite in Goodness, in Wisdom, Foresight, Justice and Benevolence; Creator, Disposer and Preserver of all things." (Albert Pike, The Man Beyond The Monument)

Albert Pike, "God is the author of everything that existeth; the Eternal, the Supreme, the Living, and Awful Being; from Whom nothing in the Universe is hidden. Make of Him no idols and visible images; but rather worship Him in the deep solitudes of sequestered forests; for He is invisible, . . . and liveth not in any Temple…. He is eternal, immovable, and Self-Existent. There are no bounds to His power. At one glance He sees the Past, the Present, and the Future…. He reads our thoughts before they are known to ourselves. He rules the movements of the Universe, and all the events and revolutions are the creatures of His will. For He is the Infinite Mind and the Supreme Intelligence. God is the First; indestructible, eternal, Uncreated, Indivisible. Wisdom, Justice, Truth, and Mercy, with Harmony and Love, are of His essence, and the Eternity and Infinite of Extension . . ." (Morals and Dogma, pages 50-51)

The North Carolina Lodge Manual states, "There are three great duties which, as a Mason, you are charged to inculcate -- to God, your neighbor, and yourself. To God, in never mentioning his name but with that reverential awe which is due from a creature to his Creator." (North Carolina Lodge Manual, 1929, pages 37-38)

Every Mason is required to profess a belief in God, but each Mason is allowed to define his understanding of God. Masons take belief in God seriousfy.

It is claimed that Freemasonry confuses pagan deities with the one True God. It does not. It describes ancient religions as part of an intllectual study. It tells us what people have believed in the past. It does nothing more.

Albert Mackey, ". . . God as one eternal, self-existent being, in contradiction to the mythology of the ancient peoples, which was burdened with a multitude of gods and goddesses, of demigods and heroes . . ." (Symbolism of Freemasonry)

Albert Pike, "That God is One, immutable, unchangeable, infinitely just and good; that Light will finally overcome Darkness, -- Good conquer Evil, and Truth be victor over Error; -- these, rejecting all the wild and useless speculations of the Zend-Avesta, the Kabalah, the Gnostics and the Schools . . .(Morals and Dogma, page 275)

John J. Robinson wrote, "Allegation: 'You can't have one God for all Religions.' Freemasonry isn't trying to have one God for everyone but rather is seking a means by which all men who believe in a monotheistic God can join together. 'God' in the Masonic sense refers to God as perceived and worshipped by the individual Mason. No man is asked to alter his beliefs to meet some Masonic standard, and that is entirely appropriate for a fraternal body that has no desire to be a seperate religion." (A Pilgrim's Path, page 76)


Fatherhood of God
The "Holman Bible Dictionary" states that God is known in the Bible "as Father in three separate senses that must not be confused."
1. He is Father of Jesus Christ in a unique sense -- by incarnation. Matthew 11:25-27; Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; 2 Peter 1:17.
2. He is Father of believers -- by adoption or redemption. Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 11:2, 13; Galatians 3:26.
3. He is Father of all persons -- by creation. Psalms 68:5; Isaiah 64:8; Malachi 2:10; Matthew 5:45; 1 Peter 1:17.

The "Mercer Dictionary of the Bible" states that ". . . throughout the Letters and the rest of the NT, God is described as father of all mankind."

James 3:9, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God." (KJV)
 
Similitude - Likeness or image.

To prove their point about Masonic teaching of the Fatherhood of God, Ankerberg and Weldon quote from Jonathan Blanchard, Scottish Rite Masonry Illustrated. Ankerberg and Weldon boast on page 8, "It is the authors' hope that this text will serve a useful purpose to anyone having a need for authoritative information on the Masonic Lodge" and on page 14, "Further, we believe the material presented in this volume will be a considerable help to everyone outside the Lodge who needs authoritative infromation on Masonry." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge)

Art deHoyos, S. Brent Morrris, "The rituals exposed in Jonathan Blanchard's Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated (1887-1888) are usually taken as gospel truth. This is what Rev. Ankerberg and Dr. Weldon have done.
Rev. Blanchard's outdated book was actually an exposure of Cerneauism, an illegitimate pseudo-Masonic organization founded by Joseph Cerneau and chiefly active in the 1800s. Oaths of fealty and other references to the Cerneau "Supreme Council" appear repeatedly throughout Blanchard's exposure.(27)
These references would have raised red flags to competent researches, but Rev. Ankerberg and Dr. Weldon conveniently ignored or misunderstood them. Further, the article on "Scottish Rite Masonry" in Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia(28) (a book quoted about 30 times by Rev. Ankerberg and Dr. Weldon)(29) includes a discussion of the various names used by the Cerneau Supreme Councils.
In pre-1993 editions of their book Rev. Ankerberg and Dr. Weldon claimed Rev. Blanchard was a "former Sovereign Grand Commander and a 33rd Degree Mason."(30)
The Sovereign Grand Commander is the presiding officer of a Scottish Rite Supreme Council and the Thirty-third Degree is the highest degree of the Rite. The truth of the matter is that Jonathan Blanchard was never a Mason, not even a Cerneau Mason, much less a Sovereign Grand Commander. He was an anti-Mason from his youth, as Clyde S. Kilby's biography makes quite clear.(31)
Following a 1992 exposure of Rev. Ankerberg's and Dr. Weldon's misuse of Blanchard,(32) they modified their book by removing the false claims alleging his Masonic "status." However, no notice of corrigenda or errata was provided for the new editions, thus concealing this episode from their readers.
It is sadly ironic that in their pre-1993 editions Rev. Ankerberg and Dr. Weldon took a life-long anti-Mason and falsely claimed he was one of the two highest-ranking Scottish Rite Masons in the country. It's easy, though, to see how shallow research could lead to this mistake. The title page of Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated states that the ritual was by an unidentified "Sovereign Grand Commander, 33º"; Rev. Jonathan Blanchard wrote the historical sketch and analysis. Since Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated is virulently anti-Masonic, however, Ankerberg and Weldon didn't see the need to do any further research to satisfy their ends.
What is worse, in current editions they continue to quote from Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated as if it were an authentic ritual text, even though they now know better. Blanchard's text is so critical to Ankerberg's and Weldon's anti-Masonic agenda that it is referenced by them at least fifty times." (Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?)

Art deHoyos, S. Brent Morrris, "It is shallow research to accept Blanchard's book without question. It is incompetent to confuse the Cerneau Supreme Council with regular Scottish Rite Masonry. It is irresponsible to accuse Scottish Rite Masons on the basis of an irrelevant book." (Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?)

It is clear that Ankerberg and Weldon's book, The Secret Teachings of The Masonic Lodge, is not an authoritative book about Freemasonry.

Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon, "Masonry believes that because God is the Creator of all people, all people are automatically His spiritual sons, in right standing with Him." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, page 100)

Ankerberg and Weldon does not provide any official documentation to prove their point. Freemasony does not teach that all people are automatically God's "spiritual sons, in right standing with standing with Him."


Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon exhibit "split personalities" when dealing with the Fatherhood of God. They write, "Masonry holds that God is the Father of every man, regardless of his religious belief. There is a sense in which God is the Father of all men, 'that the moral and emotional qualities of fatherhood remain in God toward all men.' We accept that the attributes of fatherhood are biblically applied to all people: God loves mankind as His special creation (Genesis 1:31; John 3:16); God is kind and benevolent to all people, even evil people (Matthew 5:44-45; Acts 14:17); God desires everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9); Christ died for all (1 John 2:2)." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, page 101)


Anti-Masons John Ankerberg and John Weldon, "Contrary to biblical teaching, in the Second Degree of Masonry the Masonic initiate is told that the square, level, and plumb represent the innate equality of all people before God: 'By them . . . we are reminded of the natural equality of the human family'." (The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, page 101)

Acts 10:34-35,"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

Acts 17:24-29, "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device."

Proverbs 22:2, "The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all."

1 Pet. 2:17, "Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king."

Every person has been created equal to all other person. There are no "special" people in the eyes of our Creator. God created all people alike with the ability to believe and trust in Him, to love and honor Him, to fellowship with Him. The true value of a human life in the eyes of God is how we relate to Him. We can be poor or rich, intelligent or uneducated, the true value of a man is how faithful he is in his relationship with his Creator. This makes us all equal for every human being has the capability of developing a relationship with God.


Trinity
Gary Leazer wrote, "In the discussion of the 26*, Pike refers to the symbolism of the three sides of the Delta. He states the sides refer to Wisdom or Designing Power, Force or Creating Power, and Harmony or Preserving Power. But, 'to the Christian Mason, they represent the Three that bear record in Heaven, the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY SPIRIT, which three are ONE.' Pike doesn't say a Christian Mason cannot believe in the Trinity; he says they do believe in the Trinity." (Fundamentalism & Freemasonry, page 121)

Christopher Haffner, "It has been suggested that 'The Great Architect of the Universe is not the Triune God of Christianity'. But to a Christian Freemason, these expressions involve the Holy Trinity. When I read the first verses of the bible, I find that it says this about the Great Architect: 'In the beginning of creation, when God made heaven and earth, the earth was without form and void, with darkness over the face of the abyss, and a mighty wind that swept over the surface of the waters. God said 'Let there be light,' and there was light.' (Gen. 1:1-3)'
God is the Father, the 'mighty wind' is the Holy Spirit, and the word which God spoke is Jesus Christ, who is Himself the Word through whom 'all things came to be' (John 1:2) and 'The real light which enlightens every man'. (John 1:9)" (Workman Unashamed, page 48)


Great Architect of the Universe
Anti-Mason L. James Rongstad wrote, ""Great Architect of the Universe' is one of the names used publicly by Masons to identify their god. This name is a new creation of the lodge and was carefully chosen so as not to use any name for God found in the Holy Bible or any religious book." (How to respond to The Lodge, page 29)

The term "Great Architect of the Universe" is not "a new creation of the lodge." John Calvin (1509-1564), refers to God as the Great Architect or Architect of the Universe in his commentary on Psalm 19.

Joseph Newton, ". . . the Great Architect of the Universe. Of course such a phrase fits into the symbolism of the Craft . . ." (Short Talks on Masonry, page 4)

Christopher Haffner, "A Christian Freemason can add any credal statement and spirituality he cooses to the concept of the Great Architect when praying. (Workman Unashamed, page 49)

Christopher Haffner, ". . . the lecture about the 'First Degree Tracing Board', . . . This contains the statement as to the object o faith: The covering of a Freemason's Lodge is a celestial canopy of divers colours, even the Heavens. The way by which we, as Masons, hope to arrive there is by the assistance of a ladder, in Scripture called Jacob's ladder. It is composed of many staves or rounds, which point as many moral virtues, but three principal ones, which are Faith, Hope, and Charity: Faith in the Great Architect of the Universe, Hope in Salvation and to be in Charity with all men. It reaches to the Heavens and rests on the Volume of the Sacred Law, because, by the doctrines contained in that Holy Book, we are taught to believe in the dispensations of Divine Providence, which belief strengthens our Hope of becoming partakers of the blessed promises therein recorded, which Hope enables us to ascend the second step; but the third and last, being Charity, comprehends the whole, and the mason who is possessed of this virtue in its most ample sense may justly be deemed to have reached the summit of his profession (Hannah p11).'
The object of this faith is 'the Great Architect of the Universe' . . . if He is 'embraced' by a Christian, the Great Architect of the Universe is the Holy Trinity." (Workman Unashamed, page 196)

The Monitor of the Grand Lodge of Texas, in the ritual for constituting a new lodge, states, "I now solemnly consecrate this Lodge, to the honour and glory of Jehovah, the Great Architect of the Universe." (Monitor of the Lodge, page 148)

In the prayer offered in this ritual Jehovah is mentioned again. The prayer reads, "This Temple, designed and build [sic] by Wisdom, supported by Strength, and adorned in Beauty, we are first to consecrate in the name of the great Jehovah; which teaches us, in all our works, begun and finished, to acknowledge, adore and magnify Him. It reminds us also, in His fear to enter the door of the Lodge, to put our trust in Him while passing its trials and to hope in Him for the reward of its labours." (Monitor of the Lodge, page 168)


Jahbulon
Anti-Masons Selwyn and Larry Kunk wrote, "The Masonic deity is named 'Jabulon.' Jah is claimed to by Yahweh, or Jehovah of the Jews, Bul or Baal is the fertility god of the Canaanites and Syrians, and On or Osiris is the Egyptian god of the underworld." (A Servant of Two Masters?, page 8)

Anti-Mason William Whalen wrote, "JAH-BUL-ON, the supposed lost word, is made up of three ancient names for the deity, the Hebrew Jehovah, the Assyrian Baal, and the Egyptian On or Osiris." (Christianity and American Freemasonry, page 94)

Anti-Mason L. James Rongstad wrote, "The Mason in the Royal Arch Degree (York Rite), a degree through which the Knight Templar is to pass on his way to the supposed 'Christian Degree,' has yet another secret name, revealed to him at his initiation ceremonry. The name of the True God, which has been 'rediscovered,' is Jah-Bul-On. 'Jah' is the abbriviation for the Hebrew name of God: Jeheveh or Jehovah. 'Bul' or 'Bal' is the name for the Assyrian god and is mentioned throughout the Old Testament as 'Baal' or 'Baal-peor.' This was the idol God warned the Israelites to avoid at all costs, but they did not! 'On' is the Egyptian sun god. This is the 'trinity' for the Royal Arch Mason." (How to Respond to the Lodge, page 30)

Art deHoyos and S. Brent Morris wrote, "Jah -- This could be the name of God used in Psalm 68:4, 'Extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him'." (Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?, page 51)

Art deHoyos and S. Brent Morris wrote, "Bel -- Rev. Ankerberg and Dr. Weldon accuse Freemasonry of paganism because some Masons tried to equate this syllable with the word baal. Although Baal was the name of a Phoenician deity, it is also a Hebrew word meaning 'lord' or 'master,' and when it forms part of a name it can be used to identify Jehovah. A son of David, for example, is called both Eliada, 'God Knows,' (2 Samuel 5:16) and Beeliada, 'Baal knows' (1 Chronicles 14:7). Another man, who was a friend of David, was named, Bealiah (1 Chronicles 12:5), meaning 'Jehovah is Baal' or 'Jehovah is Lord.' After winning a victory over the Philistines, David named the location Baal-Perazim (2 Samuel 5:20; 1 Chronicles 14:11), which means 'Lord of breaches'." (Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?, page 52)

Art deHoyos and S. Brent Morris wrote, "On -- This Hebrew word means 'force' or 'power.' A more meaningful application is found in the Septuagint, an ancient Greek verson of the Old Testament, wherein God announced Himself to Moses with the words ego eimi ho On, 'I am the Being' (Exodus 3:14). The word ho On mean 'The Being,' 'The Eternal' or 'The I AM.' In the Greek New Testament the ho On appear in Revelation 1:4, signifying 'the One who is'." (Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?, page 52)

Art deHoyos and S. Brent Morris wrote, ". . . possible meanings for Jabulon include 'Jehovah, powerful Lord' or 'Jehovah, the Lord, the I AM.' Some English Royal Arch rituals suggested the syllables meant 'Lord in Heaven, the Father of All,' while some American rituals noted that the vowels in Jah-Bel-On, added to the four letters which spell God's name in Hebrew (YHWH or JHVH yud, heh, vaw, heh), yielded the English pronunciation 'Jehovah,' much as the vowels in the Hebrew word adonai were combined with the four consonants to produce 'Jehovah'." (Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?, page 52)

Art deHoyos and S. Brent Morris wrote, "In an article on the word 'Bel,' Masonic encyclopedist Albert Mackey tells: 'It has, with Jah and On, been introduced into the Royal Arch as a representative of the Tetragammaton which it and the accompanying words have sometimes ignorantly been made to displace. At the session of the General Grand Chapter of the United States, in 1871, this error was corrected; and while Tetragammaton was declared to be the true omnific word, the other three were permitted to be retained as merely explanatory.' An example of this pre-1871 misunderstanding is seen in Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor (an outdated exposure cited by Rev. Ankerberg and Dr. Weldon so 30 times) which declared the trilingual word to be the Grand Omnific Royal Arch Word. (. . . Duncan's Ritual did not represent a correct version of any Masonic ritual in use, but was rather the author's own version.) But Mackey's statement is clear: Jehovah is the 'true omnific word' whereas Jah, Bel, and On are only explanatory." (Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry, pages 50-51)

Christopher Haffner, "The suggestion that the lecture actually said that Jehovah is coupled with Baal and that On is Osiris is willfully misleading -- it said nothing of the sort." (Workman Unashamed, page 231)

Christopher Haffner, ". . . the interpretation of the word (words) Jah-bul-on, which is repeatedly explained in anti-masonic reports as representing Yahweh, Ba'al and Osiris. The actual explanation given is the ritual does not say this . . ." (Workman Unashamed, page 279)


United Grand Lodge of England, Freemasonry and Religion, "There is no seperate Masonic God; a Freemason's, God remains the God of the religion he professes. Freemasons meet in common respect for the Supreme Being as He remains Supreme in their individual religions, and it is no part of Freemasonry to attempt to join religions together. There is therefore no composite Masonic God."


September 26, 2007