Is Freemasonry compatible with Christianity?

Philippines
October 12, 2012 4:47am CST
Freemasonry, Eastern Star, and other similar organizations are believed to be harmless fellowship gatherings. Many of them are believed to promote belief in God. However, upon closer examination, some can find that the only belief requirement is not that one must believe in the True and Living God, but rather, that one must believe in the existence of a "Supreme Being", which includes the "gods' of Islam, Hinduism, or any other world religion. Some believe that the practices of this organization are partially hidden beneath an outward appearance of a supposed compatibility with Christian faith. As far as I know, Freemasonry assures its members that through good works and obedience to its tenets they will reach the Celestial Lodge in the Sky presided over by G.A.O.T.U (Great Architect of the Universe), which is "God as you conceive him to be." Masonic authority Carl H. Claudy writes, "Masonry requires merely that you believe in some deity, give him what name you will, any god will do." Yet more that 1 million Southern Baptists laymen and clergy are in the "brotherhood" and most of them would defend it as "Christian." The 1993 annual convention of Southern Baptists voted that being a Mason was compatible with Christianity. What are your thoughts?
3 responses
@ebony_77 (42)
• United States
15 Oct 12
Freemasonry is not compatible with christianity. freemasonry is a secret society. the higher in rank you go, the more you serve the devil. its like witchcraft. They pretend to serve God but behind closed doors its another story. I know because I know people who are in it and are pastoring churchers. They always say that they believe in God but what they do is the opposite. They take the scriptures and they twist it to suite them. There is alot that people don't know about freemasonry. you are giving your life to the devil when you join them. you have to accept things they do that are not of God. Freemasonry is nothing to play with. freemasonry are not christians at all.Those who are in leadership in churches have fooled alot of people, but those who are really in tuned with God knows the truth about them.
• Philippines
15 Oct 12
Just like I thought. The signs and symbols used in Freemasonry are no different from the signs and symbols used in witchcraft and other pagan religions. Thanks for your response.
@urbandekay (18278)
12 Oct 12
Two regard a select few as brothers, rather than all is not compatible with Christianity. A man cannot serve to masters. I do not know what Southern Baptists are, they seem unrecognisable to Baptists here in Europe all the best, urban
• Philippines
12 Oct 12
According to Wikipedia, Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States. I agree that a man cannot serve two masters as stated in Matthew 6:24. God bless!
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
12 Oct 12
Promoting (or requiring) a belief in a "Supreme Being" is not incompatible with Christianity, nor would it appear to be incompatible with any other religion which recognises the existence of a "Supreme Being", whatever name is given to It/Him/Her. Freemasonry, at least - I don't know enough about other fellowships, does not promote itself as a religion and specifically denies that it is one. It seeks to welcome people of any religion, so long as applicants are willing to recognise that there is a "Supreme Being" who they can accept as the 'Great Architect of the Universe'. If one were concerned that one's fellow Masons might not necessarily be of the same faith as oneself, that would be an entirely personal matter. If one felt strongly enough about such an organisation so that one would feel uncomfortable associating with people who were not of one's own faith, then one should, logically, also feel uncomfortable about having any dealings whatsoever with people who were not of the same persuasion as oneself - which would severely limit one's ability to live in this world! One would certainly not choose to be a Freemason. Because there is no obligation to be a member of any organisation or fellowship of this nature, everyone has a perfectly free choice to join it or not, as they see fit. Certainly, there are 'Christian' churches who claim that Freemasonry is incompatible with their beliefs; some even claim it to be 'evil'. That is their own prerogative, however: it does not mean that Freemasonry IS evil or is incompatible, in general, with Christianity.
• Philippines
12 Oct 12
As far as I know, joining Freemasonry is means denying Jesus Christ. When one desires membership with Masonry, he/she must believe that Masonry is the light that he/she must follow (which contradicts John 8:12 when Jesus said that He is the light of the world). This is what Albert Pike issued to the Twenty Third Supreme Councils of the World: "That which we must say to the crowd is: we worship a god, but it is the god that one adores without superstition. To you, Grand Sovereign Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the brethren of 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. If Lucifer were not a god would Adonai calumniate him? Yes, Lucifer is a God." Adonai is Jesus Christ and calumniate means "slander." Albert's statements have been confirmed by A.C. de la Rive in La Femme et L'Enfant dans la Franc-Maconnerie Universelle. That makes me wonder how God and Lucifer would be compatible with each other. I don't believe that all religions worship the same god. Your response doesn't have any Biblical references so its not pointing me to an area within the Christian perspective. God bless!