Freemasonry - Benign Fraternity or Secret Cult

Here is an insiders perspective on the world's oldest fraternity

When people talk about Masonry or the Freemasons, it spawns a lot of imagery and thoughts of conspiracy and clandestine organizations. As funny as it is to me, a Christian Freemason, it invokes a heart flutter and sense of dread in some people. Popular culture hasn’t helped this notion that my brothers and I are up to no good but beyond the YouTube conspiracy theories and the hype of cult activities in documentaries and movies.

This article started as a response to someone on Reddit. After reading what I wrote I decided to include it and expand upon it for my latest article. The statement and or question that was posed was if Freemasonry was against Christianity and vice versa. Unless you want to go buy and the book Freemasonry for Dummies, here is a synopsis of where some of the perceived issues are between Christians and Freemasons.

When you say Freemasonry that encompasses a lot of things because there are many facets to Freemasonry. There is what is referred to as the Blue Lodge, which is the foundation of Masonry. This where all men start their Masonic careers, so to speak. Within this body you go through the Three Symbolic Degrees of Masonry which are the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason.

From the Blue Lodge you have appendant bodies: York Rite, Scottish Rite, the Shrine (Shriners), Order of the Eastern Star, etc. There are many other Masonic organizations of which you can join depending on your various interests. You don't have to join these appendant bodies, but they do offer different understandings about the fraternity. Some organizations (like the Eastern Star) husbands can join with their wives which is a predominantly female lead organization. It can be great fun and fellowship if you enjoy social interaction minus the usual social lubricants.

As a Christian Freemason, I find no conflict within the Blue Lodge fraternity and my Christian faith as all of it is derived from the Holy Bible. Though there are some legalistic Christian's who would argue that point regarding taking "oaths" but that is a separate discussion altogether. It is an argument that anti-Masons use out of biblical context from my understanding. There is nothing contained in the “oath or obligation” of the Blue Lodge that is in conflict with my Christian beliefs from my experience. I would go as far to say that most of what I am charged to do as a Freemason is just reaffirmed and reinforced as Christian, assuming a greater responsibility to my fellow man.

One of the biggest issues that some Christians have with Freemasonry is that the only requirement is that you must believe in a Supreme Being, any Supreme Being. Satan does not qualify because he is not a supreme being lacking the possession of omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience and omnibenevolence. Sorry to burst anyone’s Satanic cult bubble.

The purpose of this requirement is about the regulatory nature of your actions in this life. If you don't believe that the actions of this life will be judged in the next, then as a human being you aren't accountable to anyone and no oath or obligation with have no binding effect upon you. This inclusive nature with people of different faiths and denominations seems disconcerting to some Christians.

Where I am in the United States, most of the Freemasons that I have fellowship with are mostly of the Judaeo-Christian ethic: Baptists, Methodists, Church of God (which is against Freemasonry, but alas I know many), Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Catholics, and on occasion, Mormons. I would advise people who aren’t comfortable with inter-denominational interaction that Freemasonry is not for you. I have met some Muslim Masons but they are not the norm from where I am from unfortunately. Your more zealous and mainstream Muslims tend to look at Freemasonry as a Zionist organization.

The point is we all believe in a Supreme Deity, a Creator of the Universe and that the good or evil that we do in this life will be judged beyond this world by our respective Supreme Beings. If anything, Freemasonry points to the need for a savior. Man is not capable of being morally pure without some help from the divine. There are appendant bodies in Freemasonry you must be a Christian to join. Even though Freemasonry has an inclusive part it does also have its non-inclusive parts as well.

Here is another facet of Freemasonry that most people and Christians don’t seem to understand; we are not a religion. Freemasonry doesn’t offer a path of salvation or means to get to Heaven. Freemasonry is a fraternity. Instead of Tappa-Kegga-Brew we’re about Alpha & Omega. The goal of all the appendant bodies is to do charity work in our communities. There are parts of Freemasonry that are interwoven with religion because our lodges are based on King Solomon’s Temple from the Holy Bible. Though some lodges in different states will have different Sacred Texts upon their alter, we are all still based on the Holy Bible in the Blue Lodge.

Freemasonry is referred to as a “secret society” which I find is laughable. You can find us in the phone book. Not too secret for sure. The only secrets we have in Freemasonry are our rituals. Why is that? The purpose of those rituals is to impress a moral truth or lesson upon you. If you knew what that ritual was prior and its purpose, it would not have that much impact on you, would it? You can go out on the internet and get an idea about the rituals, but you are robbing yourself of the experience.

As they say on the brochure, Freemasonry is designed to make good men better. The goal is to make you a better disciple, a better citizen, a better parent and ultimately a better person. From my own personal experience, I can attest to that. Freemasonry helped me severe the years of my youth to adulthood. I think my life and my faith walk would be very different without it, but that is another article for another time.

Now, someone might say, you seem to be revealing a lot of secrets in this article. Actually, I am not. There is a difference between secrets and facts. Everything stated above is a fact and mostly common knowledge. But I guess since we’re so secretive this might all be new to you, right?

I could keep going but this should be enough to give you an understanding of why some Christians have an issue with Freemasonry. If you decide to join Freemasonry and find out you don’t like, you can get out by two ways. Stop paying your annual dues (money) or file a demit (a form) and quit which would be more honorable. No one will force you to stay. 

I hate to admit this, and it truly is a great deal of fun, but when people I am not acquainted with start talking about Freemasonry in a derogatory manner, especially when its clear they have no clue what they’re talking about. I love to ask them questions. I ask them to go in to detail like names, places, dates etc. And usually when its all said and done, I respond, “wow, I’ve been a Mason for nearly two decades and I’ve never done any of that stuff.” The back pedaling at that point is even more entertaining. I always end with “I’m must have missed lodge on the night they do all of that.”

I do enjoy talking to the intellectually curious about Freemasonry. They do ask some great questions. Whether Americans want to admit it or not, Freemasonry and many great Freemasons impacted our great United States. Many of the freedoms and doctrines of our nation derive from our fraternal teachings which are derived from the Holy Bible and the Judaeo-Christian ethic. I would normally end with I could be wrong about this, but most of what I wrote is from personal experience. But that’s just my perspective from the bottom end.