Posted on 05/24/2009 10:20:53 AM PDT by Logic n' Reason
I have become very curious about the Freemasons and freemasonry in general.
How does it "fit in" with the group of Christian religions...how about islam? What are the views and opinions of those at this site?
GAOTU however is not biblical and refers to each persons god as they understand him to be.
This is universalism.
Jesus is the great I AM. No one will ever see the father espousing GAOTU. To believe in GAOTU is to reject God's only Son.
You personally may not reject Jesus as the Messiah but the Craft certainly teaches a plan to salvation void of Jesus.
Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and the like will all see heaven according to the lodge.
FM ancient Egyptian symbols is in of itself anti-Christan.
The all seeing eye, symbols of the sun god,Ra. Pentagrams, Triangles symbolizing perfect and divine man, Obelisk / Phallic symbols, Horus, mock resurrections, blood oaths, and lets not forget ol Hiram and salvation through imitation of him, not Christ Jesus.
You want to continue in this supposedly innocent fraternity, that's your business. I am only making it known to you that many many men to this day are renouncing their oaths to Freemasonry once they are made aware.
None of us is perfect, we all make mistakes. No condemnation, just a reality check.
Have you ever been in a Universal church? How about a Mormon temple?
Now, look around your lodge. Notice any similarities?
First let me say that I’m glad that you’re a Christian, and am happy to discuss Christian theology with you. But on the issue of GAOTU you’re wrong. It does not stand for each persons God as he understands him to be, it is an acronym for the “Grand Architect of the Universe”, which is not even an original Masonic term; John Calvin used the description in his writings as a way of understanding, in a small way, the nature of God.
God exists outside of time and space; we are entirely incapable of a complete understanding of God’s nature, or to adequately describe Him. That is why we use familiar human characteristics to give ourselves glimpses of Him, to sense His presence in our lives as Elijah did in his cave. From the Bible we understand God in many different roles; as creator, as rule giver, as judge, as punisher of evil, as merciful forgiver, as comforter, as redeemer, etc. We use titles such as Creator of the Universe, and Lord Almighty, and Our Strength and our Salvation, and many, many others to understand Him in these various roles. The fact that we can only get glimpses of God’s nature, “For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”, is part of the mystery of our faith. Using different titles to understand different characteristics of God doesn’t mean we are creating false gods, it just means we are struggling to understand the nature of God as best we can, and as He reveals Himself to us.
I encourage you in your journey to understand God, and will not place obstacles in your way. But please do not talk of Masonry as an alternative religion or that as Masons we are creating false gods. I have been a Master Mason for many years and have a very good understanding of our fraternity, and I suspect you know not of what you speak.
You are absolutely correct. Please accept my apology. I was trying to come up with an analogy and the tired old apples and oranges one did not appeal to me. A couple of minutes after I posted I thought about it and regretting posting as I did.
The Masons do a lot of great work, as do the Knights. They share the same structures; they are just different in some tenants.
I too have a very good understanding.
My words are not idle words. You choose to stay, good luck.
I will continue to warn others against the craft.
We will lead many more men to God through Christ Jesus and help them renounce these secret blood oaths that bind their souls.
Good day
Good comments and observations. I’m afraid however that they fell on deaf ears.
I only wish the wimpy-*ss Christian Conservatives could muster so much courage and hate against their leftist oppressors.
I see them kissing the arse of their masters almost daily now.
One could conclude that they save their venom and rage for “opposing” religions and a fraternity.
Interesting that they NEVER say these things to my face—gutless wonders.
Blood oath? We were supposed to be doing blood oaths? Oh man, if that is the case then we have a bunch of illegally made Master Masons in our lodge.
Yes, I’m afraid they do fall on deaf ears. Where does this foolishness come from? Is there someone out there with a “stupid machine” making this stuff up?
LOL, I guess. It would seem like this type of "attack" thread on the craft appears every year. I would bet that if one cared enough to check you would find the same "challenged" posters appear on each such thread.
I propose that uglybiker who maintains the Masonic ping list start a thread whereby each of us can post our favorite untruth about the Lodge. My entry would be the one that I just delt with: That Masons use a "blood oath".
Verbal, yet binding non the less.
Disinformation and mockery.....very good.
Your comments and a colostomy bag have much in common.
> Any informed Christian who has witnessed a Masonic funeral service would not call it “Christian”.
You must mean the “Lodge of Sorrow”, and the graveside service that follows it.
I cannot understand where you would find it objectionable: it is a deeply moving service. Though it is not overtly “Christian” it is certainly not something that Christians ought to find offensive or contrary to Christian teaching.
There is nothing overtly Christian about a military funeral service, either. It works equally well for Christians, Jews, agnostics, atheists, or anyone buried in honor having served their Country. You surely could have no objection to military funeral services. On what basis could you possibly object to Masonic services?
> When my grandfather died. The Christian pastor, who was apparently anti-Free Masonry stated that God has the last word, the guy leading the Masons at the grave side service said, “No, the Masons have the last word.” That was enough to remove what little doubt I had about Masonry being Christian.
So what made the anti-Freemason Christian pastor presume that he should have the last word, and that the Freemasons should be snubbed? It seems, from what you’ve written, he was out to score cheap points against the Freemasons at your grandfather’s funeral. If so, do you not marvel at his lack of class and decorum, bad judgment and bad timing, to say nothing of poor taste?
Would it not have been more seemly — all things being done decently and in order — to cooperate with the Freemasons to ensure that your grandfather’s funeral was carried out with dignity, where everybody’s needs to grieve could be met and where God would have the last word?
I think the pastor was rude and way out of line. I do hope you gave him a piece of your mind after the service.
“When my grandfather died. The Christian pastor, who was apparently anti-Free Masonry stated that God has the last word, the guy leading the Masons at the grave side service said, “No, the Masons have the last word.” That was enough to remove what little doubt I had about Masonry being Christian.
I really believe that this incident may have been embellished or not remembered correctly; there must have been more to this. I’ve never been at a funeral, even where the pastor wasn’t completely happy with a Masonic service, where this kind of interaction took place. If it did, then shame on both the pastor and the brother leading the service. The Masonic service must have been requested by either the brother who passed, or his family. Everyone there deserved more respect and dignity than that.
Thank You!
Oh; I agree wholeheartedly; but my point was to the folks who are satisfied that they are doing enough to merit God's favor, may stop at that point; never knowing that there is more to be understood.
And an atheist would ask: "Am I not to be considered 'moral'?"
Oh, I suppose you’re right, but what are we to do but witness Christ’s message to them? There are always going to be people who haven’t yet come to Christ, and even some who have don’t fully grasped the truth that “salvation comes from grace and not from good works.” God is still at work in them, and we are to be instruments of his will. I don’t think that being a Mason handicaps me in that.
Well, shuckers. I wanted to play but everyone has already taken their marbles and left. Bummer!
You missed the whack-a-mole
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