Lodge organizations commonly insist that they are not a “religion” and that they do not establish a set of “doctrines” to which adherence is required for membership. The description below does not focus on these claims—however true or not true they may be in actual practice—but points to religious tenets or themes present and even espoused, both explicitly and implicitly, in the official rites and literature of the organization in question. In the discussion below, Freemasonry remains the primary example.
Nature of God: One of the Landmarks of Freemasonry is the belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. However, the Supreme Being of Freemasonry is officially a generic god designed by intent to be universally acceptable to all who would seek admittance to the Masonic lodge. This god is a unitarian, not trinitarian, Supreme Being. Presumably, required acknowledgement of the existence of such a deity will not be offensive to Masons who are not Christian. Albert Pike, one of several “authorities” accepted by most Masons, writes in his Morals and Dogma: “To every Mason there is a God; One, Supreme, Infinite in Goodness, Wisdom, Foresight, Justice, and Benevolence; Creator, Disposer, and Preserver of all things. How, or by what intermediates He creates and acts, and in what way He unfolds and manifests Himself, Masonry leaves to creeds and Religions to inquire” ( 525). “Great (Grand) Architect of the Universe,” sometimes abbreviated as G.A.O.T.U., is a name Freemasonry uses to identify its Supreme Being. Other secretive names for God in various rituals are Ma-Ha-Bone and Jah-Bul-On.
Person of Jesus Christ: While Freemasonary generally does not directly or explicitly deny Jesus Christ—for to do so would be regarded as sectarian—Jesus Christ, whom Christians regard as the only way in which one may have access to the Father, is conspicuous by His absence. All official prayers in Masonic lodge meetings are directed to the Grand Architect of the Universe apart from any reference to Jesus Christ. Whenever Scripture passages are quoted, references to Jesus Christ are purposely omitted. One example of this would be the use of 2 Thessalonians 3:6 in the Masonic ritual. The opening words of the verse “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” are omitted. Furthermore, in restricting a Mason from interfering with the religious beliefs of another, the lodge thereby discourages, and perhaps even in some cases prohibits, any bearing of public witness to Christ in the lodge. Other lodges have similar restrictions.
Nature of Man: According to Freemasonry man is not totally sinful, just imperfect. In the first degree of Masonry the perfectibility of man is taught with reference to rough and smooth ashlars, stones that have been hewn by hand and made square. The rituals state: “By the Rough Ashlar we are reminded of our rude and imperfect state by nature; by the Perfect Ashlar, of that state of perfection at which we hope to arrive by a virtuous education, by our own endeavors, and by the blessing of God.” Freemasonry’s view of human nature parallels closely the modern New Age view that man is in some sense divine and has the capacity to become his own god. Recognized Masonic “authority” Joseph Fort Newton writes that “the great secret of Masonry is that it makes a man aware of the divinity within him.” He further states that “God becomes man that man may become God.”
Salvation: Official rites of Freemasonry suggest the acceptance and promotion of a “salvation” by works. The initiated Mason is given a lambskin to wear “as a badge of Masonry” in order to remind him of “that purity of life and conduct which is so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above.” In the second degree ritual the Mason is reminded that he should wear his apron (lambskin) “as an emblem of that purity of heart and conscience that is necessary to obtain for you the approval of the Grand Architect of the Universe.” In the Masonic funeral service the family of the deceased is told that the lodge member’s soul went to heaven. The ritual includes the words: “Masonry … seeks to constantly build the temple of the soul and thus to fit us for that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Other lodge organizations in their funeral ceremonies offer the hope of an eternal reward to their members apart from any reference to God’s grace in Christ.
Bible: Masonic rituals make frequent references to the Bible. In countries where Christianity is the predominant religion, the Bible is considered one of the three great lights of Masonry along with the Square and Compass. However, in countries where other major religions are dominant, the holy books of those religious are placed on Masonic altars. In his extensive preface to the Masonic Bible, Newton writes: “Thus, by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in which men find help for today and hope for the morrow, joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes oath on the Koran,….” For Freemasonry the Bible is merely a “symbol of that eternal Book of the Will of God” (Newton) and “an indispensable part of the furniture of a Christian Lodge” (Pike).
-LCMS PDF Document
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