Fatherhood
of God, Brotherhood of Man
The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man
are foundational teachings of Freemasonry.
Those phrases are often carved in the
stonework of Masonic temples. A glimpse of the Masonic concept of God is provided by
examining those phrases.
What does Freemasonry mean by the
Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man?
Masonry teaches that there is one God and men
of all religions worship that one God using a variety of different names. The Masonic
belief in monotheism is explained in the 1993 Edition of the Indiana Monitor
and Freemason's Guide:
Monotheism is the sole dogma of Freemasonry.
Belief in one God is required of every initiate, but his conception of the Supreme Being
is left to his own interpretation. Freemasonry is not concerned with theological
distinctions. This is the basis of our universality.
(p. 41)
Opening the Doors to Freemasonry
is a leaflet distributed by the Grand Lodge of Indiana. It asks the question, "What
are the requirements for membership?", and answers that a person seeking admission
must be a man. It continues:
Further, he must profess his belief in the
existence of a Supreme Being, by what ever name he may be known.
The Lost Keys of Freemasonry,
by Manly Palmer Hall, explains Masonic teaching further:
The true Mason is not creed-bound. He
realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason his religion must be
universal: Christ, Buddha or Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the
light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in
temple, mosque or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all
spiritual truth.
(p. 65)
The Grand Lodge of Louisiana supports Hall's
explanation with these words from 1980 printing of The Louisiana Monitor:
To the altar of Freemasonry all men bring
their most votive offerings. Around it all men, whether they have received their teachings
from Confucius, Zoroaster, Moses, Mohammed or the founder of the Christian religion--just
so long as they believe in the universality of the fatherhood of God and universality of
the brotherhood of man--meet upon a common level. The Jew returns to his synagogue, the
Mohammedan to his mosque and the Christian to his temple--each better prepared for the
solemn duties of life by the associations in this universal brotherhood.
(p. 133)
The seven volume History of
Freemasonry, by Albert Mackey, discusses various pagan gods and the people
who worshiped them. Among those pagan deities featured in drawings included with the text
are Ashtaroth, Abraxas, Vishnu, Dagon, Nergal and Baal. The text states:
They were all Characters of human origin in
the Mythologic ages designed as the Saviors of Men, each one emphatically the
representative Christos, or Christ of his particular Nation; and the religious system
designed to restore the lost and fallen race of Man.
(p. 1721, vol VI)
The paragraph concludes, speaking of the men
who worshipped those false gods:
Now as Masons we decide not between these,
but take all in as our Brethren, and the One God as our Heavenly Father, revealed to us as
such in the Great Light of Masonry.
Freemasonry recognizes many world Saviors
The Masonic teaching that there have been
many world saviors is also documented in the numerous editions of the monitor used by the
Grand Lodge of Kentucky, The Kentucky Monitor. The passage
discussing various religions and their saviors ends by mentioning the main character from
the Master Mason ritual, Hiram Abiff:
All believed in a future life, to be attained
by purification and trials; in a state or successive states of reward and punishment; and
in a Mediator or Redeemer, by whom the Evil Principle was to be overcome and the Supreme
Deity reconciled to His creatures. The belief was general that He was to be born of a
virgin and suffer a painful death. The Hindus called him Krishna; the Chinese, Kioun-tse;
the Persians, Sosiosch; the Chaldeans, Dhouvanai; the Egyptians, Horus; Plato, Love; the
Scandinavians, Balder; the Christians, Jesus; Masons, Hiram.
(pages XIV-XV)
Notice the parallel structure of the last
sentence. Hiram is to Masons as Jesus is to Christians. This passage clearly places Hiram
Abiff in the same category as Jesus Christ. During the Legend of the Third Degree (the
latter portion of the Master Mason ritual) each man who becomes a Mason portrays Hiram
Abiff. As Hiram Abiff, he is unjustly murdered, buried and then raised from the grave.
The Meaning of Masonry,
by Lynn Perkins, discusses the implications of the symbolic death, burial and resurrection
of the new Master Mason:
Therefore Masonry teaches that redemption and
salvation are both the power and the responsibility of the individual Mason. Saviors like
Hiram Abiff can and do show the way, but men must always follow and demonstrate, each for
himself, his power to save himself, to build his own spiritual fabric in his own time and
way. Every man in essence is his own savior and redeemer; for if he does not save himself,
he will not be saved. The reader who succeeds in getting back to the real teachings of the
masters, including Jesus of Nazareth, will find unanimity of thinking on this matter.
(p.95)
Clearly, Masonry teaches that Jesus is not
unique. Masonry teaches that men of any and all religions are children of God. Masonry
does not lift up Jesus Christ as THE WAY. The Meaning of Masonry
explains why:
Now, therefore, why is Jesus the Christ not
mentioned in the Masonic Ritual of the first three degrees? Those who ask this question
should remember that Masonry has been, and is now, attempting to promote the idea of a
universal brotherhood, a dwelling-together of all peoples on earth in harmony and peace.
Though Avatars have come to all people at different times with the same essential message,
nevertheless the Christian Avatar is still not acceptable to some peoples. The brotherhood
of man, however, can be established upon the Fatherhood of God, which could and should be
a universal unifying synthesis of sufficient power to draw all men together. Masonry
proclaims the universal sovereignty of the All-Father, for it is He, the I Am That I Am,
who has sent every divine messenger into the world of humanity to teach men the way, the
Truth, and the Light. The ancient teachings were projected on the earth plane by the great
teachers--Avatars, divine messengers, messiahs, way-showers, exemplars, elder Brothers,
who at the behest of the Great Architect came into flesh from the Celestial Lodge at
different times and to different races of men. Jesus of Nazareth was sent to be a light to
the world to some branches of the human race, but other branches have had, and do now
have, their Buddha, their Krishna, their Zoroaster, their Confucius, their Mohammed.
Masonry declares that all these peoples, of whatever religion or creed, are children of
God born into a particular race, religion, or creed to derive whatever benefits and self
development they need, or are capable of, on their long journey back to the Celestial
Lodge. As all men live and move and have their being in the Creator, all men are potential
Brothers. Hence Masonry emphasizes no one Avatar in its Ritual more than another; and
Masons all over the world express their first allegiance to God, as the Universal Father.
. .
(p. 54-55)
Many Masons believe that the teachings
of Masonry are taken from the Bible
After a cursory examination, it is clear that
Freemasonry is decidedly unbiblical and anti-Christian.
The Bible clearly reveals that there is only
ONE Savior, and one way to receive salvation.
The Bible identifies who may become Children
of God. The book of John begins with these words:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things
were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life;
and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for
a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was
not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made
by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that
cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all
we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came
by Jesus Christ.
(John 1:1-17)
Masonry claims to be a search for light. As a
Mason who is seeking light, consider these words of Jesus:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I
am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
the light of life.
(John 8:12)
The Holy Bible documents what Jesus taught.
Jesus stated that He was the only way to God the Father:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(John 14:6)
His disciples clearly understood that Jesus
was the only way. Peter said:
Be it known unto you all, and to all the
people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom
God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is
the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved.
(Acts 4:10-12)
Can a Christian be a Mason?
Believing in Jesus requires believing what He
taught. Jesus said, No one comes to the Father, but by me. The Bible explains that in
order to become a child of God, a man must remain separate. A child of God is not to
closely associate with those who do not accept Jesus Christ as the only way to God.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part
hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with
idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and
I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God.
(2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)
This promise from God -- to be a Father to
you, allowing you to become His child -- is conditional. You must have faith in His Son,
Jesus, and you must not be yoked with unbelievers. You cannot claim the promise without
leaving the Lodge. God promises to receive you only if you come out from among them and be
separate. There are other scriptures in the Bible which teach that you cannot participate
in paganism, such as Freemasonry, and have God as your Father. For example, the Bible
directly contradicts the Masonic teaching that all men worship the same God using a
variety of different names. Paul wrote:
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered
to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot
drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the
Lord's table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we
stronger than he?
(1 Corinthians 10:20-21, NIV)
The Bible states that you cannot have a part
in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that you
cannot have God as your Father if you do not follow in the teaching of Jesus Christ. John
wrote:
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in
the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath
both the Father and the Son. (2 John 9)
Those who teach that all men are children of
God are not abiding in the doctrines of Christ. The teachings of Freemasonry are in direct
conflict with the teachings of the Bible. Either the teachings of Freemasonry are true,
and the Bible is wrong, or the Holy Bible is true and the teachings of Freemasonry are
wrong. They cannot both be true.
If you are a Mason, you have a choice to
make. You can continue to embrace the teachings of Masonry and spend eternity in Hell. Or,
you can accept Jesus Christ and the promise of God to receive you as His child, by
separating from the Lodge. On judgement day, it will be Jesus who determines where you
will spend eternity. Don't be deceived by those who will tell you that you can become a
Christian and continue to be a Mason, yoked with unbelievers. Jesus will have the final
word. He has said:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is
in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(Matthew 7:21-23)
If you are a Christian who became ensnared in
Freemasonry without knowing what it teaches, we urge you to claim the promise found in the
first of John's letters.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have
not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
(1 John 1:8-10)
God is willing to forgive you. In fact, He
wants to forgive you. But, His forgiveness is conditional on your confession and
repentance. Come out from among them and be ye separate.
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