WELCOME LODGE NO. 255

1. Written By: Welcome Lodge No. 255 F. & A. M. WELCOME LODGE NO. 255 Religion and Freemasonry

2. Religious Persecution Throughout History • 1500’s and 1600’s: • Marked by Long Bloody Religious Wars • Affected every country in Europe • Frightening and confusing times because regardless of your faith, to some other faith, you were in the wrong. Being in the wrong meant death often preceded by torture. • In 1533 King Henry VIII broke away from the Pope and created the Church of England. He burned and beheaded anyone who attempted to stop him. When he died, his daughter, Queen Mary (Bloody Mary) attempted to force everyone in the Church of England back into Catholicism and burned more than 300 Protestants at the stake. After 5 years of her bloody rule, she died. • Throughout the 1600’s the Protestants began to war with each other through divisions within its own ranks (High Church Anglicans, Low Church Anglicans, Presbyterians, Calvinist, and Lutherans). • When the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 looked like it might bring an end to the religious intolerance, the English Civil War broke out, which turned out to be an even bloodier war with religion at its center.

3. Queen Mary’s sister, Queen Elizabeth I, brought back Protestantism with little bloodshed. She quickly dies and the Catholics tried to blow up King and Parliament which started a fresh wave of anti-Catholic rioting, egged on by the new and more fanatical Protestant sect of the Puritans. • King Charles I, during the English Civil War (1641) had been battling with his parliament over money and religion until he chained the doors shut on parliament for 11 years. Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan, took over during the English Civil War by beheading the King in 1649 and he set up a Puritan government so strict that it banned everything from dancing to Christmas. His reign lasted for 12 years until the British decided they wanted their monarchy back. • Then came the Restoration where England brought back the monarchy with King Charles II in 1661, and back into existence came the Church of England. • In 1685 the next King of England, King James II, another Catholic, and another Bloody Mary, as he tried to turn the entire country back over to the Pope. He was deposed by the Protestants in Parliament and fled the country, but his ardent catholic supporters continued for many years attempting to finish off the Protestants of England. • The 1700’s: • In 1717, the first Grand Lodge was formed in London and at that point it was decided that the discussion of religion was strictly prohibited. Because the past 200 years had been nothing but bloodshed, with religion pitting neighbor against neighbor, the first Grand Lodge decided that in order for its brethren to get along, religious discussion would be banned from the Lodge which allowed those brothers the freedom to socialize with each other without fear of repercussion due to their religious beliefs. • The Pope, who was not just a spiritual leader back in the 1700’s but ruled as a King over a big slice of Italy and even parts of France, did not like Freemasonry. It had been created in England, a non-Catholic country, allowing all faiths to join, more and more of them were Jews, and its members took oaths of secrecy. • In 1730, Pope Clement XII enacted a Papal Bull threatening any Catholic who became a Freemason with excommunication, however; it went largely unnoticed because of the churches loss of influence in the world. So in 1739 another Papal Bull was issued threatening death for any Masonic Membership in any of the Papal States. • Over the next 140 years, popes would issue a series of angry bulls against Freemasons. The strongest was in 1884, issued by Pope Leo XII who believed that the world was divided into a Kingdom of God and a Kingdom of Satan, and that Freemasonry was at the center of Satanism.

4. Conclusion: • These bloody and chaotic events had a deep effect on the new men of science and reason who were waiting in the wings with a novel idea for getting along with one another. • Freemasonry is a fraternity that is made up of all different age groups, backgrounds, faiths, professions and political persuasions. In other organizations, this diverse group would be a recipe of division, but not in Freemasonry. Freemasonry long ago united its members by banning the discussion of religion and politics within its lodges. • Freemasonry ask one simple question regarding Religion, Do you have a personal belief in a Supreme Being? Other than that every Freemason is encouraged to worship in his own way according to his beliefs and to allow his brethren the same right. • Masonry has many religious overtones in the lodge, but does not tailor them to any specific belief. We open lodge with the Bible upon the Alter, however; if a Brother being initiated, passed or raised is of a different belief, he may place his “Volume of Sacred Law” upon the Alter next to the bible and obligate using his holy book. • Because we live in such a civilized society, many in this country do not realize the sacrifices that our brethren of past years have made all over the world to practice our craft. They have been persecuted and prosecuted as Masons in the name of religion and through man’s ignorance of our beliefs and ceremonies. Many have given their lives in the course of standing up for what they believed to be right and good. We should take from that as Masons, that they believed enough in the craft to lay down their lives and freedom, so should we have enough pride in our Masonic heritage to go the extra mile and work to make it a viable institution for tomorrow.

5. What Are People Saying Today?

6. Intolerance and Misleading Ideas Not Consistent with Masonic Values In an effort to see what todays society is saying about Freemasonry, I pulled the FIRST article I found on Google. The following pages contain that article word for word. How do our Values, prove these statements inaccurate? How would you explain the truth to the “profain”?

7. Question: "What is Free Masonry and what do Free Masons believe?"Answer: Freemasonry, Eastern Star, and other similar "secret" organizations appear to be harmless fellowship gatherings. Many of them appear to promote belief in God. However, upon closer examination, we 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.The unbiblical and anti-Christian beliefs and practices of this organization are partially hidden beneath an outward appearance of a supposed compatibility with the Christian faith. The following is a comparison of what the Bible says with the "official" position of Freemasonry: • True Statement: We do believe in a “Supreme Being” including all faiths. Our ‘official’ stance is that we “encourage all men to follow the faith his heart loves best, and to allow all of his brethren the same right”. • False Statement: We are NOT a religion, therefore we do not practice religion in the Lodge, instead, we base our ceremonies and rituals ‘loosely’ on the regions religious beliefs, be it Christianity, Catholicism, or Protestant faiths. Members are free to join the lodge of their choice.

8. Salvation from Sin:The Bible’s View: Jesus became the sinner’s sacrifice before God when He shed His blood and died as the propitiation (payment) for the sins of all those who would ever believe (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8, John 3:16).Mason’s View: The very process of joining the Lodge requires Christians to ignore the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. According to Freemasonry, a person will be saved and go to heaven as a result of his good works and personal self-improvement. The person writing this piece obviously knows nothing (or does not want to know anything) about our craft. If Masonry were a religion then this might be true, however; our goal is Brotherhood, to accomplish goals tailored to the three tenants of Masonry; Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. We do not want to know what the Brothers religion is because we do not care, and how he worships is his own choice. We care about trust, and we trust because we are brothers of a long standing fraternity of men who do not judge each other over their beliefs.

9. The View of the Bible:The Bible’s View: The supernatural and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures—that they are inerrant and that their teachings and authority are absolute, supreme, and final. The Bible is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:13).Mason’s View: The Bible is only one of several “Volume(s) of Sacred Law,” all of which are deemed to be equally important in Freemasonry. The Bible is an important book, only as far as those members who claim to be Christians are concerned, just as the Koran is important to Muslims. The Bible is not considered to be the exclusive Word of God, nor is it considered to be God’s sole revelation of himself to humankind; but only one of many religious sourcebooks. It is a good guide for morality. The Bible is used primarily as a symbol of God’s will, which can also be captured in other sacred texts, like the Koran or Rig Vedas. Religion is a very volatile subject. Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God or their Volume of Sacred Law. Muslims believe that the Koran holds those truths and many other religions follow suit. In our philosophy as Masons, we are tolerant, we do not judge, and because of that, we are able to get along with our neighbor, regardless of their skin color, religious or political preference.

10. The Doctrine of God:The Bible’s View: There is one God. The various names of God refer to the God of Israel and reveal certain attributes of God. To worship other gods or to call upon other deities is idolatry (Exodus 20:3). Paul spoke of idolatry as a heinous sin (1 Corinthians 10:14) and John said that idolaters will perish in hell (Revelation 21:8).Mason’s View: All members must believe in a deity. Different religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc.) acknowledge the same God, only call Him different names. Freemasonry invites people of all faiths, even if they use different names for the ‘Nameless One of a hundred names,’ they are yet praying to the one God and Father of all. • Each Mason is free to worship as he chooses, free to call upon his God, regardless of what name he uses. We extend that right to all of our Brethren and to those within our communities. • Definition of: Religious intolerance is intolerance against another's religious beliefs or practices or lack thereof. • Does this ring a bell related to any earlier slides in this presentation. Imagine if everyone thought and acted as a Freemason. You wouldn’t need world peace, you’d need disruption to break up the monotony of peace.

11. Definition: Religious Persecution - The systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within society to alienate or repress different subcultures is a recurrent theme in human history. Intolerance leads to Persecution – Persecution leads to chaos. Masonry steps high above it all. It lets a brother be a brother, no strings attached, no shoes to fill. Live your life well, to the best of your ability, live it to the code of your faith, think for yourself, and do not allow others to think for you. The Doctrine of Jesus and the Trinity:The Bible’s View: Jesus was God in human form (Matthew 1:18-24, John 1:1). Jesus is the second person of the trinity (Matthew 28:19, Mark 1:9-11). While on earth, He was fully human (Mark 4:38, Matthew 4:2) and fully divine (John 20:28, John 1:1-2, Acts 4:10-12). Christians should pray in Jesus’ name and proclaim Him before others, regardless of offense to non-Christians (John 14:13-14, 1 John 2:23, Acts 4:18-20).Mason’s View: There is no exclusivity in Jesus Christ or the Triune God who is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; therefore there is no doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ. It is deemed to be un-Masonic to invoke the name of Jesus when praying, or mention His name in the Lodge. Suggesting that Jesus is the only way to God contradicts the principle of tolerance. The name of Jesus has been omitted from biblical verses that are used in Masonic rituals. Jesus is on the same level as other religious leaders.

12. Human Nature and Sin:The Bible’s View: All humans are born with a sinful nature, are totally depraved, and need a Savior from sin (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5, Ephesians 2:1). The Bible denies that because of the Fall, humanity has within itself the capacity for moral perfection (1 John 1:8-10, Romans 1:18-25).Mason’s View: Through symbols and emblems, Masons teach that man is not sinful, just “rude and imperfect by nature”. Human beings are able to improve their character and behavior in various ways, including acts of charity, moral living, and voluntary performance of civic duty. Humanity possesses the ability of moving from imperfection toward total perfection. Moral and spiritual perfection lies within men and women. “Rude and Imperfect” sounds a lot to me like stating that man is sinful. It’s foolish to think otherwise. We believe that man can continually improve himself, but there is always more to learn. I have not read yet where Masonry states that Man is or has the ability of being perfect. We are constantly in a state of change, always learning, always working toward the perfection we desire but never achieve. In the mean time, we continue to pursue our perfect state.

13. When a Christian takes the oath of Freemasonry, he is swearing to the following doctrines that God has pronounced false and sinful:1. That salvation can be gained by man’s good works. Yes along with any other requirements of your religion. 2. That Jesus is just one of many equally revered prophets. False. Nothing teaches this in Masonry. We do not teach religion. 3. That they will remain silent in the Lodge and not talk of Christ. Correct. We will not discuss Religion in the lodge. Nothing prevents it outside of the lodge. 4. That they are approaching the Lodge in spiritual darkness and ignorance, when the Bible says Christians are already in the light, children of the light, and are indwelt by the Light of the World—Jesus Christ. We approach the Lodge in Ignorance.Using word play to distort the subject. Coming into the light, is not about religion, but about seeing the beauties of Freemasonry and accepting your brother as he is. 5. By demanding that Christians take the Masonic oath, Masonry leads Christians into blasphemy and taking the name of the Lord in vain. Recall your oaths, try to identify one phrase that takes the Lords name in vain or that blasphemes. Quite the opposite in fact, our oath supports the principles of the bibles teachings.

14. 6. Masonry teaches that its G.A.O.T.U. [Great Architect of the Universe], whom Masonry believes is the true God of the universe, is representative of all gods in all religions. Because of our religious tolerance, Great Architect of the Universe allows brethren of all faiths to take part free of intolerance, as each is able to pray to his God. 7. Masonry makes Christians take a universalist approach in their prayers, demanding a “generic” name be used so as not to offend non-believers who are Masonic “brothers”. See #6. 8. By swearing the Masonic oath and participating in the doctrines of the Lodge, Christians are perpetuating a false gospel to other Lodge members, who look only to Masonry’s plan of salvation to get to heaven. By their very membership in such a syncretistic type organization, they have severely compromised their witnessing as Christians. Masonry has no plan to get to heaven. It has a plan to live a good life. Getting to heaven is on you and between you and your God. 9. By taking the Masonic obligation, the Christian is agreeing to allow the pollution of his mind, spirit, and body by those who serve false gods and believe false doctrines. Again, Religious Intolerance!

15. As you can see, Masonry denies and contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture and numerous issues. Masonry also requires people to engage in activities which the Bible condemns. As a result, a Christian should not be a member of any secret society or organization that has any connection with Freemasonry. It’s statements such as this that create doubt in our sincerity among the profane who do not understand our lessons. It’s the fact that if they cannot know something that we know, we cannot exist. It’s the very definition of intolerance. Society has condemned that which they do not understand since time began. It will never go away, but as Masons, we continue to put our best foot forward, smile as we greet people on the street, be sincere when we meet our fellow man, especially a brother, and always be honest in our dealings. That is how we change public opinion created by “blaspheme” such as this.