===========[ The Christian BBS - 604-478-2789 - 24 Hrs - 8,N,1 ]===========
The following file has been put up, though not necessarily done by Dave 
Geauvreau who is the Sysop of "The Christian BBS," and can be contacted for 
more information by phoning the bulletin board at (604)-478-2789, or the 
voice line at (604)-478-0254, or by writing to 3053 Metchosin Rd., 
Victoria, B.C., Canada - V9B 4Y9! All donations if by check are to be to 
"The Christian BBS," and please note that finances do not allow me to 
accept long distance charges and return mail must be pre-postaged paid.
=========================================================================== 

                   WHO SAID A CHRISTIAN CAN'T BE A MASON?

The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" both mean annointed; 
usually a consecrated person.  When applied to Jesus, it means "God's 
annointed one."  The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the Christ in many 
places but the most definitive statements are found in Mark 14:61,62; 
Matthew 16:15-17; and John 4:25,26.

To deny that Jesus is the Christ is to condemn oneself to eternal 
damnation.  1 John 2:22,23 says, "who is the liar but the one who denies 
that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the antichrist, the one who denies the 
Father and the Son.  whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, the 
one who confesses the Son has the Father also."  Revelation 21:8 says that 
the unbelieving and liars will all be in the lake that burns with fire and 
brimstone.

Masonic tradition teaches the worship of the supreme God, the Great 
Architect of the Universe.  Who is this God?  Investigate the words of 
Albert Pike, 33rd degree Mason and author of Morals and Dogma, p.226:

    Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the 
    Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as 
    brethren and unite in prayer to the one God who is above all the 
    Ballim, must needs leave it to each of its Initiates to look for the 
    foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own 
    religion.

God teaches in Exodus 20:3-5, that "You shall have no other gods before Me, 
you shall not make for yourself an idol...you shall not worship them or 
serve them..."

In Judges 1 and 2, the Israelites did not drive out the followers of false 
gods and God's verdict was, "They shall become as thorns in your sides, and 
their gods shall be a snare to you."  (Judges 2:3) God's commandment to us 
as Christians is not only should we not be bound together with unbelievers, 
(2 Corinthians 6:14-17) but we should seek to make disciples of all nations 
(Matthew 28:19-20) by preaching the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

Freemasonry is in direct conflict with the Bible in that Masonry condones 
communal worship of a generic deity:

    To respect all forms of worship, to tolerate all political and 
    religious opinions; not to blame, and still less to condemn the 
    religion of others; not to seek to make converts; but to be content if 
    they have the religion of Socrates; a veneration for the Creator, the
    religion of good works, and grateful acknowledgment of God's blessings.  
    (Morals and Dogma, p.333)

In order for Masonry to be acceptable to all faiths, it is necessary to 
relegate the Bible to a position of equality among all religious books:

    The Book of the Law shall be an indispensable article of the lodge 
    furniture.  This book, however, need not necessarily be the Holy Bible; 
    but according to the religious faith of the members of the lodge.  It 
    may be the Koran, the Zen Avesta, or the Vedas or Shasters.  (The 
    Freemasons Pocket Companion, p.44-45)

This statement, by implication, makes Jehovah God one god equal to many; an 
interesting situation for the Masonic Christian whose all-knowing God knows 
of no others (Isaiah 44:8).

The final straw is laid on the proverbial camel's back when the deity of 
Jesus is denied by Albert Pike.  On page 524 of Morals and Dogma, he 
states,

    We do not undervalue the importance of any Truth.  We utter no word 
    that can be deemed irreverent by anyone of any faith.

(Jesus, in John 14:6, declares Himself to be the Truth, exclusively.)  In 
the same paragraph, Pike make the blasphemous statement,

    And as little do we tell the sincere Christian that Jesus of Nazareth 
    was but a man like us, or His history but the unreal revival of an 
    older legend.

In one paragraph, he destroys the very foundation of Christian beliefs and 
then, as if he was totally oblivious to his own writings, states on the 
facing page,

    Thus Masonry disbelieves no truth, and teaches unbelief in no creed, 
    except so far as such creed may lower its lofty estimate of the Deity, 
    degrade Him to the level of the passions of humanity.  (Morals and 
    Dogma, p.525)

The Gospel of the Bible is a gift to us from God and available to all who 
simply believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer, the one who died for 
sins and is resurrected.  Christianity does not require a special meeting 
place to conduct secret rituals that are sealed with blood oaths. (Matthew 
5:34-37; Luke 12:1-3)  At your next lodge meeting, ask yourself if you are 
worshipping the Great Architect of the Universe, the God of all religions, 
or are you truly worshipping Jehovah God, the one true God of the Bible.  
If your answer is the latter, then you must ask yourself if your presence 
in the lodge is truly honoring and glorifying your God.

In answer to the question, "Who said a Christian can't be a Mason?", a 
modern paraphrase could be made from the words of God's prophet Elijah:

    How long will you go limping with two different opinions?  If the Lord 
    is God, follow Him; but if the "Great Architect of the Universe" is 
    God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)

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    And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name 
    (besides Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.  
    He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Acts 4:12; Mark 4:9)
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