Spiritual help

[Sabathil]

Hello Brothers, I have been recommended by a friend to become a prince hall mason, I feel like I can contribute to the brotherhood and also I want something new in my life but, something inside me is telling me don't do it, it was always told to me that it was evil, I have good friends that are masons that explain in great details what it's origins for, and I I'm intrigued so, how do I fight this spiritual battle...

 

[dfreybur]

A lunatic named Leo Taxil published a paper with that accusation in it. He eventually recanted and admitted it was a forgery. Recanting does not stop him from being considered a lunatic.

Masonry teaches faith, hope, charity and other virtues. Think about what that says about the mental health of those who consider us evil.

 

[MRichard]

Only you can determine whether it is right for you or not.

 

[jjjjjggggg]

Freemasonry isn't for everyone. One may very well find freemasonry conflicts with their spiritual convictions.

Though freemasonry strongly encourages each man to live out the principles of their own respective faiths, it does not place one religion over another in importance nor condemn a man inferior for not subscribing to one particular faith.

That being said, and I'm assuming you are a Christian, if you were to join you take an obligation to brothers who will come from various religious traditions who don't give Jesus the same exalted position as you, and may conflict with the biblical imperative to not "yoke" yourself to an "unbeliever" (2 Cor. 6:14).


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[Sabathil]

Thank you all, you make a great point Jaime. Guinn, I feel like it will conflict with my Christianity but it doesn't have too, needing something new in my life and I see how masonry treats my friends, a little worried about the backlash I'll receive from Christian family members...

 

[Sabathil]

Freemasonry isn't for everyone. One may very well find freemasonry conflicts with their spiritual convictions.

Though freemasonry strongly encourages each man to live out the principles of their own respective faiths, it does not place one religion over another in importance nor condemn a man inferior for not subscribing to one particular faith.

That being said, and I'm assuming you are a Christian, if you were to join you take an obligation to brothers who will come from various religious traditions who don't give Jesus the same exalted position as you, and may conflict with the biblical imperative to not "yoke" yourself to an "unbeliever" (2 Cor. 6:14).


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Thank you all, you make a great point Jaime. Guinn, I feel like it will conflict with my Christianity but it doesn't have too, needing something new in my life and I see how masonry treats my friends, a little worried about the backlash I'll receive from Christian family members...

 

[MRichard]

Thank you all, you make a great point Jaime. Guinn, I feel like it will conflict with my Christianity but it doesn't have too, needing something new in my life and I see how masonry treats my friends, a little worried about the backlash I'll receive from Christian family members...

You can control who knows to some degree except for your immediate family. Some are very open about it and some guys are not and you would never know they were a Mason. Depends on the individual.

 

[BroBook]

No my brother masonry does not conflict with Christianity according the Book we hold dear the true religion is to take care of widows and orphans and we as masons meet on the level there is no uneven yoke involved!!!


Bro Book
M.W.U.G.L. Of Fl: P.H.A.
Excelsior # 43
At pensacola

 

[Sabathil]

What's a 'yoke'???

 

[jjjjjggggg]

What's a 'yoke'???

A yoke is a wooden beam that secured oxen together when pulling a plow. The scripture is from 2 Corinthians 6:14, which says, " Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"

When I was a part of a fundamentalist Christian denomination I was told that this meant Christians should not bind themselves to non-believers, such as masons do in our obligations to each other (as not all masons are Christian).

In fact, it was the interpretation that Jesus, being the light of the world, and the only way to the Father, that any organization preaching that salvation was not by Jesus alone was false, and the Christian should avoid it, which would include freemasonry.

This is why many evangelical and fundamentalist sects of Christianity have stated they are anti-masonic and warn their adherents that they are in danger of going to hell if they participate in any group that doesn't exalt the primacy of Jesus and faith in him alone to save.




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[BryanMaloney]

The Fundamentalist interpretation of 2 Cor 6:14 would mean that a Fundamentalist cannot work in the same place that has non-Fundamentalist employees, shop at stores with non-Fundamentalist employees or customers or, indeed, live in the same country as one that has non-Fundamentalist citizens. One wonders how they manage to get along.

 

[jjjjjggggg]

The Fundamentalist interpretation of 2 Cor 6:14 would mean that a Fundamentalist cannot work in the same place that has non-Fundamentalist employees, shop at stores with non-Fundamentalist employees or customers or, indeed, live in the same country as one that has non-Fundamentalist citizens. One wonders how they manage to get along.

Agreed. Martin Luther led a movement to place the Bible as the supreme guide in faith as opposed to a pope, and since then there have been countless break offs with each group claiming to have arrived at the only "true" understanding of the scriptures, each with their own unique ways of approaching the issue of how much should a follower of Christ be involved in the world... some going as far as sequestering themselves totally.

Still, the doctrine that Jesus alone is the Light of the world, is core in all main branches of Christianity, and when we talk about masons seeking "light masonically" Jesus isn't emphasized and therefore the contradiction comes into play. So the logical proof would read "if Jesus alone is the Light and Freemasons do not give primacy to Jesus as the light, then freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity"... or so the arguments have been made in anti-masonic Christian circles.


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[crono782]

I think that it is very possible to overthink the situation and/or come to preconceived opinions about it.

I do not see Freemasonry at odds with my religion at all. It is a philosophical institution that, while spiritual in some aspects, makes no attempt to encroach on the domain of religion. I've heard and participated in several discussions on the topic and have heard many thoughts on it. There are a few "popular" concerns that most will cite, the above discussion being one of them (don't associate with folks outside your circle). Sometimes these come from uninformed non-members, other times from ill-informed members. Sometimes they come from well-informed members that have had a change of opinion on the matter.

Freemasonry is an idea, a philosophical teaching, a way of life; not a path to salvation, not a religion, not a substitute for God, church, or family. It seems to me a lot of the issues that arise with churches (besides straight up internet crazy misinformation, of course) come from not understanding this.

 

[Sabathil]

Wow!!! Lot of great info... Feel a little more confident now about my future prince hall brothers, why does it have to be so complicated???

 

[Morris]

Freemasonry is an idea, a philosophical teaching, a way of life; not a path to salvation, not a religion, not a substitute for God, church, or family.

This statement should be in every lodges webpage under the FAQ section. The simple truth.

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[Sabathil]

So what if I joined and realized this is not for me, then what???

 

[caution22113]

Then you would probably stop paying dues and stop participating in lodge functions/events.

 

[crono782]

That could be a jurisdiction thing, never heard of it. Here you can just demit or stop coming hah.


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[BryanMaloney]

You can "voluntarily demit", which amounts to "deactivation until you decide otherwise". In essence, you're not "erased from record", but you're certainly not expected to participate from that point, on (as if you're expected to in the first place, it's more like "tickled pink if you participate").

 

[dfreybur]

If I'm not mistaken

You are definitely mistaken. I've read though your posts and my conclusion is you are an anti gradually escalating your rhetoric until you get ejected. Rather than watch to see how long that takes I'll try out the forums new "Ignore" feature on you to see how it works.