# Fast Facts on the Masonic Lodge (Ankerberg & Weldon)



## RamistThomist (Dec 27, 2018)

Ankerberg, John. and Weldon, John. _The Facts on the Masonic Lodge_. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1989.

Surprisingly good. You never can tell with pop apologetics tracks. It doesn't get into the hermetic issues of Freemasonry. It focuses on the "Blue Lodge," as most Masons are there. It mainly stays with standard Masonic texts and is fair. Instead of quoting the actual text, I am going to quote from the Masonic manuals from which they quote. 

They argue that Masonry is a religion because a) some of its key texts say it is; b) it requires specific religious beliefs (immortality of the soul; belief in a supreme being), and c) promises an eternal reward. And koinonia. This is exactly what the church offers (Henry Wilson Coil, _Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia_ 1961:512). And since they require belief in these, that fits the definition of a Creed.

Since this religion disagrees with Christianity in key aspects, Christians can't be Masons. We will focus on some of these aspects:


Jahbulon. This name of God is a combination of Jehovah, Baal, and Osiris. By definition this isn't the God that Christians worship. We worship the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 Freemasonry teaches that a man is in darkness prior to becoming a freemason (Albert Mackey, _Manual of the Lodge_, 520). The Bible, on the other hand, says that before Christ we were in darkness (Galatians 1:4).
Freemasonry openly mocks the biblical God, calling him "a partisan tribal god" (Coil 516-517). And they aren't nearly as apophatic as they claim. They make a number of positive assertions about God: he is unitarian, deistic (Martin Wagner, _Freemasonry: An Interpretation_, 284). Even on Masonic principles there is no way they can reconcile these disparate claims (and that's not even mentioning Islamic theology or Judaism). We don't have the same view of God, as both Pike and Coil admit.
This is a good primer. I read it in under an hour. It doesn't get into the occultic darkness aspects, which is just as well. It ends with an evangelistic appeal to those Christians who are caught in Freemasonry.

Reactions: Informative 2


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## Taylor (Dec 27, 2018)

Very interesting. Does the book say anything about whether Freemasonry has an ecclesiastical structure or superstructure, like a prelatic hierarchy or something? I'm just wondering how they ensure correct doctrine is being taught from top to bottom.

I am interested in this because I just found out that a close family friend of ours, who I have always thought to be a Christian, is at least involved in fundraisers at our local Lodge in town. It worries me a little.


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## RamistThomist (Dec 27, 2018)

Taylor Sexton said:


> Does the book say anything about whether Freemasonry has an ecclesiastical structure or superstructure, like a prelatic hierarchy or something



A bit. The York Rite begins with Mark Master and ends with Commandery. The Scottish Rite begins with 1st degree and obviously ends with 33rd degree (supposedly that's where they swear an oath to Lucifer).


Taylor Sexton said:


> I'm just wondering how they ensure correct doctrine is being taught from top to bottom.



It used to be by death threats. Being a deistic religion, there really isn't much need for ensuring correct doctrine. And besides banking connections at the higher levels, their conspiracies aren't as grand today as they used to be.

Reactions: Like 1


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## RamistThomist (Dec 27, 2018)

Taylor Sexton said:


> is at least involved in fundraisers at our local Lodge in town. It worries me a little.



Most people think of it as a good ole boy system. And at the Blue Lodge levels they are probably clueless about what they believe. Start quoting Pike's Morals and Dogma and see the reactions.

Reactions: Like 1


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## RamistThomist (Dec 28, 2018)

Fun fact, or maybe not so fun. George Estabrooks, who basically weaponized multiple personality disorders for the US Military, was a 32nd degree Freemason

http://ahrp.org/1963-hypnotist-george-estabrooks-admits-creating-multiple-personality-assassins/


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## Dachaser (Dec 28, 2018)

Taylor Sexton said:


> Very interesting. Does the book say anything about whether Freemasonry has an ecclesiastical structure or superstructure, like a prelatic hierarchy or something? I'm just wondering how they ensure correct doctrine is being taught from top to bottom.
> 
> I am interested in this because I just found out that a close family friend of ours, who I have always thought to be a Christian, is at least involved in fundraisers at our local Lodge in town. It worries me a little.


the Masons seem to be attractive to Baptists for some strange reason, and many people know of them through the Shriners and their good works, so are ignorant of the theology that the Lodge really holds.
My father was a 33 degree mason before he passed away, and so do know that they hold to whatever God that you tend to worship, and they do place an emphasis on their good works and rituals preparing them to go into the Celestial Lodge after death. to meet the Grand Architect of the Universe.


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