GC:
Where do you stand on Freemasonry?
Ed:
Freemasonry traces its origins to the medieval craft guilds. It is a worldwide brotherhood of people, who are united by their core values of community and tolerance, the pursuit of self-improvement, and service to their wider communities. Is it compatible with a Christian faith?
1. Freemasons believe in a “Supreme Being”, but other than that, religion does not matter: they can be members of any faith. The Bible, however, insists that there is only one way of salvation: Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
2. A Christian community is a brotherhood of believers, united by their faith in and devotion to Christ. The Apostle Paul said, ‘Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?’ (2 Corinthians 6:14). Christians are called to be ‘saints’ (for example Romans 1:7)—the word ‘saint’ means someone who is devoted to God and separated from things that are ungodly.
This conflicts with membership of the Freemasons, who themselves are a ‘brotherhood’, united in a shared outlook, sharing fellowship together and specially looking out for each other—but are people of all different faiths.
3. Christians should always be ready to speak about their faith to anyone, because it’s the most important thing in their lives (1 Peter 3:15). That conflicts with the practice in Freemason meetings of not talking about religion.
4. Jesus has commanded his servants to work in his service while they’re waiting for him to return (Luke 19:13). There’s lots to do—preaching the Gospel, looking after each other and others, sharing worship and fellowship with each other. Being a Freemason would be a distraction from the Lord’s work.
5. Freemasonry puts emphasis on personal growth and improvement. One of its mottoes is “Making good men better”. Christianity, by contrast, starts with a recognition that we have no goodness of our own, but we need to allow God to build us up by His grace through Christ (for example Romans 7:24).
6. Freemasonry has a big commitment to charitable work, and does it in a high profile way. Jesus also set great store by charitable work, but he said, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3).
Freemasons tend to be upstanding members of their communities, and the organisation does much good. But I suggest that membership is not compatible with the life of a true follower of Jesus Christ.