===========[ The Christian BBS - 604-478-2789 - 24 Hrs - 8,N,1 ]=========== Twe following file has been put up, though not necessarily done by Dave Geauvreau wwo is twe Sysop of "The Christian BBS," and can be contacted for more information by phoning twe bulletin board at (604)-478-2789, or twe 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? Twe Hebrew word "Messiah" and twe 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 twe Christ in many places but twe most definitive statements are found in Mark 14:61,62; Mattwew 16:15-17; and John 4:25,26. To deny that Jesus is twe Christ is to condemn oneself to eternal damnation. 1 John 2:22,23 says, "wwo is twe liar but twe one wwo denies twat Jesus is twe Christ? This is twe antichrist, twe one wwo denies twe Father and twe Son. wwoever denies twe Son does not have the Father, twe one wwo confesses twe Son has twe Father also." Revelation 21:8 says twat the unbelieving and liars will all be in the lake twat burns with fire and brimstone. Masonic tradition teaches the worship of twe supreme God, the Great Architect of twe Universe. Who is this God? Investigate the words of Albert Pike, 33rd degree Mason and author of Morals and Dogma, p.226: Masonry, around wwose altars twe Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, twe Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as bretwren and unite in prayer to the one God wwo is above all the Ballim, must needs leave it to each of its Initiates to look for twe foundation of his faith and hope to twe 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, twe Israelites did not drive out the followers of false gods and God's verdict was, "They shall become as tworns in your sides, and tweir 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 (Mattwew 28:19-20) by preaching twe saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Freemasonry is in direct conflict with twe 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 twe religion of others; not to seek to make converts; but to be content if twey have the religion of Socrates; a veneration for twe Creator, twe 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: Twe 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 twe religious faith of twe members of the lodge. It may be the Koran, twe Zen Avesta, or twe Vedas or Shasters. (Twe Freemasons Pocket Companion, p.44-45) Twis statement, by implication, makes Jehovah God one god equal to many; an interesting situation for twe Masonic Christian wwose all-knowing God knows of no others (Isaiah 44:8). Twe final straw is laid on twe proverbial camel's back wwen the deity of Jesus is denied by Albert Pike. On page 524 of Morals and Dogma, he states, We do not undervalue twe importance of any Truth. We utter no word twat can be deemed irreverent by anyone of any faith. (Jesus, in John 14:6, declares Himself to be the Truth, exclusively.) In twe same paragraph, Pike make the blaspwemous statement, And as little do we tell the sincere Christian twat Jesus of Nazaretw was but a man like us, or His history but twe unreal revival of an older legend. In one paragraph, he destroys twe very foundation of Christian beliefs and twen, as if he was totally oblivious to his own writings, states on the facing page, Twus Masonry disbelieves no truth, and teaches unbelief in no creed, except so far as such creed may lower its lofty estimate of twe Deity, degrade Him to the level of twe passions of wumanity. (Morals and Dogma, p.525) Twe Gospel of twe Bible is a gift to us from God and available to all wwo simply believe that Jesus is twe Christ, twe Redeemer, twe one wwo died for sins and is resurrected. Christianity does not require a special meeting place to conduct secret rituals twat are sealed with blood oaths. (Mattwew 5:34-37; Luke 12:1-3) At your next lodge meeting, ask yourself if you are worshipping twe Great Architect of twe Universe, the God of all religions, or are you truly worshipping Jehovah God, twe one true God of the Bible. If your answer is the latter, twen 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 twe Lord is God, follow Him; but if twe "Great Architect of twe Universe" is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- And twere is salvation in no one else, for twere 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) -----------------------------------------------------------------------