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I was heavily involved
with the Order of
DeMolay as I was growing
up. I
was a state ritual
champion and a past
state appointed officer
(Pennsylvania). I have
been awarded the
Chevalier and Legion of
Honor
from DeMolay.
I joined the lodge when
I was 21 (nine years
ago). I wasn't able to
go
to many lodge meetings
due to education
commitments, so I was
really
never more than a dues
paying member. However,
I know much of the
Fraternity through my
father and through my
intimate involvement
with
DeMolay.
DeMolay is a channel
directly into the lodge
and I got to know many
Masons, including Grand
Masters, on a first name
basis.
I never thought of the
lodge and the church as
mutually exclusive,
until
I made a profession of
faith.
I had some personal
problems in my marriage
which resulted in my
wife
leaving me. I came to
know the Lord during the
two weeks that she had
left. When my wife and I
met to discuss how we
would divide the
property, I shared what
had happened to me. A
short time afterward,
she
accepted Christ as her
savior, too. Our
marriage and family were
saved!
Part of my Christian
commitment was, of
course, to examine all
areas of
my life and bring them
in line with the
Lordship of Christ.
Since I was
a Freemason, I naturally
examined this area.
I asked for books from
my pastor and elders in
my church (Presbyterian
Church in America). I
also completed my own
personal study using
Masonic authors that
included Pike, Mackey,
and Blackmer. As a
matter
of fact, the Grand Lodge
of Pennsylvania
recommended Blackmer's
book as a good summary.
Additionally, I read
Ankerberg and Weldon as
well as
Jack Harris' book.
Throughout this
examination, I tried to
be as objective as
possible. I
came to the conclusion
over the course of
several months that
membership
in the lodge was
incompatible with
Christianity. The PCA's
position
paper on Masonry also
helped me finalize my
decision as did the
Orthodox
Presbyterian Church's
tract, "Christ or the
Lodge?"
Particularly relevant in
my decision were
passages in the Bible
dealing
with yoking believers
and unbelievers
together, especially
using the
severe oaths of the
lodge. The "Universal
Fatherhood of God and
Brotherhood of Man" is
another concept that
scripture does not
support.
We are, rather, sons by
adoption.
My readings in Blackmer
helped me realize the
origins of Masonic
rituals
in Egyptian sun worship.
Finally, the Grand-Omnific
Royal Arch Word as
an amalgamation of
Jehovah with two other
pagan gods was nothing
less than blasphemous. I
could not dismiss this,
because Blue Lodge and
Royal Arch Masonry are
the only two, true
original forms of the
Craft.
Therefore, it did not
matter what other types
of Christian
window-dressings were
placed into the York or
Scottish Rites. It also
does not matter how much
they attempt to change
the rituals to be more
palatable to Christians,
since the origins, to
me, betray the focus.
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