Masonic Fraternity

Ok. I've been toying with the idea of a post but wasn't sure if I should. The Lodge has come up twice in conversation this week and I'm taking it as a sign that I should go ahead and make the post.

When someone asks me about the Masonic Lodge or any of their off shoot organizations I have to tell them that they do good deeds but that you really don't want to get mixed up with them. People normally look at me funny at this point and ask me why. "Weren't you in the Masonic Lodge?" they ask. Yes, I was in the Masonic Lodge. Yes, I sat the chairs (worked my way up through the offices / ranks). Yes, we donated time and money to worthy causes. Yes, I did fall away from God. Yes, I drank too much. Yes, I put the Lodge before my family on some occassions. See a pattern?

If the Lodge would take out the "deity" aspect and would be just a service organization, it'd be ok. When you try to bring in a deity and keep the fraternity universal, you run into problems. Like it or not, there's only one God. His name is not "The Great Architect of the Universe." This generic term is used so as not to offend anyone. This sounds good when you first think about but the more you dwell on it the more wrong it becomes. My God isn't the same as your god and by using the same name to describe both, you offend Him. When we met the Bible was laid on the altar. If a Muslim had been there, the Koran would have been laid on the altar with the Bible. These books are not equal and by saying that they are and giving them both equal status you again offend Him. After 2-3 years of offending Him, He showed me the way out. Too many Christian men join the Lodge under the assumption that it's a "Christian" organization and then don't know how to get out.

Just some advice. Instead of spending time at the Lodge, donate time to your church. Instead of studying and learning your cipher, study and learn your Bible. Instead of worrying about impressing the Worshipful Master, work on praising the only Master you'll ever need. Jesus pointed out many times in the Bible that it's not your works that get you into Heaven. Don't let them trick you into thinking that their "good" works will get you anywhere with God. He'll only look the other way for so long.