A Response to a Mason, Part II

The Truth shall set us free...

^“37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth. Every one that is of the Truth heareth my voice.

³⁸ Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?”

— Gospel of John 18:37-38 KJV

---

---

Previous Entry

---

A Response to a Mason, Part I

---

Hey there

Don Smith

(and fellow readers) ,
I have enjoyed our dialogue and appreciate your intellectual bravery for being willing to entertain my arguments as a Mason. I think your point’s are valid ones and made in good faith, earnestly trying to seek out the dividing line between lies and Truth. These conversations were bound to happen at some point given the nature of my writing, so I once again wanted to give this a more public hearing. You stirred up some deep waters and led me down some fascinating rabbit trails, I thank you for that. I will address the arguments raised in the order they were written, so that this next installment of our conversation will flow better in this written format. I have included those comments below for the sake of accuracy for future reader’s. I have left all of your text and layout as is in its totality.

Before I address your points and make more than a few of my own, allow me to tell you a story I have alluded to previously in my writings. Its relevance will become apparent, I assure you. In many ways you can say it’s the beginning of this journey.

I had recently left the military after a single term of enlistment. Witnessing the debacle that was Afghanistan had left me disillusioned with our alleged war, and my role in it. I returned back to college immediately, ready to use that GI Bill to better myself (though the housing stipend certainly didn’t hurt either). The transition from military to civilian life is a jarring one, and I was looking for another avenue to engage in the comradery of men of like character. I would end up pledging and being initiated into one of the legacy fraternities in America, Phi Gamma Delta, otherwise known as FIJI.

I am hardly what you would call a shrieking violet. I have been in warzones. I’ve flown in active combat zones within range of weapon systems that could have wiped me and my crew out. I have interacted with psychopaths, fiends, and murderers. I’ve endured and completed training that 99.9% of the populace would fail. I don’t say these things to brag, merely to demonstrate the profundity of the statement I am about to make.

After placing hoods over me and my fellow initiates heads, we were driven to an undisclosed location. Expecting some kind of hazing like this and having gone through SERE school, I was inwardly amused at the extent to which they were putting on this show. My amusement ceased as soon as I crossed the threshold of this building. The feeling that overcame me and penetrated my very being can only be described as pure evil. It was if the floor had been electrified and I was powerless to move. After the prodding of the initiate behind me, I continued inward, but the feeling that struck me that day still haunts me. It is the most profound sense of evil and darkness I have ever experienced. It was a physical, oppressive force of malevolence, and it inhabited this building. I continued to be plagued by this sensation as I was led upstairs, into another room.

As my hood was removed suddenly, my eyes adjusted to the light and I took in my surroundings. My future brothers lined the checkered floor of the inner sanctum of a Masonic lodge. I hadn’t even realized it, the symbols and idols unknown to a lowly initiate such as myself. Then I recognized the All Seeing Eye adorning the wall, and it clicked. I should have fled right then and there. I should have walked out, but instead I foolishly ignored my gut reaction to this pagan shrine and I added my name to the Founder’s chain; another in the long line of FIJI brothers unwittingly placing themselves in metaphorical and spiritual bondage. I am now free of such ties and membership, through the Lord Jesus Christ’s name, but many of my former brothers are not so lucky. They are even more deeply ensconced within this web of Masonry.

I can not pretend that I am objective, no man truly is. This publication is an overtly Christian one and always will be; I couldn’t write my understanding of Culture, History and Politics any other way. I believe the Holy Bible to be the unerring Word of God, and that belief is what informs my path. These are the experience and beliefs that color my commentary on this subject. I know that the Holy Spirit speaks to us, and He tried to warn me of what I was about to do. This was not my flesh’s reaction to a stressful event, it was a visceral brush with evil I’ve never had before or since. It shook me in such a profound way that it is the catalyst for my research into the arenas I discuss on this publication. While the enemy tried to use this event for evil, to ensnare me like so many others within his mystery religion, the Lord has used it for good.

— Flag and Crest of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI)

Phi Gamma Delta (ΦΓΔ) was founded at Jefferson College on May 1st, 1848 by a group of six friends, dubbed the Immortal Six. Its founders would all go on to become Freemasons, if they weren’t already (the fraternity denies this charge). I guess were supposed to believe that they just so happened to adopt various Masonic rituals, handshakes, handsigns, foot poses, and a watered down Masonic oath for usage in their “social club”. As non-Masons do, naturally. Its current and former members include titans of industry like Phillip Knight, co-founder of Nike; financial tycoons like Herbert Lehman and Edmund C. Lynch, founder of Merrill Lynch; politicians like President Calvin Coolidge; TV legends like Johnny Carson and Roone Arledge, former President of ABC and creator of Monday Night Football; and former secretary of defense Robert McNamara. Astronauts, Nobel prize winners, movie stars, athletes: the list is long and storied.

That’s the surface level stuff, but as always, let’s dig deeper. The founding date (did you expect anything different) is a significant occult holiday. May 1st is May Day, a pagan holiday celebrated by sacrifices to ring in the beginning of Summer. It is one of the high holy days of ritual sacrifice throughout the year, only rivaled by All Hallows Eve. The year 1848 was a momentous year of widespread revolutions in Europe, all led and inspired by Masons. First starting in Sicily, these Masonic revolts would spread to Italy, Germany, France, and the Austrian Empire. Even the number of founding members, six, is a Kabbalistic invocation of friendship.

In the FIJI emblem we have three five-petalled roses within three pentagrams, arrayed in an inverted pyramid formation; symbolic of the female energy, the shadow energy. The five upright stars are also in a pyramid shape, symbolizing the male energy, the light energy. The intersection of these two forces, the unity of male and female, dark and light, completes the occult Seal of Solomon. Let us certainly not forgot our familiar Owl friend resting up top, a creature we know is representative of the pagan gods Baal, Minerva, and Athena. So we have 33, 55, pyramids, Baal, the Macrocosm, the Microcosm, pentagrams, and the Seal of Solomon. Man, these guys sure did cram in a lot of symbolism onto that tiny shield.

Totally not Masons though.

— The Seal of Solomon

— Statue of Baal at Bohemian Grove

Fraternities are just the most anodyne level of secret societies. They are there to desensitize the unwitting to further mysteries. They are fertile ground for future Masonic recruits; already exposing its members to occult rituals, blood oaths, pagan symbols, and satanic deceptions.

Alright enough with that detour, back to our discussion:

Thank you for your time. First, I was not trying to recruit you and as I said I am not trying to convince you of anything. I merely suggested that you could join a lodge and get first hand knowledge of what's going on in there. It's interesting that when I first mentioned it you entertained the idea and said you would give it some though, I could almost sense the recoil when you found out I was a mason, your position changed instantly. Regardless about what you write about Freemasonry I am not your enemy and wish you no ill will. The search for truth should be the highest aim of all of us. Oaths are a serious matter, we take wedding vows, military and law enforcement take oaths to defend the constitution, doctors take oaths to do no harm, and we place our hand on the Bible and give an oath when giving testimony in a court of law. I'm not saying the verse is irrelevant by no means, but when studying scripture it is important to get context. When James wrote that the habit of swearing by various things was a very common one among the Jews, and it was important to guard those who from among them had been converted to Christianity on that subject. I have started looking into these claims of Luciferian and Freemasonry and it is quite interesting. I am by no means done responding to this post and will continue with it in the morning and go into Pike and Hall, but now I have to go to work. Thank you for your time, God bless

One can entertain an idea without endorsing the idea. Unsure of your initial reasoning, I tried to give an answer that would provoke the true intent behind the suggestion. I honestly didn’t expect a Mason would think I would earnestly want to join their organization in any serious way, so that certainly colored my initial response.

I do agree with you when you say context is important. But even you admit that James was writing this to stop converts from swearing oaths over objects or places. That our culture continues to engage in this practice is not an endorsement, it is an indictment upon us. Wedding vows are a contract, an agreement between husband and wife; sworn in front of God yes, but not in His name or on a Bible. It’s substantively different in both form and function from an oath sworn to an organization.

I intended to write much more than I'm able to this morning. We have entered calving season so now my mornings are not my own, the cattle have decided how I'll spend them, but here is just one of some interesting links I've found on the subject. https://www.newjerseygrandlodge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lucifer-or-Satan.pdf. As I said I tried to read Pike and simply couldn't, so I can't speak much on his work. He was from a time when flowery oratory was the fashion and seemed to write in the same vein. I have not read anything of Mackey. I did read a couple of Halls works and know he was involved heavily in theosophy and focused on comparative religion. That was the impression I received when I read him, he put a lot of effort into trying to tie everything together. I did find it interesting that all the books that Hall wrote on the subject of Freemasonry was from the 20s and 30s, but he didn't become a mason until 1951, so everything he wrote was from the outside looking in. I will try to touch on another point in the morning if time allows and I don't wake up to having to pull a calf. Thank you for you patience, God Bless

Now this is the game Freemasons like to play with these controversial figures. I’m not accusing you of such, but your sources are Masonic defenses of outside criticism and, to be frank, they engage in a great deal of double speak and gaslighting. On the one hand Masons will say that men like Pike, Hall, Mackey, Levi and Waite, all 33rd degree masons, have nothing to do with modern Masonry. They will disavow them in these defenses, breaking their oaths to support fellow Masons in order to shamelessly defend the institution as a whole.

Somehow men who had nothing to do with Masonry, such as Hall, were given an honor that most Masons will never reach in their lifetime. Is that not curious to you? If these men are irrelevant to modern Masonry, as you and other Masons allege, why do most Masonic research lodges and numerous Grand Lodges still have these men in their recommended reading lists? See here and here for just a few examples. Grand Lodges are the authority for the state they reside in. They are integral to the operations of their state’s lodges. It isn’t random anti-Masonic individuals claiming that Masons should read these men to become better Masons, it is the Freemasons themselves.

Albert Pike has numerous lodges - of both Scottish Rite “Red” Lodges and York Rite “Blue” Lodges - dedicated to him and still in operation. Among them are Albert Pike Lodge #376, in Jefferson, Louisiana; Albert Pike Lodge #303 A.F. & A.M. and Albert Pike Lodge #219, both in Wichita, Kansas; Albert Pike Masonic Lodge #1169, in San Antonio, Texas; Albert Pike Lodge #162, in Guthrie, Oklahoma; Albert Pike Lodge No. 1 in McAlester, Oklahoma, now called the McAlester Masonic Temple; Albert Pike Lodge No. 714 F&AM, in Little Rock, Arkansas; The Grand Lodge of Arkansas’ headquarters’ reside in Albert Pike Memorial Scottish Rite Temple in Little Rock; Albert Pike Lodge #333, in Omaha, Nebraska; Albert Pike Lodge No. 33, in Washington, D.C.; Albert Pike Lodge No. 36 joined with lodge No. 33 in 1985; Albert Pike Lodge No. 237, in Hopkins, Minnesota; and Albert Pike Lodge #117 AF&AM in Denver, CO. Are we seriously supposed to believe that Masons hold no reverence for this man when his own home state’s Grand Lodge resides in a temple named after Pike?

Pike is hardly the only esotericist revered by Masons. The Builders, by Joseph Fort Newton, was commissioned at the request of the Grand Lodge of Iowa. It is in widespread usage by Masons. You can find references to this book in their monitors, magazines, and it is included on many of those recommended reading lists distributed by Grand Lodges. On Pg. 57 Newton gives this glowing endorsement of a fellow occultist: “Perhaps the greatest student in this field of esoteric teaching and method, certainly the greatest now living is Arthur Edward Waite, to whom it is a pleasure to pay tribute.” On Pg. 59 he continues: “And the result is a series of volumes noble in form, united in aim, unique in wealth of revealing beauty, and of unequalled worth. Beginning as far back as 1886, Waite issued his study of the Mysteries of Magic, a digest of the writings of Eliphas Levi, to whom Albert Pike was more indebted than he let us know.” On Pg. 428 of Mysteries of Magic by Arthur Edward Waite, we find the following damning excerpt:

What is more absurd and more impious than to attribute the name of Lucifer to the devil, that is, to personified evil. The intellectual Lucifer is the spirit of intelligence and love; it is the Paraclete, it is the Holy Spirit, while the physical Lucifer is the great agent of universal magnetism.

Waite further clarifies his reverence for the dark lord in his later book, The Book of Black Magic:

First Conjuration Addressed to Emperor Lucifer. Emperor Lucifer, Master and Prince of Rebellious Spirits, I adjure thee to leave thine abode, in whatsoever quarter of the world it may be situated and come hither to communicate with me…

It is clear from the esoteric literature that Masons promote, distribute, and endorse that Lucifer is not viewed as an evil being. In their literature, he is a personification of the elements we would most commonly associate with YAHWEH. It is a vile, gnostic inversion of reality. They will claim with one side of their mouth that these men have nothing to do with modern Masonry, while the other side hawks their books. Doublemindedness, deceit, confusion, are these fruits of Jesus Christ?

"Come, let us reason together..." indeed. In order to reason we must have a certain amount of objectivity, we must be open to the idea that some of our perceived notions are wrong. That I, as a mason, am reading your writings should be testament that I possess a certain amount of that. I admit that a lot of it is because , regardless if I agree with you, I think you are a very good writer. I spent 8 long years reading 8 to 10hrs a day, so I consider myself an experienced reader. You encouraged me to read a few of the epistles, sound advice, I have. Having said that , you have the advantage over me on your ability to express yourself in writing, but I will do my best, being the simple man that I am. As I said the truth should be the highest aim for all of us. I by no means consider myself a masonic scholar, I've only been a mason 4yrs, so I'm not speaking for masonry, I'm sharing my experiences and my perceptions.

About the veneration of light. There are so many Bible verses concerning light that I can't even begin to list them all, most notable is probably John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”. Not once have I have had the impression that I was worshiping anything in the lodge, much less light, the references of light are symbolic for searching for the truth. It's interesting that you posted an excerpt from Duncan's Masonic Ritual. Why not post the whole obligation? So others can see just exactly what it is that makes a man a Mason. Reading in full, it doesn't seem that nefarious. Also in that excerpt it said "kiss the book", what tome do you think that is? Upon being brought to light what is the first thing that person sees resting between his hands? It's the Holy Bible. When I became a master mason I was presented a bible and told "The light you seek is in there". That is the only tome recognized. All anti masonic rhetoric ends up with Pike, Mackey and Hall, in the 4yrs I've been a mason not once have any of these three been mentioned much less their writings. I understand the slippery slope between revelation and illumination or enlightenment, the Gnostics went through that several hundred years ago. You posted a picture of a York Rite lodge, I am only speaking from what I have experienced, I don't know what all is in that picture, but I do see the Holy Bible. It is my understanding that the last degree of the York Rite, the Knights Templar, requires you to be a Christian, but I won't speak on that which I have no experience with, but I will say if I were to continue on in masonry it would probably be in that order, although I have the utmost respect for the Shriners, the ones I know are very committed to helping those children, judge a tree by it's fruit. On a side note there are two flags in my lodge, the US flag and the flag of Christendom, so in my lodge there is a cross, although I have read somewhere that the flag of Christendom had pagan origins, when you have a hammer everything's a nail.

Yours is not the first anti-masonic message I have read, I've read many, Bill Cooper's "Behold a pale horse" comes to mind, but with all I had read I wasn't able to reconcile that with the men I knew that were masons, so I decided to have a look for myself and I'm sharing with you that experience. Sometimes that best men can do is agree to disagree. As I said I sure wasn't trying to recruit you or even convince you of anything, just share my experiences. Perhaps it's best to look at the things we do agree on, Christ is the way, the truth and the life, the blood atonement and someday we will stand before him and give an account for our lives, hopefully you'll be standing in line behind me because the wretched life I used to live will make you look good. As I said I am no masonic scholar, I have just given an honest account of my experience, but in my searching and reading I did come across this link that does a much better explanation of masonry than I could do and to which I found nothing that I would disagree with, please have a look. https://brlodge.org/about/responding-to-critics/ I will look forward to reading more of your work, God Bless

Indeed, we do agree that Truth is the highest aim. That Truth is Jesus Christ, as he has revealed to us through the Holy Bible. However, Freemasons do not agree with me. The second link you posted states the following on the meaning of light:

Other critics of Freemasonry are concerned that when Masons use “light” someone might think the word is referring to salvation rather than truth or knowledge. But that is word misinterpretation again. Light was a symbol of knowledge long before it was a symbol of salvation. Masonry uses light as a symbol of the search of truth and knowledge. It is very unlikely any mason would think masonic “light” represents salvation.

On this we concur, I do not misinterpret their veneration of light to mean salvation. It is clearly an invocation of the pursuit of worldly “truth”, knowledge and wisdom.

John 1:1 states “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God is the Word; the Holy Bible is quite literally a direct manifestation of God. Aside from the Holy Spirit, it is how we connect to Him and learn to love Him. I think it’s vitally important to recognize this fact.

I’m going to connect a few Biblical dots here that I think will clearly demonstrate the dangers of this self-professed Masonic dogma.

17 Sanctify them through thy Truth: thy word is Truth.

Gospel of John 17:17 KJV

As Jesus tells us in his prayer to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, God is the Word, and His Word is Truth.

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ.

Gospel of John 1:17

Once again John testifies that the Truth came through and from Jesus Christ.

The Truth we all seek is not some esoteric, mystical, metaphorical or unknowable concept; He is a real being and his name is Jesus Christ!

The triune God that we profess to serve is both separate and whole. What any part of Him is, so must the other part be. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth as John tells us in 1st John 5:6: “It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the Truth.”

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Romans 8:9 KJV

If we do not have the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, we do not have Truth. It can not be stated more simply than that. Whatever doctrines that Masons teach, if it does not explicitly recognize this fact, is antithetical to Scripture. Try praying in Jesus Christ’s name next meeting at your lodge. You will be reprimanded and chastised, I have talked to and read the testimony of former Masons who have received that retribution.

Now on to the oaths that Masons swear. Let us see once again what Scripture has to say on the subject:

1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Exodus 20:1-7

Graven images abound in these temples and lodges, as I have shown you and the readers before. Taking His name in vain, what does that mean? Well thankfully, Scripture elucidates that for us in Leviticus when God gives Moses the Law:

12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:12 KJV

Profane is a word that has a very specific meaning. It is a desecration, a defiling of something holy. From the context of the verse we know profane does not simply mean to break your word, the Lord mentions false promises in the first portion of this verse. Let’s us refer to Strong’s concordance to find the meaning of the Hebrew word, halal, used in this verse.

H2490. ḥālal (khaw-lal') verb

I. to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin

(Niphal)

1. to profane oneself, defile oneself, pollute oneself

1. ritually

2. sexually

2. to be polluted, be defiled

It is clear from Leviticus 19:12, when we properly interpret the Hebrew word used in its correct context, that profaning the Lord’s name means using his name to swear these ritualistic oaths. These ancient rituals and blood oaths are derived from Egypt. The Lord was well aware of the the practices of the nation whom enslaved His people, and he warned them against performing such practices in His name.

I can not reconcile these or any oaths - either sworn on the Bible or in His name - with what God’s Word tells us. It is the third commandment given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and of clear importance to the Lord. Jesus tell us that whosoever loves Him keeps His commandments in John 14:15. John also tells us this in his first epistle:

4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him.

1st Epistle of John 2:4 KJV

If we do not keep his commandments, we condemn ourselves as liars.

But what of the fruits of these men you say. They do good, they help people, they are charitable. Well, let us see what God’s Word has to say on the subject:

¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

2nd Corinthians 11:13-15

Seems pretty straightforward. We are to be as wise as serpents, for the enemy is deceitful. Lucifer cloaks his heretical doctrines in the trappings of Christ. Demons know Scripture too. Even Satan can quote Bible verses, as we see during his tempting of Christ. Just because Masons use the Bible in their rituals or make oblique references to a creator deity does not make them of Christ. We are warned of just such practices by these deceivers in 2nd Timothy:

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2nd Timothy 3:5 KJV

Lets take another verse from the Gospel of John:

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Gospel of John 1:9

This isn’t just a rhetorical flourish by John. For Christ to be the true light, there must necessarily be a false light presenting itself. Whatever could that be? We are warned of these false prophets and teachers yet again in Matthew:

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Matthew 7:15-18 KJV

Whatever good works these men do are outweighed by the evil they must commit to do them. Are the fruits of Masonic rule these past three centuries good in your eyes? Our current cultural hellscape is a direct manifestation of these Masonic ideals of personal liberty, are these fruits righteous? How does the health of the Church compare today to 1717, before the influence of these men upon Her?

I pray that you receive these words with the intent they were delivered, in brotherly love, and not in judgement. I mean you no ill will, and dare not judge you. Lord knows I have many of my own sins to answer for.

Your Brother in Christ,

Scipio

---

“1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”

- John 14:1-7 KJV

---

Further Research

---

The Holy Bible (1611 KJV w/ Apocrypha)

---