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  )   	 p`    C G   T i m e s          ) 4&_	 p`  $ C G   T i m e s   I t a l i c         x / D 8 D , ,   D q{ ( z - D 8 D , , 1 D {                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
    !    W STB-MA98.TXT   	       IsFreemasonryaReligion? PartIII By:JohnRobinsonBro.JohnJ.Robinson'slastbookwasAPilgrim'sPath.InthisbookBro.Robinsonrespondstonumerous   	    religiouscriticismsofFreemasonryaswellaswritingaboutthe"EvangelistMentality."WeareprintingseveralSTB'sasaseriestohelpourreadershavearesponsetosomeofthemisleading,inaccurate,andoftentimesuntruestatementsmadebythereligiousextremistsagainstFreemasonry!(ThetitleIsFreemasonryAReligion?isfromachaptertitleinthebook.)̀APilgrim'sPath,byJohnJRobinson,waspublishedin1993byMEvans&Co.,Inc.inNewYorkCity.thebookisavailableinmanybookstoresorcanbeorderedthroughyour,localbookstoreusingISBNO-87]3I-732-XπEditor̀I'velostcountofhowmanytimesIhavebeenasked,'isn'tFreemasonryaseparatereligion?"It'saquestionthatcreatesaquestion:"HowintheworlddidanyonecometobelievethatMasonryisareligion?"WhenIaskthat,Iamusuallytoldbythecaller';thattheyheardthechargeonanevangelist'sbroadcast,orreaditInananti-MasonictractorbookNoonewhohasaskedmethequestionhasclaimedtohavecomeupwiththenotionfrompersonalknowledgeorexperience.  Thebasicquestionhasbeenaddressedoverandoveragain."No,Masonryisnotareligion.Ithasnointentionofbeingareligion.Itdoesn'twanttobeareligion".Butthoserepliesrarelyhaveanyimpactonnon-MasonsforthesimplereasonthatthedefenseofMasonryisusuallydirectedatotherMasons,notatthemasseswhoarethetargetsoftheanti-Masonicevangelists.Whatisobviouslyneededisabroaderaudienceforthedefense.  OnepointthatisconfusingtomanyisthefrequentstatementbyMasonicwritersthatFreemasonsare"religious."Theyare,butbeingreligiousinnowaycarrieswithittheconceptofbeingpartofaseparatereligion.Myownparentswereveryreligious,butIreallydon'tbelievethattheywereaseparatereligion.Anyministerofthegospelwillagreethatheisreli-gious,buteveryonewilldenythatheconsidershisteachingstohethoseofaseparatereligion.  Usually,theallegationthatMasonryisaseparatereligionishelpedalongbyoneormoreblatantfalsehoods--forexample,thechargethatMasonryhasitsownpathtosalvation,throughtheperformanceofgoodworks.InevermetaMasonwhobelievedthat,orwhowouldheabletounderstandhowanyonecouldeverdrawsuchaconclusion.Inpractice,itisahandypointforanti-Masons,whoarefrequentlyconfrontedwith,"ButiftheMasonsaresuchevilpeople,howdoyouexplaintheirfreehospitalstheirlanguage-disorderclinicsforchildren,theireye-careprogram,theirhomesfortheelderly,andallthoseotherMasoniccharities?"  Theanti-Masonicanswercomesbackas,'TheMasoniccharitiesarenotbelovedofGodbecausetheMasonsteachthatgoodworksarethewaytosalvation.ThatmakesthosecharitiesagainstthewillofGod:'That'ssick,butit'swhatsomeofthemsay.	 MasonryleavesituptotheindividualMasontochoosehispathwaytoGod,andthatpolicynaturallyincludesnorules,advice,oradmonitionsastothemeansofsalvation.TheMasonisexpectedquiteproperly,togetthatspiritualguidancefromhisowndenomination,whichheisencouragedtosupportwithbothhisenergyandhispersonalfinances.
 
 Timeaftertimeinvariouslectures,theFreemasonistoldnevertoputhisdutiesandresponsibilitiestotheMasonicfraternityaheadofhisdutiesandresponsibilitiestohischurch,tohiscountry,andtohisfamily.AsforMasoniccharities,whethertheyareorganizedmajoreffortsorindividualactsofkindness(suchasaidtoadestitutebrother,ortohiswidowandtheirchildren),theMasonisto]dtomakenogiftthatwillaffecthisdutytocareforhisownfamily.  IntheceremoniesandlecturesthatleadtoamanbeingraisedtothestatusofMasterMason,hehearsno   	 .h)5   descriptionofheavenorhellHehearsnoreligiousdogmaHehearsnomentionofSatan.HeistoldofnoMasonicpathwaytosalvationforthesimplereasonthatthereisnone.  TheonlyreligiousitemintheMasoniclodgeistheholybookoftheinitiate'sownfaith.SincemostMasonsareProtestantChristians,thatbookisusuallytheKingJamesversionoftheBible.TheinitiatemaybegivenaMasonicBiblebyhislodge,hisfriends,orhisfamily,butitvariesfromothereditionsofactualScripturebynotonesingleword.Itisonlya'Masonic"BiblebecauseitalsocontainsabriefhistoryofMasonry,oraconcordancetorelatecertainMasonicritualtoscripturalpassages.MasonswhoarenotProtestantsbringtheirownholybooksfortheirinitiations.̀Let'sstartatthebeginning:WhenamandecidestobecomeaMason,basedonwhathehasseen,heard,orexperienced,heflIesanapplication,or"petition,,'withalocalMasoniclodge.InsigningthatpetitionheassertsthathebelievesinGod,theSupremeBeing,andintheimmortalityofthesoul.Inthelectureaccompanyingtheinitiationritesofthefirstdegree,calledEnteredApprentice,beistoldthathowhechoosestoworshipGodisuptohisownconscience,  Thereligiousexperienceinthelodgeisprayer.EverymeetingofMasonsopensandcloseswithprayer.Everymealbeginswithprayer.Asisdonesooftenbythefederalgovernment(as.forexample,with"InGodwetrust"),allprayerisaddressed(orshouldbe)toGodtheFather,sothatamixedaudienceofChristians,Jews,Muslims,andBuddhists,forinstance,relatethatprayertotheirownworship.Masonsalsoofferprayersfor %      charitableendeavors,forbereavedMasonsandtheirfamilies,orforadepartedbrothers.Clearly,onecaneasilyassertthatFreemasonryisnotaseparatereligion.Itpromotesnoheaven,nohell,andnomeansofsalvation.There'sno"witnessing"orarguingoverreligiousbeliefsinthelodge.Thereisnoreligiousdogma.Itcan'tbeareligion.   	 p   Nevertheless,itisfrequentlychargedthattheMasoniclodgehasitsownGod,whosenameis"TheGreatArchitectoftheUniverse."ThatMasonictermisnotaname;itisadesignationorreference,asarealltermsbeginningwiththeword"The":TheAlmighty,TheCreator,TheMostHigh.Ifitstartswith"The,"itisnotaname.SowhydotheMasonsusethatdesignation?Masonry,asItsnameimplies,centerssymbolicallyaroundtheancientbuildersoftemplesandcathedrals.ItisnaturalforgroupstofashionadesignationforGodthatrelatestotheirinterests.Inthemili-tary,Iattendedanoutdoorchurchserviceconductedbyavisitingchaplain,anordainedministerHereferredtoGodas"OurSupremeCommander-in-Chiefinheaven."TheMasonsoftendorefertoGodasTheGreatArchitectoftheUniverse,butwhat'swrongwiththat?Thearchitectisonewhoplansandbringsastructureintobeing.HistoriansrefertotheFoundingFathersasthe"architectsoftheConstitution."AsadesignationforGod,TheGreatArchitectoftheUniversemakessense,anditmeanspreciselythesamethingastheuniversallypopular"TheCreator."TheslightdifferenceisthattheMasonicdesignationimpliesthatGodcreatedtheworldaccordingtoaplan,althoughthereisnoMasonicdescriptionofwhatthatplanmaybe.*Judeo/ChristiansusetheHolyBibleOtherfaithsmayusetheirHolyBook,ThisShortTalkisthethirdinaSeriesfromJohnRobinson'sbook:APilgrimsPathThefirsttwoare:8-97FundamentalistFury-PartI  10-97TheMediaMogul-PartII