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ECUMENISM
 

Freemasonry Compared to Christianity and the Famous Freemasons in Greece

1. FREEMASONRY COMPARED TO ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY

 [By Hieromonk Ambrose - A letter from the celt-archive, egroups,1999]  

Introduction

A little about Masonry and why it is incompatible with being a Christian. Each section starts with quotes from Masonic authorities, and is concluded by quotes from Christian Scripture. When you put them side by side like this, the two are clearly seen as incompatible.

Jesus Christ

Masonry: "In his private petitions a man may petition God or Jehovah, Allah or Buddha, Mohammed or Jesus; he may call upon the God of Israel or the First Great Cause. In the Masonic Lodge he hears petition to the Great Architect of the Universe, finding his own deity under that name. A hundred paths may wind upward around a mountain; at the top they meet." (Carl H. Claudy, "Introduction to Freemasonry." p. 38)

Christianity: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the Life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. (Jn.14:6) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name {but Jesus} under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

God

Masonry: "...Since every man's conception of God must be proportioned to his mental cultivation, and intellectual powers, and moral excellence. God is, as man conceives Him, the reflected image of man himself. (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 14th Degree, p. 234) "The only personal God Freemasonry accepts is humanity in toto...Humanity therefore is the only personal God that there is." (J.D. Buck, "Mystic Masonry," p. 216) "The Absolute is Reason. Reason IS, by means of itself. It IS because IT IS...If God IS, HE IS by Reason." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 28th Degree. p. 737)

Christianity: In the Beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen. 1:1) For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word {Jesus}, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (I Jn. 5:7) God said undo Moses, I AM THAT I AM... (Ex. 3:14)

The Holy Bible

Masonry: "...the literal meaning (of the Bible) is for the vulgar only." (Albert Pike, "Digest of Morals and Dogma," p. 166) "Masonry makes no profession of Christianity...but looks forward to the time when the labor of our ancient brethren shall be symbolized by the erection of a spiritual temple...in which there shall be but one alter and one worship; one common altar of Masonry on which the Veda, Shastra, Sade, Zend-Avesta, Koran and Holy Bible shall lie...and at whose shrine the Hindoo, the Persian, the Assyrian, the Chaldean, the Egyptian, the Chinese, the Mohammedan, the Jew and the Christian may kneel..." ("The Kentucky Monitor." Fellowcraft Degree, p. 95) The removal of the name of Jesus and references to Him in Bible verses used in the ritual are "slight but necessary modifications." (Albert Mackey, "Masonic Ritualist." p. 272)

Christianity: The Words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psa. 12:6) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God... (II Tim. 3:16) ...if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isa. 8:20)

Redemption

Masonry: "These three degrees (1st, 2nd, 3rd) thus form a perfect an harmonious whole, nor can it be conceived that anything can be suggested more, which the soul of man requires." (Daniel Sickles, "Ahimon Rezon or Freemason's Guide." p. 196) "If we with suitable true devotion maintain our Masonic profession, our faith will become a beam of light an bring us to those blessed mansions where we shall be eternally happy with God, the Great Architect of the Universe." (Daniel Sickles, "Ahimon Rezon or Freemason's Guide." p. 79) "...salvation by faith and the vicarious atonement were not taught as now interpreted, by Jesus, nor are these doctrines taught in the esoteric scriptures. They are later and ignorant perversions of the original doctrines." (J.D. Buck, "Mystic Masonry." p. 57)

Christianity: As it is written. There is none righteous no not one: (Rom. 3:10) For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) For He hath made Him {Jesus} to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (II Cor. 5:21) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

Satan 

Masonry: "The conviction of all men that God is good led to a belief in a devil..." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma." 19th Degree, p. 324) "...there is no rebellious demon of Evil, or Principle of Darkness coexistent and in eternal controversy with God, or the Principle of Light..." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 32nd Degree, p.859)

Christianity: Ye are of your father, the devil...he is a liar, and the father of it. (Jn. 8:44) Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Jas. 4:7) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph. 6:11-12) ...your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (I Pet. 5:8)

Truthfulness

Masonry: The Mason Doctrine teaches that it right to lie, if necessary to protect the secrets of the Lodge, or to protect brother Masons by concealing his wrongdoing. It can even be right to deliberately deceive sincere Masons seeking to learn the lessons and secrets of Masonry. "The Blue Degrees are but the portico (porch) of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he shall imagine that he understands them...their true ecplication (explanation / understanding) is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 30th Degree, p. 189) "You must conceal all crimes of your brother Masons...and should you be summoned as a witness against a brother Mason be always sure to shield him...It may be perjury to do this, it is true, but you're keeping your obligations." (Ronayne, "Handbook of Masonry." p. 183) "Furthermore do I promise and swear that a Master Mason's secrets, given to me in charge as such, and I knowing them to be such, shall remain as secure and inviolable in my breast as in his own, when communicated to me, murder and treason excepted; and they left to my own election." (Master Mason's / 3rd Degree Oath of Obligation)

Christianity: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (Ex. 20:16) Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. (Lev. 19:11) ...lie not to one another. (Col. 3:9) ...all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. (Rev 21:8)

Secrecy and Blood Oaths

Masonry: Secrecy is indispensable in a Mason of whatever degree." (Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma," 4th Degree, p. 109) I...do hereon most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear that I will always hail, ever conceal and never reveal any of the arts, parts or points of the secret arts any mysteries of ancient Freemasonry which I have received, am about to receive, or may hereafter be instructed in..." (Oath of Obligation, Entered Apprentice/1st Degree, and include in all subsequent degrees, always on penalty of mayhem and violent death) "...binding myself under no less a penalty that that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken out and burned to ashes, the ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven..." (from the Oath of Obligation, Master Mason/Third Degree) "...In willful violation whereof may I incur the fearful penalty of having my eyeballs pierced to the center with a three-edged blade, my feet flayed and I be forced to walk the hot sands upon sterile shores of the Red Sea until the flaming Sun shall strike me with a livid plague, and may Allah, the god of Arab, Moslem and Mohammedan, the god of our fathers, support me to the entire fulfillment of the same." (from the Oath of Obligation, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ["Shriners"])

Christianity: I {Jesus} spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple...and in secret have I said nothing. (Jn. 18:20) Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (Rom. 12:17) Thou shalt not kill (murder). (Ex. 20:13) But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (Jas. 5:12)

 

2. In Reproof of the Audacity of the Freemasons in Greece

 [From The Rudder, Orthodox Christian Education Society, Chicago, p. 285-86]  

The doctrines of Freemasonry are contrary and opposed to the doctrines of Christianity, and especially to the fundamental dogma of the faith, which consists in the belief that Jesus Christ is a Son of God and a son of man. The Freemasons think that by means of their Lodges they themselves can effectuate the social and political doctrine of the Gospel, as respecting a common brotherhood in Christ, on the strength of their usurpation of the dogma of equality of all men before the laws, denying the source from which this was taken and the power by which it shall be realized, and denying the Godhead of Jesus Christ, and taking the latter to be a certain wise man similar to Pythagoras and Plato and Socrates. Thus they present themselves upon the scene as reformers of society, without any belief in Christ, deists, and repudiators of the Christian doctrine and of the Christian dogma.

Christianity teaches that the fraternization of mankind can be attained only though Christ, that the equality of all men before the laws, without any national or racial discrimination, is a principle which can be put into actual practice only through Christ. Both these principles are Evangelical, Christian. Before the advent of Christianity there prevailed national and racial hatreds and passions, divisions due to false religions, and wars waged in the name of racial claims, and these things formed the status quo, or established order, of ancient society. But when the Sun of truth diffused His brilliant beams of light, the overlying darkness was dispelled, the personal freedom of each person was recognized, the God of truth was revealed, and the law, the canon of freedom, became manifest, while, on the other hand, the responsibility and common obligation of all men before the law was expressed in no uncertain terms, and the human race was invited to a new life of brotherhood and of mutual love, after the likeness of Christ's love, who so loved man that He died upon the cross because of love of him. The Christian status quo, i.e., the order of things established by Christianity, is founded upon truth, love, and justice. Any action, therefore, that is opposed to the principles of Christianity is in reality a defense of the ancient status quo of lawlessness--it is a return to the times of ignorance and of the practice of injustice. The Freemasons are blindly doing this. They are conspiring against the fundamental dogma of Christianity, being in reality followers of [Gnosticism,] Arianism and deism, which denies the Godhood of Christ and usurps the social truths of the Gospel.

Those who wish to be Christians, faithful to the Gospel truths, faithful to the dogmas of the Christian truth, distinguish Freemasonry from Christianity and denounce its hypocritical and baleful nature. Freemasonry and Christianity are two opposite and contrary systems, of which each annuls the other. Christ-slaying Judaism and antichristian paganism combined to form the society of Freemasonry, with a view to hindering the course of Christianity, which course they could not have hindered otherwise, and to overthrowing its basis. Because of the fact that they fear the light, they are doing their antichristian work secretly, thinking that in the course of time they shall be able to proselytize all men to their own dogmas, and, when sufficient in number, to come out into the open and fight Christianity. They believe this because they suppose Christianity to be a human, and not a divine, institution. But as for a society that is working in secret and not proclaiming its own principles openly, manifestly one that is evil, one that is concocting evils, one that is aiming at the overthrow of what has been well established, the organization of such a society is prohibited by the established laws of the city state! Christianity, because of its being truth and light, comes in the light and is not afraid of the light.

"Handle me, and see that I am truth come out of God," (Luke 24:39). Truly indeed by means of all the methods of truth when the Christian truth is investigated, it is proved that it is an enlightening light that dispels the darkness of moral night. The cosmological, anthropological, and theological sciences, philosophy, and history all confirm the fact that Christianity is a doctrine derived from God, that it is not derived from the earth, is not derived from men, is not derived from the elements of matter; and that it is not a doctrine of a finite mind, or of a finite spirit, but that, on the contrary, it is a doctrine of God become incarnate in man and ridding him of ignorance, error, the fetters of sin, and with the further object of elevating him to knowledge of the truth, and of strengthening him for the practice of perfect virtue.

 

3. Greek "Orthodox" Hierarchs and Rulers Who Were Members of the Masonic Lodges

The Grand Lodge of Greece, on its website (http://www.grandlodge.gr/famous.html), lists many of the famous Greek Freemasons, including several Greek kings, princes, bishops and even patriarchs. Among them are the following:

Royals

Andrew, prince of Greece
Christopher, Prince of Greece
George II, King of Greece [adopted the new calendar as the political calendar of Greece]

Politicians

John Kapodistrias (Komis), first ruler of Greece
John Metaxas (Prime Minister) [persecuted the Old Calendarists of Greece]

Patriarchs

Joachim III, Ecumenical Patriarch [unsuccessfully attempted to introduce the new calendar]
Photius (George Peroglou), Patriarch of Alexandria
Meletius (Manuel Metaxakis), Ecumenical Patriarch, later Patriarch of Alexandria [convened the False Council of Constantinople in 1923 at which the new calendar and other innovations were proposed, and introduced the new calendar into the Patriarchate of Alexandria]
Basil III, Ecumenical Patriarch [an open preacher of the Origenist heresy]
Benedict (Basil Papadopoulos), Patriarch of Jerusalem [an open ecumenist during the 1970s]

Bishops

Cherubim (Anninos), Metropolitan of Paronaxia (Paros and Naxos)
Chrysanthus (Charilaus Philippides), Metropolitan of Trebizond, later Archbishop of Athens [persecuted Greek Old Calendarists and Anti-Ecumenists]




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