Must be a glutton for punishment, but here I go again.
If anyone has any questions about Freemasonry, please step up and ask. I will do my upmost best and answer honestly.
If you just want to throw stones, start your own thread.
I'm a 33rd degree Master Mason and have been involved with Freemasonry on a national and international stage for over 25 years. Mainly working with the Scottish Rite Childrens hospitals. I've personally flew 100's of kids and families to these hospitals for 40 some years. I took my passion for flying and turned it into a way to help a family.
So be nice, or be gone.
Straight questions with straight answers.
Why can't there be a Mason Lodge that excludes initiation vows & all the vows following for each degree earned? I heard whenever an initiate question making such a vow, they'd reassure them that it doesn't really mean anything and to go ahead and do it, swearing it on a Bible.
But the Bible says... God hates false swearers. So who do you think the initiate should listen to? The Masons or God?
Zechariah 8:17And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and
love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
Jesus even spoke against making any vows that are His to keep in regards to Christians erring by making a commitment to Christ. Jesus began by referring to how the Jews performed their oaths unto the Lord and then said not to even swear at all in making an oath because swearing is voicing their sincerity to finish that oath.
Matthew 5:33
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Verse 36 testifies why He said that because making an oath is telling God & men you are going to do this.
Numbers 30:22 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Even Promise Keepers movement lied about God giving grace for men to keep trying as if God gives grace to sin. Some believe that God will help them keep their commitment, but God warned us about making hasty vows & why.
Ecclesiastes 5:
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
A believer's vow or commitment or promise is a work of his hands for why God will not help him. It is his oath and he will do it or else.
Many believers have been led astray in bondages. Some adding marriage vows to God's covenant of marriage when no one should be adding any such vows to that covenant of marriage as it is God joining them together & not their vows.
Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Now if they that do circumcision which is the smallest letter of the law, are entitled to do the whole law, what do you think making a vow to God, swearing it on the Bible is? The biggest letter of the law.
The only time God will help anyone if they recognize they cannot finish, let alone keep the vow, so they can call on God to free them from that bondage as they ask for forgiveness as Jesus Christ is just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all righteousness. That said, the believer should not take up any more man made bondage again, trusting Jesus to lead them away from such bondages to live by faith in Him & all His promises to us per the New Covenant that He needs nothing from us other than to believe Him at His Word that He will help us to follow Him.
That is why it is simply written that the just shall live by faith, but the law is not of faith, and those that do them, placing themselves under the law, must live in them and be judged by it, unless they repent by asking Jesus for forgiveness & His help not to make such vows again, but rather trust Him as our Good Shepherd & friend to help us to follow Him by faith & His words alone.
So this swearing the oath on the Bible and not being really held to it is an appearance of evil that there can be no rationalizing it, and so I do ask you why can't a Mason Lodge filled with Christians, do away with the initiation oath and all other oaths for advancing degree if they wish to avoid this sin against God? is there some authority over each lodge to prevent a Christian lodge for doing that?
Or would that be like staying in a Catholic church for what they represent even though a Catholic does not believe in the works of Catholicism because he believes he is saved by faith in Jesus Christ? So even though he may not participate in the Mass, other Catholics will see him as staying in the Church to play it safe as if his faith in Jesus Christ is not enough, thus they cannot see his faith?
So a "Christian" Mason Lodge will not be seen as a witness to other lodges if what they are doing inside in regards to keeping their faith in following Jesus in the Lodge is not known nor cannot be seen by other Christians in other Mason Lodge to do the same?
If that is the case, I do wonder why Christians cannot just start a Christian Lodge, dropping Mason from the title of the Lodge altogether?