Pike Said... So What!
Am I the only Mason who gets tired of Anti-Masons trotting out old moldy quotes from Albert Pike to prove that Freemasonry is a religion when every member of the Craft knows darn well that it isn't?
As a Freemason and Pastor of a Baptist church, I know the difference between a fraternity and a religion. Freemasonry does not fit the description of a religion. Other than its requirement that members believe in God (also required by the Boy Scouts, also not a religion) there are no religious requirements or benefits to being a Mason. Salvation is not offered. There are no sacraments. It is a fraternity, period.
But, one similarity that Freemasonry has with Baptist churches is that, like Baptist churches, Masonic Grand bodies are fully autonomous and no one individual speaks for Freemasonry. Each Grand lodge (51 one of them in the USA) is self governed and cannot control the other. Also, the York Rite bodies and the Scottish Rite Supreme Councils are also self-governed. None can speak for the other.
There are hundreds of Masonic authors who all, of their own personal authority, interpret Masonry for themselves. They do so without approval or control from any Masonic organization.
Albert Pike was the Supreme Commander of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction. Of the 1,500,000 Freemasons in the US only about 600,000 are members of the Scottish Rite. And, only about 1/2 of those (300,000 or so) are members of the Scottish Rite, SJ. That is to say that 80% of Masons are not a member of an organization that ever considered Albert Pike any kind of authority.
Also, while Pike was an authority in the Scottish Rite, SJ he was not ever the highest authority in any Grand Lodge. He was never Grand Master of a Grand Lodge. He was only head head of an appendant body of Freemasonry.
Finally, neither Brother Pike, nor another other individual speak for what the symbolism of Freemasonry means. Only Grand Lodges do so. And, they have said time and time again that Freemasonry is not a religion.
I pastor a church and have friends that pastor churches of my denomination in other towns. If one of my friends were to preach something that I disagreed with or that my denomination disagreed with, it in no way effects to truth of what me or my church or my denomination believes.
No matter what Albert Pike wrote, that was Pike's opinion and is not binding or authoritative of Freemason, Grand Lodges, or the Masonic community.
So, please quit pulling out these silly Albert Pike quotations as if they mean something in Freemasonry.
Technorati Tags: Albert Pike, Freemasonry, Scottish Rite, Anti-Masons
As a Freemason and Pastor of a Baptist church, I know the difference between a fraternity and a religion. Freemasonry does not fit the description of a religion. Other than its requirement that members believe in God (also required by the Boy Scouts, also not a religion) there are no religious requirements or benefits to being a Mason. Salvation is not offered. There are no sacraments. It is a fraternity, period.
But, one similarity that Freemasonry has with Baptist churches is that, like Baptist churches, Masonic Grand bodies are fully autonomous and no one individual speaks for Freemasonry. Each Grand lodge (51 one of them in the USA) is self governed and cannot control the other. Also, the York Rite bodies and the Scottish Rite Supreme Councils are also self-governed. None can speak for the other.
There are hundreds of Masonic authors who all, of their own personal authority, interpret Masonry for themselves. They do so without approval or control from any Masonic organization.
Albert Pike was the Supreme Commander of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction. Of the 1,500,000 Freemasons in the US only about 600,000 are members of the Scottish Rite. And, only about 1/2 of those (300,000 or so) are members of the Scottish Rite, SJ. That is to say that 80% of Masons are not a member of an organization that ever considered Albert Pike any kind of authority.
Also, while Pike was an authority in the Scottish Rite, SJ he was not ever the highest authority in any Grand Lodge. He was never Grand Master of a Grand Lodge. He was only head head of an appendant body of Freemasonry.
Finally, neither Brother Pike, nor another other individual speak for what the symbolism of Freemasonry means. Only Grand Lodges do so. And, they have said time and time again that Freemasonry is not a religion.
I pastor a church and have friends that pastor churches of my denomination in other towns. If one of my friends were to preach something that I disagreed with or that my denomination disagreed with, it in no way effects to truth of what me or my church or my denomination believes.
No matter what Albert Pike wrote, that was Pike's opinion and is not binding or authoritative of Freemason, Grand Lodges, or the Masonic community.
So, please quit pulling out these silly Albert Pike quotations as if they mean something in Freemasonry.
Technorati Tags: Albert Pike, Freemasonry, Scottish Rite, Anti-Masons
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Timothy Bonney
1 Comment
Reader Comments (1)
The amusement factor of watching anti-Masons repeatedly repeat tired old Pike quotations long ago grew stale.
Since you're a pastor, you might have some insights to share on why so many of the more outspoken anti-Masons seem to be fundamentalist Christians. Is there something inherent in some sects of Christianity that drive people to "expose" others who don't agree with their limited understanding of Christ's or the church's teachings? In one way it seems quite unchristlike for them to go about bashing those who are perhaps on other spiritual paths, but then, I can also see their zeal in evangelizing to those they see as sinners, what with Jesus's "Great Commission" and all that.
It puzzles me that one set of Christians denounce Masonry as Satanic, while a seemingly similar set of Christians (similar in that they are also religiously fundamentalist for the most part) are active Masons who promote their faith and religion inside the lodge; that is, they oppose non-Christians joining or being active in their lodges. (I realize most Masons outside the South are not this way, but a majority of them, I have found, in the South are quite vocal in their Christianizing of Freemasonry.)
Your thoughts?
Widow's Son
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