Prayer Release for Freemasons and Their Descendents
Reasoning from the Scriptures With Masons by Ron Rhodes
What Do William Irvine,
Joseph Smith
and Charles Taze Russell Have in Common?
Freemasonry!!!!
They said that Christians were going to hell.
William Irvine was a Freemason for 50 years. While considering himself to be the only one in the world who could interpret scripture, he founded a belief system that more closely resembles Freemasonry than it does Christianity.
Take a look at the similarities of the
"Church Without a Name"
and "Freemasonry."
Freemasons: Believe Masonry is a "Way of Life."
Workers
Believe their Way is the "Way of Life"
Freemasons
Claim to be the custodians of Truth
Workers
Claim to be the only source of Truth
Freemasons
Claim Masonry is the original, immutable religion planted in the heart of humanity.
Workers
Claim their Way is the original faith planted in the heart of humanity from the foundation of the earth.
Freemasons
Reject Christian doctrines and creeds
Workers
Reject Christian doctrines and creeds
Freemasons
Believe Jesus is just a man
Workers
Believe Jesus is just a man who came to be the example of how to die to self.
Freemasons
Believe that man can become like God
Workers
Believe that man must die to self like Jesus in order to receive the Christ spirit.
Freemasons
Are monotheistic but anti-Trinitarian.
Workers
Are monotheistic but anti-Trinitarian.
Freemasons
Do not worship Jesus
Workers
Do not worship Jesus
Freemasons
Call one another brother
Workers
Call Jesus their Elder Brother
Freemasons
Greet each other with a secret handshake
Workers
Each meeting ends with formal handshake
Freemasons
Respect their leader as the Worshipful Master, the source of light, of knowledge and instruction
Workers
Respect the Head-workers as the source of light, knowledge and instruction
Freemasons
Believe the first duty of the Mason is to obey the mandate of the Master Mason
Workers
Believe member's first loyalty and duty is to obey and submit to the workers
Freemasons
Believe the Master Mason is a god in the making
Workers
Believe the head workers are like Christ
Freemasons
Believe the Masonic priesthood takes upon itself the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ
Workers
Believe the workers take upon themselves the priesthood of Christ to finish His work.
Freemasons
Believe the Bible is incomprehensible to Christians
Workers
Believe the Bible is incomprehensible to anyone but themselves
Freemasons
Use the Bible allegorically and symbolically
Workers
Use the Bible allegorically and symbolically ("spiritually") rather than literally
Freemasons
Believe the Bible was written only to recall Hebrew traditions and symbols
Workers
Believe the Old Testament was written for the Hebrews and is outdated tradition, has no life.
Freemasons
Are idolatrous and unbiblical in their view of God. Believe Lucifer is God and Adonai is Satan. Use mystical occult foundation for their beliefs.
Workers
Are idolatrous and unbiblical in their view of God. Celebrate Halloween but refuse to celebrate Christmas or Easter.
Freemasons
Believe that Masonic oaths are above the civil law.
Workers
View their fellowship above God's Law and civil law. Don't report their income to the civil government or even to one another.
Freemasons
New members are admitted by invitation only.
Workers
Admit new members by invitation only. Refuse baptism to members who don't conform to the unwritten rules. Those who openly disagree with the Head Workers will be put out of the fellowship.
Freemasons
Desire honor and higher spiritual status over other members.
Workers
Workers and members aspire higher spiritual status over one another.
Freemasons
Do not allow outsiders into their private meetings. Are a secret society, keeping membership, rituals, origin, mystical beliefs and purposes hidden from outsiders and newcomers.
Workers
Do not welcome the general public to fellowship meetings and Bible studies.
Freemasons
Intentionally hide their "Truth" by using words to confuse those considered "unworthy."
Workers
Intentionally hide their "Truth" by using different definitions of "faith," "grace," "sin," "gospel," "the Spirit" to confuse outsiders, members and anyone considered unworthy. Secretive with membership information, worker whereabouts and workers meeting.
Freemasons
Twist scripture for their own purpose.
Workers
Twist scripture in order to disobey it and supersede scripture with their own traditions and hierarchy.
Freemasons
Don't consider the Blood of Jesus sufficient to cleanse sin.
Workers
Do not consider the Blood of Jesus sufficient to cleanse sin.
Freemasons
Hide their illegal activities.
Workers
Hide their sexual deviancies, pedophilia, abortions, sexual immorality, perversions, lying, extortion, drunkenness, occultism, gambling, theft, covetousness, etc.
Freemasons
Believe Master Masons should not hesitate to spill their blood for the good of Masonry.
Workers
Eddie Cooney said he would not hesitate to spill his blood for his followers and that if he was killed, that it would do more good for them than anything he could do.
Freemasons
Practice a fraternal supper of bread and wine with occultic meaning.
Workers
Don't warn against witchcraft, cults, occultic activities, mediums, tea leaf reading, horoscopes, Hinduism, New Age beliefs. Yet, they will warn against all Christian contacts, books, information and fellowship.
Reject fellowship with Christians, calling them "enemies and of the Devil."
Members do not identify themselves as Christian; instead they are "professing."
Do not honor or identify with the Cross of Christ, saying the Cross was a murder weapon.
Carefully monitor all new members via their testimonies and appearance.
Believe that the sacrifice made by the workers is co-equal to Christ's sacrifice in saving people.
Historically and occasionally use Masonic buildings for gospel and special meetings.
Freemasons
Do not believe in the doctrine of original sin.
Workers
Do not teach the doctrine of original sin.
Freemasons
Believe in salvation by personal merit, not by faith alone.
Workers
Believe their methodology and personal merit are necessary for salvation.
Freemasons
Are more interested in an outward show of social manners, and community service than in repentance of sin.
Workers
Focus on outward appearances, rather than inward character; believe community service, Biblical education, evangelism, worship and charitable activities are unnecessary.
Freemasons
Praise men instead of God.
Workers
Praise men instead of God.
Freemasonry
I accept that absence of a record of WI's membership does not prove that he was not a member, and I did not nor cannot claim definitively that he was not. I certainly didn't say that the his claim to have been amason was fraudulent. But to put so much emphasis on his having been a mason as has been done does hint of extrapolation. That is might have been convenient to be a mason is interesting but doesn't help the speculation about his membership.
While the Masonic records are indeed incomplete, they are extensive, and there are many records from the years in question. Discretion to allow access to records does indeed vary greatly as I have found, some being quite secretive, others very helpful.
Kilsyth isn't quite WI's "home town", it was Queenzieburn a small hamlet on the outskirts of Kilsyth. I lived there for a while on the farm next to that previously owned by WIs sister.
Geoff
Freemason or not?
An extensive search in the records of the masons in the area where Wm Irvine worked in the mones before joining the Faith Mission fails to show that he was a member.
The only single pouinter to his being a Mason is the one entry in a single letter to "Berglinds".
It seems as if this one reference in a single letter, not substantiated by any other data can be extrapolated to this extent that so many inferences are drawn on it and so much speculation about that meaning of his being a mason or no might have.
In the absence of his being recorded in the rolls of the masons (whereas all others past members are), I speculate that Wm I was not a freemason.
RIS Reply
Submitted by joan on Tue, 03/04/2008 - 18:41.
Freemason or not?
I understand someone is questioning that William Irvine was a Freemason. I checked with RIS, since they have extensive information about Wm. Irvine. Here was the response: Your lack of success in locating a record of membership for William Irvine is hardly an indication that his claim of being a Mason was fraudulent. He only mentioned the fact in a brief aside while reminiscing, not as a boast or some great point of doctrine. He didn't make much of anything of it, other than the brief mention.
If you had researched the records as thoroughly as you claim, you also would be aware that the Lodges in Scotland do not claim to have complete records - far from it. For the most part, membership records were not treated as important until relatively recently. There was never any central depository, and what was saved varies from lodge to lodge. Many records were lost through fires, deterioration, and simply from being thrown out during moves to new quarters, or simply to clear space. Release of any records is also at the discretion of each Lodge. The website for the lodge in Kilsyth (Irvine's home town) states that many of its records are lost - over a hundred years worth are missing, with the first fragmentary records dating to the 1860's.
Which begs the questions: "What records did you search?" and "Of which lodges?"
Given that membership in freemasonry gave one contacts worldwide (often along with a place to stay), it would have come in handy for an itinerant. One might wonder what other early workers were Masons.
Joan (for RIS)