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Freemasonary and the Masonic Lodge
Ron Carlson

Ron Carlson (1950–2011) was an American preacher, evangelist, and apologist whose ministry focused on equipping Christians to defend their faith against cults, world religions, and secular philosophies. Born in 1950 in Minnesota, he grew up in a Christian home and later graduated from Bethel College with a degree in Philosophy and from Bethel Theological Seminary with a Master’s in Theological Studies. Converted in his youth, Carlson founded Christian Ministries International (CMI) in 1975, dedicating his life to sharing the gospel and countering false teachings through apologetics. He married Marge in 1974, and they had two sons, Jason and Jared, who both followed him into ministry. Carlson’s preaching career took him to over 90 countries across six continents, where he lectured at churches, universities, and mission conferences, earning recognition as a leading authority on cults and biblical apologetics. Known for his clear, loving approach, he spoke on programs like The 700 Club and Coast to Coast, and authored books such as Fast Facts on False Teachings (co-written with Ed Decker), translated into seven languages. His ministry included two years as a missionary in the Philippines with his family, emphasizing practical evangelism. Carlson died unexpectedly in his sleep on June 16, 2011, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, leaving a legacy of bold faith and education, continued by his sons at CMI.
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Sermon Summary
In this sermon, the preacher discusses the initiation ceremony of Freemasonry and compares it to the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. He highlights the differences between the Masonic initiation and the concept of truth in Christianity. The preacher questions the act of bowing before a man called the worshipful master and crying out that one is lost in darkness. He emphasizes the importance of contending for the faith, giving reasons for one's hope, and testing all things according to the Bible.
Sermon Transcription
Ron Carlson, President of Christian Ministries International, has lectured in 52 countries around the world. He is a recognized authority on world religions and non-Christian cults. This is entitled Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge. I have you back tonight as we continue this special series on the non-Christian cult. Tonight we have a very important subject to deal with, a subject that I know touches close to home for many of you. We may have some men here who are involved in the Masonic Lodge, Freemasonry, or the Shriners, ladies in the Eastern Star, or girls in Job's Daughters, or Rainbow Girls, or boys in Dimalay. And as I speak tonight on Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge, I realize that probably only one in 10,000 Masons fully understands what they are involved in. If you are a Mason tonight, I realize that a good majority of you do not fully understand what you are involved in. Many of your uncles, and grandfathers, and fathers, and brothers who have gone into this do not fully understand what they are involved in. Because the Masonic Lodge has cloaked itself under a veil of secrecy. And men swear blood oaths not to reveal any of the secrets of what goes on inside of the Masonic Lodge under penalty of death if they reveal any of the secrets. And since Masons are sworn to secrecy by their own blood, I want to take it upon myself tonight to peel away that veil of secrecy for you. And to expose the true inner content, and teaching, philosophy, and religion, and practice of the Masonic Lodge. To realize that it is not compatible with Christianity, rather it is anti-Christian and contrary to everything that God has revealed to us. And if you are a Christian tonight, you have no business having anything to do with the Masonic Lodge. As I was driving down 41 tonight, just before you get to Shano Avenue, you can look over and see off of 41, the big Masonic Lodge there with the square and compass and the big G in the center. We'll talk about what that symbol means tonight. I am not here to attack or tear down any individual. But we are told in Jude verse 3 that as Christians we must contend earnestly for the faith delivered once for all time and to the saints. First Peter 3.15 tells us to give to every person an answer, a reason for the hope that lies within us. First Thessalonians 5.21 says test all things, hold fast to that which is true and good. And that is what we want to do tonight, to test these things, to see what is true and good. Now to give you a little background as to Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge, there are approximately five million members worldwide. Of these, about three and a half million members are here in the United States and Canada. Of those three and a half million members in America and throughout the world, there are approximately one million Shriners. Now within the Masonic Lodge, you have two different groups, one the Scottish Rite, which is most familiar, and also the York Rite. And within the Scottish Rite, which most Masons go through, you have what is known as the Blue Lodge. The Blue Lodge is the first three degrees in which all Masons go through. And then you have, after that, 29 degrees that one may progress to the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite and then become a Shriner. All Masons go into the Blue Lodge and after they go through the first three degrees, then they can choose whether to go into the York Rite or the Scottish Rite. Some will go through both. When most of you think of Masons or the Shriners, what do you think of? Most people will think either of the Masonic homes for the aged or the hospitals. They'll think of the Shrine hospitals or the Shrine circus, perhaps, of what appears to be a fraternal organization doing many good deeds. And the Masons do, do many good deeds. We do not question that. But the problem is that many Masons are buying the outer wrapping of a package, having never examined the content of what they're buying. And before they know what they are getting into, they are sworn to secrecy with blood oaths under penalty of their own death if they reveal any of the secrets before they're told what they're supposed to keep secret. And it's not until you go through the 32 degrees that you are then at the 32nd degree, given the authoritative work of Masons, which is Albert Pike's book, Morals and Dogma, which tells you exactly what you have just gone through. Now, you don't find this out until you've already gone through these rituals and ceremonies of the 32 degrees of the Scottish Rite. And we'll be looking at that in a moment. When you talk to Masons, as I said, most of them do not understand what they're getting involved in. They get involved in the Masonic Lodge out of peer pressure. Their friends are involved in it. Some go into it thinking it gives them business advantages within the community. Some see it only as a social club or a mutual aid society. Some are lured to it by its mystic secret rituals. Others see it as a means of self-development and philanthropy. Some go into it out of their own pride, a system of morality and good works where they feel they can, through this, earn their own salvation and eternal life. Before we get into the teaching of Masonry and the rituals, just a little background as to its history. Masonry was begun as an institution in England in 1717 and was then brought here to the United States, where it has become very prominent, as well as many other countries. Freemasonry has its mysteries, its allegories, its handshakes and secret words and passwords that all Masons go through. Now, when you go into the Blue Lodge, you go through the 32 degrees, then you can become a Shriner, part of the ancient and Arabic order of nobles of the Mystic Shrine. You may be familiar with seeing Shriners wearing their fez, their caps. This happens to be from the Shrine Temple in Minneapolis. We see this on men and we think, well, it's just a nice fraternal organization. Well, tonight we're going to see what all of this means with its Egyptian-Arabic markings and what Albert Pike, the leading authority, says about this. Now, understand that what I'm going to say tonight is not from anti-Masonic writings. I have spent two years, almost full time, researching Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge. What we're going to be sharing tonight is from the authoritative works of Masons themselves. When it comes to the authority of Freemasonry, the number one authority which all Masons look to is Albert Pike, who for 35 years was the supreme commander of all of world Freemasonry. His book, Morals and Dogma, which was published in 1871, the last time published in 1966, is the Bible of the Masons. And as I said, you receive this book after you have gone through the 32 degrees. It's over 1,000 pages long and most Masons, sadly to say, have never read what they're involved in. Tonight we're going to look at that. We're also going to quote from the authorities, Albert Mackey, who was the leading historian for Masonry, as well as other leading Masonic writers. Now, when you go into Masonry, you must be invited by two other friends. And then to go into the Masonic Lodge, you first enter into the Blue Lodge. Now, when you enter into the Blue Lodge, these first three degrees, all Masons go through an initiation ceremony. And this initiation ceremony is virtually the same around the world. And all Masons have gone through this first initiation ceremony. Let me describe for you, read for you, what goes on in this ceremony. And I have interviewed hundreds of Masons who have gone through this ceremony. And just to give you an idea of what these men have gone through. The typical initiation ceremony combines a variety of features. The candidate is divested of his jacket and his collar and tie, and also of any money or metal articles. His left trouser leg is rolled up above the knee. His shirt is open to expose his left breast. And his right shoe is removed and replaced by a slipper. He is also blindfolded, in Masonic parlance is called hoodwinked, to demonstrate his state of darkness. And a running noose or cable toe is placed around his neck. After the lodge has been formally opened, he is led to the outer door by the tiler or doorkeeper. At the threshold, he is confronted by the inner guard who holds the point of a dagger to his bare breast, barring his way. He is then led before the worshipful master, the chief officer of the lodge. The worshipful master recites a prayer to the supreme governor of the universe and puts a series of ritual questions to the candidate who is required to answer according to a prescribed formula without a slip of the tongue. Kneeling in front of the worshipful master's pedestal with his right foot formed in a square and the point of a pair of compasses touching his breast, the candidate then swears not to reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry. Now, when you go into this initiation ceremony, you are blindfolded, hoodwinked, you have a noose put around your neck, then you come and bow before a man who you call the worshipful master. Now, understand that our churches across this country, many of the mainline churches are filled with members who have gone through these ceremonies that I'm going to describe tonight. Forty percent of Southern Baptist pastors in this country are Freemasons. Norman Vincent Peale is a 33rd degree Mason. Two months ago in an interview, he said Masonry is the most important thing in his life and has done more for him than anything else. Gerald Ford, our past president, is the second in command, the second highest in this country, next to Henry Clawson, and Masonry spreads throughout. Now, these men have gone into this initiation ceremony being blindfolded, a noose around their neck, they bow before a man they call the worshipful master, and then they cry out, I'm lost in darkness, I'm lost in darkness, I need the light of Freemasonry. Now, for any Christian to go through a ceremony like this, to begin with, you would have to start questioning, what am I doing, bowing before a man I call the worshipful master and crying out, I'm lost in darkness? If you have the light of Jesus Christ living in your life, you should begin to question at that point. But then you are required to take a variety of oaths, blood oaths, and every Mason has taken these. In the first degree, the entered apprentice degree, you must put your thumb to your throat and make the motion across your throat and take this oath. Binding myself under no less a penalty than having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots and buried in the rough sand of the sea. In the second degree, you must then take this oath, binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my left breast torn open, my heart plucked out and given to the prey of the beast of the field and the fowls of the air. And then in the master Mason, the third degree of the blue lodge, every Mason has said, binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken from thence and burned in ashes and given to the fields. Now, every Mason has taken these blood oaths, not to reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry. And that's why it's such a secretive thing. Tonight we want to expose these secrets. Now, for a Christian, you have no business taking these blood oaths to begin with. If you have your Bibles, you might turn with me to see what Jesus says about this in Matthew chapter 5, verses 34 to 37. Jesus says, But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king, nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair, white or black. But let your statement be yes, yes, or no, no, and anything beyond this is of evil. Jesus said, you're not to take any oath at all. It's interesting that even the United States Constitution, the Supreme Court recognizes this. And in a court of law, you are not required to take an oath, but you can simply make an affirmation to tell the truth. If you turn with me to James chapter 5, we see what God says again concerning this. James chapter 5, verse 12. But above all, my brethren, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes, your no be no, so that you may not fall under the judgment. God says we are not to be taking oaths, especially blood oaths. And yet every Mason, 5 million of them, have gone through this contrary to what God says. Well, what are the secrets that they are sworn to keep? Now, I said when I began that most Masons do not understand what they're involved in. That is because Masons today are being consciously misled and deceived by their leaders as to the true nature of Masonry. Albert Pike, in his book, Morals and Dogma, and tonight when I quote a page number, I will be quoting it from the authoritative work of all Freemasonry, that of Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, which every 32nd degree Mason has a copy of. If I quote from another book, I'll mention that. But let me read for you. If you're a Mason here, and you've gone through the Blue Lodge, you need to understand that you have been consciously deceived by your brothers in the Lodge so that you do not understand what is going on. Let me read Albert Pike, beginning on page 104. Masonry, or let me begin on page 819. The blue degrees of the Blue Lodge are but the outer court or portico 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 he understands them. Their true explanation is reserved only for the adepts, the princes of Freemasonry. The whole body of the royal sacerdotal art was hidden so carefully centuries ago in the high degrees of Freemasonry. It is well enough for the mass of those so-called Masons to imagine that all is contained in the blue degrees. The rites of initiation, in page 359, he says, the rites of initiation became progressively more complicated. Signs and tokens were invented, which they go through. You learn certain handshakes, different Masonic handshakes, passwords, signs. Different degrees were invented as the number of increased, in order that there might be in the inner court of the temple a favorite few to whom alone belongs the valuable secrets of Freemasonry. All persons were initiated into the lesser mysteries, but only a few attained the greater, in which the true knowledge and most of the secret doctrines are hidden. The veil of secrecy was impenetrable, sealed by oaths and penalties the most tremendous and appalling. So Albert Pike says that if you are a Mason and you have gone through the Blue Lodge, that you are consciously being misled as to the true nature of Masonry, because they do not want you to understand what is going on. And as we go on tonight, you're going to understand why they don't want you to understand what's going on, because it becomes very occultic in its nature. Let me read what Albert Pike says, page 545, concerning revealing any of the secrets. All the mysteries should be kept concealed, guarded by faithful silence, lest it should be inconsiderately divulged to the ears of the profane. He sins against God who divulges to the unworthy the mysteries confided to him. The danger is not merely in violating the truth, but in telling the truth. Albert Pike says it is a sin to divulge the truth. Now, how different this is from what we read in God's Word. Jesus says you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Jesus said, I am the truth. He said, go into all the world and proclaim this good news. But the Masons say, no, it is a sin for you to reveal truth. Albert Pike goes on, page 383. He says the history of Freemasonry has covered their ceremonies in the veil of secrecy. They prefer to do their ceremonies at night to cover them with darkness. The very word mystery was a metaphorical expression that denoted the secret awe which darkness and gloom inspired. Mysteries were celebrated at night, because there is in night something aghast and imposing. And so he says we are to do these at night in the darkness to keep them secret. It's interesting what we read in 1 John 1 verses 5 and 6 concerning this. 1 John 1 verses 5 and 6. And this is the message we have heard from him and announced to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Truth is not concealed by darkness or blood oaths. We are to freely proclaim the truth. And yet Albert Pike says it is a sin to reveal the truth. What are the secrets that they are trying to keep from the public? If you talk to a Mason, they will tell you that Freemasonry is not a religion. They will tell you it has nothing to do with religion. But when they tell you that, they are either ignorant or they are blatantly lying to you. Let me read their authority, Albert Pike, in Morals and Dogma, as to what he tells is the true nature of Freemasonry and the Masonic Lodge. And if there are any Masons here and you question what I'm saying, I say take the page numbers down, go home, look it up in your own authoritative books. Page 213, Albert Pike says, Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion and its teachings are instruction in religion. Page 210, Masonry is from the earliest times the custodian and depositor of the great religious truths, unknown to the world at large and handed down from age to age by an unbroken current of tradition embodied in symbols, emblems, and allegories. Page 219, Masonry is a worship. Masonry is the universal religion in the heart of universal humanity. The ministers of this religion are all Masons. Its sacrifices to God are good works and perpetual efforts to attain to all the moral perfection of which man is capable. So says Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma. So here we have the groundwork. Understand tonight that Masonry is a religion, that every Mason is a minister of this religion. What kind of religion? He says it is a universal religion. We'll look at that in a moment. Its sacrifices to God are good works and perpetual effort to achieve moral perfection, a universal religion of morality. What is this universal religion that Masons are ministers of? I quote Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, page 311. In all religions, there is a basis of truth. In all, there is pure morality. All teachers and reformers of mankind we admire and revere. Masonry has her mission to perform. She invites all men of all religions to enlist under her banner. Page 226, listen to this. Masonry, around whose altars the Hebrew, the Christian, the Muslim, the Brahman, the Buddhist, the followers of Confucius can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer. Page 276, in no other way could Masonry possess its character of universality, which enables two kings, worshippers of different deities, to sit together as master Masons and to sit in the same lodge as brethren. Page 525, Masonry reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the lawgiver, in Confucius, in Zoroaster, in Buddha, in Jesus of Nazareth, and in the Arabian iconoclasts, great teachers of morality. Thus Masonry disbelieves no truth and teaches all religion. Masonry is a worship, but one in which all men can unite. So here we have the nature of Masonry. It is a religion that teaches a universalism of morality, a syncretism of all religions. Albert Pike says it doesn't matter whether you're a Hindu or a Buddhist or a Muslim or a Christian or a Jew, you can all unite as brethren at the altar of free Masonry. He says that Jesus is simply one of many moral reformers. Masons, as we're going to see tonight, put Jesus in the same category as Buddha and Muhammad and Confucius and Zoroaster. Nothing more than a moral reformer. We'll get into that further in a moment. Page 277, Albert Pike says, quote, the first Masonic legislator whose memory is preserved to us by history was Buddha. He called to the priesthood all men without distinction of religion. Page 166, Masonry wisely requires no more than a belief in one great all-powerful deity, preserver of the universe. Therefore, it teaches that toleration is one of the chief duties, for in every faith there are excellent moral precepts. So Masonry is a religion. Its Masonic temple is a place of worship where all religions can gather, a universalism, a syncretism. There's no difference between Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam. They're all one and the same. But it's interesting that as you go into this, you discover what the true religion of Masonry is, a nature religion based upon pantheism, which does not need any revelation from God. In page 226, Albert Pike says, quote, the Mason considers that if there were no written revelation, if there is no Bible, he could safely rest the hopes that animate him and the principles that guide him on the deductions of reason and the convictions of instinct and consciousness. He can find a sure foundation for his religious belief in these deductions of the intellect and convictions of the heart. So Mason say we do not need a special revelation from God. We have our own intellect and our own heart to guide us in the truth. Well, they should read what Scripture says about this in Jeremiah 17, verse 3, where God says that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Yet Mason say we don't need a revelation from God. We can rely on our own intellect and our own heart. What is this nature worship that we're going to look at in a moment? Albert Pike on page 714 and 715 says, quote, listen to this, beautiful above the great wide chaos of human errors shines the calm clear light of natural human religion, revealing to us God as the infinite parent of all. Beautiful around stretches off every way the universe, the great Bible of God. Material nature is its Old Testament. Human nature is the New Testament. Everything is a thought of the infinite God. Nature is his prose and man is his poetry. So here we see a pantheistic philosophy that is going to be taught now as the Masonic religion, that everything is merely a thought of God. This comes right out of Hinduism and that everything being a thought of God, we are all part of nature, that the material world of nature is the Old Testament. Human nature is the New Testament, the universe, which encompasses everything is what they call God. As we're going to see tonight, when you get into this nature worship that Masons are involved in, as we saw last night, God speaks about this in Romans chapter 1, verses 22 and 25, where he says, professing to be wise, men have become fools. They've exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for a lie and have worshiped and followed the creation rather than the creator who is blessed forever. And this is what Masons have done, as we're going to see. They've exchanged the truth of God for a lie, verse 25 says of Romans 1, and have followed after the creation rather than the creator. What is this nature worship that Masons are following? Where did it come from? Albert Pike, page 352 says, among most of the ancient nations, there was, in addition to their public worship, a private one styled the mysteries to which those only were admitted who had been prepared by certain ceremonies called initiation. Where the mysteries originated is not fully known. It is supposed that they came from India by way of Chaldea into Egypt and thence were carried to Greece. They were practiced among all the ancient nations. Masonry, page 22 of Albert Pike, Masonry, successor of the ancient mysteries, the mystery religions from India, Persia, Egypt, Masonry, successor of the mysteries, still follows the ancient manner of teaching. Masonry is identical with the ancient mystery religions. After leaving Egypt, the mysteries were modified by the habits of different nations among whom they were introduced. The powers revealed in the mysteries were all in reality nature gods. The mysteries taught the doctrine of divine oneness. So Albert Pike tells us that Masonry is identical to the mystery religions coming out of India, Egypt, Persia, and Greece. The mystery religions of ancient civilization which taught the worship of nature gods, the worship of creation, and the oneness of all things, basic Hindu pantheism coming from India, as Albert Pike says. And he says that Masonry is identical with these mystery religions. Page 207, Morals and Dogma, he says, Zoroaster, Menuh, Confucius, Buddha, Socrates, and Plato taught their esoteric doctrines. They did not communicate them to the people at large, but only to a favored few. And as they were communicated in Egypt, and India, and Persia, and Phoenicia, and Greece, to only the initiates. The communication of this knowledge of the ancient mysteries and secrets constituted, under other names, what we now call Masonry, or Free Masonry, unquote. Page 207. So Albert Pike says that what you are seeing in Masonry, in the Masonic Lodge, is the revival of the ancient mystery religions of Egypt, and Persia, and India, holding to the worship of creation, and a pantheistic philosophy of the divine oneness of all. Page 356, he says, quote, The ancient mysteries, like the symbols of Masonry, were but an image of nature. The mysteries embraced the three great doctrines of ancient theosophy. They treated of God, man, and nature in symbolic forms the mysteries exhibited by the Universal One. He goes on, page 304. The Masonry of the Blue Lodge, the Blue Lodge, the first three degrees, which all Masons go through. The Masonry of the Blue Lodge finds symbolic meaning within the temple and the whole structure which was intended to represent the universe. The key to the true meaning is not undiscoverable, the perfect and eternal distinction of the two primitive terms of creative syllogism, but in order to attain the demonstration of their harmony, the grand principle of the occult philosophy, veiled under the name Kabbalah, and indicated by all the sacred hieroglyphs of the ancient sanctuaries and of the sacred rites, so little understood by the mass of the initiates of the ancient and modern Freemasonry. This is getting a little heavy, but let me just clarify what he's saying. Page 304, he says that Masonry takes its teachings from, he says, quote, the occult philosophy of the Kabbalah. The Kabbalah was an occult philosophy of a certain Jewish group in Judaism, which was teaching occultic nature worship. And he says Masonry holds to this occult philosophy. Now, what is this occult philosophy? And hang with me, some of this might get a little complicated, but I'll clarify it for you in a moment. But you need to understand what Albert Pike is teaching, that Freemasonry claims to be a religion, that its temple, its lodge is a temple of worship, that every Mason, he says, is a minister of this religion. And when you go in and are initiated into the secrets of the Blue Lodge, you are initiated as a minister of the Masonic religion, which is a revival of the ancient mystery religions based upon the occult philosophy of the Kabbalah, based upon Hindu pantheism and nature worship that we're going to see in a moment. Now, they like to trace their origin, Masons do, back to the building of Solomon's temple and the losing of the sacred word of God by Hiram Abiff. And they have all their allegories that they go through in teaching these things. But here's what they say about the symbolism of the temple. The temple presented a symbolic image of the universe. The system of numbers was intimately connected with their religions and worship, and it's come down to us in Freemasonry through the esoteric meaning with which the numbers used are pregnant with meaning. And then they go through this. And so in our day, every Masonic lodge represents the universe. In it are represented the sun, moon and stars, three great torches of the east, west and south, forming a triangle, give it light. These three great lights also represent the great mysteries of the three principles of creation, destruction and reproduction or regeneration. Now in the mystery religions, based upon this nature religion, they saw three basic principles of life, that of creation, destruction and regeneration occurring in nature. And Masonry now, they say, has adopted this as their basic philosophy. Page 235, he goes into the temple representing the zodiac, the signs of the zodiac, the 12 pillars representing astrological symbols. We don't have time to go into all that tonight. Page 486, the ancient astronomers saw all the great symbols of Masonry in the stars. The sun is still symbolized by the point within a circle with the moon and mercury into three great lights of the lodge. The veneration paid to the numbers in Masonry had its source there. Astrology, page 463, astrology was practiced among all the ancient mystery religions in Egypt, in China, in Arabia. It was practiced in the Passover when the lamb was slain and eaten among the Jews. Universal adoration was paid to the stars in astrology in the Hebrew camp represented by the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 signs of the zodiac in astrology were seen in the 12 sons of Jacob and on and on. And I don't have time to go into it all, but let me just say that Masons, you'll go into their lodges and that you'll see sun, moon, the stars. Albert Pike, they incorporate in the occult philosophy, astrology, numerology, nature worship is all mixed in with this religion of Freemasonry that we see today. And then they go into the teaching of the universal soul or pantheism, that we are all part of the universe. The universal soul of the world exercises its creative energy chiefly through the medium of the sun, page 474. All through the great body of the world are disseminated portions of the universal soul. All soul is part of the universal soul. The human soul itself is a God within the mind, capable through its own power of making itself mortal by the practice of the good. Now, Masons believe that we are all part of a universal soul, that everything is God. God is an impersonal it, the grand architect of the universe, they call it. And this grand architect of the universe, this universal soul we are part of, and we can achieve our immortality through our own good effort and practice of the good. Quote, page 393, man descended from the elemental forces who fed on the body of the pantheistic deity, creating the universe. Death is the inseparable and antecedent of life. The seed dies in order to produce the plant, hence the significance of the phallic symbol, the male organ, or its inoffensive substitute, the obelisk rising as an emblem of resurrection. In Masonic lodges, you'll see unfinished columns, pillars, representing what we'll see in just a moment, generating principle of life. Masons see themselves as part of a universal soul. And the way that you obtain immortality or eternal life in the Masonic lodge is by the generating process of life. Now, what is this generating process of life in which life continues on and on in the universe? Albert Pike, page 13. The sun is the ancient symbol of the life-giving and generative power of the deity. The moon was the symbol of the passive capacity of nature to produce, the female, of which the life-giving power and energy was the male. The sun and moon represent the two grand principles of all generation, the active and passive, the male and female. Both shed their light upon their offspring, bringing forth a new generation. Page 15. In the east of the lodge, over the master mason, enclosed in the triangle, is the Hebrew letter Yod. In the English and American lodges, the letter G is substituted for this as the initial of the word God. Now, if you drive down 41 here, just past Chano Avenue and look off to the right, you'll see on the Masonic lodge, the square encompassed with a G in the center. That G is their symbol for God. But who is their God? The G, as we're going to see, stands for the generating principle of life. Let me read. In the Kabbalah, the occult philosophy that Masons are based upon, in the Kabbalah, page 305, I'm reading from Albert Pike, the sun and the moon are emblems of the two divine sexes and the two creative forces of nature. In the mysteries was also taught the division of the universal cause into the active and passive cause of which two, Osiris and Isis, the heaven and the earth, were symbols. Now, one of the prominent allegories in Freemasonry is that of Osiris and Isis, an Egyptian allegory, which we don't have time to go into tonight. If you have questions about it, we can ask. But on page 401, he tells us what is happening. Page 401, Albert Pike, listen carefully. These two divinities, male and female, the active and passive principles of the universe, were commonly symbolized by the generative parts of the man and woman, to which in remote ages no idea of indecency was attached. The male and female sex organs, emblems of generation and production, and which as such appear in the mysteries. The Masonic point within a circle expresses the philosophical idea as the union of the two great causes of nature. They were male and female, of which the phallic or male organ was the generating organ of life. Page 407, the ancients had their religious initiations into the worship of the sun god represented by Osiris. One of the principal ceremonies of which consisted in clothing the initiate with the skin of a white lamb. And in this we see the origin of the nature worship, where what produces immortality is the generating principle of life, this G. And the generating principle of life is the male organ, and that Masons are given the white lambskin apron as a covering of the Masonic deity, which is the male sex organ. Now let me read for you Albert Mackey, History of Freemasonry. Albert Mackey is the second leading authority, next to Albert Pike. In his book Symbolism of Freemasonry, page 353, the point within a circle, which is another common symbol within the Masonic lodge, a point within a circle, is derived from sun worship and is in reality a phallic origin. It is the symbol of the universe, the sun being represented by the point while the circumference is the universe. The point within a circle is an interesting and important symbol today in Freemasonry, but it has been debased in its interpretation of it in the modern lectures, that the sooner that interpretation is forgotten by the Masonic students, the better it will be. This symbol in reality is a beautiful but somewhat of truth allusion to the old sun worship, which introduces us for the first time into the ancient worship of the phallic symbol, the male organ. You see, this is why ladies are not allowed to be Masons. No woman can become a Mason because she does not possess the generating principle of life, the male organ, which is the god of Masonry. Let me read further. Albert Mackey, Symbolism of Freemasonry, page 352. Phallic representation of the viral member, the male organ, which was venerated as a religious symbol. The Masonic point within a circle is undoubtedly of phallic origin. The phallus was an imitation of the male generative organ. The union of the phallus with the female, which is represented by the point within a circle, was intended by the ancients as a type of prolific powers of nature, which they worshipped under the united form, the active or male principle or the passive or female. Now, hang on. Masons, you see on the side here in Green Bay on the Masonic Lodge, you see the square and compass with the G in the center. Masons wear this on their lapel. You'll see Masons wearing this symbol. Now, you wonder why they take blood oath to keep this secret. Let me read for you and understand. I understand that most Masons do not understand this. Most Masons have never read Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma. They have not studied Albert Mackie. They have not studied the authorities. And you need to understand that Albert Pike says that the people in the Blue Lodge, the first three degrees, most Masons are being consciously lied and deceived to. If you're a Mason here, understand that your higher ups are blatantly lying to you. They admit it in their own books, because they do not want you to understand what these symbols are until you reach the 32nd degree and become a Shriner. Now, in the 32nd degree, here is what Albert Pike says. Page 851, Morals and Dogma. I quote, Returning now to the degrees of the Blue Masonry and for your last lesson, receive the explanation of the symbols. After you've gone through the 32 degrees, the last lesson, Albert Pike says, Now let me tell you what it all means. The square is a natural and appropriate symbol of the earth. The compass is an equally natural and appropriate symbol of the heavens. The heavens and the earth were personified as deities. The earth, therefore, the great producer, was always represented as a female as the mother. And the procreative and generative agents, the heavens and the sun, have always been regarded as male, as the generators that impregnate the earth and cause it to produce. The compass, you want to know what this symbol means? It's on the side of the lodge. The compass, therefore, is the symbol of the creative deity, the male coming down upon the square or the passive receptive female, the productive earth or universe. The G in the is the generating principle of life, the male organ. And so the God of Freemasonry, and the reason why all ladies can become Masons is because the God of Freemasonry is the male sex organ. And they are ministers of this religion. And every Masonic lodge is for the purpose of keeping this ancient mystery secret so that the true nature of their God will not be revealed to the masses of people. Now, this is not Ron Carlson speaking. This is the authoritative work of Freemasonry. If there are any Masons here tonight and you say, I never heard this, you better go home and do your homework, because that's what your leaders are teaching. And that's what you're involved in. Well, friends, it gets worse. Albert Pike, who is the supreme pontiff of all Freemasonry, speaking on July 14th, 1889, to the 23 Supreme Councils of the world said this, I quote, if you're a Mason, listen to the leading authority as to what Freemasonry teaches. Albert Pike, July 14th, 1889, to the 23 Supreme Councils of the world said, quote, that which we must say to the crowd is we worship a God, but it is the God that one adores without superstition. To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the brethren of the 32nd, the 31st and the 30th degrees. The Masonic religion should be to all initiates of the high degrees maintained in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine. Yes, Lucifer is God. The true and pure philosophic religion of Freemasonry is the belief in Lucifer. Unquote. And you can read in context that goes on and it gets worse. When you study Masonry, you are dealing with a religion that is based upon a cult mystery religion, following astrology, numerology, pantheism, nature worship, worship of Hindu gods, Persian gods, Greek gods, Egyptian gods, denying the God of the Bible, denying Christ, teaching a universal religion. And ultimately, Albert Pike says, we must understand the God we worship is Lucifer. He is the God of Masonry. Now that should not surprise us. If you have gone through the degrees, if there is anyone here from the Scottish Rites, when you go into the higher degrees, find in the 13th degree that you discover the secret name of God. Now, Masons have been on a search to find the lost name of God. Masons say that God's true name was lost when Hiram of Bith, the architect of Solomon's temple, was killed. And Masonry say that they had been on a search for the true name of God. And in the 13th degree, you discover what the true name of God is. It must be pronounced by three Masons. It's written in their ritual handbook as J-B-O, Jobulon. It is the combination of three words, Jehovah, Baal, and Osiris. And Masonry says that the lost name of God is a combination. It is a trinity made up of Jehovah, Baal, and Osiris, the Egyptian sun god. And that is the name of the God of Freemasonry, a three-headed monster, combining Jehovah with Baal, the Phoenician fertility god, and Osiris, the Egyptian sun god of nature worship and phallic origin. In the 17th degree, then, Masons discover that there is a password, a password that they are given in the 17th degree, which opens them up to discover the true nature of the Masonic God. And every Mason who has gone through the 17th degree has been given this secret password, which will open you up to the true knowledge of God. And they will whisper it in your ear, and you are not to reveal to anyone else the true password. The password is Abaddon. Abaddon. Have you ever heard that before? Turn with me to Revelation chapter 9. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth, and the key to the bottomless pit was given to him, and he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. The pit of hell was opened. Go to verse 11. And over the bottomless pit there was a head demon, and they have as king over them the angel of the abyss, the head demon over the pit of hell. And his name in Hebrew is what? Abaddon. The head demon over the pit of hell. The Masons say that is the secret word that opens you up to their God. Abaddon. No wonder Albert Pike said, Lucifer is our God. Friends, if there are any Masons here tonight, I plead with you, I beg with you, get out of it. Renounce it. You have no business being in it. But let's go on. What do they think of the Bible? What do they think of Jesus Christ? I've met Masons, they say, oh, I can be a Christian. There's nothing wrong with being a Christian and being a Mason. They're totally compatible. Well, you want to know what Masonry thinks of Christianity? First of all, concerning the Bible. Albert Pike, page 11, morals and dogmas says, quote, The Holy Bible square and compass are not only styled the great lights and masonry, but they are also technically called the furniture of the lodge. The Bible is an indispensable part of the furniture of the Christian lodge only because it is a sacred book of the Christian religion. The Hebrew Pentateuch and a Hebrew lodge, the Koran and a Muslim lodge belong on the altar. The obligation of the candidate is to obey the sacred book or books of his own religion. So they tell us that the Bible is considered a piece of furniture in the lodge and that it is no more valuable than the Koran or any other scriptures of any other religions. It's simply a piece of religious literature equal with all the others. Page 17, we read the Holy Scriptures were an entirely modern addition to the lodge. You know, Masons will tell me, but we got the Bible on our altar. Albert Pike says, quote, The Holy Scriptures were an entirely modern addition to the lodge, like the terrestrial and celestial globes on the columns of the portico. Thus the ancient symbol has been denaturalized by incongruous additions. The Bible has no place there, he's saying. Page 744, he goes on to say, quote, Listen to what Albert Pike, the leading authority says. The Bible, with all the allegories it contains, expresses in an incomplete and veiled manner only the religious science of the Hebrews, the doctrine of Moses and the prophets, identical at bottom with that of the ancient Egyptian mysteries, also had its outward meaning and its veils. The Hebrew books were written only to recall, to memory the traditions, and they were written in symbols unintelligible to the profane. The Pentateuch and the prophetic poems were merely elementary books of doctrine, morals and literature, and the true secret and traditional philosophy was only written afterward, under veils still less transparent. Thus it was that a second Bible was born, the New Testament, unknown to or rather uncomprehended by the Christians, a collection of monstrous absurdities, unquote. Now you tell me how any Mason can be a Christian when they say the New Testament is a collection of, quote, monstrous absurdities, unquote. Well, what do they think about Jesus Christ? It gets worse. Albert Pike, page 525, quote, Masonry reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses and Confucius and Zoroaster and Jesus and the Arabian Conoclasts, great teachers of morality and eminent reformers. Masonry does not tell the sincere Christian that Jesus of Nazareth was but a man like us, or his history but the unreal revival of older mystery religion. Masonry belongs to all time, of no one religion. It finds its great truth in all religions. Page 540. The history of Masonry is the history of philosophy. None can deny that Christ taught a lofty morality. The early Christians followed in his footsteps. Their sole object was to make men better by bringing them back to a simple worship of which universal morality was the basis. So, Masons view Christianity only as one among many religions teaching nothing more than a universal morality, that Jesus was not God. He was simply a moral reformer, equal with Buddha, Confucius, Zoroaster, denying his deity and his uniqueness, teaching only a morality. But what about the cross? Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, page 290, quote, The cross has been a sacred symbol from the earliest in antiquities. It is found among the enduring monuments of the world, in Egypt, in Assyria, in India, in Persia, in the Buddhist towers. Buddha died on a cross. Krishna died on a cross. Crosses are found in Egypt. To us, therefore, it is a symbol of life. The stages of antiquity connected it with one of the greatest secrets of nature, that of universal regeneration. The cross even had astrological origins, page 483, and was a symbol of astrology. Manly Hall, a 33rd degree Mason, one of the leading authorities of Freemasonry, in his book, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, page 64 and 65, says, quote, Listen carefully. The true disciples of ancient Masonry has given up forever the worship of personalities. With his greater insight, he realizes that all forms of their position in material affairs are no importance to him compared to the life which is evolving within. The true Mason realizes that behind every diverse form there is one connected life principle, the spark of God in all living things. Listen to this. The true Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as a Mason, his religion must be universal. Christ, Buddha, or Muhammad, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer. He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether temple, mosque, pagoda, cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth. No true Mason can be narrow, for his lodge is the divine expression of all broadness." Masonry says, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, the name means little. But friends, if you turn to Acts 4.12, you see there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved but that of Jesus Christ. John 1.12 says, But as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become sons of God, even to those who believe on his name. Jesus said in John 14.6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. Acts 4.12, there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved but that of Jesus Christ. Masons say the name means little. We worship at every shrine, every altar, of every religion. He says, No true Mason can be narrow, for his lodge is the divine expression of all broadness. Let's see what Jesus Christ said about that. Turn with me to Matthew 7.13-14. If I was a Mason, I would not be bragging about that, for Jesus says in Matthew 7.13-14, Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is broad, that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. He says the Masonic lodge is the expression of all broadness. They boast in it. Jesus says, The gate is wide, and the way is broad, that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow, that leads to life, and few are those who find it. If you're a Mason here tonight, you need to listen to what God's word says. If you are a Christian and a Mason, you have no business being in a Masonic lodge. Jesus said you cannot serve two masters. You're going to have to make a choice tonight. Manly Hall, Lost Keys of Freemasonry, page 92, goes on to say, Man is a god in the making, and as in the mysteries of Egypt, on the potter's will, he is being molded. When his light shines out to life and preserve all things, he receives the triple crown of godhood, and joins that throng of master Masons, who in their robes of blue and gold are seeking to dispel the darkness of night with the triple light of the Masonic lodge and achieve their own divinity. In one of the degrees, I believe it's the 17th degree, closing of that degree, the worshipful master of the lodge asks the candidate, what is your name? And the Mason, the candidate of that degree says, I am that I am, and takes upon himself the name of Jehovah, found in Exodus 3, 13 and 14. A god in the making, he says, is not and has nothing to do with Christianity. What is our response to these things, to a system of morality? I talked to one of the leaders of the shrine temple, called me up just recently. Somebody had given him my tape, and he wanted to talk to me about it. And I asked him one question. I said, Sir, I said, if you were to die and stand before God tonight, and he should ask you, and this man was a deacon in a big church in Minneapolis, head of the shrine in Minneapolis. I said, Sir, if you were to die and stand before God tonight, and he should ask you, why should I let you into my heaven? I said, what would you say to him? And there was silence on the phone for about 20 seconds. And then he said to me, well, I guess I'd have to tell him I was a good mason. Ephesians 2.8.9 says, For by God's grace you are saved through faith, not of yourselves. It's a gift of God, not of work, lest anyone should boast. You cannot earn your salvation. You cannot work for it. It is a gift of God. What is our response, sir, with me as we conclude the Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, beginning with verse 6. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them. For it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. And it's not easy talking about what we've been talking about to expose what is going on in secret. But we do it in love and compassion because we are required by God to warn and to speak clearly the truth that these things are not of God. Verse 15. Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. If there are any masons here tonight and you claim to be a Christian, listen very carefully to what God says. 2 Corinthians 6, 14-18. God says, Do not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Satan? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. Just as God said, I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord God. And do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters to me, says the Lord God Almighty. Friends, if you're a Christian tonight and you're involved in the Masonic Lodge, you have no business being in there. God says, Come out and be separate. What does God have to do with Satan? What does light have to do with darkness? Freemasonry is not of God. It is from the pit of hell. I repeat, I understand that most Masons do not understand what they are involved in. I realize, as Albert Pike says, that you are being consciously deceived by your own brethren so that you do not fully understand it until you reach the 32nd degree. One million shriners in this country have reached the 32nd degree, involved in Luciferian worship, involved in some of the most pagan idolatrous ceremonies you can imagine. And as Christians, you have no business being in it. Friends, God is willing to forgive, and you can confess that sin. You can renounce that, and God is willing to accept you and receive you as his own. But you must confess it and you must renounce it tonight. Get out of it and turn to the living God, for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved but that of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, Narrow is the gate that leads to life, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are finding it. Dear Lord, this is not an easy message to give because it hits so close to home for so many of us who have husbands and fathers and grandfathers and uncles and sons and brothers, friends and neighbors who are in the Masonic lodge, and many of them do not fully understand what they're involved in. Oh God, I pray that you would lift the veil of darkness off of them to let them understand the truth. This is not Christian, it has nothing to do with God, but will only lead them to hell. And they must confess and renounce and turn to you, the living God. Oh, I pray for the Masons in Green Bay, that these tapes will reach them and be disseminated among them, so they too can be set free from this non-Christian cult to know the living Savior, who alone gives eternal life. We love you tonight, Lord Jesus. To you alone we give our allegiance, in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Just a moment. And so they trace a lot of their allegories and stories back to biblical times. And as Albert Pike says, they use the Bible in the Christian lodge only because it's the Christian book. They use the Koran in the Muslim lodge, the Pentateuch in the Jewish lodge, the Buddhist writings in the Buddhist lodge, so that the Bible is simply one of many religious writings that has only significance to the Christian. But as Albert Pike says, as Mason, you do not need a revelation, a written revelation, because you have your own intellect and your own heart to guide you into truth. But as Jeremiah says, verse chapter 17, God says the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. How did I get into this? Well, I've been lecturing on the cults and world religions for the past 12 years. And wherever I spoke, people kept asking me, what about Masonry? What about Freemasonry? And I really didn't know that much about it. So I took two years out of my life and almost full time did research for 18 months to two years on Freemasonry. I was able to contact a variety of former Masons, 32nd and 33rd degree Masons, some of the high officials who have come out of it and become Christians, gave me much of their material and information. Since this tape came out, the first time I did the tape two years ago, we have had letters and calls and knowledge of over 5,000 Masons that have come out of the lodge since hearing this message. It's been played for the governing boards of the lodge in California and Texas and New York and Washington, DC. It has a devastating impact because it's all documented from their own writing. What I said tonight is not anti-Masonic literature. This is basic Freemasonry as it's taught in their own writing. I have them publicly because they don't want to meet publicly because they are sworn to every time you confront them. I spoke down in the Dallas Convention Center on Freemasonry down there to thousands of people at a special rally. We had over 450 Masons come forward and repent of it when I gave the invitation. Masonry is a very big thing all through the South. As I mentioned, talk about the deception going on in our country. It's prevalent in a lot of churches in this country. It is how a Christian can even go through the first initiation ceremony and have somebody put a noose around their neck and blindfold it and crawl like a dog before a man you call the worshipful master and cry out, I'm lost in darkness. You'd have to start wondering, I would think, what's going on. What is the purpose of its existence? They claim to be the repository of the ancient mysteries, that they embody all the true wisdom of the ages have been deposited in Freemasonry. If you want to understand the meaning and purpose of life, the only place that has it is the Masonic lodge that has maintained the secret of the ancient religions. Colossians 2, verses 2 and 3, we read that in Christ dwells all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That's a Masonic lodge. Colossians 2 says in Christ dwells all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So they pride themselves. There is a terrific pride in Freemasonry. If you meet Masons, they are very proud to be a Mason because they believe that they have the keys, the secrets to the universe. It's their secret knowledge that nobody else knows. They know the secrets of the universe and that they are achieving their own divinity. They are climbing the ladder of morality and through their good works, through the shrine hospitals, through the Masonic homes, by doing these good works, they will obtain their own divinity and their own eternal life. It is a system of morality. The Elks, the Moose, the Oddfellows, they all come out of the mystery religions and hold to forms of Masonry. I do not have specific information on the Elks, but I know that they all stem from the same branch. The order of the arrow and voice counts. You cannot find morals and dogma in a library. They are only given to 32nd degree Masons. I have three or four of them that have been given to me by wives whose husbands have died and their husbands were in Masonry. They say, I found this in my library. Do you know what it is? You can find them. A Shriner, a 32nd degree Mason will have this book. Sometimes they will let you into a Masonic lodge and have a library where you can go look at Mackie's books, History of Freemasonry, Lexicon of Freemasonry. I was able to study for several months in a Masonic lodge in their library. I just told them I was doing research on Masonry. They must assume that it was because I was interested. The term Freemason comes from the stonecutters. Originally from Solomon's Temple and then the Middle Ages, you had the Masonic guilds, the stonecutter guilds in England and Europe in which they were Masons. They cut stone. And so out of those guilds developed the term Mason. And Masons view themselves like the square and the compass. They use the chisel and they talk about different tools that they are given that Masons use. They are building a foundation, a building of life through their own morality, their own system of good work, that they are building themselves up to perfection and Godhood. And the term Freemason referred to those in the early days who were not slaves. Slaves were not allowed to be Masons, and so Masons were free men. And so they got the term Freemason from that. A couple more and then we'll be dismissed. Yeah, do you have to pay money? Yeah, they have dues every month and you pay your initiation fee and then you pay your dues every month to belong to it. And it's interesting, I've had Masons come up to me after this lecture and say, well, how do I get out of it? And I say, well, just tell them you're quitting, you're resigning. One fella came back to me a week later, he said, well, I went and told him that I was quitting Masonry, getting out of it. And they said, well, you can't get out of Masonry, you're in it for life. He said, what do I do now? I said, well, quit paying your dues. So he went back and talked to the guys at the lodge, he says, well, I'm not going to pay my dues anymore. They said, well, I guess you're out of the lodge. But you should, if you're a Mason, renounce it, confess it before God, and then I would write a letter to the high officials in your area and tell them that you are leaving the lodge and wise and share the gospel with them. You might give them the tape as well. The Blue Lodge, which most Masons have gone through it, is the first three degrees. And then after you do the master degree, then you can choose to go on the Scottish Rite or the York Rite. The Scottish Rite has 29 degrees plus the three degrees so that you can achieve in the Scottish Rite the 32nd degree. And when you achieve the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite, then you can become a Shriner. So all Shriners are 32nd degree Masons. Now there is an honorary degree, the 33rd degree, which is given only to a select few, men like Norman Vincent Peale and Gerald Ford and others who are high up in it. There's also the York Rite, which is 13 degrees. And then you become a Knight Templar. They will have instruction in the degrees. Not all Masons will do all the degrees. They'll skip some of them. But as you go through the 32 degrees, each degree is represented by a story, by an allegory. A play will be lived out in the meeting describing what you are achieving in this degree. And you take certain O's, you learn certain passwords, certain symbols, and then you achieve that degree. And it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to reach the highest degree and become a Shriner. Yeah, it's copyrighted. Entered according to Act of Congress, year 1871, in the Office of the Library of Congress. There is also a place down in Chicago where you can buy a copy. It's the publishing house for the Masonic Lodge. And I wish I had the address with me. I'd give it to you. But if they have some in stock, you can get one from them. So the last person I told that to, when they called down there, they just told me a few months ago that they had called down there, and the publishing house told them that they are now only giving them to the Masonic Lodges for the 32nd degree Masons. You can no longer buy it from their secret publishing house. Evidently, they've heard about us and trying to stop the dissemination of this information. We need to be dismissed, and we'll end with this. The Rosicrucians is another secret organization, and much of Masonry is based upon Rosicrucianism, which is headquartered out in San Jose, California. It's based upon the ancient mysteries, upon Eastern philosophy, the occult, and Egyptian mysticism, and a mixture of all of that, climbing the ladder of morality to achieve your own divinity. It's an occult also. Tomorrow night, you're not going to want to miss tomorrow night, as we deal with Mormonism, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, why it is not the Church of Jesus Christ. And you're going to hear some new revelations, what has happened in the Mormon Church in the last few months. You may have read about the article in Time Magazine or the L.A. Times or some of the other articles in the New York Times that they've now discovered the Mormon Church was started by a lizard. Tomorrow night, we'll find out about that. We're also going to show a film entitled, The Temple of the Godmakers, a 28-minute film revealing the secret Mormon temple rituals in the New Chicago Temple. They opened up three weeks ago. What is going on inside the Mormon temple? You will discover that Joseph Smith was a 32nd degree Mason. When Joseph Smith started the Mormon temple, he took verbatim much of the Masonic rituals and put them verbatim, word for word, in the Mormon temple. That's why no Mormon is allowed to be a Mason, because they don't want them to find out where they got their rituals from.
Freemasonary and the Masonic Lodge
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Ron Carlson (1950–2011) was an American preacher, evangelist, and apologist whose ministry focused on equipping Christians to defend their faith against cults, world religions, and secular philosophies. Born in 1950 in Minnesota, he grew up in a Christian home and later graduated from Bethel College with a degree in Philosophy and from Bethel Theological Seminary with a Master’s in Theological Studies. Converted in his youth, Carlson founded Christian Ministries International (CMI) in 1975, dedicating his life to sharing the gospel and countering false teachings through apologetics. He married Marge in 1974, and they had two sons, Jason and Jared, who both followed him into ministry. Carlson’s preaching career took him to over 90 countries across six continents, where he lectured at churches, universities, and mission conferences, earning recognition as a leading authority on cults and biblical apologetics. Known for his clear, loving approach, he spoke on programs like The 700 Club and Coast to Coast, and authored books such as Fast Facts on False Teachings (co-written with Ed Decker), translated into seven languages. His ministry included two years as a missionary in the Philippines with his family, emphasizing practical evangelism. Carlson died unexpectedly in his sleep on June 16, 2011, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, leaving a legacy of bold faith and education, continued by his sons at CMI.