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To: MeanWestTexan

Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite and York Rite.

Wikipedia says that:

"Classical Deism (i.e. Deism as it was generally expounded in the 17th and 18th centuries) was defined by:

* the rejection of revealed religion — In general, this included the rejection of all religions based on books that claim to contain the revealed word of God. Specifically, this meant a rejection of Christianity, and in particular a rejection of the claim that the Bible is the revealed word of God.
* belief that rational consideration of features of the natural world leads us to some basic religious truths — The small set of basic deistic religious truths generally included:
o God exists and created the universe.
o God wants human beings to behave morally.
o Human beings have souls that survive death, i.e. there is an afterlife.
o In the afterlife, God will reward moral behavior and punish immoral behavior.

For a rational basis for belief in the existence of God, Deists appealed to the cosmological argument (first cause argument), the teleological argument (argument from design), and other aspects of what was called natural religion. Deists were some of the first freethinkers as they were among many during the Enlightenment they utilized reason and applied it to the theological.

The modern revival of deism is a broad umbrella since it is a category of belief and it covers a wide variety of individual beliefs. Most modern deists agree in the rejection of revelation/miracles/holy books and in the acceptance of a higher power but there is a wide variety of opinions on other issues."

The lodges I attended always had a Bible (rather than other religious text) opened during the ceremony, the prayers are to the Architect of the Universe.

But the the Muslim Mason is to worship and serve Allah; the Hindu Mason to worship and serve Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; the Buddhist Mason to worship Buddha and various Buddhist deities; the Mormon Mason to worship Mormonism's own gods; and the pagan Mason to worship any variety of additional gods.

Funny, I never looked at it that way before. The Supreme Architect of the Universe is whatever god you want. That's pretty anti Christian right there.


100 posted on 09/11/2006 9:16:07 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (When you believe in nothing, then everything is acceptable.)
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To: MarkBsnr
the prayers are to the Architect of the Universe.

Not in my lodge it wasn't, all prayers were directed to God. The one and only true God.

102 posted on 09/11/2006 9:19:42 AM PDT by AxelPaulsenJr (Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.)
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To: MarkBsnr

"Wikipedia says that . . "

OK, stop right there. LOL.

Whatever the loonies tell you, the Masonic FRATERNITY -- and that's all it is, a fraternity --- is based on Judeo-Christian ethics, morals, and history.

Period.

Blue Lodge Masons pray, in the "name of the Lion of the Tribe of Judea" to the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob to open the lodge.

York Rite Masons pray to same God in the name of Jesus, the Christ.

Every blue lodge is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evanglist.

(No idea about the Scottish Rite.)

And Deist DON't PRAY. (Just trivia, Thomas Jefferson was likely a deist, and that's why he was never a mason.)


108 posted on 09/11/2006 9:31:30 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Kol Hakavod Lezahal)
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To: MarkBsnr
The basic premise is that throughout the predominant religions of the world, there are common themes and believes. Once those are recognized as shared values, men can work together under them to the betterment of mankind.

As others have said here, there are good men in all faiths. Freemasonry provides a means for those who choose to to come together and work for the betterment of mankind.

Some may consider that to be anti-christian, but I will never understand why.
116 posted on 09/11/2006 10:23:12 AM PDT by Brad C.
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