A Calmer Look at Freemasonry
S. Brent Morris, Ph.D.

As a Christian and Mason I read with interest and then increasing
sadness Ron Campbell's article, "Unearthing the Mysteries of
Freemasonry," Charisma, Nov. 1997. I do not expect my fellow
Christians to agree with me in all aspects of living a Christian
life--we humans are like that, but I did expect more attention to
accuracy than I found in Mr. Campbell's article. 

Christians disagree and have disagreed on many issues of theology-the
exact nature and number of the sacraments, marriage and divorce,
premillennialism and postmillennialism, to name just a few. I do not
have any desire to challenge Mr. Campbell's theology, but many of his
innuendoes and factual statements demand clarification and correction.

Mr. Campbell does not give a single reference in his article, so it is
impossible for readers to check his statements. It appears that he has
based his impression of the Masonic fraternity on the writings of
eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Masonic historians whose enthusiasm
for Freemasonry was greater than their understanding of history. This
would be much like getting an impression of modern Christianity from
the nineteenth century writings of pro-slavery preachers.

Albert Mackey (1807-1881) and Albert Pike (1809 1891) are quoted by
Mr. Campbell as if their interpretations of Masonic symbols are
somehow dogmatic for Masons. The two Alberts were brilliant men, and
at one time their scholarship was among the best. It was eclipsed,
however, by the birth of the "authentic school" of Masonic history.
While the writings of Mackey and Pike are interesting, sometimes
insightful, and often stimulating, they have no more influence over
the thinking of today's Masons than nineteenth-century pro-slavery
arguments have over today's Christians. In his most widely distributed
book, Morals and Dogma, Albert Pike said, "Every one is entirely free
to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may seem to him to be
untrue or unsound."1

Charles Finney, the great nineteenth-century preacher, opposed
Freemasonry. Rev. Finney was also a postmillennialist, opposing the
doctrines of premillennialism.2 Must Christians abandon their
God-given abilities to reason and fall into lock step with his
teachings? Must premillennialists abandon their beliefs because Rev.
Finney didn't accept that doctrine? While I admire Rev. Finney's zeal
in spreading the gospel, I most respectfully disagree with his
conclusions about Freemasonry. I am joined in disagreeing with Rev.
Finney by many Christian Masons today. Rev. Dr. Forrest D. Haggard,
33°, Interim General Secretary of the World Office of the Churches of
Christ; Senator Jesse Helms, 33° ; Bishop Carl J. Sanders, 33°, United
Methodist Church, Senator Trent Lott, 33°. 

But the question of Freemasonry should not become one of competing
experts ("I'll see your two pastors and raise you one bishop.") Rather
it is a matter of personal conscience. Freemasonry is a fraternity
that expects its members to enter with a mature understanding of their
faith. The fraternity (like Scouting) encourages its members to
participate faithfully in their religion. 

"Freemasonry lacks the basic elements of religion: (a) It has no dogma
or theology, no wish or means to enforce religious orthodoxy; (b) It
offers no sacraments; (c) It does not claim to lead to salvation by
works, by secret knowledge, or by any other means. The secrets of
Freemasonry are concerned with modes of recognition, not with the
means of salvation. Ö Freemasonry is far from indifferent toward
religion. Without interfering in religious practice, it expects each
member to follow his own faith and to place his Duty to God above all
other duties."3

Freemasonry does offer its members the opportunity to work together in
the community and to be of service to their fellow citizens. In 1995,
American Freemasons gave $750 million dollars to charity-- over $2
million a day.4
 
Mr. Campbell's article opens with a sense of foreboding and gloom as
we read a description of the headquarters of the Scottish Rite Supreme
Council for the Southern Jurisdiction of the U.S. I'm not sure what
Mr. Campbell's point is. The building is patterned after the mausoleum
in Helicarnassus, which was one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the
World, and hence much of its decoration is appropriate to that
architectural theme. If Mr. Campbell had visited the headquarters of
the Scottish Rite's Northern Masonic Jurisdiction he would have found
an American colonial building. And if he had journeyed across the
Potomac to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in
Alexandria, he would have found differing architectural treatments on
each floor. Just beneath the observation platform of the Memorial is a
small Christian Chapel with a gothic design, decorated with stained
glass windows depicting the Sermon on the Mount, Christ healing the
blind, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. The design of the
Supreme Council's building in Washington is no more sinister than the
Colonial simplicity of St. John's Church on Lafayette square, the
Byzantine charm of Sts. Helen and Constantine Church on 16th St., or
the gothic magnificence of the Washington National Cathedral. 

"Unearthing the Mysteries" declares the pyramid and obelisk to be
Masonic emblems, but that is not so, at least not in York and Scottish
Rite Masonry as practiced in the United States. The emblems may be
used occasionally as a decorative motif, but not as a sign of anything
else. Early attempts to determine the origins of the fraternity looked
to Egypt and the Middle East. This theory was popular for a while.
Even Thomas Paine, the revolutionary pamphleteer, promoted this plus
the idea that Celtic Druids also originated in Egypt.5 Modern scholars
do not agree on the origins of the fraternity, but they are universal
is relegating the Egyptian theory to well-deserved obscurity.6

"So far as anyone knows, Egypt neither had nor has any connection with
or influence on Freemasonry, except whatever influence flowed from the
imaginative writings of Masonic Egyptologists and a few charlatans
such as Cagliostro with his Egyptian RiteÖ."7

Many Masons, more enthusiastic than discerning, willingly accept
exotic theories of their fraternity's origins. Many more anti-Masons
eagerly grasp at these eighteenth- and nineteenth century theories as
some sort of evidence of occult or pagan origins. However, the most
widely (though not universally) accepted theory is that the fraternity
evolved from medieval cathedral-building gilds--early trade unions.8 

The uncompleted pyramid on the obverse of the Great Seal originated
with the 1778 design of a $50 colonial note by Francis Hopkinson (not
a Mason), not as some mystic mark of approval by the Masons. "The
misinterpretation of the seal as a Masonic emblem may have been first
introduced a century later in 1884. Harvard Professor Eliot Norton
wrote that the reverse was 'practically incapable of effective
treatment; it can hardly, (however artistically treated by the
designer), look otherwise than as a dull emblem of a Masonic
fraternity.'''9

Pierre L'Efant is not known to have been a Mason.10 If he was one,
then Mr. Campbell should be able to give us the name of his lodge, or
of a lodge whose register he signed. Perhaps Mr. Campbell can point us
to a letter of someone who attended lodge with Mr. L'Efant or of some
other documentation of Mr. L'Enfant's participation in the fraternity.
L'Enfant's city design has withstood the centuries well. The broad
boulevards and tree lined public spaces are beautiful. However, the
Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Memorials were not on L'Enfant's
original design. In fact, the land on which the Lincoln and Jefferson
Memorials sit was recovered from swamp after L'Enfant's death.  

Freemasons did lay the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol in 1793,but not
with any dedication "to a pagan god." A transcript of the ceremony and
following oration was preserved in the September 25, 1793, issue of
The Columbia Mirror and Alexandria Gazette. Anyone can read it and
decide for themselves.11

Mr. Campbell confuses the degree structure of Freemasonry. The most
important degree--in fact the all-powerful and governing degree--is
the Third Degree, that of Master Mason. The Thirty--third Degree of
the Scottish Rite is not the "highest level," except of the Scottish
Rite. After becoming a Master Mason, a member may join many other
"appendant" or "concordant" bodies: the Royal Arch Masons (conferring
four degrees), the Royal and Select Masters (conferring three
degrees), the Knights Templar (conferring three degrees); the Scottish
Rite (conferring thirty degrees), the Order of the Red Cross of
Constantine (conferring three degrees); the Allied Masonic Degrees
(conferring ten degrees); and many, many more.

The legend of Hiram Abif does not involve the resurrection of a
"hero-god." Hiram Abif is indeed viewed as a hero faithful to his
promises even unto death, but he is no god. According to the old guild
legend, his body was taken from a hasty grave and reburied in a more
suitable location. Reburial is a far cry from resurrection.12

The square and compasses do not represent "ancient pagan solar
deities", their explanation has been simple and straight forward for
centuries. The square reminds us to square "our actions by the square
of virtue," while the compasses teach us "to circumscribe [our]
desires and keep [our] passions within due bounds.13 Some Masons may
think that solar deity symbolism is appropriate, but it is not the
symbolism used by any American Masonic Grand Lodge.

Albert Pike did teach that the Holy Bible, square, and compasses are
the three great lights in Masonry. He was simply repeating Masonic
symbolism propounded by the London Grand Lodge of Ancients about 1760.

There is no "Masonic god" known as "The Great Architect of the
Universe"; it is simply a way of referring to the Creator. This phrase
was first used by John Calvin, the Protestant reformer whose teachings
form the core of Presbyterianism, "Calvin repeatedly calls God 'the
Architect of the Universe,' and refers to his works in nature as
'Architecture of the Universe' ten times in the Institutes of the
Christian Religion alone."14 James Anderson, a Presbyterian minister,
edited the Grand Lodge constitutions in 1723 and incorporated this
phrase. It has been used ever since to celebrate the creative and
constructive powers of God. Following the logic of Mr. Campbell, Boy
Scouts are guilty of worshiping the "scouting god" when they offer
their prayers in the name of "The Great Scoutmaster."

Many Masons are indeed buried east to west--about as many at are
buried north to south. This is a new charge to me, apparently original
with Mr. Campbell. If, however, Masons really must be buried east to
west then this information should be well known to funeral directors
and can be easily verified by a visit to any cemetery.

No "symbol of the sun always appears" over the Master's seat in the
symbolic east of the lodge. There is a letter "G" which stands for
"geometry"--central to the guild of cathedral builders--and
"God"--central to the life of all members of the Masonic fraternity.

It is clear that Mr. Campbell and I do not agree on the question of
Freemasonry, and I suspect there are issues of theology on which we
also disagree. However, if we must disagree, let us base our
differences on substantiated facts that readers can confirm. The
readers of Charisma deserve nothing less than accurate, up-to-date
references they can confirm for themselves. I do believe clearly,
however, that Mr. Campbell and I are in complete agreement on the
saving grace offered humankind by Jesus' vicarious atonement.