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The Truth About Masons
Book by Morey, Robert
139 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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May 25, 2024
A SURPRISINGLY ‘SYMPATHETIC’ PERSPECTIVE BY A CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST
Robert Morey (1946-2019) was a Christian apologist and pastor who has written a number of books and pamphlets. [NOTE: This book was formerly titled ‘The Origin and Teachings of Freemasonry.’]
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1993 book. “The subject of Freemasonry is of interest to Masons and non-Masons alike…. So much misinformation had been given about the history and teachings of the Fraternity that no one seems to know what the truth is anymore… Are there any Masons left who just want the truth, plain and simple, without any wild or weird ideas? We believe that there are millions of honest Masons who are fed up with all the lies and falsehoods told and retold about the origins and teachings of Masonry… There are millions of Masons who ask themselves why can’t Masonry be a fraternal organization and that is all? Why do they have to be druid priests as some Masonic writers claim? Is it not time for someone to write an objective, hard-hitting book which tells it like it is?... This is the motivation which drove us to research hundreds of Masonic books … In order that all the members of the Fraternity may feel the force of the truth… only Masonic writers will be quoted in this book… This book is dedicated to all honest Masons who want to know the truth about the origins and teachings of Freemasonry. After all, the truth is never afraid of the searching light of historical research.”
He acknowledges, “Most anti-Masonic writers are far too gullible in believing the extravagant claims of overzealous, misinformed, or devious Masonic writers who have not done Freemasonry a favor by making outlandish statements which provided much fodder for the guns of the anti-Masons… In one sense, the anti-Masons are victims of those Masonic writers who state that there is a ‘secret teaching’ in Freemasonry which is revealed only to a chosen few in the order. It does not occur to the anti-Mason that if this were true, why are these writers revealing such ‘secrets’ in their books? And why do all such writers contradict each other?... when you have hundreds of Masonic writers who claim that their personal views of Freemasonry are the hidden ‘secret teachings’ of the Craft, either one of them is telling the truth and the rest are liars or they are all liars.” (Pg. 21-22)
He observes, “Since most Masons in the United States are members of Christian churches and many clergymen belong to the Fraternity, the idea that they are all involved in some kind of devil cult is absurd. Can anyone seriously believe that such thirty-third degree Masons as Senator Jesse Helms, the Christian champion of conservative politics, is a worshiper of Lucifer?” (Pg. 23)
He says, “while it would be erroneous to say that present-day Masonry came from Rosicrucianism as a single origin, it would be perfectly proper to say that Rosicrucianism had a clear influence on French Masonry and its symbols and teachings can still be found in some of the higher degrees. The same can be said of Swedenborgianism.” (Pg. 26)
He states, “Since the 1920s, Freemasonry has developed along two different tracks. For the vast majority, the Craft is a fraternity and not a religion. In particular, it is not some kind of pagan religion which would contradict Christian convictions… The persistence of the Christian interpretation explains why millions of sincere Christians presently belong to the Craft and do not see any conflict between it and their Christian convictions… They represent the ‘silent’ majority of Freemasonry.” (Pg. 31-32) He adds, “for nearly two centuries, the Craft was viewed as a Christian institution completely compatible with biblical religion. The idea that Freemasonry came from pagan origins never crossed its early members’ minds.” (Pg. 34)
He suggests, “What we call ‘Freemasonry’ today should actually … be distinguished from ‘Operative Masonry.’ Operative Masonry refers to those men who were actually engaged in the craft of stone masonry. They built stone houses, churches, bridges, government buildings, etc. As with any other trade during the Middle Ages, there was a guild of stone masons who traveled from one building site to another… they did not meet in Lodges. Furthermore, they did not have any of the degrees, symbols, rituals, or secrets which are found in modern Speculative Masonry.” (Pg. 73)
He argues, “The truth is that Freemasonry began as a gentleman’s club where all agreed not to debate such issues as religion or politics as this would generate strife. Today, Freemasonry is fast becoming a pagan occultic religion complete with its own temples, sacraments, and doctrines. Far too many modern Masonic writers are anti-Christian bigots who try to brainwash their fellow Masons into accepting their occult teachings as the ‘true’ meaning of Masonry.” (Pg. 84)
He points out, “Some writers have jumped to the conclusion that because Franklin, Washington, Paul Revere, and many other notable leaders of the American Revolution were Masons, the Revolution was therefore a Masonic conspiracy which came from the radical teaching of the Jabobites in the French Lodge. While it is true that Franklin was made Grand master in the French Lodge while in Paris, there is no evidence that Franklin’s religious or political views changed after being in France. His deism and revolutionary views were no doubt applauded by French Masons. But he had these views before he went to France.” (Pg. 96)
He notes, “The bitterest foe of Freemasonry has always been the Roman Catholic Church. The first time it spoke out against masonry was in France in 1738… the occultic anticleric revolutionaries who ran the French and Italian Lodges attacked the Catholic Church with great bitterness. It is not surprising that they answered in kind. According to ‘The New Catholic Encyclopedia,’ the ban forbidding Catholics to join the Lodge still stands. The reason that thousands of Catholics can get away with being members of the Fraternity in the United States is that American priests look the other way…” (Pg. 108-109)
He concludes, “There is no just reason … why modern Freemasonry cannot remove those elements in its symbols and rituals which are blatantly anti-Christian, pagan, and occultic which are offensive to Christians. If Freemasonry is to be saved, a grand conference should be called in which leading anti-Masons and Masonic leaders will sit down and calmly talk about the issues and try to resolve things in such a way that everyone is satisfied. But what if the present leadership of the Fraternity is not interested in resolving the issues…? The leadership should be changed… or Christians must leave it.” (Pg. 127)
Morey’s book will be of considerable interest to Christians who are Masons, or who at least are not firmly ‘anti-Masonic.’
Robert Morey (1946-2019) was a Christian apologist and pastor who has written a number of books and pamphlets. [NOTE: This book was formerly titled ‘The Origin and Teachings of Freemasonry.’]
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1993 book. “The subject of Freemasonry is of interest to Masons and non-Masons alike…. So much misinformation had been given about the history and teachings of the Fraternity that no one seems to know what the truth is anymore… Are there any Masons left who just want the truth, plain and simple, without any wild or weird ideas? We believe that there are millions of honest Masons who are fed up with all the lies and falsehoods told and retold about the origins and teachings of Masonry… There are millions of Masons who ask themselves why can’t Masonry be a fraternal organization and that is all? Why do they have to be druid priests as some Masonic writers claim? Is it not time for someone to write an objective, hard-hitting book which tells it like it is?... This is the motivation which drove us to research hundreds of Masonic books … In order that all the members of the Fraternity may feel the force of the truth… only Masonic writers will be quoted in this book… This book is dedicated to all honest Masons who want to know the truth about the origins and teachings of Freemasonry. After all, the truth is never afraid of the searching light of historical research.”
He acknowledges, “Most anti-Masonic writers are far too gullible in believing the extravagant claims of overzealous, misinformed, or devious Masonic writers who have not done Freemasonry a favor by making outlandish statements which provided much fodder for the guns of the anti-Masons… In one sense, the anti-Masons are victims of those Masonic writers who state that there is a ‘secret teaching’ in Freemasonry which is revealed only to a chosen few in the order. It does not occur to the anti-Mason that if this were true, why are these writers revealing such ‘secrets’ in their books? And why do all such writers contradict each other?... when you have hundreds of Masonic writers who claim that their personal views of Freemasonry are the hidden ‘secret teachings’ of the Craft, either one of them is telling the truth and the rest are liars or they are all liars.” (Pg. 21-22)
He observes, “Since most Masons in the United States are members of Christian churches and many clergymen belong to the Fraternity, the idea that they are all involved in some kind of devil cult is absurd. Can anyone seriously believe that such thirty-third degree Masons as Senator Jesse Helms, the Christian champion of conservative politics, is a worshiper of Lucifer?” (Pg. 23)
He says, “while it would be erroneous to say that present-day Masonry came from Rosicrucianism as a single origin, it would be perfectly proper to say that Rosicrucianism had a clear influence on French Masonry and its symbols and teachings can still be found in some of the higher degrees. The same can be said of Swedenborgianism.” (Pg. 26)
He states, “Since the 1920s, Freemasonry has developed along two different tracks. For the vast majority, the Craft is a fraternity and not a religion. In particular, it is not some kind of pagan religion which would contradict Christian convictions… The persistence of the Christian interpretation explains why millions of sincere Christians presently belong to the Craft and do not see any conflict between it and their Christian convictions… They represent the ‘silent’ majority of Freemasonry.” (Pg. 31-32) He adds, “for nearly two centuries, the Craft was viewed as a Christian institution completely compatible with biblical religion. The idea that Freemasonry came from pagan origins never crossed its early members’ minds.” (Pg. 34)
He suggests, “What we call ‘Freemasonry’ today should actually … be distinguished from ‘Operative Masonry.’ Operative Masonry refers to those men who were actually engaged in the craft of stone masonry. They built stone houses, churches, bridges, government buildings, etc. As with any other trade during the Middle Ages, there was a guild of stone masons who traveled from one building site to another… they did not meet in Lodges. Furthermore, they did not have any of the degrees, symbols, rituals, or secrets which are found in modern Speculative Masonry.” (Pg. 73)
He argues, “The truth is that Freemasonry began as a gentleman’s club where all agreed not to debate such issues as religion or politics as this would generate strife. Today, Freemasonry is fast becoming a pagan occultic religion complete with its own temples, sacraments, and doctrines. Far too many modern Masonic writers are anti-Christian bigots who try to brainwash their fellow Masons into accepting their occult teachings as the ‘true’ meaning of Masonry.” (Pg. 84)
He points out, “Some writers have jumped to the conclusion that because Franklin, Washington, Paul Revere, and many other notable leaders of the American Revolution were Masons, the Revolution was therefore a Masonic conspiracy which came from the radical teaching of the Jabobites in the French Lodge. While it is true that Franklin was made Grand master in the French Lodge while in Paris, there is no evidence that Franklin’s religious or political views changed after being in France. His deism and revolutionary views were no doubt applauded by French Masons. But he had these views before he went to France.” (Pg. 96)
He notes, “The bitterest foe of Freemasonry has always been the Roman Catholic Church. The first time it spoke out against masonry was in France in 1738… the occultic anticleric revolutionaries who ran the French and Italian Lodges attacked the Catholic Church with great bitterness. It is not surprising that they answered in kind. According to ‘The New Catholic Encyclopedia,’ the ban forbidding Catholics to join the Lodge still stands. The reason that thousands of Catholics can get away with being members of the Fraternity in the United States is that American priests look the other way…” (Pg. 108-109)
He concludes, “There is no just reason … why modern Freemasonry cannot remove those elements in its symbols and rituals which are blatantly anti-Christian, pagan, and occultic which are offensive to Christians. If Freemasonry is to be saved, a grand conference should be called in which leading anti-Masons and Masonic leaders will sit down and calmly talk about the issues and try to resolve things in such a way that everyone is satisfied. But what if the present leadership of the Fraternity is not interested in resolving the issues…? The leadership should be changed… or Christians must leave it.” (Pg. 127)
Morey’s book will be of considerable interest to Christians who are Masons, or who at least are not firmly ‘anti-Masonic.’
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