Secret Societies and Symbols

What exactly are religious cults? With such a large number of religious organizations and movements in the world today, it’s important to understand what we mean when we start labeling certain groups. The dictionary defines cult as “a system of religious worship or ritual”; “devoted attachment to, or extravagant admiration for, a person, principle, etc.” According to this definition, any believer in any god is a member of a cult. In the popular media, a cult is typically defined as a religious sect whose members are “controlled” by a manipulative organization or individual. This kind of cult is usually portrayed as deceptive, requiring absolute loyalty from its followers. Members are often removed from their prior lives altogether, including their jobs, homes and families. The Hare Krishnas, Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, and Moses David Berg’s Family of Love are some popular examples of this type of cult.

source : allaboutcults.org

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The Mason’s official position states that Freemasonry is not a religion. “Masons who treat it as such are mistaken. Freemasonry strongly encourages its members to belong to an established religion, although this is not a requirement for membership (only that a candidate profess a belief in a Supreme Being). Masonry is a fraternal organization that encourages morality and charity and studies philosophy. It has no clergy, no sacraments, and does not promise salvation to its members.” (Roger Firestone, Difficult Questions About Freemasonry, 2002)

A close assessment of the degrees of Freemasonry uncovers a basic theology that lies beneath everything in the Order. The degrees instruct that: There is a Supreme Being who created the universe, who has established and revealed a moral law, and to whom we must give account in a life after this. Masons argue that nothing in these five points, which are supported by all the materials, lectures and “working tools” of the degrees, conflicts with any of the major religions of the Western world. As such, all religions are welcome to participate in the Brotherhood, and thus, it should not be deemed a “religious” organization. “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 Mohammed, the name means little, for he recognizes only the light and not the bearer.”(Manly Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, 1976)

Many scholars call Freemasonry the “unifier” of all religions. “It is the universal, eternal, immutable religion, such as God planted it in the heart of universal humanity.”(Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, 1950) “Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion.” (Pike) “Masonry is all that remains to us of the first world religion” which flourished in ancient times. “It was the first unified world religion. Today we are working again towards a world universal religion.” (Foster Bailey, The Spirit of Masonry, 1979)

Documentation source: allaboutcults.org

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