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 A careful look at Freemasonry's Secrets and hidden false practices exposes the counterfeit nature of the Order. Freemasonry's secrecy and secrets are numerous and overwhelming. Such secrecy runs against the Lord's plan for His Church, which was designed to be a just, open and outward-reaching body. Jesus said in Mark 16:15: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Freemasonry's secrets and Lodge secrecy are alien to biblical pattern. Our Lord's own earthly ministry was an impeccable example for all that would truly follow Him. Jesus said, "I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing" (John 18:20). Both our Lord's life and His open teaching exposes the anti-scriptural Lodge secrecy of Freemasonry. Jesus said, "For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad" (Mark 4:22). The Church of Jesus Christ was never designed to be a secret select band of elitists who, having obtained the light of the Gospel, selfishly hid it behind closed doors. They are a band of men and women, saved by the grace of God, who let their light so shine before men. Jesus said, "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light" (Luke 11:33). The Lord clearly commands His people, the Church, to be open and outward-reaching in their ministry. This Divine teaching is in complete contrast to that of Freemasonry which significantly commands its people to "conceal and never reveal its teaching and practices to anyone" save their own. Freemasonry's secrets, which are supposed to be just and biblical, are NOT to be shared with outsiders. Most secret societies seem uncomfortable with the label 'secret society'; they seem to fall over themselves to disprove they warrant such a description. Freemasonry's Grand Lodge of Ireland in a recent publication called 'The Christian and the Craft', written by prominent Freemason Rev. Warren Porter, states: "It is, of course, the most glaring of misnomers to call Freemasonry a Secret Society. Like almost every other Society, it has its own private concerns, secrets if one wishes to use the word. But that is something altogether different from being a 'Secret Society'. Masonic meeting places are well known. The time of assembly can be easily verified. The leading officers are known, and often highly public figures." He then compares the secrecy practised by Freemasonry, to the just confidentiality practised by Church sessions "when the nature of business requires that matters be dealt with in that way." No one analysing the sinful secrecy, and erroneous secrets, employed by Freemasonry and other similar secret societies could compare it to the legitimate confidentiality, which is sometimes used within the Church, a business, or government to protect sensitive lawful decisions. Such an erroneous argument highlights the hypocrisy of these secret bodies. Why, if Freemasonry and other secret fraternities are so biblical, do they need to hide their teaching and practices behind a thick wall of secrecy, mystery and deception? The truth is, such secrecy is essential to the very existence of these secret societies as it protects their spurious practices and false doctrines. It conceals such from outside examination and therefore minimises any condemnation or embarrassment. Internally, secrecy maintains a sense of exclusiveness among its members, which makes them feel part of an elite group of individuals. John Robison in a book 'Proofs of a Conspiracy' explains the importance of secrecy to secret societies. In it he quotes a letter written by the founder of the Illuminati, and former Jesuit Priest, Adam Weishaupt: "Secrecy gives greater zest to the whole… the slightest observation shows that nothing will so much contribute to increase the zeal of the members as secret union." William T. Still in his evangelical book 'New World Order: - The Ancient Plan of Secret Societies' (p. 45) explains that there are two main reasons why secret orders, down through the years, have employed secrecy. "First was to prevent condemnation and persecution in the event the rites they practised were made public. A second purpose for secret societies was to create a mechanism for the perpetuation, from generation to generation, of policies, principles, or systems of learning, confined to a limited group of selected and initiated persons." Secrecy is the very lifeblood of the occult world; in fact the actual word occult means 'hidden' or 'secret'. The word is derived from the Latin word 'occultus' meaning secret, and 'occulere' meaning to conceal or to hide. It is always the aim of occultism to conceal and to hide their practices from 'the profane' and from public scrutiny. Dedicated occultists state that the occult is primarily concerned with providing mystical enlightenment and illumination. This is only achieved by secret knowledge gained through ritual initiation. Secrecy has always been at the core of Satan's ancient mysteries. The Rev. Alexander Hislop in his book 'The Two Babylons' states: "If idolatry was to continue - if, above all, it was to take a step in advance, it was indispensable that it should operate in secret… In these circumstances, then, began, there can hardly be a doubt, that system of 'Mystery' which, having Babylon for its centre, has spread over the world. In these Mysteries, under the seal of secrecy and the sanction of an oath, and by means of all the fertile resources of magic, men were gradually led back to all the idolatry that had been publicly suppressed." The importance of protecting secrecy within the occult world is explained by occultist Andre Nataf in his book 'The Occult' (p. 81). He states: "Unveiling the secret and putting it in the public domain drains 'force and vigour' from the hermetic ceremony in progress and from the initiating group the person belongs to." Nataf continues: "Esoteric knowledge must be kept secret. The adept passing on his knowledge to a disciple or the secret society carrying out an initiation ceremony both demand, under pain of retribution, - and they often seal the promise with the swearing of a solemn oath - that nothing of what is learnt will be revealed to the profane." We can clearly see that, where the enemy is at work, secrecy and bondage is to the fore, whereas, as the Scriptures declare, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17). Such unscriptural secrecy only effectively exists when coupled with the vulgar imposition of fear and bondage. From the very commencement of the initiation into the Entered Apprentice degree, the candidate enters into a mystical world of Freemasonry secrecy, Lodge secrets and spiritual bondage. The Order extricates an unjust secret oath of binding loyalty from the ignorant candidate before he is even initiated, to never reveal and ever conceal the teachings of the Order. During the ceremony they even place the candidate on or in a representation of a coffin to show that he would rather suffer death and all its penalties before he would divulge anything he had received, or was about to receive. Later in his travels, the candidate learns the consequence of divulging the practices, teaching and secrets of Freemasonry to others - that of having his throat cut across from ear to ear, his tongue torn out by its roots and his left breast torn open, his heart and vitals taken therefrom, etc. etc. The awful profanity of such penalties reveals the horrible depths to which Freemasonry will sink to secure its superstitious secrets and mysteries. Such wickedness is unquestionably exercised to govern the spirit and moral conscience of all those that enter its doors. The afore-mentioned curses reveal the sinister nature of Freemasonry and destroy any credence they have for projecting themselves as a biblical organisation. Ironically, the threats of mutilation contained in the penalties are addressed to any member within the Order who would simply share the teaching and practices of the body with others. Whilst, Freemasonry justifies its Lodge secrets, those men who are responsible for administering these wicked secret curses, whether wantonly or not, are clearly active on the devil's business. Jesus said, "The thief [Satan] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). No true Christian has any right to bind himself to such sin. The Bible says: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1). Christians who subject themselves to the evil influence of these secret bodies serve only to undermine the precious redeeming work that Christ has accomplished for them at that place called Calvary. Jesus said: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Those who do claim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ must separate from this sin. And in doing so, renounce any vestige of fear or anxiety which would result from such an action. After all, the Lord said in Matthew 10:26-27, "Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops." In the light of the Word of God, Freemasonry's secrets are against God.
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