Please take time to listen to the entire hour and a half presentation: Ron Carlson: Freemasonry & Masonic Lodge. Please reserve comments till you’ve listened to it in full. (I don’t endorse all the other material at the site which offers an online copy of the presentation, but Dr. Carlson’s presentation alone.)

I listened to the presentation, started cross checking claimed quotes and even looked into Masonic efforts to attack Dr. Carlson’s presentation. For the quotes I verified I’ve linked them below. At one point I was using a copy of Masonic materials on their The Supreme Council, 33?, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA of Freemasonry web site. Later I found a copy of one of the books in Google Books (Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, By Albert Pike, which is Carlson’s main reference about Freemasonry), which was easier to follow along with. So my link sources vary. Dr. Carlson mentions in his presentation the materials were once hard to acquire, but they are obviously more readily available today. Masons claim their books were always easy to access, but I have doubts.

Below I show the results of my own checking of statements Dr. Carlson attributes to being in Masonic materials. I reviewed the material personally, to see whether the quotes cited were being used as Dr. Carlson claims they apply in his presentation.

First quote, about Masons in the Blue degrees imagining they know things and being INTENTIONALLY MISLED!

2nd quote, about how rites of initiation became progressively more complicated. So just a favored few would know the “more valuable secrets” and “wield effectually the influence and power of the Order”

3rd quote, about all Mysteries being kept concealed.
The Mason page attacking Dr. Carlson is correct to say Pike was quoting a statement made by Roman Catholic St. Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan. But Carlson’s citation of that quote is in proper context. Because Pike is clearly trying to establish that there should be secrets in Freemasonry and trying to use quotes from others to establish that. The Freemasons don’t recognize that we Christians don’t hold any regard for the words of a Roman Catholic, so those words really did not originally come from someone we Christian respect, Ambrose is respected by Roman Catholics. It is an abuse of scripture to claim Matthew 7:6 asserts that secrets must be kept regarding things of truth. When Matthew 7 is read in full context one sees that verse is regarding trying to help someone that is out of order. Not intentionally keeping secrets from someone who is being shown truth. In this the Freemason’s efforts to attack Dr. Carlson only show they are deluded and on cult foundation. Given the proven desire to mislead, this makes any defense from Freemasonry suspect.

The Masonic defense includes their mention of (regarding Ron Carlson):

(3) He ignores that Pike wrote in his preface that “every one is entirely free to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may seem to be untrue or unsound.”

That statement from Pike is like saying you can join the church of Satan, but you can just ignore what you don’t like. Once someone knows the full details of Freemasonry, the only option is to reject the organization and its tenants in full. Christians are not to be bound with unbelievers, 2 Corinthians 6:14.

4th quote, about maintaining a veil of secrecy. In that particular quote Pike was speaking about the Hierophants use of secrecy and speaks of various other groups, to legitimize the secrecy he was promoting in Freemasonry.

5th quote, about every Masonic lodge being a temple of religion. What is interesting is that Carlson is spot on in his citation and it is clear the Masons are promoting a religion. But in other statements Pike tries to deny it and the Masons try and defend that they are not promoting a religion, by saying Pike was actually speaking of Universalism. So really they are promoting the heresy of Universalism and their own defenders admit as much. See a Freemason defense that proves it below.

There a Freemason attempting to defend the cult for charges of it being a cult actually supports the facts that Freemasonry really is a cult. A cult of Universalism. They feel they are OK, because they require their members to believe in “God”, but who is this God? We see clearly, it is Baal. The belief that everybody’s belief in a “God” is somehow equal. Never ever noting that without Jesus Christ one does not have the Father, which leaves Freemasonry’s talk of “religion” as being totally antichrist, 1 John 2:22-23.

6th quote, about Masonry claiming to be the custodian and depository of the great philosophical and religious truths, unknown to the world at large.

7th quote, that Masonry is a worship and the universal religion. Again the admission that Freemasonry promotes the heresy of Universalism. Seeking salvation by works, which are their “sacrifices”. The cult fails to promote that salvation is by grace, through faith on the Lord Jesus, which involves a broken spirit and contrite heart, this is what pleases God, not works apart from Christ, which alone are as filthy rags, Ephesians 2:4-10, Psalm 51:17 and Isaiah 64:6.

8th quote, the Masonic claim that all religions have a basis of truth and that in all there is pure morality.

9th quote, about how Freemasonry brings together people of all various faiths, to unite in prayer to the same god.

10th quote, about how kings that worship different deities can unite as brethren in Freemasonry.

11th quote, about how Masonry reverences “all the great reformers” , including Confucius, Zoraster, Arabian Iconcolast, Moses and Jesus too. This is nothing but Universalism. This is the cult of Baal that claims it is not!

12 quote, about the first Masonic Legislator being Buddha.

13th quote, that all Masons must believe in one God and be tolerant of all religions.

14th quote, that Masons feel if there was no written revelation (like the Bible) that he could do good of his own instinct. Basically that man can find God of his own self effort in his own heart, contradicting Jeremiah 17:9 and Matthew 15:19.

15th quote, about a belief in natural human (nature) religion.

16th quote, claiming ancient nations had private worship with secrets only told to those passing through an initiation process. An effort to justify the secrecy in Freemasonry.

17th quote, claims Masonry to be the successor of the ancient mysteries. Dr. Carlson also mentions another statement from another page, about powers being nature gods.

At this point, I was 32 minutes or so into Dr. Carlson’s presentation. (And had already spent many days going just 32 minutes, checking and cross checking and reviewing counter arguments by Masons.) I could continue cross checking and verifying Carlson’s quotes from Masonic cult material, but I feel the point is obvious. Dr. Carlson’s presentation is rather sound. If any true errors are in the presentation, they don’t dismiss that Free Masonry is a total and absolute cult. Masonic efforts to attack Carlson only prove to me Carlson is correct and they are spin doctors, based on researching their claims versus what is in their own materials. So after about the 32 minute mark I didn’t do as much deep investigative work and mostly listened, because I find Dr. Ron Carlson’s findings to be rather solid. Masons also take issue with Carlson noting a quote of Albert Pike saying “Lucifer is God”, but their claims of Leo Taxil calling the quotation a hoax of his own making came decades after the quote was documented and could very well be a Masonic cover-job. We have no way to confirm with certainty that Leo Taxil documented the quote. Even without that quote, the rest of the evidence direct from Masonic materials proves the teachings of Free Masonry are the doctrines of men and in service of the devil. All Christians should have no association at all with Freemasonry.

(Efforts to promote the cult of Hiram Abif are not allowed in comments here, 2 John 1:10-11)

Related post: Freemasonry is NOT Christianity. It?s a Pagan Cult! The Cult of Hiram Abif.