| |
Freemasons are Most Religious
and
Very Reverent to Demons
“So Paul, standing in the center of Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most religious or very reverent to demons. For as I passed along and carefully observed your objects of worship, I came also upon an altar with this inscription, To the unknown god. Now what you are already worshipping as unknown, this I set forth to you.” (Acts 17:22-23, Amplified Bible, emphasis added)
Like, the Athenians, Freemasons are “most religious and very reverent to demons”. Anyone familiar with Freemasonry understands that Freemasons cover all bases when it comes to religion. Freemasons are not concerned with the religion or the religious creed of their members - the only requirement is that their members are religious, that is, they believe in a god or gods. Those beliefs do not exclude pagan deities or their objects of worship. In fact, the various degrees of Freemasonry involve rituals revolving around both mythology and their objects of worship.
Albert Pike, considered by many to be the father of American Freemasonry, wrote in his book, Morals and Dogma, that all religions are acceptable to Freemasons:
“The Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses, are not only styled the Great Lights in Masonry, but they are also technically called the Furniture of the Lodge; and, as you have seen, it is held that there is no Lodge without them. This has sometimes been made a pretext for excluding Jews from our Lodges, because they cannot regard the New Testament as a holy book. The Bible is an indispensable part of the furniture of a Christian Lodge, only because it is the sacred book of the Christian religion. The Hebrew Pentateuch in a Hebrew Lodge, and the Koran in a Mohammedan one, belong on the Altar; and one of these, and the Square and Compass, properly understood, are the Great Lights by which a Mason must walk and work.”
“The obligation of the candidate is always to be taken on the sacred book or books of his religion, that he may deem it more solemn and binding; and therefore it was that you were asked of what religion you were. We have no other concern with your religious creed.” (emphasis added) [1]
Interestingly, according to Freemasonry, the Square and Compass which are objects of worship as well as the Koran of a Mohammedan Masonic Lodge, carry the same weight of the Holy Bible in the Christian Masonic Lodge.
Again, according to Pike:
“Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahmin, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God who is above all the Baalim, must needs leave it to each of its Initiates to look for the foundation of his faith and hope to the written scriptures of his own religion. … Views of religion and duty, wrought out by the meditations of the studious, confirmed by the allegiance of the good and wise, stamped as sterling by the response they find in every uncorrupted mind, commend themselves to Masons of every creed, and may well be accepted by all.” [2]
Another prominent Freemason, Brent Morris, wrote in his book, Cornerstones of Freedom:
“The Volume of Sacred Law is the Holy Bible in a lodge whose membership is made up of Christians and Jews. If a Muslim is present, for instance, the Lodge would see that the Koran was also on the Masonic altar. To a Mason, the Volume of Sacred Law symbolizes Deity’s revelation to man.” [3]
“When one considers the teachings of Freemasonry, it is not surprising Masons have been at the forefront of laying these cornerstones of freedom: [They teach] that men have all the same rights, … The origin of all rights and civil duties is in the people of the state, which is ruled according to the new principles of liberty. The State recognizes no reason why one religion ought to be preferred to another; all to be held in the same esteem.” [4]
As Christians we know that our cornerstone is Jesus Christ and that our unity with one another is founded in our belief that there is no other way to the Father than through his son, Jesus Christ. On the other hand, Freemasons base their unity on the belief in Freemasonry itself. In other words, Freemasonry is their religion. Therefore, if their unity is based on Freemasonry, then any differences in religion are no longer important.
Carl Claudy, Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service Association of the United States, wrote about George Washington’s fraternal life and expanded on “Masonry as the Center of Union” and it’s positive influence on Washington who embraced the Freemasons ideology of religion:
“Finally, Grand Lodge erased the ancient Charge ‘to be true to God and Holy Church’ and substituted this Charge: ‘A Mason is oblig’d, by his Tenure, to obey the moral Law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient Times Masons were charg’d in every Country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation; whatever it was, yet ‘tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves; that is to be good Men and true, or Men of Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations of Persuasions they may be distinguish’d; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the Means of conciliating true Friendship among persons that must have remain’d at a perpetual Distance.’”
“This Charge was of unparalleled importance; it founded modern Speculative Freemasonry on the rock of non-sectarianism and the brotherhood of all men who believe in a common Father, regardless of His name, or the way in which He is worshipped.”
“Here again the Mother Grand Lodge did something which was profoundly to affect the First President. That Washington was deeply and sincerely religious is doubted by none who read his diaries and letters. When he could not go to one church, he went to another, and worshipped apparently with equal satisfaction, no matter at what altar he kneeled. It seems obvious, then, that the Craft which offered only the doctrine of a universal Father, leaving to men to name Him as they would, a place where each brother might worship as he would, must have made mighty appeal to Washington by this very tolerant and broad-minded attitude. All Washington’s life was demonstration of his belief in the equality and the brotherhood of men under one common Father.” (emphasis added)[5]
A Spirit of Superstition
Obviously, by all accounts Freemasons are “most religious”. However, being most religious or more religious than others is not meant to be a compliment. A demonic spirit of superstition is operating behind Freemasonry’s acceptance of all religions based on the deception that there is one common father and can be understood according to Acts 17:16-23.
“Now while Paul was awaiting them at Athens, his spirit was grieved and roused to anger as he saw that the city was full of idols. … So Paul standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most religious or very reverent to demons. For as I passed along and carefully observed your objects of worship, I came also upon an altar with this inscription, To the unknown god. Now what you are already worshipping as unknown, this I set forth to you.” (Acts 17:16, 22-23, Amplified Bible, emphasis added)
King James reads “I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious” (v 22). Superstitious means to be fearful, more religious than others and a supernatural spirit of a bad nature – a devil. In other words, a demonic spirit is behind superstition.
The word “superstitious” according to Strong’s Concordance (Greek 1174) is the compound of a derivative of the base of Greek 1169 and Greek 1142 and means to be “more religious than others – too superstitious. Superstitious according to Strong’s (Greek 1169) means “timid, i.e. by implication faithless: fearful, and superstitious (Greek 1142) is referring to a demon or supernatural spirit of a bad nature: a devil.
Like the Athenians in Acts 17, Freemasons are most religious and very reverent to demons. This explains why George Washington, a prominent Freemason, could attend the Episcopalian Church as well as others, embrace all religions, and at the same time embrace the ideology of pagan gods and mythology. In fact, Washington participated in the pagan rituals of Freemasonry which revolved around the pagan gods of mythology, which is showing reverence to demons.
The spirit of superstition that was operating behind the Athenians is the same spirit that is operating behind Freemasonry. To be a Freemason one must worship a god, any god. It’s obvious from the writings of Albert Pike, as well as other Freemason historians, that Freemasons do not reject a belief in the ancient pagan gods. As a matter of fact, their writings and rituals reveal that they are very reverent of the pagan gods of mythology.
Temple of Liberty
George Washington and others all turned to mythology when designing the Capitol of the United States as well as the city of Washington. As one example and in reverence to demons, the United States Capitol was designed and built as a temple to the goddess, Liberty.
The following quotes are taken from Temple of Liberty – Building the Capitol for a New Nation written by Pamela Scott and published in cooperation with the Library of Congress. In other words, that the US Capitol was built as a Temple to a goddess is based on documentation provided by The Library of Congress and is not the opinion of the author.
“Latrobe may have intended this figure to synthesize several allegorical concepts key to the Capitol’s iconography, an updated and Hellenized version of Giuseppe Ceracchi’s Minerva as the Patroness of American Liberty, which had been executed in 1792 for Philadelphia’s Congress Hall. This interpretation strengthens his vision of the Capitol as a synthesis of Roman and Greek political and artistic principles. Athena had been the mythical founder of Athens; her temple had been the Parthenon. ‘Liberty’ had founded the United States as well as the city of Washington; her temple was the Capitol.” (emphasis added) [6]
“Thomas Jefferson described it as the ‘first temple dedicated to the sovereignty of the People,’ and its central and uniting feature was a great domed rotunda originally styled ‘the Hall of the People.’” (emphasis added) [7]
“Domes for America’s Secular Temples – To plan a dome as the Capitol’s central element implied that the building was to serve a quasi-religious function – indeed to be a civic temple” (emphasis added) [8]
“The architect recommended that Washington’s tomb be placed ‘in the Center of that National Temple which he approved of for a Capitol.’” (emphasis added) [9]
Keeping in mind that the Freemasons were most religious and very reverent to demons, then we should not be surprised that the goddess Liberty as well as other statutes of pagan deities at the United States Capitol were composites of multiple gods and goddesses.
“Once again, one single concept was not large enough to encompass the spirit of America, and Crawford combined features associated with Athena, Hercules, Liberty, and America to create a suitable symbol. Because the statue’s final dimensions of 19 feet, 6 inches in height were larger than Walter had anticipated, the top of the dome had to be redesigned to accommodate the sculpture.” [10]
“As Giuseppe Ceracchi, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, and Enrico Causici had conflated Minerva-Athena figures with those of Liberty and America, Bartlett continued to combine European and American models to generate a new American allegorical figure.” [11]
Not only were our founding fathers superstitious when it came to including all pagan deities, they were also very religious when it came to deifying men as gods as well.
George Washington Deified
Many of our secular founding fathers are portrayed as pagan deities because that was the ideology at the time America was being founded. Therefore, it was only logical that Freemasons and others elevated George Washington to the status of a deity at the time of his death. He was often portrayed in the role of the pagan god Jupiter. However, at other times he was portrayed as the pagan god Mithra or Zeus.
The belief that the gods had human representatives is not a new concept. According to Scripture there is nothing new under the sun. From the beginning Satan has tempted mankind with the desire to be like a god.
“Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.” (Acts 14:10-16, KJV, emphasis added)
According to Strong’s Concordance, (Greek 2203), “Jupiter” can also be understood as “Zeus”. The Amplified Bible (Acts 14:12) reads: “They called Barnabas Zeus, and they called Paul, because he led in the discourse, Hermes [god of speech].”
Like the people of Lystra who thought of Barnabas as Jupiter (Zeus), the people of America wanted to deify George Washington as both Jupiter and Zeus. The Apotheosis of Washington, shown below, is a canopy painting that is suspended between the inner and outer domes of the U.S. Capitol elevating George Washington to the status of a military god in an allegorical fashion.
George Washington is portrayed as the god “Jupiter” in The Apotheosis of Washington – which was a variation of a statue portraying Washington as Zeus. According Barbara Wolanin,
“The Capitol’s designers had always intended to commemorate the nation’s first president in the center of the building. Brumidi permanently put an image of Washington in this place of honor, after Horatio Greenough’s monumental Zeus-like, toga-clad statue of George Washington …. Brumidi seems to have consciously created a variation on Greenough’s pose … he clothed Washington in his military uniform and gave him a lavender lap robe to create the effect of classical drapery….” [12]
On either side of George Washington are the goddess Liberty and a figure of a goddess representing a composite of Victory and Fame with all three seated on a rainbow. It is understood that Liberty is Minerva’s American name and the Greek word for Victory is Nike. Nike/Victory was known as the goddess of victory and she came to be an everlasting symbol of victory and dominance on the battlefields of ancient Greece.
The Apotheosis of Washington pictured below is from Art in the United States Capitol.[13]
Below is a close up of The Apotheosis of Washington above and shows Washington with Liberty on his right and a composite of Victory/Fame on his left. [14]
From his waist up Washington is pictured wearing a military uniform and from the waist down the robes of a pagan god. It is significant that his clothing is lavender and purple. When a General or a military equivalent wanted to be identified with Jupiter he would often wear purple.
Even though Washington had been dead for many years by the time The Apotheosis of Washington had been commissioned, I would like to point out that it has been well documented that when planning the United States Capitol that George Washington personally identified with Jupiter and Capitoline Hill. It was with that understanding that his identity as Jupiter continued to be incorporated into icons portraying him.
George Washington was Influenced by the spirit behind Jupiter
· Purple: The color of purple was worn by those who wanted to be identified as an earthly representative of Jupiter
George Washington was a Freemason therefore he would have been aware that the color purple was associated with Jupiter.
According to Dr. Rex R. Hutchens, a 33rd degree Freemason and author of A Glossary To Morals and Dogma, “As Pike notes, the ziggurat of Borsippa had seven stages of different colors. These colors were dedicated to the seven ‘planets’ known to Babylonia: … the third was purple, for Jupiter;… [15]
The Purple Heart, originally a heart shaped piece of purple cloth, was sown on the military uniform of courageous soldiers at the request of Washington. Alone, the fact that he chose purple as the color for a medal does not support that he was associated with the practices of pagan gods. However, when we look at his life as a whole, it’s obvious that not only was he knowledgeable about, but he actually embraced pagan beliefs.
· Capitoline Hill: The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus was located on the Capitoline Hill in Rome.
When designing Washington, D.C., George Washington and others very carefully chose symbols to convey their ideas. It was with this mindset that they desired to have America’s lawmakers to meet on a hill they chose to call Capitol Hill in honor of Jupiter’s Capitoline Hill. As described by Pamela Scott:
“The iconography of the panels decorating the south (which was to contain the House of Representatives) is derived from the most powerful ancient god, Jupiter, and the strongest ancient hero, Hercules. In the central panel, a single standing figure (representing either collective American patriots or Washington) takes an oath before the seated Jupiter … king of the gods in Roman mythology, … Oaths in ancient Rome were taken at the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, located on the Capitoline hill. (emphasis added) [16]
George Washington Portrayed as “Patriae Pater”- the Earthly Representative of the god Jupiter
Rembrandt Peale, who personally met George Washington, painted one of the two most famous portraits of Washington in existence: “Pater Patriae”. George Washington personally sat for Peale, in fact, the last time that Washington sat for an artist before his death was for Peale. As a contemporary of that period of time, Peale personally understood the ideology of the Founding Fathers and it was with that understanding that Peale portrayed George Washington in the below posthumous portrait as the earthly representative of the pagan god Jupiter.[17]
In his portrait, Peale meant to convey the ideology accepted by him and others that George Washington was the human counterpart of the pagan god, Jupiter, the “father of the gods”, and as such, he was the “father of men”. One of the reasons Washington became known as the father of America was because of those who believed that he was the earthly representative of the “father of the gods”.
In the portrait, Jupiter’s head is placed above Washington’s head to symbolize the relationship between man and pagan deity. As father of the gods, Jupiter’s head was placed above Washington’s head to symbolize his position in the heavens, while Washington’s authority is linked to the earth and as such, he was subordinate to Jupiter.
Peale’s portrait was only meant to be a “likeness” of George Washington. Subtle changes were made to show a resemblance between Washington and Jupiter. For example, the resemblance of Washington’s nose and broad forehead with that of Jupiter was meant to identify Washington as Jupiter’s earthly representative.
The objective of Peale’s picture was to leave people with the impression of the idea of who Washington was. To connect Washington to Jupiter would successfully connect Washington, as well as all of America, to the Roman Republic, their ideals and their pagan beliefs in gods and goddesses that so heavily influenced Washington.
The Deception of Freemasonry
George Washington did not go through the initiation of pagan degrees and take part in the pagan Masonic rituals just to be participating. By all accounts, Washington was an intelligent as well as a “most religious” man; therefore, we know that he would not have involved himself in superstitious or illogical ceremonies unless he believed there was some spiritual meaning to the ritual.
Due to the secrecy of Freemasonry, we would not expect to know the whole truth behind Washington’s life as a Freemason. Carl Claudy explained: “Any condensed history of Washington’s fraternal life must necessarily omit most of his Masonic correspondence and many occasions which have Masonic significance, even if of minor importance.” [18]
More to the point, George Washington, along with a select group considered to be the more knowledgeable, intellectual and accomplished Freemasons, more than likely had two different agendas – one of which was and is hidden even from other Freemasons. According to Albert Pike:
“[The Blue Degrees are but the outer court or portico of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the Initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry. The whole body of he Royal and Sacerdotal Art was hidden so carefully, centuries since, in the High Degrees, as that it is even yet impossible to solve many of the enigmas which they contain. It is well enough for the mass of those called Masons, to imagine that all is contained in the Blue Degrees; and whoso attempts to undeceive them will labor in vain, and without any true reward violate his obligations as an Adept. Masonry is the veritable Sphinx, buried to the head in the sands heaped round it by the ages.]” (emphasis added) [19]
Scripture is clear that we are not to learn the way of the heathen – Jeremiah 10. It is one thing to be aware that paganism exists – it is quite another to learn the ways of the heathen and practice them.
The words “Patriot” and “Patriotism” were meant to connect Americans and their loyalty to both George Washington, father of men, and to the god Jupiter, father of gods. However, Jupiter was not the only god of which Washington was personally knowledgeable.
For example, the below is a picture of George Washington’s own personal “watermark”. [20] I want to point out that Washington’s watermark portrayed the goddess Liberty complete with the liberty cap. In other words, Washington was personally knowledgeable of the pagan goddess Minerva, who became known in America as Liberty – the goddess that is seated to his right in The Apotheosis of Washington.
Satan is the god of confusion: At times in other articles, it may seem contradictory when it is said that George Washington symbolized this or that; however, as a Freemason, what he believed in, who is was, who he was not and what he stood for was multifaceted. The same applies to all of Freemasonry.
When America’s Founding Fathers failed to clarify the identity of God – a door was left open for a spirit of confusion to operate – twisting the meaning of God – and resulting in confusion. The following quotes from Morals and Dogma makes it clear that Freemasons understood that the words spoken by Freemasons regarding religion did not inform others of what that word meant to them. For example, Pike states that “All religious expression is symbolism … To present a visible symbol to the eye of another is not necessarily to inform him of the meaning which that symbol has to you. …For as with the visible symbol, so with the word: to utter it to you does not inform you of the exact meaning which it has to me;…” [21] (emphasis added)
Pike further states that Christianity is merely a mixture of paganism: “The God of nineteen-twentieths of the Christian world is only Bel, Moloch, Zeus, or at best Osiris, Mithras, or Adonai, under another name, worshipped with the old Pagan ceremonies and ritualistic formulas. It is the Statue of Olympian Jove worshipped as the Father, in the Christian Church that was a Pagan Temple; it is the Statue of Venus, become the Virgin Mary.” [22]
While the image of George Washington in the Apotheosis of Washington portrays him as Jupiter, that same image also portrays him as the Persian (Iranian) military deity known as Mithra. Whether George Washington is viewed as Jupiter, Mithra or both depends on who is viewing the mural and his or her knowledge of the various pagan deities.
As people moved from one country to another they took their gods with them and just renamed them according to the language of the country in which they were now living. Alternatively, they incorporated the attributes of their god with that of an already existing god. For example, when the worship of the Persian military deity, Mithra, became popular in Rome, Mithra was either worshipped as Mithra or became known by the Latin name Jupiter.
Furthermore, Jupiter and Zeus are also one and the same pagan deity – Jupiter is the Latin name for the Greek Zeus who was the national god of the Greeks. That’s why the King James translation refers to the pagan deity in Acts 14:12 as “Jupiter”, while other translations, such as the Amplified Bible and NIV, refer to the same pagan deity as “Zeus”. It may seem confusing – but then again, Satan is the god of confusion.
Obviously, when America’s founding fathers invoked the name of God, we really don’t know which or how many founding fathers were referring to the God of Christianity. Likewise, we don’t really know what other gods were being invoked or by whom.
To combine Christianity with paganism is known as “syncretism”, meaning to combine two religions that oppose one another. A Scriptural example is found in 2 Kings 17:24-41 of people who attempted to worship the LORD alongside their pagan deities:
“And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which He wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods. But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner. So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.” (2 Kings 17:37-41, KJV)
The Wisdom of Freemasonry is described in James 3 as being from the devil
“Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth. This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal). For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.” (James 3:13-16, Amplified Bible, emphasis added)
Freemasons were Self Seeking
Because Washington and other Freemasons had “selfish ambition”, their wisdom was not the wisdom of the LORD. Their wisdom was “earthly”, “sensual”, “devilish” and was from Satan – the supreme being and architect behind Freemasonry.
Freemason’s Humility was False Humility
Freemasons, profess humility, however, they are constantly and consistently honoring and exalting one another – even to the point of deifying some of America’s Founding Fathers! That is False Humility. Existing correspondence between George Washington and other Freemasons reveal that not only was he exalted by his fellow brethren, but also that he “humbly” accepted their accolades.
Freemasons believe they have knowledge of things that non-Freemasons cannot attain. Their arrogant claim is nothing more than Satan’s so-called “deep secrets” referenced in Revelation 3:24.
In their words, “Masonry became the Center of Union”. They placed Masonry above Christianity. They accepted Freemasons who were Christians just as they accepted all religions. Freemasons placed Christianity on the same level that they placed Islam and others – they did not accept Jesus Christ as the way and the only way.
Freemasons equate knowledge with human cleverness and their ability to deceive. Yet, that is not the wisdom of the LORD. To worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob alongside other gods IS NOT WISDOM – certainly not WISDOM FROM ABOVE!
Know the Wiles of the Enemy:
“Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.” (Eph 6:11-12, Amplified Bible, emphasis added)
Self Deception: George Washington and others were under self deception. They were blinded by their own arrogance. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is revealing to whomever He chooses. Those things that George Washington and other Freemasons had deceived themselves into believing would remain hidden for all time – that we may stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil!
The Dalai Lama
According to Scripture, there is nothing that is hidden that won’t be revealed and there is nothing new today that hasn’t been repeated before.
“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. (Matt 10:26-27, KJV)
and
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” (Eccl 1:9, KJV)
So it is in the year 2007 – America’s Lawmakers are “Most Religious and Very Reverent to Demons”. On October 17, 2007, the Dalai Lama, referred to as “His Holiness” by both members of Congress and President Bush, received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor the legislative body of America can bestow. Not only did President Bush refer to a man believed to be an incarnation of a heavenly being like other Dalai Lamas as “His Holiness”, but President Bush also acknowledged his own personal toleration of all religions.
As a Christian, President Bush is to be an Ambassador for Jesus Christ, yet Bush’s remarks made at the presentation clearly reveal that he is an Ambassador for all religions.
“O You poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over, unto whom – right before your very eyes – Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?” (Gal 3:1, Amplified Bible)
While President Bush may be politically correct, he is misleading those of other faiths. Scripture reveals to us that the way and the only way to the Father is through his Son, Jesus Christ, and as a Christian we are to stand on that truth.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6, KJV)
The world’s way is toleration; however, Jesus is more interested that no one perishes. Am I intolerant? Yes, I am intolerant of anything other than the truth, only because I am more interested in someone’s salvation.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus commands us to be a “witness unto Him”, unto the uttermost part of the earth. The truth is that Jesus Christ is the way and the only way. If I truly believe that, then why would I not want others who are perishing to know the truth.
The following are excerpts from President Bush’s remarks at the joint Congressional ceremony honoring the Dalai Lama. They leave no doubt as to what he believes America’s Founding Fathers meant by religious freedom – and leave no doubt that President Bush is “Most Religious” (emphasis added is mine).
“Madam Speaker; … members of the congressional delegation, … and Your Holiness [the Dalai Lama]. Over the years, Congress has conferred the Gold Medal on many great figures in history – usually at a time when their struggles were over and won. Today Congress has chosen to do something different. It has conferred this honor on a figure whose work continues – and whose outcome remains uncertain. In so doing, America raises its voice in the call for religious liberty and basic human rights. These values forged our Republic. They sustained us through many trials. And they draw us by conviction and conscience to the people of Tibet and the man we honor today. … Members of both of our political parties and world leaders have seen His Holiness as a man of faith and sincerity and peace. He’s won the respect and affection of the American people – and America has earned his respect and affection, as well. … Jefferson counted as one of America’s greatest blessings the freedom of worship. It was, he said, ‘a liberty deemed in other countries incompatible with good government, and yet proved by our experience to be its best support.’ The freedom of belief is a yearning of the human spirit, a blessing offered to the world, and a cherished value of our nation. It’s the very first protection offered in the American Bill of Rights. It inspired many of the leaders that this rotunda honors in portraits and in marble. And it still defines our way of life. Consider where we gather today. This great symbol [the US Capitol] of democracy sits quietly near a Catholic parish, a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim community center, a Greek Orthodox cathedral, and a Buddhist temple – each with faithful followers who practice their deeply held beliefs and live side by side in peace. This diversity is not a source of instability – it’s a source of strength. (Applause.) This freedom does not belong to one nation – it belongs to the world. … Throughout our history, we have stood proudly with those who offer a message of hope and freedom to the world’s downtrodden and oppressed. This is why all of us are drawn to a noble and spiritual leader who lives a world away. Today we honor him as a universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd for the faithful, and the keeper of the flame for his people. I congratulate His Holiness on this recognition. I’m so honored to be here with you, sir. Laura and I join all Americans in offering the people of Tibet our fervent prayer that they may find days of prosperity and peace….” [23]
Obviously, President Bush is “Most Religious”. While that may seem like a compliment to some, it is not meant to be a compliment at all. Further, he is most reverent of demons as well.
Scripture clearly rejects the ideology of either incarnation or reincarnation, yet the followers of Dalai Lama believe him to be an “incarnation” of the original Dalai Lama who was the incarnation of a heavenly being. This spiritual deity supposedly has been incarnate through all the other Dalai Lamas and will be incarnate in a baby who will be born on the 49th day after the present Dalai Lama, who received the Congressional Gold Medal, passes away.
We know from Scripture that demons can indwell human beings, and when they do, they will stay unless they are cast out. In other words, what they believe to be the continuing incarnation of a spiritual or heavenly being through the birth of a child when a Dalai Lama passes away is nothing more than a demonic spirit – known as a familiar spirit – that leaves the body of the Dalai Lama at his death and finds a child born on the 49th day after his death to indwell.
As mentioned earlier in this section, the pagan belief that the gods had human representatives on this earth, is not a new concept (Acts 14:10-16). Also mentioned earlier, George Washington was portrayed as the earthly representative of a deity. Ironically, the Dalai Lama received the Congressional Gold Medal underneath the very mural portraying George Washington as a pagan deity. Given these facts, we should not be surprised that America’s civil leaders would embrace the Dalai Lama, who is also believed to be an earthly representative of a heavenly being.
There truly is nothing new under the sun – what has been will be again.
© Gwen Thomas, October, 2007
Bibliography
Architect of the Capitol. Art in the United States Capitol. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1976
Claudy, Carl. Washington’s Home and Fraternal Life, pamphlet no. 14, Washington, DC: United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission, 1931
Hutchens, Rex R. A Glossary To Morals and Dogma. Anderson, SC: Electric City Printing, 1993
Lossing, Benson. Mount Vernon and Its Associations. NY: W.A. Townsend, 1859
Morris, S. Brent. Cornerstones of Freedom. Washington, DC: The Supreme Council, 33o, S.J., 1993
Pike, Albert. Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Charleston: prepared for the Supreme Council of the Thirty Third Degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, 1871
Scott, Pamela. Temple of Liberty. NY: Oxford University Press, 1995
White House Website. “President Bush Attends Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring the Dalai Lama”, Office of the Press Secretary Press Release. 17 October 2007, http://www.whitehouse.bov/news/releases/2007/print/20071017-3.html
Wolanin, Barbara A. prepared under the direction of the Architect of the Capitol. Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the Capitol. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1998
Scripture quotations taken from The AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Endnotes
[1] Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, p.11
[3] S. Brent Morris, Cornerstones of Freedom, p.111 (footnote)
[5] Carl Claudy, Washington’s Home and Fraternal Life, pamphlet no. 14, p.26-27
[6] Pamela Scott, Temple of Liberty, p.60
[7] Ibid, p.vii (preface)
[12] Barbara A. Wolanin, Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the Capitol, p.127
[13] Architect of the Capitol, Art in the United States Capitol, p.303 (picture)
[14] Barbara A. Wolanin, Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the Capitol, p.128 (picture)
[15] Rex R. Hutchens, A Glossary To Morals and Dogma, p.78
[16] Pamela Scott, Temple of Liberty, p.41
[17] Architect of the Capitol, Art in the United States Capitol, p.4 (picture)
[18] Carl Claudy, Washington’s Home and Fraternal Life, pamphlet no. 14, p.33-34
[19] Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, p.819
[20] Benson Lossing, Mount Vernon and Its Associations, p.348 (picture)
[21] Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, p.62
[23] White House Website, “President Bush Attends Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring the Dalai Lama”, 17 October 2007, http://www.whitehouse.bov/news/releases/2007/print/20071017-3.html
|
