Question:

Does your denomination permit its members to join the Masons and other similar fraternities? What in general is the OPC's position regarding Freemasonry?

Answer:

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) has a position on membership in the Masonic Lodge (Freemasonry). After many years in which a committee of General Assembly studied and reported, a booklet was prepared by this committee and published by the Committee on Christian Education of the OPC, called Christ or the Lodge? A Report on Freemasonry. This 23-page tract can be viewed on the OPC Website.

It can be said that the OPC stands firmly against membership in the Masonic Lodge, but doesn't have a constitutional bar against Freemasons being members of the church. It is safe to say that there are no ministers in our church who are members of the Lodge. And, to the best of my knowledge, there are presently no ruling elders who are Masons.

There may be unordained members who are Masons. The reason for allowing them to be members of the church is that Christians may be Masons (on their assumption that there is nothing religious in Masonry). However, should the elders of any given church refuse to admit those who are Masons, they would be within their rights to reject them because the preponderant position of the church is that Masonry is religious in nature.

For example, high ranking defenders of the Lodge assert that the "mysteries" of Masonry are ancient, predating Christianity, Judaism, or Mohammedanism, all of which are considered of equal value through which a member of the Lodge on earth may attain to the Lodge in heaven. The teaching of Islam is that Jesus Christ is not the ONLY way to God (John 14:6). I have on my shelves an authoritative book on Freemasonry which includes ancient pagan religions as contributing to the "mysteries" of Masonry.

Of the three monotheistic religions mentioned above, only Christianity is biblically true. Modern Judaism rejects Christ as the divine Messiah. Islam accepts Jesus as A prophet, but Mohammed is THE Prophet! And many authoritative defenders of the Lodge assert that Masonry is not A religion (i.e. one among many], but RELIGION itself from which ALL religions, including Christianity, were derived.

This is, from the biblical perspective, blasphemy! Christ is "King of kings and Lord of lords." (Revelation 19:16. Cf. Galatians 1:8 & 9) The deity and Lordship of Christ are essential to the gospel!

The probable reason that the OPC has not raised a constitutional bar against Freemasonry is that our secondary standards (The Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and above all our primary standard - the Bible), are against all false religion, including the self-declared religion of Masonry.