What’s the difference: freemasonry and Hare Krishna

October 28, 2023

… an 8 minute read

Freemasonry

origin/background:

~ freemasonry is the largest international fraternal order in the world
~ it is a secret society that seeks to perpetrate its traditions through symbolism, rituals and oaths made on pain of death if broken
~ it is a diverse movement with many distinct branches (York Rite, Scottish Rite)
~ no single central authority, book, or definition
~ Masons claim to have to ancient Biblical accounts
~ Masonic legends include unproven assertions that the first Masonic aprons were Adam and Eve’s fig leaves; that Freemasonry dates back to the time of Solomon; that Freemasonry is connected to biblical accounts of the Tower of Babel
~ more traceable origins go back to James Anderson, George Payne, and Theopholis Desaguliers who founded the first lodge in London, England in 1717
~ the first lodge in the US began in Boston Massachusetts (US) in 1733
~ during the 1800’s Freemasonry became a powerful institution with several thousand lodges in the US
~ there was also a strong backlash at the same time (1800’s) in the US, partly because of the death and disappearance (foul play?) of William Morgan, a former Mason who had exposed secrets
~ famous American Freemasons: ~ George Washington, John Wayne, Henry Ford, General Douglas MacArthur
~ in 1991, there were nearly 2.5 million Masons in the Us, down from a high of 4million in 1959

teachings/practices:

~ freemasonry teaches
– the civic values of brotherliness, charity, and mutual aid
– all religions acknowledge the same god
~ the lodge blends its own myths and rituals with elements from other religions, including Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Egyptian
~ Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, was a mason, Morman and Masonic rituals are similar
~ beginning levels of freemasonry:
– the religious worldview behind freemasonry is Deism or Unitarianism
– both teach that God is the creator and worthy of worship
– that virtue and piety are good
– humans should repent from sin and that in the afterlife there will be rewards and punishments
~ but freemasonry emphatically rejects the idea that God reveals Himself clearly and specifically through the history of Israel, the Bible, and the Messiah
~ almost all churches that are committed to biblical truth and have studied the matter have concluded that freemasonry and the Christian faith (true Jesus followers) are incompatible (notice: many churches today have been infiltrated – not all, but many)
~ the higher levels of freemasonry:
– the religious worldview is occultic
– very similar to New Age teachings
– the higher someone progresses, the deeper one gets involved in the occult, spiritism, deception, and blasphemies against God
~ the eclectic mixing of religions found in freemasonry dovetails with the New Age and postmodern desire

~ many Christians see freemasonry as relatively harmless fun and games, a networking arrangement for businessmen with an added benefit of service to humanity through the Shriners hospitals (for example) and other excellent forms of good work
~ they do not see it as a religion and philosophy that is in conflict with foundational Christian truths

So what’s the difference?

according to freemasons:
~ the Bible is not the unique work of God
– “The Bible is used among freemasons as a symbol of the will of God, however it may be expressed. Therefore, whatever…expresses that will may be used as a substitute for the Bible in a masonic lodge” (for example: the Qur’an, or the Vedas)
~ the God of the Bible is identified with other gods, and God’s true name is “Jabulon” (The God of Freemasonry Exposed), which is why Jah, Bel and On appear on the American ritual of the Royal Arch degree on the supposition that Jah was the Syriac name of God; Bel (Baal), the Chaldean; On, the Egyptian
~ Jesus is not God the Son, nor is he the Savior of the world: “Jesus was just a man…one of the great men of the past, but not divine and certainly not the only means of redemption” (Jim Shaw in Secret Teachings); the Bible says Jesus was uniquely God the Son and Savior of mankind
~ Humans are basically good, even divine, and human nature is perfectible, the perfection is already within…all that is required is to remove the roughness…divesting our hearts and consciences of all vices, to show forth the perfect man and mason within” (Carl H. Claudy)
~ Freemasonry uses the Bible but deletes Jesus’ name from scripture references, speaking Jesus’ name is forbidden in Masonic rituals and prayers
~ Freemasonry is the one true faith to lift spiritual darkness from the world, “Masonry is the universal, eternal, immutable religion, such as God planted in the heart of universal humanity…all religions that ever existed have had basis of truth and all have overlaid that truth with errors.” (Albert Pike)

Hare Krishna

origin/background

~ Known officially as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
~ started in the US by Abhay Charan (1896-1977), a Hindu from Calcutta
~ Charan arrived in New York City in 1965 and gained a following among young members of the counterculture who gave him the title “Swami Prabhupada” which means “at whose feet masters sit”
~ soon ISKCON centers were established in major cities
~ before his death at the age of 82, he had published 70 volumes of translation and commentary on the Hindu scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita (As It Is)
~ he organized ISKCON into a worldwide network of ashrams (religious communities), schools, temples and farms
~ Swami Prabhupada was the latest and greatest in a long line of Krishna gurus
~ In the sixteenth century, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who came from a priestly family in India, founded the Krishna sect by teaching and practicing and teaching the ancient tradition of adoring Krishna that began between the second century BC and AD second century
~ Hindu scriptures written at that time wrote of Krishna, who was the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu, one of the three major deities of Hinduism
~ According to Hindu theology, any time that dharma (order) was threatened and the need to set things straight was evident, an incarnation of Vishnu would appear, foremost among them was Krishna
~ In the Bhagavad-Gita epic, Krishna is a charioteer who serves the great warrior Arjuna and teaches him to do what is right
~ in other writings called Puranas, Krishna is depicted as a great lover who seduced 100 maidens at one time, finally choosing one as his wife – Radha, symbolizing the “divine human relationship which is the heart of the Krishnaite religion
~ Caitanya taught that direct love of Krishna was the surest way to get rid of ignorance and karma
~ in the 1930’s Abhay Charan, who would become Swami Prabhupada, was initiated into the Caitanya sect
~ Charan became a sannyasi and at the age of 58 renounced his promising pharmaceutical business, as well as his wife and five children to become a Hindu monk and later taking the title of swami (Hindu religious leader)
~ when Charan came to the US to start ISKCON he was 70 years old
~ he died 12 years later, and instead of picking a certain disciple to carry on his teaching, he left the movement to 11 senior disciples
~ today ISKCON membership includes approximately 2,500 monks, 250,000 lay priests and 1 million worshipping members
~ a well known westerner who became a follower of Krishna was George Harrison, one of the Beatles, who dedicated his hit song “My Sweet Lord” to Krishna.

teachings/practices:

~ in ISKCON, chanting the name of Kirshna is the best way to attain freedom from samsara (endless reincarnation)
~ during the first 3 decades of the movement, devotees would often be seen chanting in public places such as airports, wearing long robes with shaved heads, selling literature, playing drums and finger cymbals and singing
~ in the 1960’s and ’70’s Hare Krishna drew attention and criticism for its aggressive and sometimes misleading means of soliciting and recruiting followers
~ in more recent times, the Krishna movement looks much different: no longer wearing long robes or sporting shaved heads (some shave their heads but wear wigs in public)
~ since 1992, a US Supreme Court decision banned them from seeking donations at airports
~ members are no longer required to live in temples, but worship before alters in their homes
~ discipline is still strong, the Krishna follower must give total devotion of mind, body and soul and senses to the cause of Krishna consciousness
~ full-time members take vows of abstinence from eating meat, drinking alcohol and sex

What’s the difference?

~ no person or religion can claim absolute truth, since absolute truth is beyond man’s reasoning power
~ ISKCON says salvation comes through a personal relationship with the god Krishna and completely surrender devotion to him
~ ISKCON claims to “revere” Jesus Christ, but Jesus is considered to be the son of Krishna and inferior to Krishna
~ Prabhupada himself is said to have the powers and prerogatives of a god, he can take the “bad karma” of others upon himself, becoming a mediator between Krishna and the Krishna people
~ essentially monotheistic, the Krishna devotee sees Krishna as his personal behavior, just as Christians follow Christ as theirs
~ Krishna followers give total devotion to Krishna with the hopes that good works will but is still caught in the wheel of reincarnation/Christians believe Jesus died on the cross to save them from eternal separation from their Creator

source: So What’s The Difference by Fritz Ridenour

…I personally don’t believe in religion, not as it has been defined in society. All it is, is a tool to divide us. I grew up a Baptist and went to a Christian school. To this day I have questions, but I still believe – and I keep looking for answers. Having faith that God is in control and believing that He sent His son to die for our sins is all that is needed to be saved. One doesn’t need to pray on the rosary, live a life of celibacy, or not eat certain foods to be saved. Jesus paid it all!

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