Recently, many Christians have expressed concerns about the compatibility of Christianity and freemasonry, wondering whether Christianity and freemasonry are compatible or whether a Christian could participate in freemasonry.

Clearly, this would not have become a concern, but for the widespread perceptions surrounding the practice of freemasonry for years.

In the words of John Carl Mozingo, “The freemasons have been controversial since their inception due to their secret nature”. It is unsurprising that the subject has garnered significant attention in recent times, prompting concerns and reactions from both the clergy and members of the public.

Well, in this piece, I do not intend to address the perception people have about freemasonry, but rather to share my theological insights on whether or not a Christian could participate in freemasonry.

The most important question for me then would be, why would a Christian engage in some form of religious or spiritual promiscuity? What unique benefits or perspective does freemasonry offer that is lacking among the Christendom?

As a law student, I am mindful of municipal and international laws on human rights, which guarantee the rights and freedom of association. In Ghana, Article 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution is instructive: “A person shall not be discriminated on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, or social or economic status. Article 21 (1) (e) also reads: “All persons shall have the right to freedom of association…”

Therefore, legally speaking, the subject could have been put to rest since the Constitution unequivocally guarantees freedom of association, and that a Christian would by law be entitled to participate in as many Sects including freemasonry.

However, there would be serious unrepairable injury to intellectual discourse if we fail to integrate theological perspective into this conversation since Christians are not only governed by laws but also by the principles of God’s word. To this end, the overarching question then would be, does the Bible allows Christian the freedom to join other sects?

To answer this question, let’s take a look at some of the basic tenets of freemasonry. In his work entitled, “Freemasonry and Evangelical Christianity,” Mozingo observes that many Masons are Christians or folks who profess to be Christians.

Mozingo avers that these men are active members of local churches where they live. “Many are deacons, pastors, and strong leaders in the local church.” Accordingly, Mozingo maintains that it is usually these men who give a firm assurance that freemasonry is nothing more than a gentleman’s club or a fraternity that is set out to do nothing but make a good man better.

Mozingo brings us closer to the fact that contrary to the view that freemason is not a religion, it does appear from practice that freemasonry has a plan of salvation. According to Mozingo, in their third-degree prayer, the freemason prays and praises the great architect of the universe during the lodge meeting as well as asking the supreme architect of the universe to pardon any sins (emphasis mine) that have been brought out during the meeting.

The above reflections although succinct, give an indication that whilst freemasonry may be distinct from organized religion, it embraces certain sacred spiritual principles like forgiveness of sin.

As Mozingo puts it, in Freemasonry, candidates are initiated from darkness to light…there is a significance of blinding the candidate as they are being initiated. This darkness is there to remind the candidate of freemasonry that he is ignorant but that freemasonry will enlighten him.

Worthy to note, Christianity’s core message revolves around redemption and forgiveness of sin. Christians are redeemed from their sins through the vicarious death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. 1Peter 3: 18, Colossians 1:20-22, Romans 5:8 are relevant passages that support this theological stance.

John 1:4-5 is revealing; “In Him (Christ) was life and that life was the light of all men” (emphasis mine). So, for the Christian, forgiveness of sin and spiritual illumination are exclusively found in the redemption brought by Christ.

Jesus’ redemption, as presented in the Bible, is a finished work, requiring no further supplementation. Acts 4:12(NIV) is instructive: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

To this end, is it not baffling to think that a Christian will seek some “supplementary” forgiveness of sin (elsewhere), beyond the atonement provided by Jesus Christ? Would a Christian’s engagement in freemasonry not be seen as undermining the sufficiency of God’s saving grace?

If we answer these questions in the affirmative, then, clearly, we are likely to come to the ultimate conclusions that freemasonry is incompatible with the Christian faith and that a Christian’s involvement in freemasonry would be inimical to the Cross.