Masons Never Pray to Jesus

Masons always begin and end their meetings in prayer. Some wonder why we pray in the Lodge if we are not a religion. When I was in school we used to pray in some of our classes before the class opened. We never thought of the school as a religion. The U.S. Congress opens its sessions with a prayer by a chaplain. Do we think of Congress as a religion? No, we don’t. Why are such prayers acceptable? It is because we usually see no harm in asking God’s blessings on our activities.

The prayers offered up in the Lodge are usually of a general nature and are normally geared toward seeking guidance and help from God. This presents a problem for some people because they insist that all prayers must be said in the name of Jesus. Such a prayer may be heard on occasion but not normally during a regular meeting. The reason prayers are not offered up specifically in the name of Jesus is due to the fact that there may be Lodge members present who are of different faiths. A writer on the web site www.Freespeech.com gives this explanation:

Of course Christians can pray in Lodge! What they may not do is offer a specifically Christian prayer as Lodge prayer, any more than a Jew or Muslim may offer a prayer specific to his religion. The reason for this is that it is the custom of Masonry to require all to participate in and assent to Lodge prayer. How can it be proper for a Christian to require non-Christians to assent to a prayer peculiar to his own religious belief? No Christian would assent to a prayer offered by a Jew or Muslim which essentially denied the doctrine of the Trinity. Because a Lodge acts in unison, prayers offered in Lodge must be of a nature that will be agreed to by all present.

Some people would argue that it should be the Christian’s right to pray or witness in the Lodge Room. While it may be true that certain members of the lodge could use prayer or may need a sermon, there is certainly a time and a place for such things. If a person would try to interrupt a school board meeting, or stockholder’s meeting with prayer or witnessing they would not be well received. Even the Lord chose places where He could be get their attention and cooperation. No one is going to listen to religious things when it is being presented in a rude, unthoughtful, and brash manner. The Lodge would have no qualm with one of its members praying or witnessing in a park or on a street corner where a crowd might willingly gather to hear the message. For the Christian Mason, Jesus is in the Lodge because he is bringing Him in by means of having Him in his heart.

Freemasonry is often attacked because it "leaves out Jesus Christ." Those who say this believe that Masonry is a religion that teaches men how to get to heaven through their good works. This shows why the principles of interpretation are so important. Masonry says that it is not a religion. An honest interpretation of the teachings of Freemasonry will show that instead of teaching men what to believe, men are simply asked to put the religion they already have, when they become a Mason, into everyday practice. People look at the difference between what Christians say, and what they do. The ideal Mason will practice what he believes, so that there will be no difference between what he says and what he does. (August 1994 / The Northern Light , By Richard P. Thorn, 32degree)

In 1980 Bailey Smith, a past president of the Southern Baptist Convention made the statement that "God does not hear the prayers of a Jew." His insinuation is that God only hears those prayers which are prayers of repentance or prayers ending in "in Jesus name." While Rev. Smith may be very sincere in believing this, it is not very theologically correct. In John Chapter 14 Jesus was teaching his disciples about prayer. He taught them that they could ask for things in the name of the Father. In other words, God hears prayers addressed to deity regardless of which person of the Trinity we are addressing.

The prayers offered in the Lodge do not always mention the name of Jesus, but we must remember that they have been based on an Old Testament model, which is exactly what the "Lord’s Prayer" is. The best known prayer in the whole world is addressed to "Our Father." While offering prayers in Christians churches in the name of Jesus is certainly expected, it must doesn’t have to be done in a Masonic Lodge (or a Boy Scout troupe for that matter) because they are not meeting for worship.

While it is true that prayers to Jesus (or Allah for that matter) are avoided during the Lodge meeting, there are many Masons who are praying to Him at other times. Lest you think that prayers are never offered in the name of Jesus in a Masonic Lodge, let me hasten to mention that in many Lodges it is a common place event. It is not unusual for someone to end a prayer for the sick or for meals in the name of Jesus. It is certainly excepted in most Lodges as long as it is not done as part of the Masonic ritual.