Christianity vs Freemasonry

I've been a Freemason for nearly 17-years now and I've gone through countless degrees, orders, and grades, but I always remember the lessons, symbols, and charges given during the Entered Apprentice degree:

As a Mason, you are to regard the Volume of the Sacred Law as the great light in your profession; to consider it as the unerring standard of truth and justice; and to regulate your actions by the divine precepts it contains. In it you will learn the important duties which you owe to God, your neighbor, and yourself. To God, by never mentioning His name except with that awe and reverence which are due from the creature to his Creator; by imploring His aid in all your lawful undertakings; and by looking up to Him in every emergency, for comfort and support.

While most of the Masons in my Lodge are Christian, we do have men from other faiths represented and I have met Masons from all over representing the world's great religions. When I joined Freemasonry I considered myself a Christian, but I was not a church-goer (symptoms from bad experiences I had in my teen years). Once I was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason, I didn't race into any concordant or appendant body; I was actually advised against doing that. I waited for nearly 2-years until I had both my Warden's Certificate of Proficiency and my Worshipful Master's Certificate of Proficiency (requirements to sit in the East in Idaho) before I even filed my petition to join the York Rite. I went to the York Rite as the Masons in my Lodge that I admired were heavily involved with the York Rite and I was always fascinated with the Knights Templar.

In the 15-years that I've been a Templar and a Mason, I have felt my Christian faith only strengthen. I see that Freemasonry (and Templary) compliments my faith and my faith completes Freemasonry. However, before I was even initiated as an Entered Apprentice Mason, I met a rabid anti-Mason during a flight who made some brazen and defamatory claims. After I joined, I found a small, but loud group of anti-Masons on social media platforms like Twitter who claim and I'm paraphrasing here, but often I see anti-Masons use the "I don't like Freemasonry and I'm a good Christian so, therefore, you're not a good Christian or a true Christian." I've even seen a few over the years say that since they consider themselves true Christians and they don't like Freemasonry that God must hate it as well. Freemasonry and Christianity are often seen as incompatible by some, but the fact remains that many Masons are Christians and there are several Christian orders (organizations) within the family of Freemasonry. I've seen accusations that there is devil worship in Freemasonry, that we're crypto-Jews, and many other sensational but baseless accusations that usually trace back to the Taxil Hoax.

Firstly, it is important to understand the principles of Freemasonry. Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that seeks to promote moral and spiritual values through a series of degrees. It is based on a set of moral and ethical principles that are designed to promote good citizenship, charity, and social welfare for all as well as brotherhood and camaraderie among its members. Christianity, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of faith, love, and forgiveness, and seeks to promote a personal relationship with God.

At first glance, it may seem that these two belief systems are incompatible, but upon closer examination, it becomes clear that there are many areas of overlap between Freemasonry and Christianity. Both systems emphasize the importance of morality, charity, and service to others. Both also seek to promote the development of the individual, both morally and spiritually. It is important to note that Freemasonry, while religious, is not a religion itself.

One of the key areas of compatibility between Freemasonry and Christianity is the emphasis on moral and ethical values. Both systems place a strong emphasis on the importance of leading a virtuous life and on the importance of treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect. Both also emphasize the importance of self-improvement, and of striving to become a better person.

Another area of compatibility between Freemasonry and Christianity is the emphasis on charity and service to others. Both systems seek to promote the well-being of others, and encourage their members to engage in acts of charity and service. Freemasons are known for their charitable works, and many lodges have established charitable foundations supporting those in need (for both Masons and non-Masons). Similarly, Christianity emphasizes the importance of helping those in need, and encourages its followers to engage in acts of charity and service.

Finally, both Freemasonry and Christianity emphasize the importance of spiritual development. Freemasonry does not promote any particular religion, but it does require its members to have a belief in a Supreme Being. This belief can take many forms, and many Masons are also Christians who see their membership in the lodge as complementary to their faith. Similarly, Christianity emphasizes the importance of spiritual development and encourages its followers to deepen their relationship with God.

Freemasonry and Christianity are compatible belief systems that share many common values and principles. Both systems emphasize the importance of morality, charity, and service to others, and both seek to promote the development of the individual, both morally and spiritually. While there may be some differences in belief and practice, these are not insurmountable. Many Masons are also devout Christians who find that their membership in the lodge enhances their faith. Ultimately, both Freemasonry and Christianity seek to promote the well-being of humanity, and this common goal is what makes them compatible.

North to Alaska

I've spent the past few days in Anchorage, AK, attending their Grand York Rite sessions. After traveling all morning, it was good to see the Alaskan Companions and Sir Knights.

Thursday morning, I attended Anchorage College No. 120 of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America and Denali Tabernacle LXXX of the Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests. Thursday afternoon was the 71st Annual Convocation of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Alaska where I represented the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International and had the pleasure of installing the 2022-2023 Grand Chapter officers. Thursday night was spent hanging out with my friends from the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar.

With Friday morning came the 41st Annual Assembly of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Alaska and, in the afternoon, the 20th Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Alaska. Friday night I attended their Grand Banquet where I presented the Bronze Award to a worthy recipient and the Past Grand High Priest plaque. The rest of the night was spent hanging out in the hospitality suite and socializing with my fratres.

Now, I'm sitting at the Anchorage airport with the Most Illustrious Grand Master of Cryptic Masons of Idaho, my roommate during this trip, waiting for our flight back home. Thank you, Companions and Sir Knights, for the warm welcome and hospitality, but now it's time to say goodbye to the Last Frontier.

Presiding Over the Red Cross

Today was a great day in Masonry. We held a meeting of Idaho College of the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis, Star Garnet Council No. 560 of the Allied Masonic Degrees, Idaho Priory No. 13 of the Knights of the York Cross of Honor, and St. Michael Conclave of the Red Cross of Constantine.

We initiated one Zelator (I°) and two Theorici (II°) at Idaho College. I am so thankful for the officers that I serve with.

We initiated two new members in Star Garnet Council and exemplified the Master of Tyre degree. Our Sovereign Master was also elected to receive the Knight Commander of the Royal Order of the Red Branch of Eri.

We had a quick business meeting for Idaho Priory and made some nominations that will be initiated at our annual meeting.

I had the pleasure of presiding over a joint meeting of St. Michael Conclave and St. Charles Conclave along with their Puissant Sovereign. We also had the Intendant General of Idaho and a Past Grand Sovereign in attendance. After the meeting, we had an excellent dinner overlooking the Snake River. Now, it’s time for bed before the long drive home in the morning.

Masonic Week 2023

Another Masonic Week is in the bag. I got in early Thursday morning, as I came from a work trip in the Pacific Northwest, and I went straight into meetings. The Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon was first up. It was the last meeting where a friend and mentor would preside over the order as Most Worthy Grand Master. I congratulate Joe on his term where we saw several new Chapels created. I am also honored to have been bestowed the rank of Past Grand Herald. I wish the new Most Worthy Grand Master the best of luck in his term. 

After a nice lunch (festive board) for the Knights of Acon and their guests, the Masonic Order of Athelstan met. After the initiation of new Court Masons, the Provincial Grand Court of the USA met and the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the order was in attendance from England. My constant travel companion and I went out for dinner before I had to get ready for the Masonic Order of the Bath. Due to the pandemic and other circumstances, we did not meet in 2021 or 2022. I was worried about the attendance, but we had 85 candidates show up! A great evening was had by all and, afterward, the officers of the High Council met and I was elected Most Honorable Commander-General of the Masonic Order of the Bath for the USA.

Friday morning I attended the Grand Council of Knight Masons where I was shocked when my name was called as a recipient of the Knight Commander of Zerubbabel. I want to thank those who nominated me from Knights of Tara Council No.560. I wish the best of luck to the new Grand officers for the ensuing year. After a quick lunch, it was time for the Grand College of the Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priests which had been brought back to Masonic Week (last year, it had been in Kentucky on a separate weekend). Then the Grand College of Rites met where it was announced that this year's Collectanea would be about a manuscript relating to the Baldwyn Rite. After drinks in the hotel bar with Brothers from England, France, and the Congo, it was time for the annual dinner of the Masonic Society where the Most Venerable Sovereign Grand Master of AMD in Canada was our guest speaker. The rest of the night was spent hanging out in hospitality suites with my Brothers; I didn't get to bed until 2:30am.

Needing sleep, I skipped the conferrals of the first Four Grades of the Royal Order of the Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord on Saturday morning. The 131st Annual Convocation of the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA was in the afternoon. The Sovereign Grand Master did a great job leading the meeting while fighting a bad head cold. We changed Grand Secretaries; the former has earned a happy retirement and the new one will do a fantastic job. Once the meeting was concluded and the new officers installed, it was time for the banquet where Most Venerable Brother Bob Davis have a great speech. The rest of the night was dedicated to socializing and hanging out with Brothers from all over the world.

Now, I'm 36,000 feet flying above the surface of the Earth and flying home. I've been gone 10 days and it will be nice to be home.

Visiting Iowa

I spent the last 5-days in Des Moines, IA, for work and while I was here I had the chance to reach out to some Masons that I knew lived here. This is one thing I love about being a Freemason: my job sends me all over the country, but no matter where I am, there are bound to be Brother Masons nearby.

After I flew in and got checked into my hotel, I headed to downtown Des Moines to the Scottish Rite Masonic Center where I attended the conferral of the Third Degree of Freemasonry. I always love watching degree work done in other jurisdictions. Legacy Lodge No.678 conferred the first section and the Grand Master and several Grand Lodge officers conferred the second section and raised the new Master Mason. Another Mason who was attending had raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason that morning so I presented both of the new Master Masons with the lapel pin of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Idaho. I walked around and toured the rest of the building which had an excellent library and a large auditorium.

Friday after work I drove around and discovered how much Freemasonry had such a historical influence on the area. I even found a graveyard owned by the Masons. Saturday night, one of the Brothers who is heavily involved in both the York Rite and Scottish Rite took me out to dinner. Yesterday I had beers with another Brother and we had a good chat. Now I'm on my way to South Dakota for another work trip.

What a Year!

While I've seen a few memes saying that 2022 sucked, this year was great for me. I did start it off still recovering from a partially torn ligament, but I was on the mend and the year kicked off with work trips to Wyoming, Alaska, and Oregon. During the Wyoming trip, this site crashed and it took weeks to get it back up. I came really close to shutting it all down for good.

With February came Masonic Week where, among other meetings, I received the Fourth Grade (Councillor) of the Royal Order of the Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord. The rest of the month I spent in California for work.

I attended the Grand York Rite of Alaska during the first weekend of March. The next weekend was the Special Conclave for the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar in Indiana where Sir Knight Michael Johnson was removed as Grand Master. While what was done was necessary, I still consider this one of the lowest points of my Masonic career.

April, May, and June were filled with work trips as well as attending the Grand York Rite of Oregon, Grand York Rite of Idaho, Grand York Rite of Washington, Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Saskatchewan, Grand York Rite of Montana, and the College of Montana, SRICF.

After working most of the month of July in Louisiana and California, I took the last weekend off and attended the SE SRICF Regional Conference in Birmingham, AL.

The last two weekends of August were filled with York Rite appendant bodies in Idaho and the Convent General of the Knights of the York Cross of Honor in Salt Lake City.

I attended the Grand York Rite of Colorado and the Grand York Rite of Wyoming in the first half of September. Wyoming was a bit tense as the Grand Master that was removed back in March is from Wyoming and was present at the Grand Commandery of Wyoming, as was his right.

With October came the annual Northwest York Rite Conference in Boise where I presided over the Chapter portion. I'd like to thank Chad Burks, General Grand Scribe for his assistance and educational presentation.

I along with three other Fratres flew out to Kentucky to attend the annual meeting of the High Council of the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis where I presided over the conferral of the VIII° (or Magister) on several worthy candidates on Friday, presented a paper on the Mithraic Mysteries on Saturday, and was appointed Guardian of the Caverns for the 2022-2025 Triennium. Following this meeting, I spent the night in Manhattan before flying out to Israel where I spent 9-days touring the Holy Land.

On the first Friday in December, I was asked to give the Staircase Lecture in the Fellow Craft degree. I did pretty well considering that I had not given it in 14 years. The next day was the first weekend in December which brought the meetings of Tri-Valley College No.178 of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, Redemption Tabernacle No.XL of the Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priest where I was appointed V Pillar, and St. Michael Conclave of the Red Cross of Constantine where I was elected Puissant Sovereign.

I spent 211 days on the road, 5,694 miles driven (not counting drives into work or around town), and 78,426 SkyMiles flown.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years' Eve and New Years' Day! I'll be spending the evening with some old Army buddies who always throw a New Years' Eve Party.

My Top Posts from 2022

The Rite of Baldwyn: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2022/06/the-rite-of-baldwyn.html

Templar Titles and Terms: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2022/05/templar-titles-and-terms.html

Temple Church: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2022/07/temple-church.html

What is Monasticism? https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2022/02/what-is-monasticism.html

Anti-Mason Disinformation: Altiyan Childs

For the past two years, I've seen a video by Altiyan Childs defaming Freemasonry. Childs, known in Australia for winning the X-Factor, lost the limelight after he was found guilty of using meth in 2012. I'm not going to make a minute-by-minute response, but here are the major points:

Freemasonry never says Christ is bad or lower than demons or on par with demons or that He can be ignored. Most Masons are Christian and there are several Christian orders within Freemasonry such as the Knights Templar, Knights Preceptor, York Rite College, Red Cross of Constantine, Knights of the York Cross of Honor, Royal Order of Scotland, Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis, Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priest, and the Chevaliers Bienfaisants de la Cité Sainte. Also, acknowledging that others have different beliefs doesn’t mean that I accept those beliefs as my own.

Covering one's eye is not a mode of recognition in Freemasonry nor is the "hidden hand" (people sometimes reach into their pockets...it's okay). Nor does an awkward handshake make someone a Mason. The vast majority of those shown in this video are not or were not Freemasons.

The all-seeing eye is used in Freemasonry, but it was used in Christian iconography long before it was adopted into the lexicon of Freemasonry (around the end of the 18th century). The unfinished pyramid with the all-seeing eye (which is on the Great Seal of the US) was actually designed by a non-Mason named Charles Thomson. Not every appearance of an all-seeing eye is related to Freemasonry.

If he was a Mason, why is he using "Richard's Monitor" (which isn't a recognized or authorized ritual book) and not the one he had while he was in? Why does he never show any certificates or patents of membership? Also, if he was a Mason, why is he referencing co-masonry and universal masonry, which are fake or irregular groups? If he had been a real Mason, he'd know that so either he's lying or wasn't a Mason and doesn't know.

As for penalties, the only thing a Lodge or Grand Lodge (or any Masonic body) can do is convene a trial and if the Mason is found guilty of violating his obligation, Masonic law, or the laws of the land, the only punishments are reprimand, suspension, or expulsion. Such things are drawn out in the Constitution of every Grand Lodge. Masonic law, nor anything in Freemasonry, is above the law or makes Masons feel they are above the law.

Pike did not construct or create the 33-degree system of the Scottish Rite. He reformed the rituals, but the Scottish Rite was in existence before Pike was even born: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2012/10/the-scottish-rite-of-freemasonry.html

The title "Grand Commander Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry" does not exist in Freemasonry. This is an invention of anti-Masons: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2019/09/the-taxil-hoax.html

The Pike statue: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2015/07/pike-statue-in-dc.html and https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2020/06/mob-tears-down-pike-statue.html

Freemasonry has nothing to do with Satanism: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2016/08/satan-and-freemasonry.html

Freemasonry is not a religion, secret or otherwise: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2020/03/concerning-religion-and-freemasonry.html

His comments on Andreae were complete bullshit and not based on any good research. And he tried to stem Freemasonry from Rosicrucianism as if that is accepted history rather than fanciful theory.

He states that all other beliefs and loyalties are to take a backseat to Freemasonry which is a false statement as we tell the candidates before taking his Obligation that it does not override or supersede any other Obligations one has to God, country, family, or friends.

Here are the facts behind the French Revolution and Freemasonry: https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/revolution.html

He says Freemasonry wasn’t around until 1610, but there are Lodge records that date to 1599 AD and the Regius Poem dates to 926 AD (carbon-dated to have been written around 1380 AD) which predates your Rosicrucian Manifesto obsession: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2010/05/regius-poem.html

Nothing about the founding of the US was about influencing the world in a sinister way. It was about breaking the chains from a tyrannical monarch and allowing a people to choose their own destiny and form of government.

The Templars were absolved by the Pope in the Chinon Parchment: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2012/08/the-chinon-parchment.html

The Templars had false charges laid against them by a tyrannical king who controlled the Papacy: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2012/03/death-of-jacques-demolay.html

Templar continuation myths and Freemasonry: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2019/11/the-sword-and-trowel.html

You are confusing Freemasonry and the Illuminati which are and were different groups: https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/illuminati.html

The 1782 Congress of Wilhelmsbad: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2013/07/the-1782-congress-of-wilhelmsbad.html

Barruel was discredited: https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/robison-barruel.html

Some Founders were Masons (most of whom were Christian), but not all: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2012/12/freemasonry-founding-of-united-states.html

Stonecutters was never an actual name of Freemasonry. That is a parody done by The Simpsons.

The Carbonari is not Freemasonry or a part of Freemasonry: https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/anti-masonry01.html#alta

The Black Hand is not a name used in Freemasonry or any of its concordant bodies.

Freemasonry had nothing to do with the establishment of socialism or communism. Freemasonry champions freedom and liberty, not government constraint. FYI, communist and socialist nations have consistently and historically banned and suppressed Freemasonry.

We don’t use the term “levels” to denote advancement or rank in Freemasonry: https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2018/05/what-level-are-you.html

Freemasonry isn’t a unified system nor do we “work together for our own prosperity and power.” That’s just an outright lie. Freemasonry is a decentralized system with hundreds of Grand Lodges around the world, each one is sovereign and independent.

After watching this video, I doubt his statement that he used to be a Mason. I've been a Mason for over 16 years and he uses no terminology that any Mason would know, but he does speak as if he's getting his information from an anti-Mason site which often confuses and mixes up words. He's just a burned-out "artist" who replaced meth with Christian fanaticism and looking for more attention.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my family, friends, Brothers, Companions, Sir Knights, Companion Knights, Fellows, Knights Companion, Cousins, Knights, Knight Priests, and Fratres around the world.

RIP Rex Hutchens

Tonight I was informed that Bro. Rex Hutchens has passed away. Many know him as a 33° Grand Cross, the author of "A Bridge to Light," and the quintessential Masonic scholar. The first time I met Rex was in 2007 and I had no idea who he was. I was in Arizona for training at Fort Huachuca when I found out that the Grand Lodge was going to do a cornerstone dedication in Rio Rico. The dedication was well attended even though it was over 100°F. As an out-of-state visitor, I was introduced to Rex, the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Arizona. We chatted a bit and even played a bit of chess to which he beat me pretty spectacularly. It was after I got back to Idaho that I discovered who he was.

Rex was a very active Mason, to say the least. He was a Past Grand Master of Masons of Arizona (2006-2007), Deputy for Arizona of the Supreme Council of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Past Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons of Arizona (1997), Past Grand Master of Royal & Select Masters of Arizona (2004), and Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Arizona (2007). He was in the Knights of the York Cross of Honor and recipient of the Knight of the York Grand Cross of Honor (Four Quadrants), a Knight Companion of the Red Cross of Constantine, a Board Member for the Scottish Rite Research Society, a Fellow of the Philalethes Society, a Founding Fellow of the Masonic Society, a Friar of the Society of Blue Friars, and recipient of the Knight Grand Cross in the Grand College of Rites.

I'm sure he was a member of more groups, but I couldn't find anything more. I did find, however, that there is a Lodge named after him, the Rex R Hutchens Research Lodge No.5 in Arizona.

Rest in Peace Brother

Anti-Mason Disinfo: Donald Trump

Not getting into partisan politics, but with the recent announcement of former President Trump that he's running again for President, a number of silly conspiracies have popped back up one of which is that Donald Trump is a Freemason. This theory comes in four different ways or sources: the Trump coat-of-arms, his supposedly saying "I'm a Mason", his holding an envelope that is secretly a Masonic apron, and his hand gestures.

The Trump Coat-of-Arms

In 2008, the Trump International Golf Links established a championship golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland, but one thing ran them afoul of the authorities and that was the use of unregistered heraldry the company used in their promotions. After four years, the Trump organization won the right and registered their coat-of-arms (see above):

A shield with three chevrons, two stars, and a double-headed eagle clutching golf balls in its talons, with a helmet above the shield and a crest of a lion waving a flag with the words "NUMQUAM CONCEDERE" (Never concede, never give up, or never give in).

A spokesman for Trump International stated the following about the coat-of-arms:

Three chevronels are used to denote the sky, sand dunes and sea — the essential components of the [golf resort] site — and the double-sided eagle represents the dual nature and nationality of Trump’s heritage. The eagle clutches golf balls, making reference to the great game of golf, and the motto 'Numquam Concedere' is Latin for 'Never Give Up' — Trump's philosophy.

Now anti-Masons and conspiracy theorists say that the use of a double-headed eagle is proof that he is not just a Mason, but a 33° [Scottish Rite] Mason because to them that is the end-all degree of Freemasonry where the sinister secrets of Freemasonry supposedly revealed [queue spooky music]. One even went so far as to say that it is actually a “double-headed phoenix” and that it is “one of the most prominent logos of freemasonry.”

The double-headed eagle has long been a symbol of imperialism and has been used by the Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire, and Russian/Tsarist Empire. For these empires, it was intended to represent dominion over lands in the East and West, but this symbol was also used with the Hittites, Sumerians, and pre-Pharaonic Egypt. This symbol was also used by some Islamic Sultanates in the Middle Ages, but after the Crusades, it became popularized in the Western world by its use by the Holy Roman Empire, and today has been used by several European nations in their seals, flags, or coat-of-arms.

In paganism, the eagle was used to depict the sun or the supreme god of a pantheon. In Christianity, one of the Hayyoth that sits around the Throne of God is depicted as having the head of an eagle. The Eagle is said to also represent the Gospel of John as his Gospel deals with Christ and the Word of God as the Eagle was to the ancients a divine messenger which also makes it associated with the archangel Gabriel whose name means “God is my Strength” and often served as a Messenger of the Most High God. The double-headed eagle is a symbol of union, dominion, and sovereignty; and is clearly a dualistic and alchemical symbol, and there is much more to this symbol, but that is a discussion for another time

For Freemasonry, the double-headed eagle is used by the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite where it’s often depicted surmounted by an imperial crown. The earliest Masonic use is dated to 1758 with the group known as the “Emperors of the East and West”, the progenitor to the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, who granted Stephen Morin a patent that brought this system of degrees to the Americas.

The double-headed eagle is an ancient symbol that was long used before it was used in Scottish Rite Freemasonry and the use thereof doesn't equate to Masonic affiliation. Trump's use of it seems to be nothing more than his company's attempt to give the Trump name a grandiose appearance as it spread to Europe.

"I'm a Mason"

During his tenure as President of the United States, I would see the claim on Twitter or YouTube that Donald Trump stated that he was, in fact, a Mason. They'd link audio of Trump talking with Pastor Scott and his wife who met with him during African American History Month. After Belinda Scott introduced herself, Trump started the following conversation with her and Past Scott:

MS. SCOTT:  I’m Belinda Scott, Darrell’s wife.  New Spirit Revival Center from Cleveland, Ohio.  Pastor of New Spirit.  Great amount of support in the African American community where we are.  We love the Lord, we love our new President, and we are praying for our President on a regular basis.

THE PRESIDENT:  You know, the one thing I didn’t understand about Belinda — I thought they were married maybe five or six years, because look how they look so young.  (Laughter.)  Should you say how many years you’ve been married?

MS. SCOTT:  Thirty-five.

PASTOR SCOTT:  We’ve been together for 38.

MS. SCOTT:  Been together for — but in the Lord –(laughter) —  35, yes.

PASTOR SCOTT:  Two years under — (inaudible.)  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s actually amazing.  I wouldn’t have known.

The conversation between the President and Pastor Scott continues for a few more minutes before moving on to other attendees. However, it was the President's last line where he supposedly said, "I'm a Mason." Without having seen the transcript, I was confused by the audio as the conversation was about how long the Pastor had been married and then anti-Masons would have us believe that Trump then just blurted "I'm a Mason." That would not have made any sense. His expressing amazement at the longevity of their marriage makes sense and fits into the context of the conversation.

Holding an Envelope

In June 2018, President Trump hosted Kim Yong Chol, a senior North Korean official, who delivered a letter from Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator, that was very large, to say the least. Trump took a picture (see below) holding this envelope and the conspiratards erupted all over the internet stating that Trump was actually holding a Masonic apron. It goes without saying that an envelope is not an apron and nothing Masonic would be coming from North Korea where Freemasonry is non-existent, and, in my opinion, Freemasonry is contrary to the ideals of the North Korean regime.

Hand Gestures

Trump is a very animated speaker and has given the conspiratards an ample amount to talk about. While sitting Trump has been photographed with his hands held as pictured here. Apparently, anti-Masons and conspiracy theorists think this indicates that he is a Mason or at least involved with the infamous "new world order." When I asked one anti-Mason what proof he had that this was Masonic, they Tweeted a picture of signs used in the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), but anti-Masons do not accept that the OTO is not Masonic or an appendant body of Freemasonry. Now to be fair, they also think that using the "OK" gesture is the "666 gesture" and makes someone a Mason while others erroneously think it is a symbol of white supremacy.

Doing some research into hand gestures, it is called "steepling" or the "steeple hand gesture" as your hand often forms something like a church steeple when holding your hand in this fashion. This hand gesture is a sign of confidence, authority, and expertise, but can also come across as a sign of overconfidence or arrogance. It goes without saying that Trump is someone who comes across as confident, albeit arrogant at times.

The fact is that Donald Trump is not a Mason and none of the foolish theories come close to meeting the burden of proof to show otherwise.