The Masonic Lodge teaches the nonbiblical view stated above in their first, second, and third degrees, but especially in the prayer of the Entered Apprentice and during their ceremony in the third degree concerning the legend of Hiram Abiff. Specifically, the Masonic Lodge teaches its belief in the unity and universality of all men as "one family" accepted by God regardless of race, religion, or creed. This Masonic teachings sounds good to most people. But if we examine it carefully, does the Bible really teach the concept of the universal Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man, so that all men are automatically sons of God? Does the Bible teach that all men are in good standing before God even if they are ignoring God’s Son?
    The Bible does not teach any of the above, but Masonry does. During the ritual of the first three degrees, every Mason is introduced to the Masonic teaching concerning the Fatherhood of God. For example, in his discussion of the ritual encompassing the Masonic legend of Hiram Abiff, Allen E. Roberts in his The Craft and Its Symbols: Opening the door to Masonic Symbolism instructs new candidates that "through these teachings the Mason will put into practice the brotherhood of man under the Fatherhood of God. In doing so, he will develop his character and personality in the image of the Great Architect of the Universe.
    Every man who has gone through the first degree of Freemasonry remembers the following prayer. It can be found in the Standard Masonic Ritual and Monitor of every state for the first degree (Entered Apprentice) of the Blue Lodge:
 

"Vouchsafe Thine aid, Almighty Father of the universe, to this our present convention: and grant that this candidate for Masonry may dedicate and devote his life to thy service, and become a true and faithful brother among us! Endue him with a competency of thy divine wisdom, that, by the secrets of our art, he may be better enabled to display the beauties of brotherly love, relief, and truth, to the honor of thy holy name. Amen."
 

    Masonic authority Carl Claudy admits that this prayer, at the start of the Masonic journey, forms the foundation of the Craft: "Among the most beautiful of Freemasonry’s symbols, these express at the very beginning the fundamental principle of Freemasonry: the Fatherhood of God, and the Brotherhood of man.
    The Masonic temple itself is said to symbolize the idea of the harmony between the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. For example, "The temple that the Craft is building is the unification and the harmonizing of the entire human family. This is summed up for us in the well-known lives: ‘God hath made mankind one vast brotherhood, Himself their Master, and the world His Lodge.’ " God Himself is said to be the ultimate "W. M. {Worshipful Master} working through His supervising Master Masons."
    But the Bible does not teach the universal Fatherhood of God (that all Masons are in good standing with God and a part of His Lodge) and brotherhood of man (that all men can live in harmony even though they hold different religious beliefs). Scripture clearly teaches that sinful men only become children of God and attain favorable standing before Him when they place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
    The following Scriptures prove that, apart from Christ, men may be the creation of God, but they are not spiritually "sons" or "children" of God.
 

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).
 

{Jesus said} "If I speak truth why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God (John 8:46,47).
 

    The apostle Paul describes the condition of all men before God prior to their faith in Christ:
 

"And {you} were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest...Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ...and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:3,12).
 

"{Men} being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart" (Ephesians 4:18).
 

    In Jesus’ prayer to His Father, He describes the world’s natural condition: "The world has not known Thee (John 17:25). The Bible also teaches that someday Christ will return, "dealing out retribution to those who do not know God..." (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
    When Masonry teaches that all men are already saved because of the Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man, they are effectively inhibiting and preventing Masons from coming to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ and having their sins forgiven. In this sense, Masonry is unbiblical (John 3:16)
    In the above verses, notice first of all that if Jesus gives to those who believe on Him the right to become children of God, then all men were not children of God before that. This means that men are not born children of God, as Masonry teaches, and that God is not the Father of all men-spiritually or relationally.
    Why? It seems Masonry has forgotten or ignore the account of man’s Fall in Genesis-of Adam and Eve in the garden. The Bible teaches that man, through disobedience to God, sinned and broke his spiritual relationship with God. All men, although created by God, are not in a right relationship with God. Proof of this can be found in the Book of Acts where we read, "The God who made the world and all things in it...is Lord of heaven and earth...Being then the offspring of God..." (Acts 17:24,29). Notice that because God is the Creator, all men may be said to be His children, His offspring, in the sense of His creating them. But they are not His children relationally or spiritually. Here is the problem. Look at what God says to His children. God now "commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). Repentance means we must be willing to turn away from our beliefs and reliance on self and turn to and fully rely upon Christ’s salvation provided for us.
    How is it possible for a Christian to promote and defend a false teaching which says that all sinful men regardless of their relationship to Christ will go to heaven? The Scripture says a Christian should know better.
    The Scriptures instruct Christians to proclaim that only through Christ will men receive forgiveness of their sins and be able to go to heaven. Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me...(John 14:6)
 

John Ankerberg & John Weldon