The origins of Freemasonry are debated, even among Masons. Most Masons, however, agree that the birth of modern Freemasonry occurred in 1717 in England during the dawn of the Enlightenment period. During this period, there was an Intellectual movement that spread throughout Europe called Rationalism, whereby human reason was exalted above God's Revelation. This resulted in a religious subjectivism in which man could now decide what was true and what wasn't true on matters of faith and morals. The Christian truths of the fall, original sin, and the necessity of Redemption were abandoned. Ecclesiastical authority was also forsaken. God became a deistic "Grand Architect of the Universe" that was sought and worshiped in all religions. These elements have been preserved in modern Freemasonry.
Ironically, although almost every Protestant church has condemned Freemasonry, the movement of Rationalism actually brought about the Protestant Reformation. Luther and other Protestant “reformers" substituted private judgment for the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, and this has led to thousands of divisions within Christianity. But while Protestants have removed the teaching authority of the Church from their religion, Masons have removed Christ Himself.
Downloadable books (free):
Rowan Moonstone - Pagan History The Origins Of HalloweenCharles Webster Leadbeater - The Hidden Life In Freemasonry
Castells - The Apocalypse Of Freemasonry
Captain William Morgan - The Mysteries Of Freemasonry
