Is it true what they say about David Janssen

Over the last years, noted authors in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry have taken the time to publish a set of articles on a lone sermon I delivered in State College at my home church.  An article was published in The Northern Light, the official magazine of the Northern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite.  This article was reprinted and mailed to people across my hometown of State College, Pa.  Although I spoke on the topic on only one Sunday, and at the request of my leadership team, they chose to take the issue to a new level.  Many members of our church, and a second church, received a reprint of the Northern Light article in the mail. 

The Northern Light article was followed by an expanded version, which appeared in the Scottish Rite journal, Heredom.  The heart of this article, by Grand Historian Art de Hoyos, was then presented in the fifth chapter of the 2005 reprint of their classic, “Is it true what they say about Freemasonry?”  This book, reworked every few years, is an attempt to refute the work of people of interest.

Grand Historian Art de Hoyos states about the sermon, “…these remarks are so riddled with inaccuracies that we are obliged to examine them in some detail.” (Is it True what they say about Freemasonry, Art de Hoyos, p.77)

Let’s examine a few aspects of his work and ask, Is it true what they say about Pastor David Janssen?  It would seem that anyone using the riddled with inaccuracies argument would be careful to ensure his own preciseness.  However, the author does not even deliver accurate quotes from the sermon in question!  Art de Hoyos cites four simple sentences, and in these sentences one can count 15 quoting errors!

Changing Words

In the Heredom journal, Art de Hoyos provides these sentences to his readers as apparent quotations from the sermon.  I have included the text of the original sermon on the left, and the Heredom/Is it True text on the right.  Changes made to the text by inaccurate quotations are highlighted in bold. Let’s examine the differences.

Sermon                                                                      Heredom/Is it true

This book was the first and last                         It was the first and last compilation
compilation of the Scottish Rite Degrees            of Scottish Rite Degrees most likely
published as a limited edition intended               published as a limited edition intended
for assisting Masons through the Degrees          for assisting Masons through the
of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.                  Degrees of the Scottish Rite of
                                                                                 Freemasonry…

The ritual has been used from                           We recognize that it was used from
approximately 1885 through 1925 and               approximately 1885 through 1925 and
perhaps up until today. It was the first               maybe today.  It was the first and last compilation of the individual ritual degrees.                         Compilation of the individual (ritual) degrees. 
                                                                                                                    

McClenachan compiled the teachings of              McClenachan compiled it from different
the different degrees from different books.         books and brought it together.

Freemasonry published his work and went          Masonry published it and went on to on to use it for approximately 40 years.                                   use it for approximately 40 years.

One must ask if the author cannot be accurate with simple quotations he chooses to use in his attack, what level of accuracy is contained in the rest of his argument?  Maybe it is true what they say about Freemasonry.

Changing Responsibility

Although it is true that I urged members to evaluate their relationship with Freemasonry, DeHoyos seems to avoid giving his readers the real picture.  The sermon clearly states that this decision was the action of our entire leadership team, or board of elders.  The article seems to infer that I was somehow acting alone, a kind of maverick.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Possibly readers of Is it True what they say abut Freemasonry should ponder why an entire leadership team would be so convinced of the material that they would make this collective statement.  Maybe it isn’t about a solo pastor, but rather about multiple, seasoned, Christian leaders who have their finger on a problem.

DeHoyos states:

“A Pennsylvania pastor urged members of his church to disassociate themselves from Freemasonry and announced that Masons would be ineligible for membership in his church.” P. 14  Northern Light, May 1988

In reality this occurred:

“We believe the organization of Freemasonry runs contrary to the purposes of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our church bylaws, and it is in this voice that we speak.” Sermon, p.4

Changing Postures

Dehoyos states that anti-Masons “are generally content to condemn our fraternity based upon their misunderstanding of the sources they haphazardly select, and Pastor Janssen in no exception.” (76  Is it True what they say about Freemasonry) 

The inference is that the choice of the book I used, McClenachan's Book of the Ancient and Accepted Rite of Freemasonry, was, at best, haphazard.  However, just five pages into his book article brother DeHoyos states, “We have studied the ceremonies and rituals of the various Supreme Councils, and are satisfied that McClenachan’s The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite was an accurate monitor of the ritual issued in 1867.”  (P.83  Is it true what they say about Freemasonry)

This doesn’t sound like a haphazard choice.

Time does not permit a statement-by-statement rebuttal of DeHoyo’s Top Ten Misunderstandings section.  Let it be said that none of his statements, or defenses, seem especially noteworthy.  Rather than explain why paganism is found in the Scottish Rite, he merely points the finger at some Christian practices.  By the way, some Christians do avoid Christmas trees, yule logs, and the term Easter.  It is called Resurrection Sunday to many believers!

Changing My Passion

The final quote of the chapter states, “If Pastor Janssen and other anti-Masons choose to condemn us, we invite them to do so on a basis of truth.” (P.90  Is it true what they say about Freemasonry)

I do not wish to condemn anyone, and I certainly do not condemn Freemasonry.  I do not condemn the people in Freemasonry.  I recognize and appreciate the fine charitable efforts that come from the organization.  I know a number of Masons, and they are generally fine people.  I understand their desire to make good men better.  I understand that some have moved from atheism to theism as a result of the Lodge.  I am not attempting to point fingers at Freemasonry for their esoteric teachings.

What I am saying is simple.  I do not believe the Lodge and Christianity are compatible. 

I still believe it is impossible to fully believe the teachings of Freemasonry and the teachings of Jesus at the same time.  They are mutually exclusive.  A man has every right to choose his path, but these two roads go different ways.