Although Holly and some Masons may believe we have, the Southern Baptist Convention has not aligned itself with Freemasonry. That was never the design or intent of the Study. The vote at the 1993 Southern Baptist Convention did not align the Convention with Freemasonry, rather, messengers voted not to condemn the fraternity. Baptists emphasize the soul's competence before God, freedom in religion, and the priesthood of the believer. However, this emphasis should not be interpreted to mean that there is an absence of certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified.
Any freedom carries with it responsibility.
Freedom of religion or conscience is no different. Ultimately, each person is responsible to God for what he believes and does, not to his fellow man. The Southern Baptist Convention has not blessed the Masonic Lodge. Anyone who believes the Convention has blessed Freemasonry is wrong and doesn't understand the polity of the Convention. First, I reject Holly's identification of Freemasonry with the occult.