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What of Freemasonry?
The "Net" | May 23, 2009 | logic 'n reason

Posted on 05/24/2009 10:20:53 AM PDT by Logic n' Reason

I have become very curious about the Freemasons and freemasonry in general.
How does it "fit in" with the group of Christian religions...how about islam? What are the views and opinions of those at this site?


TOPICS: Education; Miscellaneous; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: 2b1ask1; adamweishaupt; blazingstar; bringsoutthekooks; freemason; freemasonry; illuminati; lucifer; masonry; snakehandlers; society
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To: Boucheau

“Turn off Alex Jones and go see for yourself.

There are plenty of books on the fraternity.”

Who is Alex Jones?

I’ve read the books on Masons written by Masons. I’ve also read the comparisons of Masons and their “beliefs” with Christianity. My opinion stands.


121 posted on 05/24/2009 1:47:00 PM PDT by swmobuffalo ("We didn't seek the approval of Code Pink and MoveOn.org before deciding what to do")
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To: mcswan
My thanks to you for your cogent, reasoned, and calm response.
I can always stand to learn more, and am glad a Freemason decided to "chip in" so to speak.
122 posted on 05/24/2009 1:53:03 PM PDT by Logic n' Reason (GM = Gummint Motors.)
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To: RegulatorCountry
It does not sound “odd” to me, the spiritually path you have taken.

In fact, the ability of Christianity to retain its essential nature, of the centuries, is quite remarkable, given the weakness of many of our leaders.

I would call that a “miracle” in itself, and therefore argue that the weaknesses of the Church actually support the Divine origin of the Church, as we are obviously too weak to “keep the faith” without the Grace of God!

123 posted on 05/24/2009 2:04:13 PM PDT by Kansas58
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To: servantboy777
Interesting comments to be sure; and I thank you for them. However, I'm very leary of those who use any religious text to "make a point" without much of anything else....be that a rabbi expounding on the absolute truth of the Torah, an imam screaming the absolute truth of the Koran, or a christian thumping the "revealed word" in the bible.
All of them give me the willies as in reality each of those books is based primarily on belief.

And one cannot argue or converse reasonably about a given topic when one participant bases their "facts" on a belief. When belief is used as the argument, then thought and learning has ceased.

Again, thanks for the comments tho!

124 posted on 05/24/2009 2:05:41 PM PDT by Logic n' Reason (GM = Gummint Motors.)
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To: Lucius Cornelius Sulla

“From the Catholic Encyclopedia:
“In view of these several reasons Catholics since 1738 are, under penalty of excommunication, incurred ipso facto, and reserved to the pope, strictly forbidden to enter or promote in any way Masonic societies.”

Again, if a Catholic becomes a mason they are by that act excommunicated.”

Become a Mason and your excommunicated, advocate the killing of the unborn in the public arena, and you are not even excluded from the sacraments. Go figure. Becoming a Mason threatens the church’s power base, excommunicating abortion proponents threatens the church’s pocketbook.


125 posted on 05/24/2009 2:05:46 PM PDT by gscc
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To: Kansas58
The Knights Templars might well have “lost their way” when they sacked Constantinople, and attacked the Eastern Church.

AFAIK, the KT had nothing particular to do with the Fourth Crusade that conquered Constantinople.

The history of that event is also not nearly as one-sided as the general perception.

126 posted on 05/24/2009 2:08:10 PM PDT by Sherman Logan (Everyone has a right to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.)
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To: dangus

I vote for “somewhere in between”


127 posted on 05/24/2009 2:11:37 PM PDT by Kansas58
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To: mamelukesabre
I don’t have any proof to back this up, but my great grandfather claimed that the KKK was at one time as anti-catholic as it was anti-black.

The KKK has had three quite different incarnations.

1860s version: primarily anti-black and anti-unionist white.

1920s version, by far the largest and most powerful: primarily anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic, to a relatively minor extent anti-semitic. At this point the blacks were quite thoroughly "in their place." They were also anti-booze, supporting Prohibition.

The 1960s version bounced back to being anti-black.

128 posted on 05/24/2009 2:13:24 PM PDT by Sherman Logan (Everyone has a right to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.)
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To: Logic n' Reason

Read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - free ebook at Gutenburg.org


129 posted on 05/24/2009 2:15:22 PM PDT by Selene
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To: Safrguns
My own father is a 32nd degree mason.
I also know that he is a christian who understands who Jesus is, and has a personal relationship with Him.

Does this make him "not a Christian"? Hardly.

Does it disable his witness AS a christian? definitely.

I think deep in his heart he does see the contradictions, but simply refuses to recognize or explore the potential damage that it does, primarily because he has been involved with it for so long and has a difficult time denouncing all the good that he sees that it has accomplished in society. He is currently not actively involved, but if asked about it he will have nothing but good things to say about freemasonry. This does not make him right about the issue... but it doesn't make him non-christian either.

God? You post on FR? I had no idea.

You might try talking to your father before assuming how he feels and thinks.

You, and the rest of the people opining that you can't be a christian and a mason are really saying "you can't be a real christian like me and be a mason."

Didn't Christ say something about what happens to people that make judgements?

Regards.

130 posted on 05/24/2009 2:17:18 PM PDT by Abundy
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To: navyblue
Cotholicsm is my RELIGION! Masonry is my FRATERNITY! You get the difference?

For one it may be nothing more than a fraternity. For another it is their religion. So the question becomes is it a fraternity or is it a religion? How does one define "Religion"? Is there a difference between "Faith" and "Religion"? If a fraternity is actively engaged in teaching a religion which is contradictory to one's faith, is that one obligated by his own faith to dis-associate from the fraternity? Are you aware that atheism itself is technically a religion? Where does one "check their religion at the door" so as to promote brotherly love? If I love my brother who is without Christ, shall I kneel at a common alter with him as he worships a false god?

You will even find Catholic priests that are Masons.

I can also find Catholic priests that have shamed their faith in unspeakable ways. This does not make the practice acceptable in God's eyes.
131 posted on 05/24/2009 2:18:34 PM PDT by Safrguns
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To: gscc
Become a Mason and your excommunicated, advocate the killing of the unborn in the public arena, and you are not even excluded from the sacraments.

Actually the penalties are exacly the same for both. All Catholics who advocate abortion are automaticaly excommunicated and forbidden to receive the sacraments. That doesn't prevent a lot of pro-abortion 'Catholics' from profaning the sacraments, nor does it prevent 'Catholic' Masons from doing the same

132 posted on 05/24/2009 2:22:12 PM PDT by Lucius Cornelius Sulla ("men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." -- Edmund Burke)
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To: Lucius Cornelius Sulla

“Actually the penalties are exacly the same for both.”

You are probably right - there is no penalty.


133 posted on 05/24/2009 2:34:50 PM PDT by gscc
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To: mcswan
You noticed the vitriol too??

The differing viewpoints are, I suppose, to be expected. But I guess I was hoping that these points of view could be expressed with a minimum of emotion and a maximum of thoughtfulness.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. And I noticed that those professing christianity and/or catholocism seem to be the most entrenched, unmoveable, and unthinking in their "opinion" (belief).

Taken as a "temperature" about 350 years ago...or 500 to 600 years ago...it is not at all difficult to see how religious wars took root.

But we're all much better than that now.....right?

Unless of course, we are speaking about the present day religious war between islam and western christianity!

As Linda Elerby used to say, "...and so it goes."

134 posted on 05/24/2009 2:37:58 PM PDT by Logic n' Reason (GM = Gummint Motors.)
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To: gscc
You are probably right - there is no penalty.

So long as you do not believe that going to Hell is a penalty you are right.

135 posted on 05/24/2009 2:39:33 PM PDT by Lucius Cornelius Sulla ("men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." -- Edmund Burke)
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To: Abundy
You, and the rest of the people opining that you can't be a christian and a mason are really saying "you can't be a real christian like me and be a mason."

You mis-read my post.
I opposed the notion that you can't be christian if you are a mason. How is that judgmental?
"I THINK" prefaces my opinion which I'm entitled to.
and besides... I HAVE spoken to him about it, and I think I know him just a little better than you do.
136 posted on 05/24/2009 2:41:48 PM PDT by Safrguns
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To: Selene
Thank you so much, Selene!

I was not even aware that "Gutenberg.org" existed!

Thanks again.

137 posted on 05/24/2009 2:45:38 PM PDT by Logic n' Reason (GM = Gummint Motors.)
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To: mamelukesabre

I’m not catholic and do not adhere to the preponderance of man made rituals that the catholics practice in their version of Christianity. Most of what they practice was never taught by the master himself, Jesus, i.e. the Pope as head of the church, the mixing of pagan rituals with church theology, the mass, pergatory etc. Find all that in the Bible? Don’t think so. I’m not just talking out of the top of my head. I’ve looked into these things for over 50 years and have come up with my conclusions.
I’m not familiar with the Knights, other than it’s a good works group, as is the Shriners. Not knocking that part of it at all. What they do is admirable. It’s the false teaching of the Mason’s and the Shriners that makes them dangerous. For example, when a Mason dies he must wear the masonic apron or he won’t be able to enter the celestial temple. They also have rewritten the Bible calling it the Masonic Bible. Something the Bible expressly forbids and gives explicit warnings about. They take blood oaths and other weird rituals thinking that they are pleasing God. It’s nothing more than another well accepted cult. So be very careful when be drawn into the Masonic circle. Choose wisely.


138 posted on 05/24/2009 2:54:22 PM PDT by BigFinn (isa 32:8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.)
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To: dangus

Templars held the Holy Land for 200 years.

Freemason’s legends are just that Legends.

Remember the mason’s claim to have a linage back to Solomon and Hiram Abiff.


139 posted on 05/24/2009 3:08:23 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (TAZ:Untamed, Unpredictable, Uninhibited.)
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To: Safrguns
Which comes first?

I think that's a key question and the responses to that question often illustrate the problem.

140 posted on 05/24/2009 3:10:31 PM PDT by Question_Assumptions
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