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?
Don’t particularly care what some author says. I’ve done enough study on my own to formulate the opinion I expressed. But thanks anyway.
You’ve got to believe in a deity to be a Mason. It’s not limited to Christianity; some Masonic beliefs and rituals would not be considered particularly Christian, especially by devout fundamentalists.
Beyond that, I’ve understood that Mormonism incorporates many aspects of Freemasonry into their religious ceremonies and rites. Mormons themselves appear to have gone back and forth, as to whether they’re actually Christian themselves, or not.
You’ve got to show interest and make inquiries, in order to become better informed by the Masons themselves. They do not approach you, you approach them.
See post 11. And your intelligence is showing as well.
Though the movie is not historically perfect, I suggest you watch “Gangs of New York” for a taste of what life was like, for Catholics in pre-civil war America.
When Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, many insurance companies had clauses that would not allow their insurance products to be sold to someone who was not born on American Soil, or even, to those whose PARENTS were not born on American Soil.
Some insurance companies went so far as to specifically DECLINE any applications from Catholics, and even put that prohibition in writing.
The Knights of Columbus was formed to fill a void, and eventually the Knights formed their own Fraternal, Mutual Insurance Company.
To this day, most of the revenue raised by the Knights of Columbus comes from their Insurance operation.
They have one of the most competitive “dividend scales” in the industry.
As “investments” go, a KofC whole life policy will probably out perform a municipal bond, even after taxes, if purchased before age 50 and held for 20 years or more. Even if cashed out BEFORE death!
Anyway, there is your answer:
Necessity if the Mother of Invention!
Bigotry denied insurance to Catholics.
Catholics created their OWN insurance company!
I’ll tell you this: I posted an article once pointing out the very public record that the Warren and Burger court liberals were free masons. I got hundreds of posts, not one disagreeing with anyone I had put on the list. I made no disparaging comments other than noting the sharply liberal orientation of the Supreme Court.
I had every kind of ad-hominem attack level against me you can imagine. So good luck getting a candid answer.
They are a secret society, probably founded 300 years ago, but with their own mythology which claims they built the Egyptian pyramids and/or the Temple of Solomon. They support charitable works, and oppose disputes among religious denominations. This latter leads to accusations that they oppose any denomination which asserts particular doctrines; there is a long history of mutual antagonism between free masons and Catholics, including accusations of conspiracy.
Among their members were many founding Fathers, but their numbers and influenced declined greatly in the 1800s. But by the early 20th century, they became much more popular than ever. Like all fraternal organizations, they declined in the 1960s and 1970s. Their influence today is most felt through the Hellenic fraternities and sororities, many of which have nothing to do with masonry, but many others of which are patterned on masonic rituals and values, as is Mormonism.
OK, let the flaming commence.
The Shriner’s Hospitals do great work, especially with children. I have a lot of friends who are Masons and Shriners. All of them are fine, upstanding men.
I have been approached on several different occasions to become a member but I was too involved in other things to give any more of my time.
BTW, all of the Masons I know are Church going Christians. I even had a great Uncle who was a Southern Baptist Pastor who was also a Mason. (This was in the early 1900’s though.)
I ask this:
Many of the University “Greek” organizations are just as secret, and have very similar rituals, as the Masons.
(You can go to the Library of Congress and get most of any initiation ritual, for any organization. Perhaps a few of the words will be blacked out, but you can get the basic idea.)
Why did the Catholic Church not resist the “Greek” college societies?
Simple: It was the HISTORY that embarrassed the Church, more than any particular problem with Masonic practices in general.
“As a Catholic, I have been recruited several times to join the Masons, and I have politely decline.”
Interesting comment.....I thought that Masons were not allowed to recruit....you have to request membership on your own free will. This is a question, I am curious on the contradiction.
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I have another question. If religion and politics are not to be discussed in the “lodge”, how does this obviously political group conduct business? Is the “lodge” a seperate room in their buildings or only during ceremonies? Do they only talk about it in private meetings?
There was lots of bigotry against catholics in america. from the days after the civil war until probably JFK was elected, catholics and black were both considered dangerous to america. 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. I’ve also been told that in america, masons were at one time anti-catholic.
Don’t you think it’s a little bit suspicious that the knights templar were into banking and insurance and that the knights of columbus were as well? And that the origins of the freemasons is connected to the knights templar? Also, don’t forget that the catholics murdered the knights templar. Stands to reason that the masons would not be overly friendly to the catholic church.
Your post sounds an awful lot like a lame excuse to me. The fact still remains that the knights of columbus is nothing more than a CATHOLIC ONLY version of the masons/shriners/knights templar.
Freemasons, have always stood for the good guys - the human condition of knowing right vs wrong.
Many may say there are not Christian masons - they are wrong. There are Freemasons that support only the christian church and Jesus Christ.
True at the lower levels of Master masons it is a more universal view allowing anyone the believes in a supreme being to work, live and eat together.
I have seen Jews and Muslims share the same food, drink and fellowship.
Freemasonry is like a university, there are many colleges in them and each man is unique to his choice where he wants to go.
It is best to understand that freedom, the human condition, right vs wrong, helpful vs not - support vs conquer - the good things in life are what Freemasons believe in.
Dad is a retired Fireman and a devout Catholic.
He was never a Mason, but the Shrine Burn Center and their Children’s hospital work is very close to his heart, to this day.
He got mad at anyone for bashing the Masons.
I worked with many, was a partner, at one time, with different Masons.
They have recruitment brochures which they would put on my desk.
“To be one, ask one” was said to me, many times.
There are ways to “recruit” which are not considered outright “recruiting” by the Masons.
A Masonic symbol, or ring, or phrase, can make all the difference in some business or legal circles, at least this was true at one time.
All other things being equal, where there is a “tie” in a decision, Masons seem to believe that the “tie goes to the Shriner” or Mason.
“My opinion? If you’re a Mason, you’re not a Christian.”
Obviously you have no experience with Masons. Or, you are terribly misinformed.
I am a Freemason and I can tell you there are many good Christians in the fraternity. Many good WWII vets as well.
Many ceremonies are performed with the right hand on the Holy Bible.
It is not, however, exclusive to Christians.
Turn off Alex Jones and go see for yourself.
There are plenty of books on the fraternity.
You might be surprised at how much of America’s “foundation” was supported by Freemasons.
If you only take a glance from the outside, and you are prone to paranoia, then you might see the ceremony and symbolism as something it is not.
The KKK Act was written to protect, “Catholics, Negros and Republicans in the Reconstruction South” -— read it sometime!
I am a bit of an expert on the topic, since I belong to 2 out of 3 of those groups, yet Judge Kelly and George Tiller tried (and failed) to use that Act against me!
The Knights of Columbus are not masonic. The only thing they share with the masons are common to most fraternal orders. The masons did not invent fraternal orders. If anything, the K of C was created to oppose anti-Catholic bigotry; specifically, it was started in Connecticut as a life insurer, believe it or not!
Your question is a bit like asking, “If the British military is so terrible, why did the Colonists form their own military?”
Give them some historical evidence that “Women's Suffrage” or Women's right to vote, was widely promoted by the KKK, which believed that White Women would vote in higher percentages than Black women!
It’s not as frowned upon to “mention” Freemasonry to men you believe might fit in the fraternity.
There is nothing wrong with it as long as it is not a “hard sell” type thing—which I would find appalling and completely unnecessary.
It is more about letting them know such a fraternity exists.
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