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?
Strong feelings expressed here, seems like insecurity is rife.
Let me begin by saying that Freemasonry is not “militantly humanistic”, it’s not “militantly” anything. And it does NOT teach “a fundamentally syncretistic view of Divinity.” Masonry does not try to teach any specific religious view other than a belief in God. There is no combining of religious beliefs; the religious beliefs of members are strictly their own, private and not manipulated by Masonry. The rituals are NOT taken as literal truth, they are allegorical, emphasizing morality.
Fundamental to an understanding of Christianity is the truth of Christ’s life and ministry and death and resurrection which provides salvation. There is nothing in Christian beliefs that requires objects of hate in order to enter into piety with God. Christ ministered to all members of society, particularly the most outcast, and did not refuse to interact with ANYONE. Are you among the priests and Levites who will pass by a dying Samaritan in order to not pollute your righteous self? I leave salvation up to every individual and God. I do not presume to speak for God, nor do I think men are incapable of moral behavior just because they are not yet Christians. As a Mason, I can tell you that most of our members are far better Christians than those I hear from on this kind of post.
Please somebody ping me when (and if) an authoritative statement reversing the 1983 statement is posted.
You are wrong, the prohibition and punishment were removed long ago.
Um, no actually, punishment may have been removed but prohibition is still in place. It's not very well publicized, but it is and there are some darn good reasons for it, too.
The best explanations actually come from a man who was a mason for some years and left. His name is John Salza and he's a lawyer who's written two books on the subject. I've seen him on EWTN and read part of the first book. Very bright man.
It’s hard to post something that doesn’t exist.
I might be wrong.
I am trying to understand how I came to believe that Masonry was allowed, for Catholics.
I know I read it somewhere, at one time.
Very much the truth in the past.
However it is a fast failing organization due to the senescence of most of it’s members.
Is it possible that you might have read it in a secular newspaper?
I came to believe in the end that Free Masonry, does believe in the Ancient Egyptian book of the dead, and it does list all of the sins. They are not like the ten commandments of the bible. One sin is stopping running water, which often was a terrible thing in ancient times, such has having running water on your property and stopping it for the farm below you. So, “the Book of the Dead” is trying to provide a way to heaven as I see it, but there is no other way than through Jesus Christ.
When this grandfather of mine died, he wanted a Masonic funeral. My grandmother was one of the most upset people that I have ever seen in my life. She went to search for a minister, for she felt she could not go to her own pastor, out of shame and pain. The story of the Masonry is one you must search for yourself. My words will not suffice. Ihave done my search, and it will last for a lifetime.
Your history is a little fractured.
KKK was anti-black, anti-Catholic and anti-Jew...Universal haters.
The Knight’s Templar weren’t into banking.. They invented the concept.
Catholics didn’t murder the Knight’s Templar, the king of France did...True the pope didn’t offer too much complaint but at the time he was being held in relative “captivity” in France as well.
French King owed the Templars a boat load of money and couldn’t pay up.
Opinions are like assholes...everybody has at least one, and most of them stink.
Maybe yes, maybe no. Masonry only requires that you beleive in a supreme being. NO ATHEISTS NEED APPLY! You could be a Christian, Buddhist, Jew or other as long as you beleive in GOD.
It is obvious that you are not a Mason and know very little about it.
Lots of common errors about Freemasonry on this thread.
Where's your logic?
(shakes her head and snickers at the ignorance)
It seems odd that a Catholic Priest could become a Masonic “Chaplin” in Italy, of all places, and not receive any Catholic rebuke for that, does it not?
I am now confused -—
But I resisted Masonry for many of the reasons posted here, while I still think it is possible to be a Christian AND a Mason.
There's a lot of confusion around this, but the Church's stance on this hasn't changed since the 18th century. Leo XI, I believe, but I'm really not sure. The gentleman I mentioned in an earlier post, John Salsa, definitely has the most to say right now as he's quit the lodge.
Claims of victimhood are always useful in gaining sympathy, but how do you claim victimhood when you are a brand new group? Claim to be members of another, long-gone group that can’t challenge your claims! How could Mohammed justify hating all Jews? Claim to be descended from Esau, the brother who Jacob scammed!
Since the Knights Templar were Catholic, and the freemason’s beliefs are inconsistent with Catholicism, either the Free Mason’s claim that they are descended from the Knights Templar is either nonsense, or they actually were the heretics that they were accused of being, or the truth is somewhere in between.
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