THE ANTI-CATHOLIC NATURE OF FREEMASONRY

Catholic Church Teaching on Freemasonry ^ | March 17, 1927 | MARTIN J. SCOTT, S.J.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Sad, that you trust the mis-information in this article. Masonry is not at all as depicted by this sad little article.

[Brad C.]

I think we are playing a little bit with semantics as far as what the Church believes to be the whole truth, though as I mentioned I am not Catholic.

Let me see if I can dig a little deeper hole. Basically, to me the truth is that God gave his only son so that we as sinners could be forgiven for our sins and join him in Heaven. I, and others like me accept that as the truth

The fact that I believe I can do this outside of the RCC seems to bother them. I know the truth, I knew it before I became a member of the fraternity. I have found no reference to the RCC in the King James bible I keep in my home, and therefore have difficulties with believing that it the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The bottom line again is that at the root of all the various branches of Christianity and other major religions is a core set of beliefs. Accepting those and building upon them makes each of us better men, and improves the lives of those around us.

Once again, I appreciate your kind thoughts and words.

[sitetest]

Dear Brad C.,

"Basically, to me the truth is that God gave his only son so that we as sinners could be forgiven for our sins and join him in Heaven."

First, I'd say that you know this truth because of the Catholic Church. ;-)

Second, I'd also note that there is nothing about Masonry that requires you to believe this absolutely fundamental truth. It is the essence of Divine revelation. And it is entirely disregarded, at least in principle, by Masonry.

And that is one of the problems that the Catholic Church has with Masonry, that it teaches part of the truth about God (from natural revelation), but not the other part of the truth about God (from Divine revelation).

"The fact that I believe I can do this outside of the RCC seems to bother them."

Then your perception isn't quite correct. The Catholic Church rejoices that folks know about the salvation of Jesus Christ. She only mourns that non-Catholics don't have the fullness of grace that comes from perfect communion with Her. She is, after all, in Her own understanding, the Body of Christ.

But we're getting far afield.

The Catholic Church would be less distressed with Masonry if it were to properly and positively affirm the Divine revelation of Jesus Christ.


sitetest

[MeanWestTexan]

"Great Architect of the Universe"

That prhase was actually first coined by John Calvin, who can hardly be called anti-Christian.

Lots of state consitutions refer to God as "the Great Legislature of the Universe."

Such "other names" for the God of Abraham are quite common in the Bible and in Jewish custom and tend to related to what is being accomplished at the time --- for example, on the mezuzah placed on my door is the first letter of one of God's names "Shaddai" --- short for Shomer Daltot Yisrael (literally "Guardian of the Doorways of Israel").

Even in the Shema (the scroll inside the mezuzah -- Deteronmy portion "Love the Lord thy God with all they heart -- you presumably know the rest), the Hebrew name for God used was "King of the Universe."

So, long and short, is a reference to the one and only God, same one that made a promise to Abraham.

In English (and Latin), all these various Hebrew names for God tended to become just "God" (or Jehovah), which is the source of the claim that there is something amiss here.

[MeanWestTexan]

"Have you ever been to a Jewish or Islamic or Sikh or Buddhist lodge? Their Architect of the Universe is different from ours."

1. Last time I checked, the God of Jews was the God of Jesus, and the same as mine, at least.

2. All AF&AM lodges in the United States and England use the Holy Bible. Never been to any other lodges.

3. Lots of groups call themselves masonic and are not.

[MeanWestTexan]

"Second, I'd also note that there is nothing about Masonry that requires you to believe this absolutely fundamental truth."

Correct. And neither do the Marines or the Junior League. It's a FRATERNITY.

"that it teaches part of the truth about God (from natural revelation), but not the other part of the truth about God (from Divine revelation)."

It does not such thing. It doesn't even address the topic.

Now, some random Mason may have opined on this, don't know.

But some random RC bishop in Mexico was just on TV saying the US is evil for having a border and keeping out hoards of Mexicans. What this moron says doesn't mean the RCC is equally stuipid.

Nuts are everywhere, especially self-appointed nuts.

[sitetest]

Dear MeanWestTexan,

"'Great Architect of the Universe'"

"That prhase was actually first coined by John Calvin, who can hardly be called anti-Christian."

Citing Calvin to a Catholic isn't exactly the most effective means of arguing one's position. ;-)

That aside, I don't think that anyone's doubting that a Christian can perceive God as the universe's architect. That misses my point entirely.

I spoke approvingly of demonstrating who God is from natural revelation. We Catholics do this all the time. In fact, the Church has dogmatically stated that one can definitively know of the existence of God through the use of natural reason apprehending natural revelation. More to the point, we have been criticized by some Protestants for delving so deeply into "human philosophy."

The problem is that one doesn't need to be a Christian to accept natural revelation, or that God is the universe's architect. And the Catholic concern is that the exclusive emphasis on natural revelation gives short shrift to Divine revelation.


sitetest

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Citing Calvin to a Catholic isn't exactly the most effective means of arguing one's position. ;-)

LOL, I thought that when I saw that quote. However, Masonry's association in European history with the Protestant Reformation movement goes a long way to explaing the Catholic and Masonic positions towards each other.

[sitetest]

Dear MeanWestTexan,

"'that it teaches part of the truth about God (from natural revelation), but not the other part of the truth about God (from Divine revelation).'

"It does not such thing. It doesn't even address the topic."

So... Masonry doesn't encourage men to believe in God from the evidence of His creation?

What precisely is this Great Architect of the Universe stuff, then?


sitetest

[MeanWestTexan]

Knew YOU wouldn't like Calvin -- point there was people (generaly fringe-group protestants) try to say Great Archetict of the Universe is not God, but something different.

But to the big point "And the Catholic concern is that the exclusive emphasis on natural revelation gives short shrift to Divine revelation"

Here, the problem is the assuming, that Masonry addresses the issue of natural revelation, at all.

It doesn't.

Never talked about, at all.

It's just a fraternity. It no more discusses these deep issues than Marines boot camp discuss these deeps issues.

Now, I understand lots of people CLAIM FM has something to do with this. I lump them into two categories: (1) masons pretending to be more important than they are or (2) people repeating stuff they know nothing about.

All I can say is that I am a fundamentalist Christian in the most traditional sense of the Word --- born a Jew, would be Orthodox, but for my acceptance of Christ.

Have family who don't talk to me --- or go to my daughter's Baptism -- because I became a Christian.

Study the Bible in Hebrew and English and (trying) Greek.

AND I am a knowledgeable blue lodge and York Rite freemason.

And there is nothing that remotely conflicts between the lot.

Given the checkered history --- I detailed it couple posts up --- I have no doubt the RCC position is a relic of historical slanders from the days back when protestants made lies up about Roman Catholics and RCs made lies up about protestants.

That said, RCs should not join, because a rule is a rule.

BUT good RCs should seek to correct the fallacy the RCC is operating under and be careful with the accusations, because they are simply not true.

[MeanWestTexan]

"What precisely is this Great Architect of the Universe stuff, then?"

It's just the name a bunch of stone masons used for God.

They talked about everything in building/archetectural terms. It's what they knew.

Just like drafters of Consitutions used "Great Legislature of the Universe" as a name for God.

I'm sure some gardening club calls God the "Great Gardener in the Sky."

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Do you have Presbyrev on your ping list?

[MeanWestTexan]

Now he would be impressed by John Calvin.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Yes, but he was predestined to be.........!

[blackie]

Back in the day when catholics were burning folks at the stake, they may have gotten a Mason inadvertently and started all of this silliness. >:-}

Two Catholics were members of my Masonic Lodge when I lived in SF Bay Area.

[MarkBsnr]

http://www.freemason.org/cfo/march_april_2001/landmarks.htm

says that:

"It is a Landmark that a Book of the Law shall constitute an indispensable part of the furniture of every Lodge. It is not absolutely a requirement that the Old and New Testaments be used. The Book of the Law is that volume which, by the religion of the country, is believed to contain the revealed will of the Great Architect of the Universe. Hence, in all Lodges in Christian countries, the Book of the Law is composed of the Old and New Testaments; in a country where Judaism is the prevailing faith, the Old Testament alone would be sufficient; and in a Mohammedan countries, and among Mohammedan Freemasons, the Koran may be substituted. Freemasonry does not attempt to interfere with the particular religious faith of its disciples, except so far as it relates to the belief in the existence of God, and what necessarily results from that belief. The Book of Law is to the Speculative Freemason his spiritual Trestleboard; without this he cannot labor; whatever he belies to be the revealed will of the Great Architect constitutes for him in his hours of speculative labor, to be the rule and guide of his conduct. The Landmark, therefore, requires that a Book of the Law, a religious code of some kind as the revealed will of God, shall form an essential part of the furniture of every Lodge."

I should have paid more attention to the wording.

"Freemasonry does not attempt to interfere with the particular religious faith of its disciples"

I do not consider myself a disciple of Freemasonry. Geez. Il Papa spelled it out pretty good. Sigh. I haven't been to confession in a while anyway.

[MeanWestTexan]

Don't know who the "freemason.org" group it, but I am not suprised.

I suppose the Boy Scouts of Saudi Arabia swear to allah, too. Means nothing to the Boy Scouts of, say, Texas.

Just don't go to a lodge in some freaky country.

[Brad C.]

"She is, after all, in Her own understanding, the Body of Christ."

I think this is the rub here. She may have an understanding of what she thinks she is, but that does not make it the truth to others outside the church.

Just as members of the fraternity know and understand that it is a fraternity, while others outside believe that it is a religious organization.

We can all do so much working together, rather than fighting against ourselves. Which, I believe, is the reason that discussions of religion and politics are prohibited inside lodge rooms.

[MeanWestTexan]

In further follow up, I am aware of the theoretical construct that non-Jews or non-Christians can be masons, but it would seem rather empty.

I mean, the whole building, theme, and ideals surround the work of Soloman building a Temple to God of Abraham.

All the symbolism is Jewish or Christian. For example, the white lambskin apron worn by masons is a symbol of un-earned Grace GIVEN to Christians.

The floor of a lodge is the same as the floor of Kind Soloman's temple, etc.

Just makes no sense for a non-Christian or non-Jew to be interested.

[sitetest]

Dear MeanWestTexan,

So, your ceremonials make no mention of God, and draw no moral lessons?

Thanks,


sitetest