THE ANTI-CATHOLIC NATURE OF FREEMASONRY

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

[conservatative strategery]

"Not in my lodge it wasn't, all prayers were directed to God. The one and only true God."

Describe your God.

[conservatative strategery]

"I feel sorry for them, because they believe that only 144,000 saints will be saved, and I suspect there are too many low-level door-to-door workers for all of them to be included in that number. If they make any new converts I'd think that would decrease their chances."

That's pretty good Cicero. I'll have to ask them about that next time they come by my door.

[MarkBsnr]

I've looked at the synopsis of William Manchester's book. Not sure how that relates to this topic.

I never saw or heard anything whilst I was active that I thought compromised my beliefs either.

[bannie]

I guess everyone was getting along too well?

This post should take care of that.

Whatever makes you happy...

I'm still right, however, and you're still wrong.

[MarkBsnr]

The Knights are one of the few fraternal organizations who are growing in the United States.

Even though the membership is limited to Catholic men, it still continues to grow. I think that it speaks well of such a group. There must be something about it that appeals to these men, when the numbers for almost all other fraternal organizations is declining.

[Cicero]

The idea that a total of only 144,000 people will be saved comes from a literal reading of Revelation 7, which I once saw in a pamphlet that a Jehovah's Witness gave me. The Book of Revelation is a great and wonderful text, full of magnicent passages, but it needs to be read in the whole context of the Bible, and this chapter needs to be read in the context of the other chapters, or you start getting in trouble.

There's some very helpful commentary on Revelation in Austen Ferrar's book, "A Rebirth of Images."

---

1And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

4And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

5Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

6Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

7Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

8Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

9After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

[Religion Moderator]

Discuss the issues but do NOT make it personal.

I have zero tolerance for any further flare-ups on this thread.

[nopardons]

No matter WHAT you think, Freemasonry is not a religion; neither is it a cult. The ONLY reason that Catholics couldn't be be Masons, is that their church won't let them, AFTER 1738. Prior to that date, they could be and were Masons. Some have ignored the various Popes' Bulls and been Masons anyway.

Your last sentence was apples and oranges.

[Coleus]

I have zero tolerance for any further flare-ups on this thread. >>

Sorry about the flareup, besides the ping, I made only one post on this thread. I guess I flareup when one intimates that I'm a drunk, I'm old and that I'm am irrelevant.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1699136/posts?page=9#9

Aren't both the KOC and the Freemasons basically just drinking groups for older men?

They may have stood for something at one time, but from what I've heard, both are in great decline and are now largely irrelevant.

[Religion Moderator]

Post 9 was not "making it personal" because it was speaking of a collective, i.e. Masons and Knights of Columbus.

Likewise, if a poster ridicules Scientology it is not "making it personal" - but if he ridicules another poster it is "making it personal."

There is no guideline to protect posters who take ugly remarks about the group or belief they embrace, personally.

[Conservative til I die]

No matter WHAT you think, Freemasonry is not a religion; neither is it a cult.

I have asserted neither, sir. However, I have said there is a religious element to Freemasonry, something that other Masons and those sympathetic to Masons have indeed said. I have merely stated that a Catholic cannot be a Mason because whatever religious ideas put forth by Masons are not compatible with Catholicism.

As to whether one could be a Mason at one point and be a Catholic, I'd really have to check the history so you may indeed be right.

But if so, it doesn't change things, since the Church is not necessarily against membership in another club or group until it contradicts one's Catholicism.

[ConservativeMind]

My own understanding is simply based on what I've noticed in my own area or have read. I've had a 3rd level KoC member tell me about his own experience with KoC meetings. I've read in the Dallas Morning News about the hard times that have befallen the Freemasons with their own need to sell many building assets because of declining membership levels in cities, in particular it was speaking of some large buildings in Texas.

If you want to read the article from which I got my information on the Freemasons, follow the link:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/DN-masons_15rel.State.Edition1.2125b22c.html

[Teófilo]

New-Church Catholics who have fully embraced the ecumenical, Romasonic Catholic creed will be shocked to learn that the "naturalism" or "universalism" preached by Masonry was condemned for centuries by the real Roman Catholic Church. Since the Grand Lodge started claiming Popes as enrolled members, the condemnations have all but ceased. For Freepers wondering what the big deal is about Fez bedecked men driving in go-carts, you're driving in the wrong direction...

I don't take schismatic talk seriously.

Come back to the Church!

-Theo

[sitetest]

Dear Coleus,

We should be generally grateful when those who show ignorance and lack of piety only attack us. We Catholics have seen on this forum blasphemous attacks against God, and Mary and the other saints. When they are merely attacking us, we should rejoice.


sitetest

[sitetest]

Dear Conservative til I die,

Masonry was started in 1717. The first papal bull of excommunication was promulgated in 1738.

However, as noted in another thread about Mozart's Masonic membership, in earlier times, without modern communications, a papal bull wasn't considered in effect in a specific diocese until formally promulgated in that diocese by its ordinary.

Thus, although the Church's condemnation of Masonry began a scant 20 years after its beginning, it was likely some time in the early 19th century before one might say that all, or nearly all Catholics were responsible for the teachings in this area.


sitetest

[redgolum]

Remember also, the first Christian body to declare freemasons out of bounds was not the Vatican, it was the Lutheran synods of what is now Germany. Well before any Roman Catholic notice, the local Lutheran bishops saw that there were a large number of freemasons who were committed to the destruction of Christianity (as it represented the Old Order).

In America, after the Morgan affair, most Masonic lodges have become basically an excuse for men to get together, drink beer, and talk sports. But in many other countries, masonary was a movement directly opposed to any type of religion. Read up on the Masonic revolutions in France, Italy, and Germany. They wanted to have a religion of "Science, reason, and progress."

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Describe your God.

The One and Only, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your turn.