Freemasonry

[FireFromHeaven]

Does anyone have testimonies by ex Masons on why freemasonry is bad?

 

[mikekle]

A few years back when I owned a lawn care company, we serviced a couple local Masons lodges, did the mowing and landscaping, and one day when I was there, I ran into a guy I used to work with, turns out he was a Mason. We got to talking and eventually he asked me if I was interested in joining, I asked him about it, as I had no idea what they did or stood for. He told me they were a group of guys trying to better guys, I had heard there is supposedly a secret hidden from the public, that they tell all members, well, it turns out the secret is ‘You are your own God’, then I knew what they were all about.

I never joined, mainly because I did not have the desire to join, or have the time/money to invest either. Im sure they hold some secrets, as I have read about Masons in history, and it appears they have been involved in some pretty mysterious happenings, some going back to the nations founding and involving some of the founding fathers, but I think there is a difference between a Mason and a Freemason, not sure about this though.

I also do not think they are involved in any type of Satanism or demon worship, I think its just a bunch of guys who all believe there is no God and they are their own Gods, so to speak, or they create their own destiny/ fate, thru their actions, but Im sure they are also involved in other things, that they keep secret, if they were back in the days of the nations founding, Im sure some of it is still done to this day, plus Ive heard once you reach a 33rd degree Mason, for some reason, you cannot be charged criminally in the US…pretty strange, but I assume this goes back to the founding fathers and something they put into the laws to protect their own ‘upper management’.

 

[Ohana]

I heard that they do believe in God, but that each person that joins must say they believe in God, but do not have to be of any particular denomination. ???

 

[Louishacker]

Here is a link from EWTN on the differences between Freemasonry and Catholicism:

ewtn.com/library/answers/camason1.htm

 

[DavidFilmer]

The Catholic Church objects to ANY secret society, which means a society where you must make promises to uphold their expectations without knowing what those expectations are at the time the promise is made. The Masons are not singled out, but they are the largest secret society, so they stand out more than others.

Because Masonry is a secret society, it is impossible to obtain an official and verifiable statement of its teachings. Therefore, the Church has no basis to object to Masonry other than its secret nature (which is enough).

If Masonry ceased to be secret and made its teachings known, it’s possible that the Church would find nothing objectionable and withdraw its opposition. There are many non-secret fraternal societies that the Church has no objection to and which Catholics are free to join.

 

[Elizium23]

Secrets notwithstanding, it is generally accepted that Freemasonry “plots against the Church” and therefore falls under the canons which prohibit membership.

I’d rather join Call To Action or Catholics for Choice.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

A few years back when I owned a lawn care company, we serviced a couple local Masons lodges, did the mowing and landscaping, and one day when I was there, I ran into a guy I used to work with, turns out he was a Mason. We got to talking and eventually he asked me if I was interested in joining, I asked him about it, as I had no idea what they did or stood for. He told me they were a group of guys trying to better guys, I had heard there is supposedly a secret hidden from the public, that they tell all members, well, it turns out the secret is ‘You are your own God’, then I knew what they were all about.

I never joined, mainly because I did not have the desire to join, or have the time/money to invest either. Im sure they hold some secrets, as I have read about Masons in history, and it appears they have been involved in some pretty mysterious happenings, some going back to the nations founding and involving some of the founding fathers, but I think there is a difference between a Mason and a Freemason, not sure about this though.

I also do not think they are involved in any type of Satanism or demon worship, I think its just a bunch of guys who all believe there is no God and they are their own Gods, so to speak, or they create their own destiny/ fate, thru their actions, but Im sure they are also involved in other things, that they keep secret, if they were back in the days of the nations founding, Im sure some of it is still done to this day, plus Ive heard once you reach a 33rd degree Mason, for some reason, you cannot be charged criminally in the US…pretty strange, but I assume this goes back to the founding fathers and something they put into the laws to protect their own ‘upper management’.

Not true. A requirement to be a Mason is that you believe in god. They don’t care what your religion is, but you have to believe. In this county most masons are protestants.

 

[Elizium23]

Not true. A requirement to be a Mason is that you believe in god. They don’t care what your religion is, but you have to believe. In this county most masons are protestants.

Also not true - Plutarco Elias Calles was a fervent atheist, practicing Freemason and one who received a medal for his persecution of the Church in the Cristero conflicts.

 

[DavidFilmer]

Secrets notwithstanding, it is generally accepted that Freemasonry “plots against the Church”

Generally accepted by whom? By Catholics (nobody else cares).

Of course, the Masons think the Church plots against them, and Jack Chickish protestants think the same thing.

It’s all just unsubstantiated rumor.

 

[Elizium23]

Then can you substantiate Calles’ medal in some other way?

 

[TimothyH]

My father was three time master of his lodge.

One of the issues for Catholics is authority.

Freemasonry says among other things, that the rules of freemasonry take precedence whenever there is a difference of opinion about whether something is permissible. For example, a Baptist says that drinking is always a sin and that the Masonic lodge should never serve alcohol while a Methodist says that it is not a sin and that it is OK for the lodge to serve alcohol. Freemasons agree as part of the acceptance ritual that they will decide the issue based on what Freemasonry teaches. This is not acceptable to a Catholic who says in the creed that the Church is Apostolic, who believes that the Church was founded by Christ and given authority in earth in all matters of faith and morals. For a Catholic, no authority on earth is higher than the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals.

Freemasonry also asks its members to swear oaths. That is not bad in-and-of itself but only the Church has authority to administer oaths on matters of faith and morals on behalf of God. Just as civil and criminal courts have authority to administer oaths on matters of civil and criminal law on behalf of the state, it is the Church which has authority to administer oaths on matters of faith and morals on behalf of God. One cannot set up a court in their living room and swear in witnesses - they would get in big trouble. Similarly, one cannot set up an organization which administers an oath has to do with sin and loosing one’s soul - that authority has been delegated by Christ to the Catholic Church.

So for a Catholic, the main issue is authority. Do you believe that God in the person of Jesus Christ delegated authority on matters of faith and morals to the Church, or has God left that open to other organizations?

Freemasons’ do much good and are really nice people. Two hundred of them showed up for my Father’s funeral. But I choose the Church.

-Tim-

 

[DavidFilmer]

Then can you substantiate Calles’ medal in some other way?

Easily. It was an act of nationalism, not religious bias.

Calles was elected on a populist ticket, and his support by Mexican Masons could easily be explained by his support by Mexicans in general, who elected him to office. He was awarded his Masonic medal in May of 1926, but did not begin his persecution of Catholics until June 1926.

It is a short time interval. Did he “tip off” his Masonic superiors of his intent, or was he somehow coerced by them to adopt his anti-Catholic policies? Or, did his Masonic medal somehow prompt him to enact his anti-Catholic campaign?

We can never know for sure.

 

[Elizium23]

The Masonic persecution of Catholics had already been going on for almost a century before Calles, and if I read the chronology of this article correctly, Calles had already set up a “patriotic” schismatic Church which mocked the Eucharist by using mescal. The apostolic nuncio was expelled on May 12 for protesting this and many other persecutory actions. So no, he didn’t start after the award.

I’d also be interested in your perspective on Humanum Genus, which seems to go a bit further than “hey, it’s a secret society, we have no idea what they’re doing in there.”

The other is the kingdom of Satan, in whose possession and control are all whosoever follow the fatal example of their leader and of our first parents, those who refuse to obey the divine and eternal law, and who have many aims of their own in contempt of God, and many aims also against God.

In consequence, the sect of Freemasons grew with a rapidity beyond conception in the course of a century and a half, until it came to be able, by means of fraud or of audacity, to gain such entrance into every rank of the State as to seem to be almost its ruling power. This swift and formidable advance has brought upon the Church, upon the power of princes, upon the public well-being, precisely that grievous harm which Our predecessors had long before foreseen. Such a condition has been reached that henceforth there will be grave reason to fear, not indeed for the Church - for her foundation is much too firm to be overturned by the effort of men - but for those States in which prevails the power, either of the sect of which we are speaking or of other sects not dissimilar which lend themselves to it as disciples and subordinates.

It is now Our intention, following the example of Our predecessors, directly to treat of the masonic society itself, of its whole teaching, of its aims, and of its manner of thinking and acting, in order to bring more and more into the light its power for evil, and to do what We can to arrest the contagion of this fatal plague.

Now, the fundamental doctrine of the naturalists, which they sufficiently make known by their very name, is that human nature and human reason ought in all things to be mistress and guide. Laying this down, they care little for duties to God, or pervert them by erroneous and vague opinions. For they deny that anything has been taught by God; they allow no dogma of religion or truth which cannot be understood by the human intelligence, nor any teacher who ought to be believed by reason of his authority. And since it is the special and exclusive duty of the Catholic Church fully to set forth in words truths divinely received, to teach, besides other divine helps to salvation, the authority of its office, and to defend the same with perfect purity, it is against the Church that the rage and attack of the enemies are principally directed.

There’s more where that came from.