Is this President a Mason?

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I was reading about the Freemasons. One of their major spokesmen stated bluntly that it IS a religion. The article pointed out some of the goals of leaders of this cult, including (their) government’s takeover of banks, major industries, education, one-world government, etc. The list seemed to be a litany of what has been happening recently.
Having lived through one particularly trying period in which a state’s Freemasons mounted a drive to close Catholic schools, I feel justified in “viewing with alarm”.
 
Many U.S Presidents were Masons. Did it hinder Christians (Catholics included) from voting for them?
 
I would be relatively easy and quick to list the Presidents who have NOT been Freemasons. Whatever else it may be, in America it’s historically been a sociable network of men who are often prominent and who often belong to the Protestant denominations that yielded a lot of Presidents.

Even in the decline of masonry’s prominence, it’s not too surprising that a politician should be one–in the course of politicking and currying favor with local groups, a national candidate can look up and find he’s become an actual or honorary Freemason, Elk, Optimist, Toastmaster, Royal Water Buffalo, Subgenius, Dungeon Master, Hannah Montanamaniac, and Keeper of Larry Fine’s Skull (Bush I, reportedly a Shemp Howard man, balked at the latter).
 
cathopologist said:
Many U.S Presidents were Masons. Did it hinder Christians (Catholics included) from voting for them?
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Since Masons don’t advertise the fact of their membership it’s unlikely the general public even thought to ask if any candidate was a Mason. So yes, probably many Christians did vote for them.
 
I have seen no credible modern source showing that Masonry has its own religion. As the it operates in my home state, nothing could be farther from the truth. Saying Masonry, at least as it exists in the southern states, teaches any religion is erroneous and saying it is against Christianity is false. Some quotes I have seen from the 1800’s seem to indicate that some wanted to direct Masonry that way, but those times are gone and the effort failed. For all I know, European practices may be different, but there is no such thing as a universal practice of Freemasonry. Trying to tie all Masonic organizations into one would be about the same as saying Wal-Mart’s business model is the same as that of all other retailers.

Even mentioning sectarian or political issues in a lodge is considered being out of order. Making a statement in opposition to a particular practice of religion would lead to being asked to retire from the meeting. When I was in the lodge, prospective members were told the following at an informal information meeting:

“We offer no religion. We teach no path to salvation. We are not a substitute for your religious practice. We are not a church.”

No religious statement are allowed other than saying there is a god, no atheist may be a member, and having opening and closing prayers that are about the same as at any other group’s meetings. During my entire time in the organization, including when I was master of a lodge, the only thing I ever heard said about the Church was members being puzzled at why any Christian body ever believed the things being said against the fraternity.

As for the presidents, the last one I know to have been a Freemason was Gerald Ford. The most prominent was George Washington.
 
I don’t know whether President Obama is a mason, but I would not be surprised.

The masons have acted out some antiCatholic behaviors over the past centuries, and have been attackked by the Catholic hierarchy as a result. Membership in the masons has been prohibited at various times.

From what little I have read on the masons, I gather their main issue is with the absolute separation between church and state. It may be that they have particular problems with the Catholic Church because of the long history of Catholic integration with state apparatus. Many of the American founders were masons. The Constitution specifically denounces a religious test for government, and mostly the U.S. has evolved a secular gov’t with only a few deviations, such as the morman theocracy and a few instances in some states of blurring of lines between church and state. If this is the only source of conflict between the Catholic hierarchy and masons, then the fact that priests are now prohibited from holding public office, and are constrained from politicking in order to maintain tax exemptions, there should be no reason for enmity between Catholics and masons.
 
Presidents who were Masons:

George Washington
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson
James Polk
James Buchanan
Andrew Johnson
James Garfield
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
Howard Taft
Warren Harding
Franklin Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Gerald Ford
 
I was reading about the Freemasons. One of their major spokesmen stated bluntly that it IS a religion.
Click to expand...
I’d really like to know where you read this so I can see it for myself. Freemasonry has never been a religion to my knowledge. Gotta cite them sources. 🙂
 
One other point:

Because American Freemasonry is divided by state and by Prince Hall Affiliation, no one can be called a major spokesman in today’s version of the fraternity.

I never saw one thing that in any way conflicted with the Church during my years in the lodge. That said, I am a convert and only left because the Church wanted its members out, so I will do nothing to cause scandal. On the other hand, everything I have seen in opposition to the fraternity is something I know to be inaccurate, so I feel uncomfortable in knowing the facts don’t support the argument.
 
Yeah, freemasonry isn’t a religion. It’s just a social gathering, a social club.
 
Very well put.

American Freemasonry is a charitable social club, but it is no religion and it has no dark conspiracies. It most certainly has no religious antipathy.
 
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