I've left Freemasonry!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter JRTJ
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
JRTJ said:
Yes, because if you pray in a meeting where not everyone else is Catholic you will be most likely saying your own prayers rather than a single one to a ‘Great Architect of the Universe’ who is whatever people want him to be. Plus, if you participate in prayer with a Muslim, Jew or non-Catholic Christian, you will stay be praying to the God we know and worship. If you start praying with Buddhists and Pagans then I suspect you’d be breaching the First Commandment - which is exactly what went on in Masonic meetings.
Click to expand...
Do in Congress, at the some state levels, where not all the members are Catholics, Christians, Jews, or Muslims, and the Congress is opened with a generic prayer, are the Catholic members breaching the first commandment?
 
Humanum Genus
The race of man, after its miserable fall from God, the Creator and the Giver of heavenly gifts, “through the envy of the devil,” separated into two diverse and opposite parts, of which the one steadfastly contends for truth and virtue, the other of those things which are contrary to virtue and to truth. The one is the kingdom of God on earth, namely, the true Church of Jesus Christ; and those who desire from their heart to be united with it, so as to gain salvation, must of necessity serve God and His only-begotten Son with their whole mind and with an entire will. 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.
Click to expand...
  1. This twofold kingdom St. Augustine keenly discerned and described after the manner of two cities, contrary in their laws because striving for contrary objects; and with a subtle brevity he expressed the efficient cause of each in these words: “Two loves formed two cities: the love of self, reaching even to contempt of God, an earthly city; and the love of God, reaching to contempt of self, a heavenly one.”(1) At every period of time each has been in conflict with the other, with a variety and multiplicity of weapons and of warfare, although not always with equal ardour and assault. At this period, however, the partisans of evil seems to be combining together, and to be struggling with united vehemence, led on or assisted by that strongly organized and widespread association called the Freemasons. No longer making any secret of their purposes, they are now boldly rising up against God Himself. They are planning the destruction of holy Church publicly and openly, and this with the set purpose of utterly despoiling the nations of Christendom, if it were possible, of the blessings obtained for us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Lamenting these evils, We are constrained by the charity which urges Our heart to cry out often to God: "For lo, Thy enemies have made a noise; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken a malicious counsel against Thy people, and they have consulted against Thy saints. They have said, ‘come, and let us destroy them, so that they be not a nation.’(2)
Click to expand...
 
JRTJ said:
Tim (and anyone else interested) -

Freemasonry is a very noble institution if we are to look at it with regard to what it does for society, for the disadvantaged, and for people in need. In this sense, it may be regarded as a community that operates very much on the same level as that of the Church.

Moreover, you will find that many people within Freemasonry are well-intentioned family men who are really nice. It is essentially an institution that works for the amelioration of men via a sense of community and brotherhood.

Everything you read on the internet about it being involved in Satanic worship is absolutely nonsense. Please do not trust anything you read on the internet about Freemasonry. 90% of it is false and slander.

What bothered me about Freemasonry, and what prompted me to leave it yesterday, is very much the same reason the Church condemns it. To be initiated as a Freemason there are 3 requirements. One has to be a man over 18 or 21 (depends on the Lodge), one has to enter by free will, and - most importantly - one has to believe in a Diety. And here is where the problem lies. Masonic meetings frequently start and end with a prayer to the Great Architect of the Universe (GAOTU) (God). The problem is that, since members are usually from diverse religious backgrounds, the GAOTU is not defined as being the One True God (the one we worship) but rather just a concept that anyone can adapt to their religious tendencies. For example, the Hindu might be addressing one of their Gods in said prayer, a Pagan might be worshiping nature (or whatever it is they worship) etc. etc. Essentially, by praying to the GAOTU at the start and end of each meeting, I am indirectly acknowledging that God isn’t One, that he didn’t become man for us and die for our sins. I am basically consenting to the idea that God is whatever people imagine him to be, that all the concepts of God are equal. In this sense, by participating in this small part of the meeting, I am consenting to the notion that it is not God that created man in his image, but man that creates God in his image. I am consenting to the notion that Christ isn’t our Mediator, and that we can arrive to the same Truth (God) via different paths. This is the epitome of relativism. THIS IS WHY FREEMASONRY IS NOT COMPATIBLE TO CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, WHICH TEACHES THAT GOD IS THE GOD OF ISRAEL WHO BECAME MAN AND DIED FOR OUR SINS. etc.

For example, among members at the Masonic Lodge I attended, there were Catholics, Jews, Pagans, and Pantheists. When we were praying in unison, who were the prayers actually directed to? Was it Our God, ‘Mother Nature’, or plants? I think I was breaking the First Commandment all along. I just came to this realization thanks to the wisdom granted to me by Jesus through prayer.

Freemasonry is not a religion as some people might want you to believe, but it is absolutely incompatible with Christianity. Moreover, the rituals and religious-like ceremonies that take place gradually started to freak me out more and more. Why do I need to attend those when I can encounter God in the Liturgy? I finally realized I had to decide between the two. The choice was the easiest I’ve ever made in my life. But it was difficult to let go of Freemasonry, especially given the relationships I’ve built in the last year with my fellow Masons.

I joined when I was away from the Church and I guess it was part of the quest we all have of finding the Truth which, as the Catechism says, is inherent to human nature. Having discarded the Church long ago and having decided that all other religions were bonkers (although I still believed in Jesus and God, the Trinity, etc.), I must have joined Freemasonry because I thought it could provide me with some sort of spiritual peace. I was wrong. Big time. After I reverted back to the Faith (which I have to say was also partly due to what is taught to every Mason, to value your own religion - so kudos to them for that), I came to realize that everything I needed was there in the Eucharist and in the Church. There was no need and no place for Freemasonry. 🙂

Hope this helps, please feel free to follow up on this.
Click to expand...
Regarding the bold, thank you.

My father was three time master of his lodge. 200 men showed up for his funeral, every single one of them good men - good husbands, good fathers and good members of society.

Your comment about Jesus not being the mediator was a way of expressing Masonic beliefs that I had not heard. Your explanation however, is consistent with what I know about their practice (GAOTU, etc) from experience.

Thanks again. And welcome home. Please consider speaking to others at your parish about this, maybe doing a talk on it or something, because it is a problem out there.

-Tim-
 
If you have determined that Freemasonry is not right for you, FOR ANY REASON, then by all means you should resign.

Freemasonry is not for everyone. Not everyone can make the grade. Men resign and drop out when they determine their own incompatibility with the Craft.
 
Welcome back! Masonry has been condemned by almost every pope so its a good thing the holy spirit led you home
 
Freemasonry is based on the ancient guild of Freemasons, who built the great cathedrals and public buildings in Europe, during the middle ages. Masons, who worked with stone, and erected the great buildings, were “free” to travel from site to site, and work on any project. The “Craft” is an unofficial nickname of Freemasonry.
 
Some (not all) Protestant denominations forbid their members from joining Freemasonry. The Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) is one the most vocal opponents of Freemasonry. Some fundamentalist Christians take issue with the oaths which all Masons must take. And some Christians object to the corporate prayers which are offered to the “Great Architect of the Universe”.

If anyone is opposed to Freemasonry, for any reason, then they should leave it alone.
 
“It is better to perish in excommunication, than to violate ones conscience”
St Thomas Aquinas

I have known Freemasons all my life, to include father and grandfather.
I have known these men to be good and upright and in my case, both were devout Catholic.
They did NOTHING to interfere with their faith and their love of God and the blessed trinity.

I was in his lodge numerous times throughout my life. Upon their altar was always the Holy Bible. I loved that and it spoke of acceptance of God as the Father of all men.

Say what you will about the incompatibility between Catholicism and Freemasonry, but I know, without remorse, and without bias, they they are good men trying to be better men.
Thats the summary of my decades long association with the organization.

Best wishes to all and a blessed and happy new year !
TexasTech
 
JRTJ said:
Yes, because if you pray in a meeting where not everyone else is Catholic you will be most likely saying your own prayers rather than a single one to a ‘Great Architect of the Universe’ who is whatever people want him to be. Plus, if you participate in prayer with a Muslim, Jew or non-Catholic Christian, you will stay be praying to the God we know and worship. If you start praying with Buddhists and Pagans then I suspect you’d be breaching the First Commandment - which is exactly what went on in Masonic meetings.
Click to expand...
You have done an excellent job of describing why YOU feel that praying in a lodge isn’t really praying to God. I never felt that way. The prayers I said during lodge were to GOD, who IS the GAOTU…and not to any other entity.

I was away from God for a looooong time, and it was my journey through Freemasonry that began my journey back to God. Then I met a good catholic woman who exposed me to the Church, and I eventually went through the RCIA.

The Church frowns on freemasonry, so I am no longer an active member. I do this simply out of obedience, however I am still a freemasonry supporter and pray that the two institutions can someday be reconciled. I am also a realist, and I believe that the greatest difference between the two today is strictly business (ie: money).
 
If you have determined that you are not right for Freemasonry, or that Freemasonry is not right for you, then by all means, resign. Freemasonry is an elite instutition, and and it is not for everyone.

I wish you well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top