Are you simply assuming that the Church hasn’t investigated the beliefs and doings of current Masonic lodges, statements and practices? Do you really, really think the Church is just blindly maintaining her position “just because”?
FYI, being a mason is grounds for expulsion from the Knights.
I would question any Catholic who wouldn’t suffer from knowingly going against the teachings of the Church.
And right there is one of the main reasons that masonry is contrary to the Catholic faith. The Catholic faith asserts that not all faiths are equal. Our God is the God, there is no other like him. And our Catholic faith is only true faith in all its fullness - every other faith, in one way or another, is deficient in some manner (that is to say, that even though other faiths have some of the truth, none but the Catholic faith has all of the truth).
I think we must not blend the love we have for our family and organizations are members of. In other words, just because mom and dad are wonderful (and I’m sure they are) doesn’t mean that that familial affection should be transferred to the masonic groups mom and dad participated in.I was a Rainbow girl and there was nothing anti catholic or satanic about it. Dad was a Mason, Mom and Dad were Eastern Star. None of us were satanic and we all went to church every week without fail and both my parents were Christians.
I guess a good catholic would never put their child in a Shriner’s hospital, you know, the Shriner’s are Masons first and then Shriners… their burn hospital in Cincinnati is wonderful facility as are their 21 other non-profit hospitals for children.
And with all the hate talk about Mason’s, I’m surprised that the Shriners don’t ban Catholics from their hospitals. But they don’t, and that’s probably the Christian thing for them to do.
Kind of a sore spot with me.
Agreed, if your Catholic. But not everyone is Catholic in Freemasonry (although 40% of my lodge is Catholic).
Likewise with Freemasonry, we are not a secret society as well. We have a few handshakes and words so we know who is really a Freemason, but that’s it.
We are discussing why Catholics cannot subscribe to masonry.
In general, participation in such an ecumenical prayer to the one God would not be against the teachings of the Catholic Church.
iT EXPLAINS WELL why
I’m just struggling to see how belonging to a Masonic Lodge is fundamentally different than belonging to Scouting, Elks, or any other civic organization. It seems to me that the only reason being a Mason makes someone unable to follow the Catholic Faith is that the Church has forbidden it, and if she would simply “unforbid” it, there would no longer be a conflict.
“His OWN Faith” is not WHAT GOD founded; dsires or finds acceptable.
Because God is One
God’s Faith necessarily MUST also be limited to “one” set of beliefs [which is why Protestants are in danager]
Eph. 4: 1-7 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift"
John.10: 16 “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd”
Eph. 2:19-20 “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,[notably singular] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; [also singular]in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Eph. 3: 9-10 “And to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church [singular*] the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Christ founded only One Church; with One set of Faith beliefs. That my friend is WHY all “salvation” must and surely does flow through the CC.
The “Knights Templer” I THINK is associated with Rome; the others ARE NOT; so far as I KNOW, suitable.
Thanks and God bless,
Matt
God Bless,
Pat /PJM
We aren’t doubting the singing voice and gardening ability of your father, or even the kindness of your mother. We are giving the hard truth that Freemasonry teaches ideas completely contrary to the Faith of the Apostles, and therefore leads people to hell. It isn’t out of hatred for you or your parents that we tell you this.Ok, this is the bottom line for me and why I’m so defensive about Masons.
I won’t argue with the Catholic Church about the Masons, Eastern Stars, Rainbow Girls, Job’s Daughters, DeMoley, Shriners, or any other part of Masons. I honestly don’t really have a problem with that. I’m not involved and haven’t been since I reached my majority and was done with Rainbow Girls.
The problem I have is that people say that Masons worship the devil, they are evil etc. and so forth.
My Dad was very involved with his church, The United Church of Christ. He was a deacon in the church, he had a WONDERFUL voice and sang in the choir for years, and helped out with maintenance and gardening and such for the church and more. My Mom was involved as well. They were Christians and went to church every Sunday (my Dad worked shift work, and so some Sundays he was working 7-3 and couldn’t be there) my dad sometimes would go to church after working all night long.
So say what you want, but please, I’m so tired of hearing how horrible Mason’s are. There may very well be some horrible human beings in the Masons, but don’t lump them all together. It gets really old and tiresome for me to hear how horrible my parents were and I was. Believe me, there was nothing anti-catholic in Rainbow girls, not a darn thing. And nothing at all about being evil and worshiping the devil and his minions.
Thanks muchly.
Agreed, I think this is the log jam of communication in many areas of life, take for example the current state of affairs in Marriage.
Truth is truth, no matter how much one may wish to deny it. And, shame on that 40%.
Would your parents be offended if you refused to honor them in public for fear of ridicule or slander because of their names? If you referred to them as “Nondescript parents” instead of “Mom and Dad”?
Actually, according to their website…“Although it was named after Thomas’s patron saint, St. Jude is not a Catholic hospital and not affiliated with any religious organization.”
Ha!
Agreed that sometimes a little tact goes a long way - be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves (Mt 10:6). Though, we must be careful not to go too far and end up neutering the message. We must proclaim the truth whether it is convenient or inconvenient (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2) or else we ourselves may be held accountable (cf. Ez 3:17-21).
I chuckled a little because this reminds me of some sort of diet food commercial - all of the flavor, none of the guilt.
I don’t understand the question your asking; or what you mean, could you rephrase it ?
