Why is Masonry evil?

[juliamca]

I really feel when Cathoilic get on the subject of Masons, it is like the anti catholic whose spuew their poison about the church and have never set foot in a church or don’t even know any catholic, but they will tell you everything that is wrong about them.Don’t forget that the Freemasons have had a major overhall in the pass few years, just as our beloved church has. they are wonderful people who raise an enormous amont of money for Charity. Alot of their money goes to cancer research.They raise 2 million dollars a day(close to a billion dollars a year) world wide for Charity. Shriners Childrens Hospital who allow children in need(even Catholic children) their speech and lanugage center are open to everyone in need. My protestant friends are members of the lodge ,and are wonderful people just like we Catholics are wonderful people too.

 

[Philothea53]

I really feel when Cathoilic get on the subject of Masons, it is like the anti catholic whose spuew their poison about the church and have never set foot in a church or don’t even know any catholic, but they will tell you everything that is wrong about them.Don’t forget that the Freemasons have had a major overhall in the pass few years, just as our beloved church has. they are wonderful people who raise an enormous amont of money for Charity. Alot of their money goes to cancer research.They raise 2 million dollars a day(close to a billion dollars a year) world wide for Charity. Shriners Childrens Hospital who allow children in need(even Catholic children) their speech and lanugage center are open to everyone in need. My protestant friends are members of the lodge ,and are wonderful people just like we Catholics are wonderful people too.

Yeah, and Susan G. Komen researches cures for breast cancer while donating to Planned Parenthood. Doing the right thing doesn’t cancel out the wrong you are doing if you continue to do wrong. Why is that so hard to understand?

The Church said it. I believe it.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

1. Declaration from the Vatican. This is the ‘latest’ word; there has been nothing further issued.

NOTE: The following is the most recent decree from the Vatican on the subject of Freemasonry and is thus is the most current statement of the Church’s law on this topic…

---

Issued by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on November 26, 1983.

It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church’s decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous Code.

This Sacred Congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance is due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories.

Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore **membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion. **
It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 [1981] pp. 240-241).

In an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this Declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this Sacred Congregation.

Rome, from the Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 26 November 1983.

JOSEPH Card. RATZINGER
Prefect

• Fr. JEROME HAMER, O.P.
  Titular Archbishop of Lorium
  Secretary

 

[Keikiolu]

Masonry is only evil because grout, which is the TRUE evil, is often found in close proximity to masonry.

Thus speaketh the “Loud”.

 

[DelScorcho]

I really feel when Cathoilic get on the subject of Masons, it is like the anti catholic whose spuew their poison about the church and have never set foot in a church or don’t even know any catholic, but they will tell you everything that is wrong about them.Don’t forget that the Freemasons have had a major overhall in the pass few years, just as our beloved church has. they are wonderful people who raise an enormous amont of money for Charity. Alot of their money goes to cancer research.They raise 2 million dollars a day(close to a billion dollars a year) world wide for Charity. Shriners Childrens Hospital who allow children in need(even Catholic children) their speech and lanugage center are open to everyone in need. My protestant friends are members of the lodge ,and are wonderful people just like we Catholics are wonderful people too.

You have that right… and being a Mason is not a sin in my church.

 

[SGTTOM]

I don’t think anyone claims all Free-Masons are evil, no more then anyone would claim all protestants, Muslims, atheists, or any other group of people are devoid of all goodness.

The fact is you cannot be both Muslim and Catholic, or both an atheist and a Catholic, or both a protestant and a Catholic. Why? Because these belief sets oppose one or many of what the Church teaches.

Telling someone they are wrong is not hating them either. Recognizing someone is wrong is not hating them either. Wanting someone to change is not hating them. Opposing someones beliefs is not hating them. In fact it is the opposite of hate. It is showing that you care enough to speak up about it, to risk losing their respect or friendship.

Show me where anyone in this thread suggested violence or hate towards Free-masons? I don’t think anyone ever did. I have many friends who don’t share my beliefs. I treat them with respect. However I have no problem discussing our differences.

Also can you explain why the Vatican website would have documents stating that a Catholic cannot be a Free Mason when that is not true? Like others have said, show us why these documents are suddenly invalid and what person of authority made them so?

No one is claiming Freemason’s should be killed, persecuted, hated, or treated poorly. I don’t think anyone would claim that Freemason’s do only evil. They are simply stating Church teachings on being a Catholic and a Freemason.

Why all this circle talk, lets get to the bottom of this now.

 

[PJM]

=SGTTOM;10019388]I don’t think anyone claims all Free-Masons are evil, no more then anyone would claim all protestants, Muslims, atheists, or any other group of people are devoid of all goodness.

The fact is you cannot be both Muslim and Catholic, or both an atheist and a Catholic, or both a protestant and a Catholic. Why? Because these belief sets oppose one or many of what the Church teaches.

**Also can you explain why the Vatican website would have documents stating that a Catholic cannot be a Free Mason when that is not true? **Like others have said, show us why these documents are suddenly invalid and what person of authority made them so?

No one is claiming Freemason’s should be killed, persecuted, hated, or treated poorly. I don’t think anyone would claim that Freemason’s do only evil. They are simply stating Church teachings on being a Catholic and a Freemason.

Actually IT IS TRUE

Practicing Catholics cannot and maynot be Masons.

http://www.staycatholic.com/freemasons.htm

“The Catholic Church and Freemasonry have been at odds for centuries. Eight popes have condemned it, as well as have the majority of Christian denominations. Christianity and Freemasonry hold contrary beliefs. Catholics are forbidden to join the Lodge in the strongest of terms. The Church’s position is expressed in its “Declaration on Masonic Associations.” It states in part: “Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged, since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church, and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”

Here is an article f by CAF Founder Karl Keating on the topic

http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/CAMASON1.HTM

“What is the Catholic Church’s official position on Freemasonry? Are Catholics free to become Freemasons?

Freemasonry is incompatible with the Catholic faith. Freemasonry teaches a naturalistic religion that espouses indifferentism, the position that a person can be equally pleasing to God while remaining in any religion.

Masonry is a parallel religion to Christianity. The states, “Freemasonry displays all the elements of religion, and as such it becomes a rival to the religion of the Gospel. It includes temples and altars, prayers, a moral code, worship, vestments, feast days, the promise of reward and punishment in the afterlife, a hierarchy, and initiative and burial rites” (vol. 6, p. 137).

Masonry is also a secret society. Its initiates subscribe to secret blood oaths that are contrary to Christian morals. The prospective Mason swears that if he ever reveals the secrets of Masonry—secrets which are trivial and already well-known—he wills to be subject to self-mutilation or to gruesome execution. (Most Masons, admittedly, never would dream of carrying out these punishments on themselves or on an errant member)”

PLEASE: Search site for balance of the document

GOD bLESS,
Pat /PJM

 

[SGTTOM]

=SGTTOM;10019388]I don’t think anyone claims all Free-Masons are evil, no more then anyone would claim all protestants, Muslims, atheists, or any other group of people are devoid of all goodness.

 

[PJM]

=SGTTOM;10020329]

=SGTTOM;10019388]
I don’t think anyone claims all Free-Masons are evil, no more then anyone would claim all protestants, Muslims, atheists, or any other group of people are devoid of all goodness.

Like others have said, show us why these documents are suddenly invalid and what person of authority made them so?

No one is claiming Freemason’s should be killed, persecuted, hated, or treated poorly. I don’t think anyone would claim that Freemason’s do only evil. They are simply stating Church teachings on being a Catholic and a Freemason.
Yes my friend, I am aware. I thought that sentence might be confusing. I was speaking from Sixtus’s point of view.

I guess better wording would be,
If it is ok for a Catholic to be a Freemason, like you say, then why would the Vatican have documents on their website saying otherwise?

Hopefully that clears up my point.

THANKS FOR THE CLAITIFICATION:thumbsup:

 

[Boatswain2PA]

Freemasonry is not evil. It is a group of civic minded religious (mostly Christian) men who want to improve their community.

Unfortunately the Catholic Church forbids Catholics to be Freemasons. While the history of this is relatively vague, it is most likely because the Church didn’t want men to make oaths to an organization that was predominately protestant. The Church then proceeded to take a few incidences of Freemason’s acting badly to proclaim that they were evil (Much the same way that the liberal media does today with Catholicism).

 

[Holly3278]

I am not going to say that Freemasons as people are evil, not by any means. However, I will say that Freemasonry itself is evil.

 

[Boatswain2PA]

There is absolutely NOTHING in freemasonry that is evil. Nothing.

 

[TimothyH]

Freemasonry is not evil. It is a group of civic minded religious (mostly Christian) men who want to improve their community.

Unfortunately the Catholic Church forbids Catholics to be Freemasons. While the history of this is relatively vague, it is most likely because the Church didn’t want men to make oaths to an organization that was predominately protestant. The Church then proceeded to take a few incidences of Freemason’s acting badly to proclaim that they were evil (Much the same way that the liberal media does today with Catholicism).

The Catholic Church does take issue with oaths in freemansonry, and that is because the Catholic Church is the legitimate authority, established by Christ, on matters of faith and morals, and is alone authorized by God to administer oaths - bind and loose - on God’s behalf.

Just as the state is the legitimate authority on matters of criminal and civil law and it alone is authorized to administer oaths on such matters, so the Catholic Church exercises her legitiate and God-given authority when she administers oaths on matters of faith and morals. We don’t have authority to set up a criminal court in our living room and swear in witnesses, neither do the freemasons, or anyone else other than the Catholic Church for that matter, have the authority to administer oaths on matters of faith and morals on God’s behalf.

The freemasons have no authority to administer oaths on matters of faith and morals because that authority has been granted by God to the Holy Catholic Church alone.

Its a matter of legitimate authority. Freemasons in general don’t seem to be able to grasp the idea that the Catholic Church has clearly articulated arguments against freemasonry. Even my father, a three time master of his lodge, couldn’t grasp that the Church might have legitimate, if debatable, arguments against freemasonry.

-Tim-

 

[TimothyH]

There is absolutely NOTHING in freemasonry that is evil. Nothing.

Freemasonry uses authority which is not theirs - the authority to bind and loose on matters of faith and morals - which was rightly given to a different organization. When you deny something which belongs to someone by right, or when you use something which righly belongs to someone else and which you have no right to use, that’s injustice.

Fremasonry teaches that there are many paths to God fand that there are many expressions of God. Christ said that there is one path to God, through him. Freemasonry teaches that which is counter to what God himself taught, that there is one God and the way to him is through Christ Jesus.

Simply saying that there is nothing evil in freemasonry doesn’t make it so. Individual freemasons do much good in the world, but the basic precepts of the organization are based on authority which is not theirs and based on teachings which are counter to what God himself taught.

-Tim-

 

[Boatswain2PA]

The Catholic Church does take issue with oaths in freemansonry, and that is because the Catholic Church is the legitimate authority, established by Christ, on matters of faith and morals, and is alone authorized by God to administer oaths - bind and loose - on God’s behalf.

Just as the state is the legitimate authority on matters of criminal and civil law and it alone is authorized to administer oaths on such matters, so the Catholic Church exercises her legitiate and God-given authority when she administers oaths on matters of faith and morals. We don’t have authority to set up a criminal court in our living room and swear in witnesses, neither do the freemasons, or anyone else other than the Catholic Church for that matter, have the authority to administer oaths on matters of faith and morals on God’s behalf.

The freemasons have no authority to administer oaths on matters of faith and morals because that authority has been granted by God to the Holy Catholic Church alone.

Its a matter of legitimate authority. Freemasons in general don’t seem to be able to grasp the idea that the Catholic Church has clearly articulated arguments against freemasonry. Even my father, a three time master of his lodge, couldn’t grasp that the Church might have legitimate, if debatable, arguments against freemasonry.

-Tim-

You make an interesting argument here, but let’s say you are right. Would that mean that Freemasonry, on account of their administering oaths on God’s behalf, are evil? I don’t think so. No more so than court clerks who swear in a witness, or a protestant minister who marries a couple in the name of God.

I have seen evil in the world, and this ain’t it.

 

[Boatswain2PA]

Simply saying that there is nothing evil in freemasonry doesn’t make it so. Individual freemasons do much good in the world, but the basic precepts of the organization are based on authority which is not theirs and based on teachings which are counter to what God himself taught.

-Tim-

And simply saying that Freemasonry is evil doesn’t make it so either. It isn’t. It is a group of good men doing good things…hardly evil. Perhaps a bit misguided for various reasons, but hardly evil.