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Christianity in Freemasonry

Purkaple

Registered User
Freemasonry is often a controversial thing in the Church these days, I know. Why? Gnostic is a term I've heard used by Christians describing Freemasonry, but... I guess just what might be the reason for this? If Christianity is truly completely compatible, why is it so widely frowned upon and discouraged these days? It's like they think Masons all pray to false gods and practice voodoo...
 

Purkaple

Registered User
Some Christians, sure, but many of these doubters of Masonry's Christian compatibility are very reasonable and perceptionary thinkers, scholars.
 

Mike Martin

Eternal Apprentice
Premium Member
The answer to the question is that Christians can be just as stupid and easily led as members of any other religion.

Any person willing to live their life without ever looking into what they are being told by others will happily believe almost anything.
 

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
Some Christians, sure, but many of these doubters of Masonry's Christian compatibility are very reasonable and perceptionary thinkers, scholars.

As are some of the Christian Masons that you are asking. Also some X think people belonging to Y aren't Z. Apply this last sentence to just about any situation. There will be people who are X that are reasonable, thinkers, and scholars. Very smart people can be wrong.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Freemasonry is often a controversial thing in the Church these days, I know. Why?
It appears that the Church in question has found that it's much easier to focus its group of people against an external cause that cannot be controlled than it is to have them do work upon themselves that is controllable. This is one of many ways to rally and solidify a group that is otherwise wandering aimlessly and without any true unifying purpose. It is called, "The addiction to a cause", and it is used within organizations to focus a group's attention on things that will control and focus attention and off things that really do need to be done because those in control know that by doing so, they gain tremendous power AND it masks the shortcomings and addictions of the leadership.

As you might be gathering from my response, Freemasons are not immune from this in any way. Members within our organization suffer with this all consuming characteristic all too often and unfortunately cause others within our organization to suffer as well and as a result.
Gnostic is a term I've heard used by Christians describing Freemasonry, but... I guess just what might be the reason for this?
Labeling is a well-known way of categorizing, stereotyping and dehumanizing others so that those who are labeling them feel justified with attacking them in ways that would be unconceivable if they were not so labeled. It is done out of ignorance AND in many cases it is done purposefully to influence others so that those who do the labeling shall gain additional influence over and from those who are ignorant.

Once again, Freemasons are not immune from this in any way. Members within our organization purposefully create labels to influence members who do not know any better and who would rather have things "simplified" so that they can react to situations that they would rather not think about in depth.
If Christianity is truly completely compatible, why is it so widely frowned upon and discouraged these days?
If you are talking about Freemasonry being frowned upon and discouraged by Christians: It is not all Christians (or believers of other faiths either!) that frown upon and discourage others from joining Freemasonry. It is only those who know they have a gullible and ignorant target audience that they can control by spouting these lies and when the audience actually listens to and is moved by their non-sense. It's a power thing and it does work all too well upon the ignorant and lazy masses.

And...once again, Freemasons are not immune to this. You have a lot of non-sense being spouted by trusted individuals within our organization who are empowered by gullible and ignorant pre-members and existing members who refuse to dig deeper into issues affecting them and others.
It's like they think Masons all pray to false gods and practice voodoo...
<sigh> The members of these organizations are mislead by both
1) their unwillingness to do the work necessary to know and be better; and
2) their desire to focus their energies upon supporting things that they know are truly not good for them.​

Once again, freemasons are not immune to this. It is why Freemasonry and Freemasons are currently struggling unnecessarily with so much non-sense and suffering as both an organization and as individuals.

F&S,

Brother Coach
 
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Classical

Premium Member
Freemasonry, from what I have experienced of it as a Fellowcraft, is perfectly friendly toward my Christian faith. The problem is with those people who are Fanatics. They are to be found in all religions, including atheism. Fanaticism is the enemy of brotherhood and mutual understanding. Unfortunately, many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have become fanatics. They will not abide any commitment to any organization or idea that is not explicitly of their own churches. They spend their free time denouncing, boycotting, pointing fingers and like activities. Who has time for that, if you're following the Prince of Peace? I sure don't. :)
 

hanzosbm

Premium Member
I think it's a combination of things. Freemasonry is not a religion, but it certain ties in to many religions. Likewise, parts of what we do are different than what churches do, and other parts of what we do are private.
I think that some individuals who do not feel that Freemasonry is compatible with Christianity feel that way because they see us as using some of the same figures and stories but in a different format and therefore feel that we are "doing it wrong" and/or they see that we are private about certain aspects and assume the worst.
And, as others have pointed out, some of those people are fanatics and extremists, but allow me to toss another label into the mix; literalist. Some of the nicest, most giving people I've ever met would fall under this label (and yes, Brother Coach, I agree that labels can be dangerous) but to them, there is zero room for anything even slightly outside the lines of what they've been taught. What we teach is not in conflict with any major religion (that I'm aware of) but it is different, and to some people, different is wrong.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
I always just remember this quote
A Christian life is like a good watch – An open face, busy hands, pure gold, well regulated & filled with good works.

It works for Freemasons as well, rephrasing;

A Freemason should be like a good watch – An open face, busy hands, pure gold, well regulated & filled with good works.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Because some people have such a narrow view of Christianity. They see it as anything outside of their understanding isn't true Christianity.
Thus the believer knows that it is not possible to know and is affronted by any that say that they do.

The knower also does not need the clergy and may not feel obliged to contribute to their upkeep. How dangerous is that!
The answer to the question is that Christians can be just as stupid and easily led as members of any other religion.
It appears that the Church in question has found that it's much easier to focus its group of people against an external cause that cannot be controlled than it is to have them do work upon themselves that is controllable.
problem is with those people who are Fanatics.
but allow me to toss another label into the mix; literalist. Some of the nicest, most giving people I've ever met would fall under this label (and yes, Brother Coach, I agree that labels can be dangerous) but to them, there is zero room for anything even slightly outside the lines of what they've been taught.
All solid points that I totally agree with.
 

Mirza Sultan Ahmad

Registered User
Well! I think question is not whether Christianity and masonry are compatible or not. I went to two freemason places in Washington, there were Crosses in different places. The question should be whether Masonry is compatible with other religions or not.
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
I belong to more than one organization that requires a belief in God but takes no position on religion. I'm told the Boy Scouts fall into this category as well. Any former Boy Scouts care to comment?
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
The question should be whether Masonry is compatible with other religions or not.

Because our degrees tell a story out of the Old Testament, members of non-JCI faiths have to be secure in their faith before petitioning. There are some details to work through as far as the petition questions go but generally compatible.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Because our degrees tell a story out of the Old Testament, members of non-JCI faiths have to be secure in their faith before petitioning. There are some details to work through as far as the petition questions go but generally compatible.
What stories are those? I'm only familiar with allusions and references to the OT and the use of characters from the OT.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
What stories are those? I'm only familiar with allusions and references to the OT and the use of characters from the OT.

Exactly. The building of King Solomon's Temple is not a story that appears in the Analects of Confucius, the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tsu and so on in any of the scriptures you can think of outside of the JCI family.

The stories only appear in the Old Testament. As you point out in the OT the references we find are much more brief than the longer versions we learn in our degrees.
 
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