Anti-Masonic Sentiment in the Church??

I think that I have read a thing or two on here or on another forum lately about this, but haven't ever experienced this firsthand until today and I am curious how to handle it when it comes up in the near future which I know that it will. Here is the story:

I have been going through a really rough time lately and made the decision to get back into the path of walking closer with God as I have started to feel a real seperation from Him during all of this. Being in a new area, I figured that it was the perfect time for me to find a new Church and begin that journey.

The Church is non denominational and I met with the Men's group this past Monday night. I informed one of the men that seemed very spiritually smart about my situation. He was more than glad to talk to me and look forward to lending me a hand and get me started again with my walk with God. Yesterday, he had given me a book to read and wanted me to meet with him to "confess and repent" to start my internal healing from Iraq and all this I was going through.

Today, he called to check up on me and see how I was doing. He asked what my son's name was and I told him. He asked me if there was someone with that name in my family and I told him no and that I had chosen that name cause I liked the name and I was a Freemason and it was symbolic to me. He seemed very interested in my Masonic activity and asked me how long I had been involved in Masonry.

The conversation started going a different way and I told him that one of my plans for moving here was to get more involved with the Masonic lodges here in the area, but have had a hard time with motiviation due to the hardship I am going through. He then asked me to hold off on getting back involved with the Masonic lodge until I could get through the book and have our "personal discussion". He said a couple of other things asking me to "not get involved with the Masons" at least till after he gets a chance to sit down and talk with me.

Granted, I don't know the future but from the tone in his voice and the things that he was saying and how hard he was pushing me to avoid the Masonic stuff till he can talk to me in person, I really got the feeling that he is going to try to convince me to leave the organization or that it is un Godly to be part of it. What am I supposed to do here?

I really highly doubt that I am going to be able to change his mind or views on Masonry, but I also don't really want to be shunned from the Church. Should I just try to find another Church and hide the fact that I am a Mason from them? It is kind of sad to me that a man that wants to worship with a group feels like he might be turned away just because he is part of an organization that that group does not know about or understand. Should I head this off and just tell the guy that I feel like he is going to come at me with something anti-Masonic and that I would rather not talk about it as I am there to be closer to God?

Any ideas or suggestions?

Pray for guidance, search your heart and make a decision.
It is not necessary for me to meet with someone and "confess and repent." That is between me and my God. I need no intermediary.
Be wary my Brother.
IMO.

Trust your gut.

I think there are many churches that will accept you for who you are and will not blink an eye at your involvement in Freemasonry. I would move on and find a place that feels right; then tell the clergy you are a Mason upfront.

Brother,
In my experience, you are much more likely to find the kind of support you are looking for amongst your Brother Freemasons than you will in that church, especially if the individual you've described is at all representative of that community. That's not to say that we're going to have the level of religious guidance and fellowship that you are seeking, just that we're not going to offer up ignorance and judgement the way this guy has while pretending that it's loving support.

Whatever problems you face, it will be up to you to find ways to deal with them. Leaning on the shoulders of others, when necessary, is very often one of those ways. Pick the right shoulders, Brother.

I think it would be easy to label this brother (because aren't we all brothers and sisters under God?) as "anti-Masonic" and run to find another church, and if you feel uncomfortable there then you are fully justified in doing just that. However, it might just be that he is laboring under some misinformation that you can correct, or that he is not representative of the church in general. If I were in your position, I would have that discussion with him, making sure to preface it by saying something to the effect of "From the tone of your previous comments, I suspect that you are not very favorable towards Freemasonry. I don't want to argue with you, but I would like to hear what you have to say, and since there is a lot of misinformation about Freemasonry floating around out there, I would be happy to correct any information that you have that is incorrect".

If he is willing to change his own thoughts about Freemasonry, then maybe you have a place in that church. On the other hand, if he is too proud to admit that he might not be correct then that would probably not be the right place for you. Also, make sure that his opinions are representative of the church as a whole. It would be a shame if you formed your opinion of that organization based on the crackpot theories of one over-zealous member. And remember the charge to not argue with those who mock Masonry from ignorance.

Above sounds like a great idea!
Might also consider just asking the Senior Pastor what his/this church's position on Masonry is?

robert leachman said:

Might also consider just asking the Senior Pastor what his/this church's position on Masonry is?

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That's probably sound advice. Some churches are more accepting than others. Better to get it straight from the source, find out if the church as a whole isn't fond of Masonry, or if it's just one individual acting on his own.

I know in my Church some people are not as willing to accept Masonry, but as of right now there are 2 of us that are. There was one other person but has since passed away who was a PM of his hometown Lodge and a 52 year member of the Fraternity. There are a few people that know I am involved but I am criticized for it. My Pastor lives across the street from our current WM and sees me over there twice a week while I am working on my memory work.

If it was me I would go to the top and bluntly ask them their stance and if it doesn't correspond to your beliefs move and find one that does.

All of the above are good suggestions. I think that I'd probably go with talking with the pastor. Make sure and ask the CHURCH'S position, or you'll likely get the PASTOR'S position. Most churches in the US have a book that states the church's official position on a whole range of topics. Unfortunately, it's usually the clergy and MAYBE a few others who are familiar with it. The rest of the congregation may not even know it exists, or they don't consult with it before giving counsel. In the Methodist church, it's called the "Book of Discipline". I would take a look at the text that corresponds to that, and read the entire article on Masonry.

But, in the event that the church as a whole DOES in fact take a negative view of the Craft, I would definitely start looking elsewhere. There are plenty of denominations that are friendly towards Freemasonry, and I personally know a few masons who are also clergy. I hope this is of help! Please do keep us updated.

You will find more antimasonic views in nondenominational churches than in mainstream churches. They are usually more fundamental in their beliefs and less accepting of other ideologies. Of course this is a very general statement and there are exceptions.

I counsel you to remember that the minute contention ("anger") arises, the Holy Spirit flees. In that event, you might consider doing doing the same.

My church (Latter-day Saint [Mormon]) takes the official position that the Craft is an honorable organization, but one that can demand large amounts of a man's time. So, I was counseled that as long as my family and religious obligations did not suffer, go. Have fun. Let your light shine forth and do good in the world.

David Terrell PM

davidterrell80 said:

I counsel you to remember that the minute contention ("anger") arises, the Holy Spirit flees. In that event, you might consider doing doing the same.

My church (Latter-day Saint [Mormon]) takes the official position that the Craft is an honorable organization, but one that can demand large amounts of a man's time. So, I was counseled that as long as my family and religious obligations did not suffer, go. Have fun. Let your light shine forth and do good in the world.

David Terrell PM

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For me, this is a sound position and one that is certainly consistent with the tenants of Freemasonry. If the person you talked to is truly anti-Masonry, which it seems he might be by asking you not to get involved in a new lodge, then in my view, there likely would be little to change his mind about it. Your local brothers could shine some light regarding the churches in your area.

I would counsel you to think back upon what drew you to Freemasonry in the first place; what were you seeking and were/are you on the path to finding it? For me Freemasonry supplements and reinforces my faith and beliefs and does not substitute for them. This may be a deal that you have to turn over to your God and allow yourself to rediscover your desires for the fraternity and be guided to the proper church. Remember what we are taught to do before entering any important undertaking. First, seek peace in your deliberations and I am confident you will find your answers.

Ol Kev, thanks for the call to reflect. After a short period of reflection, I can definitely tell you that I wanted as a 25 year old is not what I got. I am not sure what I wanted was ever offered. I know that masonry made me a much better man and is giving me what I want now. I would not trade my path in masonry for anything. Well maybe Jennifer Lopez, nah... I'm happy with where masonry is taking me.

First off, there were some REALLY great responses that are giving me a lot to think about. Thank all of you Brothers that posted on here. I knew that I would get a lot of great information from you all. Only suprised and a bit disappointed that Bro. Tony hadn't posted something yet. He always has soemthing great to say....lol

Zack said:

It is not necessary for me to meet with someone and "confess and repent." That is between me and my God. I need no intermediary. Be wary my Brother.

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You know, that is something that I thought about as well as soon as he said that to me when he was describing the program to me. The church is not Catholic, and...well it just struck me as odd when it came out from him. Thank you for pointing that out as I am glad that I am not the only one that noticed that. I think that I may need to ask a few more questions about this "program" that he is talking about and find out more about this church. It seems pretty legit to me and everything was about God, but maybe there is some things that I didn't pick up on...lol

Bro. Brad Marrs said:

Trust your gut.

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Ah, a very good tactic. I like that one.

JohnnyFlotsam said:

In my experience, you are much more likely to find the kind of support you are looking for amongst your Brother Freemasons than you will in that church, especially if the individual you've described is at all representative of that community

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Yea, I think that some things that I could benefit from very well could come from my Masonic Brothers and that most likely this or other churchs can't really give to me. On the other hand of what I am seeking, getting that spiritual guidance and religious fellowship is something that I could probably get better from a church organzation easier.

AAJ said:

However, it might just be that he is laboring under some misinformation that you can correct, or that he is not representative of the church in general. If I were in your position, I would have that discussion with him, making sure to preface it by saying

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You know, I am sure that if he is anti-Masonic with as deeply involved with his beliefs are, I don't think that I will be able to change his views on Masonry. I did meet some good guys up there and if at all possible, would like for that church to by my regular one that I go to. So, I guess I can try to have the talk with him as you suggested and start out with something paraphrased from introduction you recommended. If it does not change his mind about Masonry, I figure that I have one of two choices. Just get up and thank them for the hospitality they had given me so far and say my good byes. Or I could directly ask him if my being a Freemason will cause a conflict within the church or its members as we (being the people at the church) are there for the same purpose, to serve and worship God). If he says it will be a conflict, then I can go ahead and leave and find another one down the road.

AAJ said:

It would be a shame if you formed your opinion of that organization based on the crackpot theories of one over-zealous member.

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Yea, another good point. I would need to find out if the rest of the people feel the same way about it as he does. The Men's group tends to meet regularly. Do you think if I got up to speek and brought up the fact that I am a Mason and want to know from the group as a whole if there was any kind of conflict would work? I kind of see there being some questions thrown out there bout Masonry, but I really don't know how it would really turn out...lol What do you think about that idea?

Jacob Johnson said:

I think that I'd probably go with talking with the pastor

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Yea, combining your post and a couple of the other posts, I think that I will more than likely end up doing is asking the Men's group thier thoughts on it and how they feel. If they are all okay with it, then I will get to the Pastor and ask him what the Church's stance on it instead of his viewpoint. I think that would cover the bases pretty well, right? And I should have a better idea of whether or not I need to search for another place.

Beathard said:

You will find more antimasonic views in nondenominational churches than in mainstream churches.

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Ya know, this really suprises me actually. I kind of thought tha the nondenominational churches would be waaay more accepting of the Freemasons than any of the larger established churches...lol THanks for posting that Beathard

davidterrell80 said:

My church (Latter-day Saint [Mormon]) takes the official position that the Craft is an honorable organization, but one that can demand large amounts of a man's time.

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I would have to say that that doesn't sound too bad of a stance from a church on Masonry....lol