Posted on 01/16/2009 9:54:17 AM PST by BGHater
President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in Tuesday will incorporate several elements out of America's Masonic past.
One-third of the signers of the Constitution, many of the Bill of Rights signers and America's first few presidents (except for Thomas Jefferson) were Freemasons, a fraternal organization that became public in early 18th-century England.
Although it became fabulously popular in America, at one time encompassing 10 percent of the population, Pope Clement XII condemned Freemasonry in 1738 as heretical. The latest pronouncement was issued in 1983 by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - now Pope Benedict XVI - who called Masonic practices "irreconcilable" with Catholic doctrine.
Still, as the first president, George Washington had to come up with appropriate rituals for the new country. He borrowed many of them from Masonic rites he knew as "worshipful leader" of a lodge in Alexandria.
His Masonic gavel is on display at the Capitol Visitor Center. Until this inauguration, Washington's Masonic Bible - on which he swore his obligations as a Freemason - was used for the presidential oath of office. President-elect Barack Obama will use Abraham Lincoln's Bible.
The worshipful master administered the Masonic oaths. This was adapted to the president vowing to serve his country in an oath administered by the top justice of the Supreme Court.
I learned all this from Garrison Courtney, a 30-something government worker who gives Masonic tours of the District in his spare time. He is worshipful master at the Cincinnatus Lodge in Georgetown. Contrary to public perceptions of Masons being older white guys, current local membership is a racially and religiously mixed group of Gen-X men, he says.
They have, he adds, gotten a bad rap as a secretive organization.
"If people have questions, we will tell them," he says. "We're pretty open as an organization."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
> all of which i’m sure is fairly typical of the kinds things done all around the country.
Our Lodge provides scholarships to talented youths so that they can study music at University. We’ve also been sponsors for the refurbishment of a massive antique pipe organ at the Auckland Town Hall: that’s an amazing project because it all has to be taken to bits and shipped to Germany, then repaired and shipped all the way back, half-way ‘round the world. By time it’s done musicians from around the world will want to play this instrument.
Freemasonry sometimes gets criticized for being inwardly-focused and helping only fellow Masons. Those two examples I’ve given happen for the greater civic good.
> And ultimately, the worship of Lucifer is what Freemasonry is all about.
> As Albert Pike put it: DOUBT IT NOT!
Hysterical rubbish.
There are excellent reasons why our Freemasonic plots for world domination have never been successfully uncovered and exposed: you see, there are none.
And there are excellent reasons why nobody can swear under oath to having seen Satan worshipped at a working of a Lodge: you see, it never happens.
Now I don’t know what brand of Christianity you purport to follow, but it is obviously one that tolerates the bearing of False Witness. How do you reconcile yourself with that?
From their local lodge.
Yes very true! Indoctrination into Fabian Socialism as a sort of replacement for Christian ‘works’ is one of the hallmarks of being a Rhodes Scholar.
Cheers
Mel
Please, tell us your story (the WHOLE story). Give us the Lodge number and Grand Jurisdiction. Make sure to include the year all of "this" happened, so that the Officers can give their account..
THEN we will be getting somewhere. Only then will we know whether you are dealing with a clandestine organization or just plain making things up. Because those are the only two possibilities.
The clandestine organization to which is referred is more commonly known as Freemasonry.
YOU: The clandestine organization to which is referred is more commonly known as Freemasonry.
We are obviously down to a single possibility.
Yes, one of true testimony, but like most masons attempting to appeal to the authority of masonry is simply appealing to illegitimate authority.
> our reconciliation to God is through faith alone in Christ alone. Something not welcome within the Masonic community.
Who told you that?? I doubt that any regular Freemason would tell you that “a Faith in Christ was unwelcome within Masonry” because it just isn’t so. Most if not all of the members of my Lodge are practising and devout Christians, and they would be most surprised to learn that they were not welcome in Freemasonry.
Conspiracy theorists always trot that one out, and it is an monstrous lie. I do not know why they insist on telling it — particularly the Christians amongst them because it is a Sin to bear False Witness as they well know — but they do anyway.
And so now you, too, have been told about that untruth. What you do with this knowledge is entirely up to you.
I think you have some problems with telling the truth.
I'm not surprised that they denied your petition.
There must be hundreds of ‘’fraternal’’ orgs. in the USA,college etc., why pick on this one?
He claimed "testimony", but will not give the name, number, and Grand Jurisdiction of the Lodge in question.
He is obviously making up his "testimony".
(PalmettoMason waiting patiently while “someone” hurries to look something up in the phone book)
> He claimed “testimony”, but will not give the name, number, and Grand Jurisdiction of the Lodge in question.
No surprises there. That is because he *can’t*.
> He is obviously making up his “testimony”.
(grin!) “testimony” is an interesting euphemismn for “false witness”, ay! And the irony of having a purported “Christian” be a bearer-of-false-witness about Freemasonry is both truly rich and thoroughly disturbing, simultaneously.
I don’t know what cvengr’s brand of Christianity has to say about telling fibs, but mine tends to condemn on it. As does Freemasonry.
This is his quote.
I have balloted on many petitions in my Lodge. I have also served on numerous investigating committees. NEVER have I seen or heard anyone question the answer to the "belief question" on a petition, or ask any further questions concerning a candidate's faith. In fact, to do so would constitute a Masonic offense.
> NEVER have I seen or heard anyone question the answer to the “belief question” on a petition, or ask any further questions concerning a candidate’s faith. In fact, to do so would constitute a Masonic offense.
It would also never arise in casual discussion in Lodge, for the same reason.
Our FRiend here will choose to believe (or disbelieve) as his/her conscience dictates. But he/she cannot claim that we didn’t present truth and fact on this issue, nor can he/she claim ignorance. We have done our best.
AGREED!
isn’t a belief in God (however you belive) required in masonry?
(see also the Boy Scouts, and we don’t have issues with the scouts...)
You know one of the Frescoes painted by Brumidi in the US Capitol is of George Washington performing a masonic corner stone ceremony at the start of the capitol building construction.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.