You sound like a catholic. Answer me this, mr catholic anti-mason...if masons and shriners are so anti-jesus, then why did the catholics go out and invent their own catholic version of the masons/shriners?
AKA the knights of columbus?
btw, I’m not a mason.
Though the movie is not historically perfect, I suggest you watch “Gangs of New York” for a taste of what life was like, for Catholics in pre-civil war America.
When Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, many insurance companies had clauses that would not allow their insurance products to be sold to someone who was not born on American Soil, or even, to those whose PARENTS were not born on American Soil.
Some insurance companies went so far as to specifically DECLINE any applications from Catholics, and even put that prohibition in writing.
The Knights of Columbus was formed to fill a void, and eventually the Knights formed their own Fraternal, Mutual Insurance Company.
To this day, most of the revenue raised by the Knights of Columbus comes from their Insurance operation.
They have one of the most competitive “dividend scales” in the industry.
As “investments” go, a KofC whole life policy will probably out perform a municipal bond, even after taxes, if purchased before age 50 and held for 20 years or more. Even if cashed out BEFORE death!
Anyway, there is your answer:
Necessity if the Mother of Invention!
Bigotry denied insurance to Catholics.
Catholics created their OWN insurance company!
The Knights of Columbus are not masonic. The only thing they share with the masons are common to most fraternal orders. The masons did not invent fraternal orders. If anything, the K of C was created to oppose anti-Catholic bigotry; specifically, it was started in Connecticut as a life insurer, believe it or not!
Your question is a bit like asking, “If the British military is so terrible, why did the Colonists form their own military?”
The Knight of Columbus has some structure in common with the Masons, but the the foundations of the two are different. Father McGivney addressed the shortommings of the Masons and other fraternal organizations of the time and created the thoroughly Catholic organization of which I am a proud member.
Using your analogy one might think that a Trabant and a Lexus were the same because the have the same basic structural parts (frame, wheels, engine, etc.)
Um. Because the Catholics wanted a Christian version of Freemasons?
I’m not catholic and do not adhere to the preponderance of man made rituals that the catholics practice in their version of Christianity. Most of what they practice was never taught by the master himself, Jesus, i.e. the Pope as head of the church, the mixing of pagan rituals with church theology, the mass, pergatory etc. Find all that in the Bible? Don’t think so. I’m not just talking out of the top of my head. I’ve looked into these things for over 50 years and have come up with my conclusions.
I’m not familiar with the Knights, other than it’s a good works group, as is the Shriners. Not knocking that part of it at all. What they do is admirable. It’s the false teaching of the Mason’s and the Shriners that makes them dangerous. For example, when a Mason dies he must wear the masonic apron or he won’t be able to enter the celestial temple. They also have rewritten the Bible calling it the Masonic Bible. Something the Bible expressly forbids and gives explicit warnings about. They take blood oaths and other weird rituals thinking that they are pleasing God. It’s nothing more than another well accepted cult. So be very careful when be drawn into the Masonic circle. Choose wisely.