Posted on 11/04/2004 5:19:16 AM PST by Ryan Bailey
Rowan Williams apologises to Freemasons By Chris Hastings and Elizabeth Day (Filed: 20/04/2003)
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has been forced to apologise to Britain's 330,000 Freemasons after he said that their beliefs were incompatible with Christianity and that he had rejected them from senior posts in his diocese.
Dr Williams has written to Robert Morrow, the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England, in an attempt to defuse the row prompted by comments he made last year. In his letter, the Archbishop apologises for the "distress" he caused and discloses that his own father was a member of the Craft.
Freemasons, many of whom are active members of the Church of England, reacted angrily to his disclosure that he "had real misgivings about the compatibility of Masonry and Christian profession" and by his admission that, as Bishop of Monmouth, he had blocked the appointment of Freemasons to senior appointments.
His comments about Freemasons were in a private letter leaked to the media shortly after Downing Street confirmed his appointment as head of the Church of England.
Subsequent attempts by his advisers to defuse the row only caused further offence. A spokesman said the Archbishop was worried about the ritual element of Freemasonry, which has been seen as "satanically inspired".
In his letter of apology, Dr Williams tries to distance himself from his own reported comments. He claims that his views were never meant to be public and were distorted by the media.
He wrote: "I have been sorry to learn of the distress of a considerable number of Freemasons . . . In replying to private correspondence, I had no intention of starting a public debate nor of questioning the good faith and generosity of individual Freemasons and I regret the tone and content of the media coverage."
He added: "The quoted statements about the 'satanic' character of the Masonic ceremonies and other matters did not come from me and do not represent my judgment. Since my late father was a member of the Craft for many years, I have had every opportunity of observing the probity of individual members."
Dr Williams does not, in his letter, deny that he has misgivings about the role of Freemasons within the Church.
He wrote: "Where anxieties exist, however, they are in relation not to Freemasonry but to Christian ministers subscribing to what could be and often is understood [or misunderstood] as a private system of profession and initiation, involving the taking of oaths of loyalty."
He ends his letter by stating that Freemasons' commitment to charity and the community is beyond question.
In reality he now realizes what every informed person realizes, that there is no conflict of interests between Christianity and the Masonic lodge.
CATHOLIC QUICK QUESTIONS
Catholic AnswersWhat 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 New Catholic Encyclopedia 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).
Historically, one of Masonry's primary objectives has been the destruction of the Catholic Church; this is especially true of Freemasonry as it has existed in certain European countries. In the United States, Freemasonry is often little more than a social club, but it still espouses a naturalistic religion that contradicts orthodox Christianity. (Those interested in joining a men's club should consider the Knights of Columbus instead.)
The Church has imposed the penalty of excommunication on Catholics who become Freemasons. The penalty of excommunication for joining the Masonic Lodge was explicit in the 1917 code of canon law (canon 2335), and it is implicit in the 1983 code (canon 1374).
Because the revised code of canon law is not explicit on this point, some drew the mistaken conclusion that the Church's prohibition of Freemasonry had been dropped. As a result of this confusion, shortly before the 1983 code was promulgated, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement indicating that the penalty was still in force. This statement was dated November 26, 1983 and may be found in Origins 13/27 (Nov. 15, 1983), 450.
I am not a catholic but do enjoy some of their defense of authority. they are spot on, on this one.
Most conservative Protestant organizations agree with the above Catholic understanding of Freemansonry. (The Salvation Army, for example, forbids its members from belonging.)
Great, now all the tin foil hat "Freemasons are evil" "me and mine and no more" crowd will be getting their rocks off posting here all day.
Interesting .... (and the sound of a spinning reel, and a soft splash in the Pond of FR, and the ripples begin to spread outward in the quiet misty morning .... )
Am I missing something here?
Shalom.
U. S. Catholics have enough problems of our own so I didn't want anyone confused.
Here's more background on why.
Our Fellow Freeper wrote, 'The New Catholic Encyclopedia states, "Freemasonry displays all the elements of religion" '.
With this premise I must make not a little contestation.
I will state at the outset that the masonic lodge could be mistaken for pseudo-religious by some personages. This would only be due to ignorrance, more specifically failure to understand exactly what exactly constitutes a religion. The ignorrant man may find simitude in a great many things, protons and electrons, republicans and democrats, as well as other dissimilar examples. But alas these are all for nought.
Anti-masonry makes just such a mistake in its assessment of masonry. Both masonry and a great many churches meet in a building and both often have senior citizens among their memberships. In this way they are not dissimilar. But in other more important ways masonry differs greatly from a religion.
Freemasonry is not a religion because it has no clergy, no creed, no profession of faith, no definition of sin or salvation and no sacred text. The entire discussion upon which this argument, Anti-masonry, is based hinges upon important particulars such as these. And so the premise of Anti-masonry has been here refuted once for all.
My usage of the word 'informed' was paramount in my description of Dr. William's letter.
I am pleased to engage in the process of facilitating such information. That's part of what is so great about Free Republic.
Our Fellow Freeper wrote, 'The New Catholic Encyclopedia states, "Freemasonry displays all the elements of religion" '.
With this premise I must make not a little contestation.
I will state at the outset that the masonic lodge could be mistaken for pseudo-religious by some personages. This would only be due to ignorrance, more specifically failure to understand exactly what exactly constitutes a religion. The ignorrant man may find simitude in a great many things, protons and electrons, republicans and democrats, as well as other dissimilar examples. But alas these are all for nought.
Anti-masonry makes just such a mistake in its assessment of masonry. Both masonry and a great many churches meet in a building and both often have senior citizens among their memberships. In this way they are not dissimilar. But in other more important ways masonry differs greatly from a religion.
Freemasonry is not a religion because it has no clergy, no creed, no profession of faith, no definition of sin or salvation and no sacred text. The entire discussion upon which this argument, Anti-masonry, is based hinges upon important particulars such as these. And so the premise of Anti-masonry has been here refuted once for all.
My usage of the word 'informed' was paramount in my description of Dr. William's letter.
I am pleased to engage in the process of facilitating such information. That's part of what is so great about Free Republic.
Those who confer degrees.
...no creed,
1) Beliefs required for membership: G.A.U. and immortality of the soul.
2) Religious relativism is expressed in the Masonic motto: "Morality in which all men agree, that is, to be good men and true." Or, the best way to worship God is to serve others. Good works are essential for salvation, but they do not represent the best way to worship God.
A good man must love God with his entire heart, mind and soul and love his neighbor as himself. Love of neighbor is secondary. Moreover, Jesus commands Baptism and union with His Church.
From the Fellowcraft Degree:
By Speculative Masonry we learn to subdue the passions, act upon the square, keep a tongue of good report, maintain secrecy and practice charity. It is so far interwoven with religion as to lay us under obligation to pay that rational homage to Deity, which at once constitutes our duty, and our happiness. It leads the contemplative to view with reverence and admiration the glorious works of creation, and inspires him with the most exalted ideas of the perfection of his Divine Creator....no profession of faith,...
What are the degrees and oaths?
no definition of sin...
Implicit in the Masonic motto. If there is good in which all men agree, there must be evil in which all men agree.
And the degrees recommend particular practices and discourage others.
Hmmm, what about this....?
http://www.saintsalive.com/freemasonry/biblicallook.html
(portion copied below)
I really didn't give a rat's ass about any criticism of the Masons until I heard about this stuff on the radio.
According to what I've heard, Masons ARE called upon to worship another God. And they ARE expected to believe that Christianity and other popular religions are equally valid / invalid. And that the secret name of God is known only to higher level Masons.
If these sources are true, you have to say Freemasonry is completely incompatible with Christianity.
-- Joe
TELLING IT LIKE IT IS! FREEMASONRY'S CHALLENGE
A Challenge From Ed Decker,
President-Saints Alive in Jesus
For a number of years now I have been in an intense study on the subject of Freemasonry. As many of you know, I spent 20 years in the Mormon Church where the temple rituals have been directly "lifted" from the Blue Lodge degrees. Other portions of the Scottish rites, such as the the ordination of the "Holy Melchizedek" priesthood are also common. In the book, THE GOD MAKERS, Dave Hunt and I detailed the parallels and the occult origins of each group. What I didn't share was that prior to my conversion to Mormonism, I was a member of the Masonic youth group, the DeMolay and have a family history of Masonry that goes back over 175 years.
The more I studied Masonry, the more I realized the depth of its satanic hold over those within its "strong Grip". Within the pages of the hundreds of Masonic books and secret ritual manuals I have gathered and read in my research is a tragic story of Godly men who have succumbed to the snare of the enemy and have been snatched from the very arms of Christ. They have brought the darkest side of Baal worship into their homes and congregations, opening the door to every demon in that Masonic corner of Hell. When the average American thinks of the Masonic Lodge, the thoughts are of Children's Burn Centers and Hospitals, the Shrine Circus, where handicapped children are often carried to the front row seats in the strong arms of weeping men who are wearing the Red Fezzes of their fraternity. Rarely do we see a parade without these same Shriners driving up and down the parade route in their little cars and motorcycles, wearing clothes out of the Arabian nights, bringing laughter to the little children lined up along the sidewalks. On more serious occasions, such as the laying of public building cornerstones or at the funeral service of a Lodge member, these same men, dressed in somber attire, wearing their ornate sashes and brass- medallioned chains of office, ceremonial aprons, will perform with solemn dignity pagan rites handed down through centuries of ritual secrecy.
Yet, once you get past the good-old-boy fraternal act, the funny hats and slippers of the Shriners and the sheltered reputation of the local, Blue Lodge Masonic groups, there is something beyond the colorful mask, an aura of mystery, power and intrigue, complete with undertones of conspiracy and backroom politics. As ever present as Masonry hangs on the edge of the public eye, we see it as even more subtly present in the Christian Community. Except for the ritual funeral service for the Masonic dead, and an occasional march from the Lodge to a selected Church for services, the Lodge leaves it to the individual member to select and attend the church of his choice.
On the other end of that, however, is the church on whose Board sits a majority from the Lodge, or whose Deacons or Elders share Lodge secrets that are in keeping with their higher allegiance to the Lodge, an aloofness from the rest of the Church body. These are "good" men who attend regularly and are often the financial backbone of many small congregations.
One Pastor wrote of his frustration in a rural church. He put it this way, "As faithful as these men are, I always feel at board meetings that there is a second agenda which is not open to me. It's like they get their marching orders from the Lodge on how to conduct the business of the church. They are good men, but they seem to operate with some higher' knowledge than the rest of us. There is no submission to the authority of the church and its members." The simple Christian NO list has been enough for most truly Bible based Churches to take a stand regarding Masons holding membership in their Church. First, if the Mason is a Christian, Christ's admonition to swear no oaths at all should be all one would need to stay clear. The secrets of Masonry are protected by the most vile of blood oaths, every one of which is an offense to Jesus. Second, the name and nature of the Masonic deity is an offense to the one true God. It is taught in the Royal Arch degree that Masonry draws its teachings and powers from three great teachers and gods. The combined deity is represented as a three headed snake, whose name is Joa:Bul:On, which stands for Jehovah, Baal and Osiris, Now the Mason who pronounces that name in the Masonic prayer of worship has just simply defiled the Holy name of God. Third, in the Shrine, the initiate swears a terrible binding oath in the name of "Allah, the God of our Fathers!" Friends, Mohammed was a false prophet and Allah is an evil god, a demon god destroying nation after nation of his followers. The red Fez itself was originally a badge of honor worn only by Muslims who had actually killed a Christian and dipped his cap in the martyr's blood. Fourth, At the Apron lecture, the foolish mason is usually told that the lambskin apron will be his covering at the great white throne judgement of God. The prayer and dedicatory sounds great, but there is only one Great white throne judgement and it is the judgement of the damned. (Rev.20:11) Fifth, the promise of godhood through the Lodge, the usurping of Christ's Melchizedek Priesthood, the Holy communion of the dead, drinking wine from the carved out top of a human skull......and on and on. The scriptures tell us to "not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you." (2 Cor. 6:14,15,17).
I'm not trying to minimize the potential issues Christians may have with Masons. However, Masons contest these reports are true. Gays don't contest that they do what they do, they just try to tell us the Bible is wrong. The Archbishop hasn't seen fit to criticize them, so why is he criticizing the Masons? Saying, "It's not as bad as all that," isn't nearly as blasphemous as calling G-d a liar.
Shalom.
Ar Gee's assesment of the improriety of anti-Masonry is commendable. How can a defense be made for persecuting Christian men within the Masonic Lodge ?
By the definitions of a religion offered above virtually any organization would be qualifiable as a cult, to include the congress, police departments, colleges, town councils and the such. This leaves us with very little public assembly, excepting the church, which is less than satanity. I can not accept this as a logical progression of reasoning.
Rather, the only motives which could lead us to such conclusions would be those of maliciousness and personal character attacks which tend to make void the peace and harmony within the Body of Christ.
I would refer you all to the great study on Freemasonry by the Southern Baptist Convention and to the exhaustive studies by the late John J. Robinson. These were the most thorough and in depth analyses ever of the fraternity, and I wholeheartedly believe what they turned up to be the truth.
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