But the gist of the argument is that no Christian should belong to any organization the [sic] treats all other religions as equal to Christianity.
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That’s a major misunderstanding of Freemasonry; that it is a competitor for religions. It is more of a forum of civility where adherents of religions who accept a single source of Creation and a single, Supreme Being who is ‘bigger’ than any of us, more knowledgeable and powerful than even our imaginations. We place ourselves in a house of that Creator, with due reverence, for our deliberations. And in that way our deliberations can pull concepts from multiple religions and perspectives in problem solving.
Did you ever hear of racial profiling at a Shriner’s hospital? Or how about our local lodge’s Bikes 4 Books reading program for 2nd graders in public schools?
I did not intend to suggest that Freemasonry was in competition with religion and I don’t believe I did.
What I did intend to convey is that what Freemasonry teaches is not Christian, that it accepts non-Christian teaching as valid.
It is more of a forum of civility where adherents of religions who accept a single source of Creation and a single, Supreme Being who is ‘bigger’ than any of us, more knowledgeable and powerful than even our imaginations. We place ourselves in a house of that Creator, with due reverence, for our deliberations. And in that way our deliberations can pull concepts from multiple religions and perspectives in problem solving.
I used to think that way when I was young. But over the years I have learned that all the answers to the big questions are there in Christianity. Really all in the 10 commandments for most of those questions.
Step outside Christianity and you are in danger. When you suggest that other religions are valid you put souls in danger.
Without Christ there is no salvation.
When a Christian meets a non-Christian, he is responsible to try to bring that person to Christ.
Freemasons suggest that all mono-theistic religions worship the same god this could not be more wrong. To suggest that Muslims and Christians worship the same god when considering the practices of those religions is laughable.
Proselytization by the sword was never part of Christian or Jewish religion. Saint Patrick was not sent to Ireland with an army to preach to the Celts. He was sent alone with a Bible. He succeeded in converting all of Ireland. That success was repeated all over the world.
Everywhere Mohammed’s followers went blood, rape and death followed. Those who would not convert were put to the sword or sold into slavery. Rape of non-Muslim women is part of the teaching of Mohammed as is slavery. None of these is in Christian teaching.
Did you ever hear of racial profiling at a Shriner’s hospital? Or how about our local lodge’s Bikes 4 Books reading program for 2nd graders in public schools?
I am not sure where you intend to go with this. Are you suggesting that Christians are racist?
The Catholic Church has built hospitals and schools all over the world that offered care and education to peoples of all race and creeds free of charge for centuries, as have many of the Protestant and Evangelical churches.
Racism is not a Christian teaching and never was. When it existed in the pre-civil war south is was an aberration of Christian teaching and many Christians at the time spoke against it.
I have known many honorable and intelligent Masons, but I can not accept Masonic teaching as a Christian. All religions are not created equal. Only one is true.