Rowan Williams apologises to Freemasons

Telegraph (UK) ^ | 20/04/2003 | Chris Hastings and Elizabeth Day

[nickcarraway]

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.

[Paul C. Jesup]

When you accuse good men of being satanists, that is where I draw the line. Also by doing that, you are 'baring false witness', which is a violation of one of the Ten Commandments, against people you don't even know.

[Paul C. Jesup]

I am not a member of the Masons, nor I have I ever been asked to join, but I am worse, I'M A REDNECK!!

[American in Israel]

Well, all the Mason rites and information I gathered in a single google search.

I do not dislike Masons myself, nor is it a part of my life to denigrate their religion. I just happened on this thread, first Masonry thread I have ever been on. What got me to post was the BS of the topic, it is so Islamic I could not resist.

Anybody that actually wants to be a Mason deserves it. It does not take long to be able to tell what it is all about, and if I can find so much material in a single google session it isn't a very secret society. But then that is the internet for ya.

Blessings on ya all. Sorry to step on so many toes, just hope some of the limpers decide to go verify for themselves.

I think my favorite string was the Ask a mason, no, not that mason, or that one or that one, you gotta find a good one, and ask him to his face cause... uh, just because...

(Would you like a bucket for your head or what!)

Hey, every reference I used was to Masonry books or Masonry sources. I skipped all the personal references and stuff you could find on the masons for Jesus site. I only took the letter to the chick people because it was an "8x10 color glossy photo, but the judge was blind" kinda joke. (Alice's restaurant)

Subtle humor... I do not take this thread too seriously, I got far bigger things to chew on in Bus Bomb Land than secret handshakes and devil worshipers.

[American in Israel]

That may be quite true. But I have seen actual Masonry books in bookstores and other places. It is uncomfortable because it is the truth. My only reason for looking that stuff up and posting it was the flack and obvious denial without references that was going on. I was just laughing about Masons being outraged at being called non-Christian. The old, "Islam is a religion of peace" thing.

I know nothing about the Knights of Columbus, and unless something falls in my lap about them I doubt I ever will. You seem smart enough to guard yourself, I am not worried about you. But the Mason set seem a whole lot more gullible. Ah well, enough is enough, now that the cow pie I stepped into seems to have died out to a small stream of invectives I think I will wander on. Blessings on you and yours.
AnI

[American in Israel]

Now perhaps that is where we differ. I do not believe that a man who worships Lucifer is a good man. -grin-

Think about it, all I did was post things that show that the higher levels of Mason craft is Lucifer worship. And you got pissed that I defamed Masons.

Now if it is defamation of a good man, isnt that an oxymoron?

How could I defame, by pointing out what a man does, does not what the man does defame a man?

In otherwords, if he is good, how can his worship of Lucifer defame him, unless the worship of Lucifer is bad, and therefore the man was not good in the first place.

Defamation is false accusations. These posts are references to their own books. If it is a lie, they are the ones not telling the truth.

Strange thread this.

[American in Israel]

I am not a member of the Masons, nor I have I ever been asked to join, but I am worse, I'M A REDNECK!!

Youza! Me too! let me give the secret sign, pfffffft (the sound of a can of beer opening) Blessings Brother!

[AxelPaulsenJr]

The Prince. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press. Plaidy, Jean. (1967). The Spanish Inquisition. New York: The Citadel Press. Roth, Cecil. (1964). The Spanish Inquisition. United States of America: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

These references were also included which you left out.

Now Poly who is the lying ass?

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Typical Freemason, when it comes to statements regarding Catholicism, don't believe a damn word they utter.

Apparently virulent Catholics with an axe to grind against Masonry don't give a similar damn.

You apparently don't read well or just read what you think will enhance your pitiful arguments. At the start of that piece I stated that the Inquisition is no more representative of modern day Catholicism than is some of the dubviously refereced hit pieces that you have been posting representative of modern day Masonry.

Question: Do you worship Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, or do you worship the Catholic church as an entitiy in itself? I have been in the Masonic Lodge for over twenty years now and I worship more than ever, Jesus the Son of God, my Savior and my Lord. I am a Mason but I do not worship the Lodge.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

I am a lying fool?

Yes you are!

[AxelPaulsenJr]

I do not give out my personal information as I have gotten death threats from my PA buddies because I dare to express my opinions here on freeper.

Why am I not suprised?

[Paul C. Jesup]

Your missed my entire point.

You are accuse them of being something they are NOT.

Hey, someone give this guy here a tinfoil hat salute.

[Paul C. Jesup]

By the way, the complete name 'Lucifer Morning Star' is from the fictional book 'Paradise Lost' and not from the Bible.

Anyone here has actually studied the Old and News Testaments knows that Satan and Lucifer are two different people and when Jesus called out for the darkness to give a name, it did NOT give the name Satan or Lucifer, it gave the name Legion, as in a group of many beings.

[Cap'n Crunch]

I'm a catholic. I believe the Masons are undermining the Catholic religion and society. Their principles are anti-Christian and anti-Catholic in particular.

As one of the books that I have says about them, they are mankind's hidden enemy. Socialism and communism is their haven. I would urge you to read more about them.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Wanted to let you know it's been a pleasure reading your posts. I think so few Catholics realize what an enemy Masonry is to our faith.

[Polycarp]

Thanks!

I think so few Catholics realize what an enemy Masonry is to our faith.

And Masons, as illustrated here, are willing to lie about Catholicism as well as distort and deny the reality of the danger posed by Freemasonry to Christian fath.

[nhbob1]

Oh, they only burned 30,000 at the stake. I guess that makes it OK. And that is just burning at the stake, not deaths from other tortures they inflicted. And that is only the Spanish Inquisition. The Inquisition was in place for at least 200 years before 1480.

[nhbob1]

I don't know what book you are reading but if it states that Masonry is associated with either Satan or Lucifer it is a work of fiction.

[nhbob1]

The Masons posting here do not need the fictitious "references" you so fondly cite. We have been through the degrees and know that they in no way, form or fashion deal with Satan/Lucifer worship.

[nhbob1]

But the Mason set seem a whole lot more gullible

If you believe all the crazy stuff you read on the Internet then you are the gullible one.

[TradicalRC]

For that matter, where does the Constitution say "Go out into the world and make it democratic"?