A few things I never got about the masons, and I think US masonry is probably a very fine group of men who do a lot of good. I don’t buy any of that illuminaty/babylon mystery cult stuff, I see that garbage thrown at Catholics as well.
I think it is pretty weird that a group that has faith as a requirement then bans any discussion about it in the lodge, at least to my understanding. I see why they ban discussion of religion, to prevent hard feelings so they can get on with fellowship and doing good works together. But I just find it weird they have that requirement in the first place, if they then don’t let anyone talk about it.
Forget about the reasons why the Church teaches that Catholics shouldn’t join for a second. Why would an organization that has faith as a requirement want anyone to join whose faith teaches that they specifically shouldn’t join them? That if they join, they are barred from one of the central tenets of the faith? I mean, that has always seemed to me to be very self defeating, considering faith is a requirement in the first place, and the Masons must value some aspect of men with faith or they wouldn’t have it as a requirement.
I think this might only come up with those faiths that specifically say their members shouldn’t join and also have a central authority that actually has the power to speak for all of its members. Is there any other group that says you can’t be a mason, and also has central authority that speaks for all members? What about the Orthodox Churches or at least individual bishops?
Freegards
http://www.roca.org/OA/70/70t.htm.
Not sure what the other Orthodox jurisdictions teach, although I think they may teach something along these lines. Kolokotronis?
-Theo