You pay dues to an organization whose primary purpose you can know nothing about. You are more like Useful Ignorants that Idiots, I grant you, but that doesn't change the fact that Freemasonry is premised on the keeping of certain secrets to which you are no--and never will be--privy.
1. You say Masons must put their "faith" behind "bland social works" But you would only be close to the truth if you said "put their *religious* sectarian divisive crap behind actual charity toward others. Shame on them.
If that were the sole purpose of the group, it would be one thing. It's not. If the point of Masonry was to put "religious" divisiveness aside for the benefit of charitable works and business networking, you would include pagans and atheists among your ranks.What could be the problem with that where any man of faith entering the fraternal order puts his sectarian beliefs aside for the greater good of an organization premised on charitable works? Atheists are unsuited to charitable works? Why is that?
2. Yes, we know you're really into dogma and legalism - you're quite famous for it here. You may call us insidious but I call such prudity insipid and such predictably pious and proud pontificating obnoxious. "Self-styled Christians" indeed.
Hearkening to your comment on how Masons comport themselves in discourse, I find it hard to believe you somehow make the leap to calling me a pious, pontificating prude simply because I defend what is true for all men as a rule and defend my Catholic faith as well.3. What's all this preaching about sinful America? That's the Masons' fault for getting the French to help us in the revolution? LOLYour stooping to attacking me personally doesn't quite jibe with your pretense at being Christians while yet being enlightened somehow by your Masonic affiliation which -- one would assume -- would have trained you to be above such "religious sectarian" differences where true charity and truth are concerned.
The comments about the French and the founding fathers speak strictly to the way Masons appear to pride themselves on their network of associations and glut of powerful men a part of the Masonic organization while yet denying anything like "conspiracy."And, again, not only your rush to upbraid me as a pious prude but your ability to compartmentalize illustrate well how it is many in this nation can eat its cake and have it too where essential Christian morality is concerned.
4. " Masonry is utterly incompatible with Christ." So you say. And many say that Catholicism is too... that it's full of homosexuality, pagan ritual, the whore of Babylon, the pope is or will be the Antichrist... And there are Calvinists who say Arminianism is incompatible with Christ... It goes on and on.
If you wish to debate the subject seriously, I'm sure that the occult a part of Masonry (much less its equating belief in Christ with belief in any other Supreme Being) will stand where some of the more colorful of anti-papist propaganda will not.
I think people who point fingers as do you and those in the examples above are incompatible with Christ.
I'm not here to point fingers at people or castigate them personally. The Masons and their sympathizers on this thread have that tack well in hand. I'm merely pointing out that the organization itself -- heavy into the occult and claiming a foundation that predates and only superficially incorporates the Incarnation -- cannot possibly be compatible with Christianity.
5. Regarding the Shriners partying on the town - do you really want to use examples of immoral men to trash a group? At least the Shriner was picking up women, and of age. I wont go into the kind of "mirth" the foul-mouthed, drunkard priest of my ex-boyfriend's family was into at the lakehouse.
Do Masons allow homosexuals to join? Just curious. According to Canon Law, homosexuals in particular and all of those of weak mind or constitution were never to be considered candidates for the priesthood. Unfortunately, in the wake of Vatican II and the ongoing revolution within the Church, our minds have been corrupted by Masonic influence just as clearly as our churches have come to resemble Masonic temples.Many in the Catholic Church now take a Masonic view of the Supreme Being ... it being unimportant to believe in the Trinity or pay attention to "gender" so long as a person "believes" and applies themselves to social justice, charity works and the politicization of their faith in the polling booth.
It's the mindset I abhor. Surely you comprehend Christ well enough that you too can hate the sin but not the sinner?
6. Dogma is odious not because it's binding or true. It's odious in that there are many different dogmas all proclaimed as truth with equal conviction. Legalism and religiosity and judgementalism were the practice of the scribes and pharisees, and Jesus berated them for it.
Is there some sense to the ritual a part of Masonry? Is there any truth anchoring the dogma and morals? Is there some standing by which members of an exclusive, secret society lash out to smear detractors as prudes, insane, jealous or (insert favorite Freudian psycho-condemnation here)?7. Do you have the ?supreme degree of Membership necessary to defend ALL of" Catholicism's rites, dogma or secrets? Or are you a "Useful Idiot" to defend it?If not ... and particularly where Masonry's effect is to put the "religious sectarianism" behind (Christ included), I'm not sure it's wise to be chucking stones from a glass house.
The Catholic Church, throughout its history, has had no shortage of scribes or pharisees within. Yet none of these have had one iota's effect on the dogma yet defended to this day OR the practices -- particularly the Eucharist as instituted by Christ -- a part of the Catholic discipline and faith.
But that fact ought to be immaterial to you ... not only because, as a Mason, you put "religious" questions behind you but also, as a Mason, you should have bested the Church by now and enjoy your association utterly free of the legalism, dogma or moralizing you eschew among Catholics.
The Church has a hierarchy and "buck stops here" pointman in the Bishop of Rome. No doubt she's had more than her fair share of intrigue over the past 2000 years. But she has no secrets as such and there is no shred of Catholic dogma or ritual which I am somehow barred from knowing simply because I have not risen high enough in the ranks.One reason for this is that the Church knows better than most how Inner Rings and Secret Societies inevitably corrupt men and cause them to put the things of this earth -- particularly their own pride -- above all.