Why are fundamentalist churches against freemasonry?

Recently I came across a number of websites run by fundamentalist groups "revealing" the "truth" about freemasonry. One even had a ministry expressly for leading men away from the lodge. This is strange, can anyone explain this? Also, masonry has had such a profound influence on college fraternities yet none of the websites I saw mentioned anything aboy GLO's, is there an explaination?

Originally posted by bigred1000
Recently I came across a number of websites run by fundamentalist groups "revealing" the "truth" about freemasonry. One even had a ministry expressly for leading men away from the lodge. This is strange, can anyone explain this? Also, masonry has had such a profound influence on college fraternities yet none of the websites I saw mentioned anything aboy GLO's, is there an explaination?

Simply put, most of the religious critics of Freemasonry aren't very bright. They tend to have no knowledge of college fraternities, or even the Boy Scouts, who have the exact same requirements as Masonry.

In a nutshell, most of your religious anti-Masons spend WAY too much time on kook websites, and not nearly enough in the real world.

Despite the universal protestations of Freemasonry itself, some religious fundamentalists consider Freemasonry a religion, and therefore also consider it to be "competition". Hence the evangelising against it.

This is also despite the fact that religion is totally prohibited from discussion in Lodge meetings.

Go figure.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
Simply put, most of the religious critics of Freemasonry aren't very bright. They tend to have no knowledge of college fraternities, or even the Boy Scouts, who have the exact same requirements as Masonry.

Do the Boyscouts require you to acknowledge the existence of a creator? I thought that was a requirement to become a member of the Masons?

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong as I don't know much about Masonry.

[edit on 11-4-2007 by sardion2000]

Originally posted by sardion2000
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Do the Boyscouts require you to acknowledge the existence of a creator?
[edit on 11-4-2007 by sardion2000]

Scout Oath (or Promise)
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Source

As for fundamentalists against Masonry, I think most of them are well meaning, they are just acting on what their peers say and in their eagerness to war against the devil, they don't bother to do their own research. Many, many people were burned as witches for this reason. We as Christians should realize that certain aspects of our faith can run amok if we let our passions rule our logic.

Or much about the scouts it appears. Thx for the info.

Its not just Fundamentalists/Evangelicals who have an "official" prohibition against Freemasonry (I use "official" since individual members and clergy of many denominations belong to the Order, even if their church forbids it.); most Christian denominations prohibit membership into the Brotherhood.

As a Catholic, I've been wanting to explain my Church's position against it (Freemasonry), which is neither ignorant nor irrational. Rather than copy a lengthy article, you can view it in the FAQ section of Catholic Q&A at www.EWTN.com (Type-in "Freemasonry")

I'm personally more-or-less neutral regarding the Masons, leaning toward a favorable view -- the good works, philanthropy, and deeds of the Masons is overwhelming and cannot be denied. Fraternal groups allow persons to pool their talents and resources to a much greater effect than a private individual. I suppose an exception might be if you are a super-wealthy billionaire. Where one person might be able to assist one or a few people, a group of men can assist a neighborhood, a city, or a province.

Pax,

-Z

It was touched upon above but the church sees us as taking away their men who will go to lodge but not to Sunday mass.

Oh well.

Many fundamentalists consider the ritual of the 3d degree to be a mockery of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Many fundamentalists are offended by the fact that all religions are treated equally by the Freemasons. In this way of viewing the world, the worship of any God but the Christian God, any way but their way, is the worship of a false god. Satan is the father of all falsehood. The inescapable conclusion is that worship performed any way but their way is de facto Satanism.

Freemasons perform rituals, sing hymns and have a liturgy, but it's not a religion?

[edit on 12-4-2007 by xenu brings order]

Originally posted by xenu brings order
Many fundamentalists consider the ritual of the 3d degree to be a mockery of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Some probably do indeed believe this, forgetting that the ceremonial allegory upon which it seems to be based predates Christianity by many centuries.

Many fundamentalists are offended by the fact that all religions are treated equally by the Freemasons. In this way of viewing the world, the worship of any God but the Christian God, any way but their way, is the worship of a false god. Satan is the father of all falsehood. The inescapable conclusion is that worship performed any way but their way is de facto Satanism.

This does indeed appear to be the case. The mind of the fundamentalist tends to be single-natured.

Freemasons perform rituals, sing hymns and have a liturgy, but it's not a religion?

Well, I've never heard any Masons sing hymns. As for rituals and liturgies, fraternities have them as well as religions.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
Well, I've never heard any Masons sing hymns. As for rituals and liturgies, fraternities have them as well as religions.

In fact there can be quite a bit of singing in English lodges (the amount of which will depend on the lodge's history). But I fail to see how a bit of singing makes something a religion.

The Australian Federal Parliament had a liturgy too, until recently.

I think that, in order to define a movement as a religion, one needs to examine more than just the superficial trappings, and further investigate things like articles of faith, doctrine, and a uniquely definitive belief system.

A strange thing I found is that fundamentalists dislike masonry because of its inclusive treatment of religious beliefs, however religious freedom is a fundamental right in the US

Generally I find religions of any sort are against anything that competes with them for your time, talent and treasure.

My grandfather, a Souther Baptist pastor, preached against Freemasonry. However, I discover several Southern Baptists are Freemasons, among them Jimmy Carter. So does this mean they are hypocrites? This is one reason why I now attend a non-denominational church, one that publicly opposes Freemasonry in addition to abortion, death penalty, tobacco industry, and moreover the Iraq War which was a Masonic invention by none other than a Skull&Bones graduate who speaked about a Novus Ordo Seclorum on one of his Presidential Inaugurations and who claims to be Christian but is actually a hypocrite that defends death penalty and the tobacco industry (thus insulting the S-CHIP legislation that seeked to improve children's healthcare by raising tobacco tax).

My opinion here is that I've noticed that Fundamentalists tend to have certain things they feel are wrong. Masonry is fairly open, something that any Religion that teaches such and such is bad will want to prohibit: Freedom to meet and greet with temptation invites it, I guess.

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
My grandfather, a Souther Baptist pastor, preached against Freemasonry. However, I discover several Southern Baptists are Freemasons, among them Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter is not a Freemason. His predecessor, Gerald Ford, was the last President who was a Freemason.

...and moreover the Iraq War which was a Masonic invention...

This is a first, now Masons are accused of instigating the war in Iraq. Care to demonstrate how this might even be remotely possible?

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


Please let me know what "church" opposes the Iraq War and believes the thing you said. I'll make sure to contact the IRS to make sure they lose their non-profit status, I cannot stand churches who use religion as a enclave to support radical politics. Church is not your personal arena to create a political circus.

I have found that those that are the most ridgid in thier beliefes tend to be very ensucure. They need everyone to belive like they do, in order to be sucure in that they have taken the right path. I have never met a religious fundamentalists that was truly happy. If I had the truth as they claim to have, I would be the happist person on the earth. What would there be to worried about? you would have all the answers! The fact that Masonry refuses to dictact what a person should belive is in direct conflict with the religious fundamentalists thus they see us as evil.


Ps. sorry for the spelling mistakes

The major religions of the world are opposed to the Moderns form of freemasonry for the simple reason that the Moderns deny the very existence of God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Moderns freemasonry is, as we all know, "a product of the Enlightenment", Spinoza's philosophy "Deus Sive Natura" a concept anathema to all those who believe in God and the immortality of souls rather than "A Supreme Being" whatever that is.