Why is it seen as a bad thing to be a Mason?

Answer 1

I am saddened by the outright hatred of Freemasons. I belong to the most esoteric of Orders of Freemasonry, the American Co-Masonry. You would think that if ever there would be a strange and arcane group, we would be it. Sorry to burst your bubble. Or maybe nothing can. I will share my views and you can do what you wish with them.

Co-Masonry is esoteric because 1) we admit women as well as men to all our degrees, and 2) we truly do place more emphasis on what Freemasonry was about - improving the morals of mankind.

For the most part masculine Freemasonry is a fragmented organization. Every state in the Union has its own juristiction and rules. American Co-Masonry is united. I know the officers all the way up to the Most Sovereign Grand Commander and the President. If there were any hanky-panky going on in our Lodges, these two people would squash it pretty darned quickly. Two more morally straight people, I have never met.

Masonry is not a religion. We encourage our Brothers (yes, we call both men and women "Brothers") to practice their religions. We just do not discuss religion or politics in Lodge. Instead, we take the moral teachings, which are rather universal, to heart. Yes, we have folks of all different religions meeting together. I believe that there are other organizations (including the UN and Boy Scouts) who do the same thing. We do not admit atheists, at least not in our Lodges. We have very devote Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, and many other faiths in Masonry.

Funny to attack us for being tolerant of religion. Is that all you can tar us with? We are hardly Satanists. I know, you can quote Albert Pike all you wish. Albert Pike does not speak for Freemasonry. He certainly does not speak for Co-Masonry. He was a man who wrote his own interpretations of ceremonies. Freemasons are just that: free. There is no dogma, even though Pike titled one of his books _Morals and Dogma_.

Look at who have been Masons: Washington to Gerald Ford, Simon Bolivar, Layfayette, Ben Franklin, Davy Crockett, and Annie Besant. We are humans who are trying to change the world by changing ourselves. Sometimes foolish, sometimes very wise, and always involved. We practice Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. We collect money for charities (look at the Shriner's Hospitals) and do our part when called upon.

I am proud to be a Freemason, especially to be a Co-Mason. And if you think what we do is bad, I challenge you to get out and do better. Feed the hungry and clothe the poor. The Freemasons are doing that. I know, I am Almoner for my Lodge. Show us how you care more for humanity than the Freemasons. Maybe we can all be better for your example.

And please spare me from the "you don't get to heaven by good works" argument. Go back and read the parable about the Good Samaritan. OK? We are not talking about going to Heaven, we are talking about conduct here on earth.

A Master Mason
American Co-Masonry

Hiram Lodge (Santa Cruz, CA)
Amon Ra Lodge (Los Angeles, CA)
Sapientia Lodge of Research (Larkspur, CO)
Adamant Mark Lodge (Santa Cruz, CA)

Answer 2

I am a Mason and a Christian and I am shocked and offended at some of the terrible lies above me. I hope you are not going to believe all that blasphemy without first listening to Dan and myself.

I want to address AMDG's answer because it a classical example of propaganda. Free Masonry is not a religious organization. We do not require any man to be religious. Neither does the Moose, Elks, Eagles Lodges. Even if AMDG thought he is right, he is not. He should be concentrating on the Knights of Columbus. The have to swear allegiance and pick up weapons and go to war against America if God tells them to. They make that obligation to become a member. All the Order's ceremonials and business meetings are restricted to members though all other events are open to the public. A promise not to reveal any details of the ceremonials except to an equally qualified Knight is required to ensure their impact and meaning for new members; an additional clause subordinates the promise to that Knight's civil and religious duties (the duty to pick up arms). REFERENCE MATERIAL - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Columbus

I hope you can see that people shouldn't express their opinions when they are uninformed of facts. FACT: Masons rituals are plastered all over the internet. FACT: Masons Lodges are all over the world. FACT: Masons donate millions of dollars a day to charity. One such charity is the Shriner's Children's Hospital which gives free healthcare to children. They are located in Montreal, Chicago, Erie PA, Greenville SC, Honolulu, Houston, Salt Lake City, Lexington KY, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Philadelphia, Portland OR., St. Louis MO., San Francisco, Shreveport LA, Spokane WA, Springfield MA, Tampa FL., Minneapolis MN. Also there are Burns Institutes in Boston, Cincinnatti and Galveston TX.

What's so bad about that??????? Masons are not meeting for purposes of religion. The Knights of Columbus are. You want to call Masons evil, then by the very definition you should be calling the KOC evil as well. They have more secrets than Masonry ever will.

I am a Christian, but I would not ever join the Knights of Columbus. Do not believe the propanga you hear about Masons because it is coming from uninformed people who refuse to accept fact when it is in front of their eyes.

Answer 3

OK I love all you "Christians" that are judging people and things they know nothing about 3\4 of you are full of crap I've done more charity work last year than you idiots will do in a lifetime. I don't judge you demented born again freaks! You are closer to Satanism than I am. A lack of tolerance and jumping to conclusions and believing and regurgitating all the crap you read on the Internet no matter how false is the reason 2,976 people died on 9/11. So when you go to St. Peter in front of those pearly gates explain to him why you chastised a organization that is doing Gods work while you give all your money to some non tolerant organization I think God will be real pleased with that.

Answer 4

The Masons were created during the inquisition. It had to be secret because it supported religious freedom, a belief that could have got one tortured and killed. So I guess the answer is that Masons got off on the wrong foot with the church.

Answer 5

I have had my run in with masons. Trust me, it was not positive. They may do good for the community, but with regard to some claiming Christ yet making oaths to other Gods and to each other, and the fact that things in their organization are secretive.

I have met many Masons that claimed to be beleivers but cared more about what the Lodge had to say then what God had to say in their life.

I knew a man that used to be in it and got out once he got saved. The mention of the word mason sent this look of terror over his face.

there's just something that's not right there.

Answer 6

It's not a bad thing. I know many who are Masons and who are good people.

Answer 7

The soccerteam of my hometown in Holland had a player a couple of years ago, Paul Mason. Now, that was an awesome player!

I'd love to be a Mason.

Answer 8

AMDG has given a very definite answer, very good.

I would just add that it mixes what every the local religion is with its own Sacred Volume. This book is the same through out the world. So on a Mason alter you will find the Sacred Volume and the Bible, or Koran, Torah, etc...

Answer 9

Because if your a true God fearing Christian you can't enter the lodge. At the door you have to say "I who am in darkness come to the lodge in search of light." No one filled with the Holy Ghost would dare say they sit in darkness. There are multitudes of other reasons, the outer court of the masonic lodge or exorteric lodge is mostly filled with deceived people doing good works in the community and giving each other square deals (inside track) in business. The esoteric lodge hides within masonry and is the thread that globally connects all secret luciferian societies, in the 20th century, these all became organized under Aliester Crowley's OTO....and the book of the Law. Make no mistake. These are the people who are behind the NWO.

Answer 10

Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity because it promotes indifferentism. Indifferentism is the heretical belief that all religions are equally legitimate attempts to explain the truth about God which, but for the truth of His existence, are unexplainable. Such a view makes all truths relative and holds that God can be equally pleased with truth and error. Because Christians believe that God has definitively revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, and desires that all men come to the knowledge of this truth, indifferentism is incompatible with Christian faith. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).

Freemasonry's teachings and practices also result in syncretism which is the blending of different religious beliefs into a unified whole. This is evidenced most especially by Masonry's religious rituals which gather men of all faiths around a common altar, and place all religious writings along side the Bible on the Masonic altar. This is also demonstrated by the Lodge's prayers and its unique names and symbols for God and heaven. Syncretism is the logical consequence of indifferentism.

The Lodge's practice of requiring its members to swear immoral oaths is also incompatible with Christianity. These oaths require a Christian to swear on the Holy Bible that he will uphold a code of moral conduct that prefers Masons over non-Masons, and to preserve secret passwords and handshakes. Such oaths are gravely immoral because their subject matter is trivial or does not give rise to the necessity of an oath. These oaths are also sworn under symbolic, blood-curdling penalties of physical torture and death called self-curses (e.g., having my throat cut across, and my tongue torn out by its roots). These penalties show a lack of respect for God and amount to blasphemy which is a serious sin.