is it wrong to want to be a mason if your catholic?
85706
Why not become a Knight of Columbus?\n\nThere is generally a cooperation between lodges of different fraternal organizations for social and civic events. As for the inner workings, each has its own mission statement and rituals.
923070
Yes I agree. You can be a Catholic as well as being a Christian.I believe in God and I am Catholic and Christian
733711
hey you may want to look into the convent thing. you may have the calling to do just that. go talk to your priest about how you are feeling maybe he can point you in the right direction
49112
You must ask a Free Mason if you want to join.They won't ask you.The absolute requirements for becoming a Mason are:\nBe a man, [NOTE: there are other branches of Masonry that accept both men and women, or women only]; \nIn most places at least 21 years old. \n[NOTE: Some lodges and some jurisdictions allow 18- or 19-year-olds, or may make exceptions for those who are sons of Masons, or for university students.  For instance, a recent change by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts makes 18-year-olds eligible for membership in that state.] \nHave belief in a Supreme Being -- of any faith. No particular religion or faith is required or excluded. All are welcome.
525398
No, being Catholic is nothing like being Wiccan.\n\nThe Wicca you describe is polytheistic. It worships many gods, none of whom is the creator of all things. These gods may or may not care about humans and may change their minds at any time. Norse and Greek mythology is full of this behavior.\n\nCatholicism is monotheistic. It worships one almighty God, who created all things visible and invisible. God is constant in loving us as we are and only wanting the best for us.\n\nCatholicism does not worship saints. Catholics and most Christians believe in the Communion of Saints where all saints are intimately related to each other in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family. Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.\n\nAs part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray to God for you. Or you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray to God for you. \n\nThere are many other reasons why Catholicism and Wicca are very different.\n\nWith love in Christ.
451656
I beg to differ with the first answerer. The masons are not associated with any cults they are simply a group of usually Christian religious men interested in community service.
560856
Unless God has shared something with him that He hasn't with the rest of us, the guy is wrong.\n\nBelieve it or not, Catholics can make mistakes just like other people.\n\nWith love in Christ.
23943
There are alot of people out there who believe that the masonic orders are cults, this is not the case. In order to become a mason, you must first go to open events, and get to know the members. Ask for a petition and then it will take anywhere from 3-6 months for you to become a member. A mason has to recommend you and you have to prove you are of good moral charicter and above all, you must have a belief in a supreme being. There is no being a stanist or athieist in this organiztaion, it is not tolerated.
160103
The Catholic Church has difficulties with Freemasonry because it is indeed a kind of religion unto itself. The practice of Freemasonry includes temples, altars, a moral code, worship services, vestments, feast days, a hierarchy of leadership, initiation and burial rites, and promises of eternal reward and punishment. While in America most Masons are Christian and will display a Bible on their "altar," in the same lodges or elsewhere, Jews, Moslems, Hindus or other non-Christian religions can be admitted and may use their own sacred scriptures. (In France, in 1877, the "Grand Orient" Lodge eliminated the need to believe in God or the immortality of the soul, thereby admitting atheists into their fold; this atheistic type of Freemasonry spread particularly in Latin countries.)\n\nMoreover, the rituals involve the corruption of Christianity. The cross is merely a symbol of nature and eternal life, devoid of Christ's sacrifice for sin. INRI (For Christians, "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum," i.e. Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews) means for Masons "Igne Natura Renovatur Integra" ("the fire of nature rejuvenates all) referring to the sacred fire's (truth and love) regeneration of mankind, just as the sun regenerates nature in the Spring.\n\nThe rituals are also inimical to Catholicism. During the initiation rite, the candidate expresses a desire to seek "light," and he is assured he will receive the light of spiritual instruction that he could not receive in another Church, and that he will gain eternal rest in the "celestial lodge" if he lives and dies according to Masonic principles. Note also that since Masonry involves non-Christians, the use of the name of Jesus is forbidden within the lodge.\n\nA strong Anti-Catholicism also permeates Freemasonry. The two traditional enemies of Freemasonry are the royalty and the papacy. Masons even believe that Christ, dying on Calvary, was the "greatest among the apostles of humanity, braving Roman despotism and the fanaticism and bigotry of the priesthood." When one reaches the 30th degree in the masonic hierarchy, called the Kadosh, the person crushes with his foot the papal tiara and the royal crown, and swears to free mankind "from the bondage of despotism and the thraldom of spiritual tyranny."\n\nA second difficulty with Freemasonry for Catholics involves taking of oaths. An oath is a religious act which asks God to witness the truth of the statement or the fulfillment of a promise. Only the Church and the state, for serious reasons, can require an oath. A candidate makes an oath to Freemasonry and its secrets under pain of death or self-mutilation by kneeling blindfolded in front of the altar, placing both hands on the volume of sacred law (perhaps the Bible), the square and the compass, and repeating after the "worshipful master." Keep in mind that the candidate does not yet even know all the "secrets" to which he is taking an oath. \n\nThe history of Freemasonry has proven its anti-Catholic nature. In the United States, one of the leaders of Freemasonry, General Albert Pike (d. 1891) referred to the papacy as "a deadly, treacherous enemy," and wrote, "The papacy has been for a thousand years the torturer and curse of humanity, the most shameless imposture, in its pretense to spiritual power of all ages." In France, in 1877, and in Portugal in 1910, Freemasons took control of the government for a time and enacted laws to restrict the activities of the Church, particularly in education. In Latin America, the Freemasons have expressed anti-Church and anti-clerical sentiment.\n\nSince the decree "In Eminenti" of Pope Clement XII in 1738, Catholics have been forbidden to jojn the Masons, and until 1983, under pain of excommunication. (The Orthodox and several Protestant churches also ban membership in the Masons.) Confusion occurred in 1974, when
1089572
James,\nYour travels in Masonry have already begun.  In your heart you know that you want to be a Freemason.  Because the fraternity does not evangelize in any way we never ask anyone to become a Mason.  Every member has joined of his own freewill and has not been persuaded to become a member.  Your own Grandfather followed this rule and never asked you to join his lodge.\n\nSearch out the most respected members of your community and you will find that they are probably Freemasons.  Tell your desire to one of these men and he will secure for you a petition to the lodge.  A committee of inquiry will call on you at your home to make sure that your desires are true,  that you are a respected member of the community and worthy to become a Mason.   If the committee approves of you; the entire lodge will be notified and you must pass a unanimous ballot.  If any member of the lodge feels that you are unworthy; you will never become a member of the lodge as long as the objection exists.\n\nAs a member you will be part of the world's oldest and greatest fraternity.  You will find charitable needs and causes, education, fellowship, and friendship.  One of the greatest gifts a man can give to another is to help him become a Mason.  I hope that I am responding in such a way that I can give this gift to you.
554859
What I tell you about Freemasonry will only be MY truth, not some other people's quotations, not something you can google. I will link you to MY Order of Freemasonry and let you read more (but only if you wish to.) Points? If you wish to. The important truth here is that you asked. OK?\n\nFirst, no one knows how far back Freemasonry goes. Many of us believe it is a descendant from the Ancient Mystery Schools of the Middle East. Certainly numbers and geometry play great parts in our work. There are those who say we have roots in the Knights Templar. There are, after all, in many Orders of Freemasonry a degree or more designated to correspond with those men. Some say that all of that is just convenient legends made up to add mystery and to sucker folks in. \n\nSecond, there are many different Orders of Freemasonry. The Order I belong to, American Co-Masonry, is very esoteric and places a great deal of emphasis on the slower alchemy of personal transformation. We also are different from most other Orders in that we admit women and men into Lodge. I am not talking Eastern Star, but fully into the Brotherhood. We admit all races, all religions but you must believe in a Supreme Being in our particular Order. There are even Orders of Freemasonry where that is NOT a requirement. In ours it is a requirement. \n\nWe are more than just a social club, more than just a club that does good for charities; although, both are part of Freemasonry. We are a way of helping make the world better by helping humans make themselves better. We study morality and try to practice it in our own lives. Simply put, we try to live by the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you."\n\nWe use the working tools of real stone masons as allegorical symbols to remind ourselves of principles. Thus you see those tools as symbols everywhere after you become a Freemason and see their application too. Funny thing, when you join and ask what a certain symbol means, you are asked, "What does it mean to you?" The others are not mocking you; they want you to find answers within yourself and to help them find answers, too.\n\nWe work together because stones are smoothed (big analogy here) best by rubbing together. We work in Lodge and out of Lodge. Not the conspiracy business. I do not have a Ferrari. I did get to sit in one owned by a non-Mason the other day and it was too small. *sigh* We talk and email each other with encouragement and insight. \n\nWe are not for everyone. You have to be of legal age (21 in most places, sometimes 18 for children of Freemasons). You have to be free. You have to be of good moral character. \n\nI belong to two Lodges: one in Santa Cruz, CA and one in Los Angeles. I drive 360 miles round trip to each one each month. That is 720 miles. Lots of gas. We have very little time for socializing. We get our Lodge set up, do our ceremony, put away the Lodge furniture, have a quick potluck, and drive home. I am an officer of both Lodges. I do work outside the Lodge for both. \n\nWhat do I get from it? My daughter (23 years old and pretty cynical Libra, IQ at least 10 pts higher than mine) says that she sees a change in me. That I am more capable, less stressed, kinder to myself, more at peace, a lot more honest, even better to my ex-wife. \n\nOh, guess I should address the business of secrets. There are some. We have handshakes, certain words, etc that are traditional means of recognition. I suppose you could google around and find most of those. Cannot guarantee they would get you very far into a Lodge. There is a great deal of memorization work. I had to work pretty hard to learn all that took to get proficient in the first degree and second in order eventually to become a Master Mason (3rd degree). That is not so much a secret as it is a tough part of Masonry. \n\nOh, the real secret? Want to know that? I could put it in words all day but it really would not mean anything to you. Let us leave it wit
759211
I belonged to a church once, and the Pastor committed Adulty with his neighbor. Not that I cared because I know humans are not perfect, just forgiven.\n\nAs for Masonry, you have to Ask one to be one, which means ask a mason in your community for a petition. Fill it out and return it to him with a check, or money order for the amount that that lodge requires...which is usually your first years dues, and your initiation fee. Mine was only $100 which isn't bad some are even cheaper depending on the size of the lodge.\n\nthey will then read your petition and let it lay for 1 month then vote on it. Usually during this one month period a couple of them will contact you and come to visit you and your family to talk with you and answer some questions you, or  your spouse, may have. Also in most states you must be 21 years old, but some are even 18 years of age now. \n\nThe easiest way to find out more about a Lodge in your area (if in the US) is by visiting http://www.wvmasons.org and look under U.S. Grand Lodges then look up your state.\n\nGood luck to you and keep in touch :)
1043392
I am Catholic but i was not raised too strictly, sometimes i make my own beliefs. in my opinion there are lots of people out there that fit the word "saint" who are working, in a quiet way or not, to help others selflessly, and in turn bring out the good in others.
712339
No, it is not.  I regularly sit in lodge with Mormons, Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, and people whose religion can best be described as similar to the Force in Star Wars.  All are equal within Freemasonry.  The only requirement is that one believes in a Supreme Being.  Freemasonry does not care WHICH Supreme Being that is.  A religion demands exclusivity.  Indeed, religion is one of the topics that is forbidden to be discussed in Lodge.  So, NO, Freemasonry is NOT a religious organization.\n\nFreemasonry does NOT claim to "lead one to eternal life" as a previous answer states.  Freemasonry ONLY focuses on the way a man leads his life in this world.  It is not about eternal salvation, but about how a man lives so that when he does meet his Maker (whoever he believes that maker is) he will be able to stand before him and account favorably for the way he treated his fellow man.  That's all.  Sadly, there are many lies told about Freemasons by so-called religious people.
427600
Am I understanding this right--you are a student, and love a nun at your school?  \n\nI think, somewhere along the line, you have become confused.  You might admire the nun, maybe you even want to be like the nun, but please don't tell me it's more than that.\n\nI don't know how old you are, but think that you really need to talk to a trusted adult (not the nun), about what you are going through.  As I said, you may be confusing your feelings for what they are not.\n\nGeez, my friends who went to Catholic schools told me stories about the old battle ax nuns that threw them against the blackboard--stuff like that.  \n\nPlease talk to someone who can help you sort out your feelings.
269463
I think you misunderstand teh role.  Except for priests of the Roman Patriarchate, Rome does not make rules for people.  Catholics follow the rules set down by divine revelation.  Now, for purposes of practicality, certain processes occur in a regulated manner.  For example, morning prayer is sung during the morning evening prayer isn't.  If it doesn't impact divine revelation, then it is optional.  On the other hand, if you disagree with divine revelation you will do what you want anyway, so they don't matter then.
1059761
If you are interested in joining or just learning more about the Catholic Church, contact your local parish and ask about information about their RCIA Inquiry group. \n\nYou can go and ask any questions you want. \n\nThis is the first step in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) but you can stop at any time.\n\nThere is no obligation to become a Catholic.\n\nWith love and prayers in Christ.