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JillD
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 949 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 12:39 am |
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Can Catholics belong to Lions, Elks, Moose Lodge, etc? As a Lutheran, I remember that Lutherans were not allowed to belong to these groups either. Are Catholics allowed?
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"I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are our works! My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret." Ps 139
"Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men." Ps 140
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CajunRick
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 01:47 am |
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JillD wrote: Can Catholics belong to Lions, Elks, Moose Lodge, etc? As a Lutheran, I remember that Lutherans were not allowed to belong to these groups either. Are Catholics allowed?
The prohibition against Catholics joining the Masons is due to the anti-Catholic positions of the Masons, not fraternal organizations in general. It is possible that there may be other forbidden organizations (I'm not aware of any) but it is not against fraternal organizations in general.
The Lions' Club in my community is located across the street from our church, and they are very active in parish life. Many of our parishioners are Lions. We regularly send people to them who need eyeglasses or examinations, and they collect old eyeglasses in our parish every year.
I don't think we have Elks or Moose (or whatever the proper designation for them would be). They're not exactly animals we have in abundance in south Louisiana.
Catholics United for the Faith have a Faith Fact on why Catholics may not be Masons, and it lists a few other organizations that are also forbidden, all affiliated with the Masons.
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BeProf
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| Joined: | Thu Jan 3rd, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 90 |
| First Name: | Ed | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Independent Fundamental Baptist - Atheism - Christian & Missionary Alliance |
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 01:55 pm |
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Lutherans and other Protestants who take a position against Freemasonry (of which there are few) also generally permit their members to belong to "animal lodges."
My denomination has no national policy, but it's generally frowned upon and several individual churches (including my own) bar active masons from positions of church leadership or even membership altogether.
We don't think that Masons are secret devil worshippers or some kind of global conspiracy hell-bent on world domination, but there is a definite implication (at the very least) of Unitarianism and Universalism in their rites and that is, we believe, fundamentally inconsistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I know that's not what you asked, but I wanted to take the opportunity to let everyone know that it's not just the Catholic Church that's opposed to Freemasonry.Last edited on Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 01:56 pm by BeProf
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JillD
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 949 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 03:05 pm |
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Actually, the LC-MS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) does not permit their members to belong to animal lodges. For example, I found this by googling:
Fraternal Organizations - The LC-MS probably has the strictest policy regarding lodge membership of any denomination in the United States. Fraternal organizations which allow Christians to worship and pray with non-Christians, or which in any way imply that we can earn salvation by works in any way other than God's undeserved gift in Jesus Christ, are to be avoided by the members of our congregations. Such organizations are the Freemasons, animal Lodges, and others, which fit that description.
____________________
"I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are our works! My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret." Ps 139
"Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men." Ps 140
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Free
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| Joined: | Wed Nov 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 356 |
| First Name: | Jane | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Gnostic, non-denominational, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 03:32 pm |
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I would recommend Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on Freemasonry, Humanum Genus. I would not discount too quickly the dangers to society in general from Freemasonry's intentions, and neither does the Pope.
I've known many Presbyterian, Methodist and even Lutheran men who have thought they could be both Christian and a Freemason. I've witnessed how Freemasonry darkens the mind and elevates the ego, and I've also witnessed the glorious light of Christ return to men's minds who have renounced Freemasonry and demitted from this secret society, which is in actuality a religion in competition with the Christ's Church.
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