THE ANGLICAN CHURCH AND MASONRY
by Bro. Norman Senn,
PDDGM
INTRODUCTION
The
Craft has been attacked for almost as many years as it has
existed. The reasons have been many. The anti-Masonic movement
in
the U.S.A. following the "Morgan Affair,, in 1826 is a topic
commonly dealt with in Masonic research. Publication of
exposures of the Craft started within a few years of the Craft
being formalized and still they come.
Most
Canadian Masons are aware of the continuing attack by the
Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church. Many odd distortions have
come
out of that attack. Less well known in North America was
the
recent uproar that took place in the United Kingdom,
birthplace of Masonry as we know it.
The
problems seemed to start with the publication in books,
magazines and on TV of negative material about the craft and of
material purporting to be initiation ceremonies. In addition
there were a small number of murder mysteries written which
connected masonry with criminal conspiracy. The best known was
possibly "Murder by Decree." This was the movie based on the
theory of Stephen Knight that the "Jack the Ripper" murders were
really a Masonic conspiracy at the highest levels. The press
raised questions as to possible bias of police, magistrates and
others in authority, towards brother Masons. There was much
discussion over proposed requirements for aldermen, police and
others to declare their Masonic affiliation publicly and for
consideration of Masonic affiliation in employment applications.
Police integrity was questioned in cases before the courts.
Those outside the Craft seemed unaware of the mason's commitment
to
uphold the law of the land and that lawbreakers are expelled
from
the Craft--not supported.
In
the Canadian press there were recently a number of articles.
referring to Masonry in negative terms. Masonry was discussed by
the
lawyers in two recent trials on hate literature when the
anti-Semitism, anti-masonry, world conspiracy cult raised its
ugly
head to spew vicious rubbish out to all gullible enough to
listen. In the cases of both Ernst Zundel, in Toronto and James
Keegstra, in Red Deer, convictions were obtained for their
anti-Semitic expressions, but the anti-Masonic opinions were left
floating.
Some
attack Masonry for obscure reasons, possibly due to
distorted concepts or interpretations placed upon the Craft and
its
works. Some have attacked from religious fanaticism. The
most
recent attacks have come from unexpected quarters and
followed the publication of a number of books. The first was
Darkness Visible by Walton Hannah, Augustine Press, 1952; the
second was Christian by Degree by Walton Hannah, Augustine Press,
1954
and these were followed by The Brotherhood by Stephen
Knight, Granada, 1983, Satan's Angels Exposed by Salem Kirban,
Morris Cerullo World Evangelism, 1980; and the The Antichrist or
the
Masonic Society by Charles G. Finney, 1868 - reprinted 1984.
METHODIST CHURCH
In
1985 the Faith and Order Committee of the Methodist Church
produced a report from a Group of non-Masons based on printed
material. The committee had no communication with the Grand
Lodge of England but written input was received from individuals.
No
information is available to show what proportion of the
correspondence was from Masons. The report, consisting of 22
"memorials" was presented to the General Conference of the
Church. There was acknowledgment of the high moral standards of
Freemasonry, its lack of social discrimination, and the high
commitment of many Methodists to Christ as well as to the Craft
with
no feelings of incompatibility. Notwithstanding these
attributes, the excessive secrecy, the individual's possible
misinterpretation of the ritual and the committee's view of the
Craft, influenced the Methodist Church to rule that a Methodist
could not be a Freemason. This was because the committee
identified syncretism, (the tendency to reconcile religious and
philosophical tenets on the basis of common elements), elements
of
the ritual replacing Christian elements, religious practices,
Competition with Christianity and compromise of Christian beliefs
for
any Methodist who was a Mason. All these could be easily
answered by looking at readily available evidence offered by
Grand Lodge, had the Church wished to ask.
In
1986, ten further "memorials" were put forward to counteract
the
22 which had-been adopted in the previous year. These ten
were
all rejected but the Committee now said that Freemasonry was
not
"incompatible." The Association of Methodist Freemasons was
informed, however, by the Secretary of the Methodist Church that
he
would continue to act on the last of the 22 original
"memorials" which states that Methodists should not become
Freemasons.
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH
In
1985, following the Methodist assault, the Synod of the
Anglican Church accepted a motion to have a Working Group develop
a
discussion paper for consideration of the Synod "which
considers the compatibility or otherwise of Freemasonry with
Christianity." This was not the first time that such a request
had
been made. In 1951, shortly after the publication of an
article in the magazine Theology, by Reverend Walton Hannah
entitled, "Should a Christian be a Freemason?" a request was made
for
a review. The request then had been denied.
The
Working Group of seven people was not struck until one year
later. It consisted of two women, one a Professor of Sociology
who
was the Chairwoman, two clergymen who were Masons, and three
clergymen who were non-Masons. The Group had the responsibility
to
meet five times and produce a short discussion paper to meet
the
demands of the approved motion.
The
first meeting of the Working Group was held two days later
and
the secretary issued a press release inviting written
evidence. He also communicated with the United Grand Lodge of
England which issued its own press statement. The Grand Lodge
release regretted the necessity for such an investigation but
expressed pleasure at being invited to give evidence.
The
Working Group also sought information from "The Honorable
Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons," a women's organization, but no
response was received.
The
Working Group received 106 written submissions which it said
were
balanced between Masons and non-Masons. Six of these
submissions were from members of the General Synod. There were
many
responses from Masonic members of the clergy, both current
and
retired.
GRAND LODGE
SUBMISSION
The
Grand Lodge had made an immediate offer to make all possible
information available to the Working Group when it had first been
proposed. The submission to the Group when it was actually
formed was comprehensive and included all information thought to
be
helpful. The UGL Submission ran to 57 pages in length and covered the
following topics.
- Freemasonry's relationship with religion
- The King as a Freemason
- Qualifications for membership
- Secrecy, privacy or reticence
- Freemasonry and the law
- Aims and relationship of the Craft
- Freemasonry and society
- Lodge meetings
- 'Pure Antient Masonry' and other degrees
- Charity
- Masonic discipline
- Relationship with other Grand Lodges (particularly Europe)
Books and papers
- Notes on the Methodist report
- Darkness Visible and Christian by Degree
- The Brotherhood
- Emulation Ritual
- Freemasonry--A Way of Salvation
- List of Books etc. given to the Synod Working Group
- Supplementary Questions and Answers May 23, 1986
- Sermon by Dean of Gloucester Cathedral (Masonic Service)
- Extract of responses to newspaper articles
- Extract of letter to Chairman of Working Group (Nov. 1986)
- Extract of letter from Sec. General Supreme Council 33 degree to the
Chairman of of the Working Group (Dec. 1986)
- Extract of letter to the Chairman of the Working Group (Feb.1987).
The
UGL submission gave many explanations and the major ones are
summarized below.
Freemasonry is not a religion or a substitute but requires of each man
belief in his own religion. Masonry expects of every member, a belief in a
Supreme Being. It has neutral prayers to allow men of all faiths to
participate with offence to none. The name of the Supreme Being is not of
a Masonic or composite god but represents to each Mason his own understanding of
the God of his belief.
The
Bible MUST be open at all meetings but additional Holy Books
may
be open according to the faiths of those present. The
obligations are undertakings to follow the principles of
Freemasonry and not reveal the methods of identification. In
Britain the historical oaths of the three degrees and the
Installed Master's degree are now placed within the lectures to
avoid the accusations of horrific oaths over the Bible.
Although Freemasonry requires belief in a Supreme Being and uses
some
prayers, it lacks the basic elements of a religion. It has
no
theological doctrine of its own and discussion of religion is
forbidden. It offers no sacrament and does not offer or claim to
offer salvation either by works or secret knowledge. The
teachings of the Craft support religion but are not the practice
of
religion. No lodge can meet on the Christian holidays.
King
George VI was a sincere Freemason who rose to the rank of
Grand Master of Scotland and held the rank of Past Grand Master
of
the Grand Lodge of England. He was just one of many Princes to
hold
high Masonic office over a period of 170 years.
Only
men may become members but there are women's orders and
those for men and women together but there is no Masonic contact
with
these groups.
Secrecy only relates to the signs of recognition and information is available
to the public through publication of all sorts. It noted that the Masonic
order was never judged an unlawful body even when constraints were placed on
many organizations in the early 1800s.
All
Masons are subject to the law of the land. Membership,
rather than interfering with a man's duties as a citizen,
improves his performance. It is an offence for a Mason to use his
membership to promote his professional or business career.
Masonry should not interfere with a members family life or his
employment. The obligation of a Freemason as a citizen overrules
his
obligation to another Freemason.
The
lodge is a place to perform Masonic business and carry out
ritualistic work to admit and instruct new Masons. The moral
messages are not exclusive to Freemasonry but the method of
teaching is.
The
submission pointed out that while the degrees in England
include the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch, this latter
degree is controlled by Grand Chapter which is an independant
body. The two organizations work closely together.
The
amount of charity work done and the fact that a third of all
charity is for non-Masonic activities was presented with pride.
THE REPORT OF THE
WORKING COMMITTEE
The
report by the Working Committee was finally published under
the
title, "Freemasonry and Christianity--Are they Compatible? A
contribution to Discussion." It was divided into nine sections:
-
Introduction
-
Historical background
-
Organization and
structure
-
A 'Secret' Society?
-
The Masonic rituals
-
A peculiar system of
morality?
-
Comments and questions
-
Appendices
-
Bibliography
An
overview of this Report sees it covering primarily what is in
Canada the distinct areas of Craft Masonry and the Holy Royal
Arch. In Britain the Royal Arch degree is considered the
conclusion of the Craft Degrees and although there is no direct
control, the responses to the Report came through the Grand Lodge
of
England. We are only interested in the areas which are
associated with our three Craft degrees. I will, however,
outline the major concern for the Royal Arch at the end of this
paper.
The
Report used some material from the Grand Lodge but relied
heavily on the anti-Masonic authors and on TWO letters from
disturbed individuals who felt Masonry created problems for them.
The
Report was published in some secrecy, noted even by members
of
the Synod, and the major areas of concern were never discussed
with
the Grand Lodge before publication.
The
principle concerns were based on:
- the apparent secrecy of the Craft
- the use of prayers making meetings "worship" especially when the location
is called a "temple," an "altar" is used and there is a Chaplain
- the use of Christian wordings omitting reference to Christ
- the Masonic oaths on the VSL and "swearing" in any form
- the erroneous historical association with pagan rites
- oaths to things not yet revealed
and
the Report suggests that the Craft is:
-
Gnostic
-
Pelagianistic
-
theologically indifferent and deistic and
-
syncretistic.
Of
this list, two are heresy (7 and 8) and two are heretical
misdemeanors (9 and 10), if in fact any of them are true.
It
is important to understand what these offences mean.
Gnostic means having its own spiritual knowledge, Pelagian means
providing salvation through works, deism is the promoting of
natural religion without divine authority and, syncretism is the
attempting to unify or reconcile different religions and
philosophies.
The
Working Group stated in its Report that the members bore in
mind
the anxiety that their enquiry would generate and that it
not
be a "witch hunt." It also stated that if there really was a
serious concern about the latter issues, a much larger committee
and
staff would be required to avoid looking foolish.
The
Group said it was wary of making categorical assertions about
the
rituals used for initiations due to a lack of experts in
comparative religion in the Group or within the General Synod
itself.
The
Report started with an overview of the Craft and the
associated organization without too much in the way of comment.
It
freely intermixes the anti-Masonic authors to prove points and
this
makes reading a little confusing at times.
In
its brief history of the Craft both Hamill and Hannah are
quoted to refute the so-called Masonic historians who have tried
to
trace Freemasonry back to Adam. This distortion cast all
Masonic history into doubt. The Group accepted Hamill's sound
commentary as a base. They then asked two questions:
a) in what sense was
[Masonry] a secret organization? and
b) was [Masonry] a
Christian organization?
The Group agreed that covert existence was not the meaning of secrecy but
rather the privacy of its meetings, its social exclusiveness and its emphasis
to new initiates on not divulging the words and signs of recognition. It
was to these latter activities that exposures and condemnation was targeted
from the 17th century to the present. It was these that led not only to
curiosity but also to suspicion.
The
Report stated that the answer to whether Masonry is Christian
is
clearly "no." Originally the references to God seemed to be to
the
God of the Christian faith but in 1816 all Christian
references were removed. This was to allow men of various faiths
to
unite without offending or compromising their own faith. The
Antients, who emphasized the link with Christianity, gave this up
at
the time of the union in 1813.
The
Report then outlined the structure of masonry and reviewed
the
basis for recognition of other Grand Jurisdictions.
The
Group then questioned the basis for the acceptance into the
Craft being in "A Supreme Being or "THE Supreme Being" and the
attempt to encapsulate the God of all religions under the single
term
"The Great Architect of the Universe."
There is a comment on the requirement that an applicant sign a
form
stating that he had not been improperly solicited, and yet
in a
Grand Lodge publication there is the statement that a
"neutrally worded approach" is not cause for objection, nor a
reminder of that approach at a later date. This point was used,
effectively, to emphasize the inconsistency of the promises made
in
the Craft.
Within its discussion of 'structure' the Report looked at the
time
between degrees, the relationship to the Royal Arch and
Scottish Rite Degrees.
In
the section on the secrecy of Masonry the concern felt by one
author was that "if Freemasonry is right, why all the secrecy?"
The
Report noted that even the secrets are pretty well known and
the
Emulation Ritual was easily obtained. This availability of
an
approved secret ritual was one of the several paradoxes
identified. It was noted that Masons are sworn not to reveal
much
of what goes on and that particularly the Royal Arch members
are
sworn not to reveal the sacred and Mysterious Name. It was
this
latter point that was a major target of the report. The
Group noted that in Darkness Visible, the full rituals are
published. It was pointed out in the Report that it is odd for
Masons to swear not to reveal what are published (and well read)
secrets.
The
Report then printed what it believed to be the penalties of
the
three Craft degrees, the Installed Master's Degree, and that
of
the Royal Arch. It stated that these are "barbaric and an
abuse of language." The fact that Grand Lodge has removed the
penalties from the obligation was acknowledged and it was
understood that they must remain within the lectures to explain
the
signs of recognition, which were derived from them. The fact
that
these penalties had been taken on the Bible where in Matthew
5.33-37 Christians are abjured to 'swear not at all,' was
considered to be most inappropriate. It was also noted that if
this
had been only a symbolic gesture, then it was vain swearing
or
profanity, which is also condemned. It then noted that the
initiate is sworn not to reveal secrets which as yet were
unrevealed, another serious criticism.
The Group then commented on the ready availability of information to a
candidate but the assumption of his ignorance by the Lodge members. This
was considered a major problem for Christian Masons who were required to lie in
swearing not to reveal secrets yet to be revealed later when they may already
know them. If there were additional secrets they may have found they had
joined an "alien cult."
The
Report then asked, "What is Freemasonry?" The definition as
states in the Grand Lodge pamphlets was then printed and also the
explanation by Hamill, although he is accused of glossing over
it.
The Report stated that Masons emphatically deny that
Freemasonry is a religion and refers to the 1983 pamphlet
entitled "Freemasonry and Religion." It commented on the use of
the
terms, "temple," "altar," "chaplain," and "G.A.O.T.U." It
then
questioned whether Freemasonry represents or connives at a
syncretistic understanding of religion and representation of
good. The term, "syncretism" is used frequently from this point
on
and is defined as, 'attempting to unify or reconcile different
religions' . The Report asked whether Masons expected their
published interpretation to be accepted, or 'what was understood
by
the common man, or non-Mason'.
The
Masonic rituals were then discussed at length. The Group
noted the lack of reasons behind early ritual development and
elaboration. This of course was due to the original demand for
secrecy. In addition early ritual was by word of mouth and
probably was modified in delivery. The first published ritual
was
in the 1870s and the Standardized Emulation Ritual was not
published until 1969. The basic allegory was then described in
the
Craft and Royal Arch degrees and the fact the work is
memorized was noted. The Report then explained the main lesson
of
each degree.
The
Report then looked at wording in the ritual relating to
Egyptian and Greek philosophers as showing an affinity with
Masonry in spite of the belief that it has Christian overtones.
It
again asked, "do the rituals add up to worship, to what God,
and
is Freemasonry a religion?"
It
quoted the prayers and blessings and noted that many are
familiar Christian prayers with Christian references omitted.
This
was particularly objectionable to some who made submissions
to
the Working Group. They believed that the deletion of
Christian references makes Masonry and Christianity incompatible.
The
Masonic belief that the deletion of references to Christ
does
not deny Christ is noted as being unwise; and the use of
Christian phrases and prayers is misleading.
The
Report then argued that as "worship means paying homage to
human or God, the prayers offered as an integral part of the
ritual are worship. There were said to be "many" (undefined in
number and identity) who argue that the prayers "less reference
to
Christ" are a denial of Christ's divinity.
The
question, "Who's God?" was then asked with the note that in
an
effort to offend none, some confusion arises. It noted again
the
discrepancy of "A Supreme Being" vs. "The Supreme Being"
before quoting a pamphlet "Freemasonry and Religion, 1983." It
further notes that Freemasonry has tried for 200 years to bring
men
of many faiths together, a problem that inter-faith service
has
not coped with. The requirement in the Christian faith to
establish its preeminence over all religions leads to
difficulties when attempting not to offend those of other faiths.
The
Report questioned the extent to which Christian Churches
publicly uphold the view that Christianity is THE RELIGION
necessary for salvation.
It
then stated that Freemasonry has no obligation to support
Christianity but although members understand the nature of their
God
and their prayers are addressed to Him, the simultaneous
worship by others of the great Architect implies indifferentism
to
claims of distinct religions.
The
Report stated that it had letters from a "number" of
uncommitted Christians who still believed in God, but on
conversion, withdrew from Freemasonry. Other letters from both
laity and clergy stated that though they have been members of the
Craft for many years, they had found no compatibility.
The
Report concluded with the statement that while there were
some
differences within the committee, there are clear
difficulties to be faced by Christians who are Freemasons. The
Report fundamentally questioned the compatibility of Freemasonry
with
Christianity.
The
Report was presented to the Synod in 1987 and in a short half
hour
the Synod voted to endorse the Report in spite of its
inaccuracies and lack of authoritative input. The Report was
then
referred to the church as a whole for discussion. A process
through which it will no doubt be going at this time.
RESPONSE OF THE
UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND
The
Grand Lodge of England made various initial statements to
address the final Report but its major arguments took some time
to
formulate. The delay in receiving the Report allowed no
interaction between Grand Lodge and the Working Group before
presentation of the Report to the Synod. The late and almost
secretive delivery of the Report to the Synod seemed a deliberate
act,
the purpose of which is unknown.
Immediately following the issuance of the Report the Grand Lodge
issued a press release which expressed disappointment that there
had
been no opportunity to reply to the accusation before
publication. It noted help was offered but the lack of questions
caused the assumption that previous explanations were accepted.
The
UGL commented that the Working Group had not paid enough
attention to the Grand Lodge's interpretation of words. It had,
instead, accepted erroneous alternative interpretations and then
finally used its own interpretations of Masonic words. The
statement questioned the reaction of the thousands of Christian
Masons to the charges of heresy, when they knew Masonry to be
good
and supportive of their personal religion.
The
UGL commentary stated plainly that Freemasonry has no
theology, no sacraments, and provided no way to salvation.
Devout Christians developed Freemasonry and adapted it, not to
deny
Christ, but to make the system acceptable to men of other
religions. The early Freemasons would not have designed anything
heretical, nor would modern-day Christians have stayed in the
order if it were heretical or incompatible with their faith.
The
next press release entitled "Grand Secretary Hits Out at
Church's Report on Freemasonry and Christianity" stated that the
charges of heresy were ill-founded due to reliance on incomplete
extracts from ritual and commentaries by non-Masonic authors of
doubtful objectivity.
It
repeated some statements from the earlier release but added
that
the two letters describing masonry as psychically disturbing
and
evil are hardly the basis for the Report to use them as
evidence. Normal Freemasons know that that ceremonies are
symbolical and 320,000 Masons would hardly remain if they thought
it
to be evil. It then looked at the ill-founded heresy charges
and
stated "Freemasonry is not a religion and does not comment on
religious matters. It does not deal in special knowledge, or in
salvation, by works or any other means. Freemasonry does not
attempt to combine religions. It is indifferent--in the sense of
being impartial--to the claims of any religion." It concluded by
suggesting that the Report is unworthy and misleading when
directed at a 270 year old association which encourages men to
follow principles which the Church must approve.
A
third UGL press release on the Synod Debate stated that it was
sad
that the general Synod 'endorsed' rather than 'noted' the
inadequate Report that did not give weight to authoritative
Masonic evidence. The release hoped that the discussions in the
Church would allow discussion with Masonic authority on the
specific allegations.
The
Grand Lodge then published a small paper entitled
"Freemasonry and Christianity" outlining the criticism of the
General Synod of the Church of England and the response of Grand
Lodge to the charges. This short paper was distributed to all
British Freemasons through their Lodge Secretaries. It contained
many
of the comments noted previously, but some additional points
were
made. It was noted that "questioning the compatibility of
Freemasonry with Christianity is not the same as saying that the
two
are incompatible." The paper included a speech given by the
Archbishop of York, a non-Mason, who questioned the commissioning
of
the Report and its conclusions. The paper concluded that
Masonry won the debate but lost the vote. It reminded Masons of
the
debate that is to go on in the Church.
There were many individual arguments, commentaries and notes on
the
errors of fact within the Report but they do not add to the
general statements made within the responses of the Grand Lodge
and
already noted within this brief paper.
ROYAL ARCH MASONRY
The
area of the Report not included to this point is the charge
that
the Royal Arch is guilty of blasphemy. The supposed
blasphemy relates to whether the word related to the triangle
within the circle which rests upon the altar, is a word
indicating attributes of God or a name for God. The Report uses
"Hannah" and also its own interpretation to come to a strange
conclusion about this word and then claims the outcome is
blasphemous. The Grand Lodge, as spokesman for both Bodies,
denies this categorically and cannot understand why the
authoritative statement that it is a word describing attributes
of
God was not acceptable. It did point out, however, that some
older rituals do have conflicting wording but the Grand Chapter
has
had a committee working for the previous eight years to
review and clarify this matter.
FINAL COMMENTS
The
overall result of the Report and the stance of the Anglican
Church will have repercussions on Freemasonry but it will be
weathered, as have many previous storms.
It
is important that each member avoid adding any fuel to an
unpleasant fire. Should you be asked to comment directly to the
media, you should refer them to the Grand Secretary who will
identify the spokesman for the Jurisdiction. This will avoid
conflicting statements that can be the basis for negative news
items.
As
individuals within your Church you should certainly express
your
views on the Craft remembering that very little is secret
and
our principles are something of which to be proud.
Bibliography
Freemasonry and Society (Pamphlet). London: United Grand Lodge,
1987.
Freemasonry and Religion (Pamphlet). London: United Grand Lodge,
1985.
Guidance to Methodists on Freemasonry, Report of the Faith and
Order Committee of the Methodist Church. London: ---, 1985.
Notes on the 'Contribution to Discussion'. London: United Grand
Lodge, 1987.
What
is Freemasonry (Pamphlet). London: United Grand Lodge,
1987.
Hamill, John. The Craft: A History of English Freemasonry.
London: Crucible, 1986.
Higham, M.B.S. Anglican Report on Freemasonry (Press Release).
London: United Grand Lodge, 1987.
Higham, M.B.S. Freemasonry and Christianity. London: United
Grand Lodge, 1987.
Higham, M.B.S. Freemasonry and Christianity, Address to
Provincial Grand Chapter, South Wales, Eastern Division. London:
United Grand Lodge, 1987.
Higham, M.B.S. Freemasonry--From Craft to Tolerance. London:
United Grand Lodge, 1985
Higham, M.B.S. Grand Secretary Hits Out at Church's Report on
Freemasonry and Christianity (Press Release). London: United
Grand Lodge, 1987.
Higham, M.B.S. Synod Debate--Masons Comment (Press Release).
London: United Grand Lodge, 1987.
McLeod, Wallace. Anti-Masonry in the Eighties. Seattle: Walter
Meier Lodge of Research, 1987. Proceedings, Vol V, No. 20, pp.
236-243A.
United Grand Lodge and other Masonic Authorities. Freemasonry and
Christianity, Evidence on the Compatibility of Freemasonry and
Christianity. Submission to the Working Group of the General
Synod of the Church of England. London: United Grand Lodge,
1986.
Williamson, Wayne B. "An Answer to the Question is Freemasonry a
Religion." California Freemason 34, No.4 (1987).
Working Group Established by the Standing Committee of the
General Synod of the Church of England. Freemasonry and
Christianity--Are they Compatible? A Contribution to Discussion.
London: Church Publishing, 1987.
ADDENDUM TO THE
ANGLICAN CHURCH AND MASONRY
by
Bro. Norman Senn, PDDGM
DEVELOPMENTS
Scotland
In
the April 1987 issue of Life and Work, the publication of the
Church of Scotland, it was recorded that the Aberdeen Presbytery
would make a presentation to the General Assembly on the subject
of
Freemasonry. It intended to ask that the Panel on Doctrine
consider the theological implications of the Craft. The Aberdeen
Presbytery decided by a large majority that the action should be
taken after hearing arguments that Freemasonry was incompatibile
with
Church membership and that other Churches had already spoken
out
about this.
There was, prior to this decision, considerable controversy over
a
period of months, in Life and Work. This was in the readers'
letter pages and followed on the action of the Methodist Church.
The
criticism was quite vitriolic with accusations that
Freemasonry was the "most corrupt secret society in the world."
Masons were said by a few to be devil worshippers, subversive and
guilty of character assassination Most of these accusers were
using Stephen Knight's book as the basis for their outlandish
claims. There were a number of rebuttals printed which both
supported and defended the Craft.
There are some wiser heads in the Church who realized that many
would vote by walking away from the already decreasing membership
of
the Church. This of course would further lower the income of
the
Church--a most important consideration.
When
the motion was presented, it was rejected by the General
Assembly. The Assembly did however pass a motion "for an inquiry
with
consultations with the Grand Lodge of Scotland." Two
clergymen spoke strongly in favor of moderation and common sense
which would no doubt show the lack of incompatibility.
England
The
Church Times of Great Britain has been a forum for many
letters from clergymen arguing in favor of Freemasonry. Many
excellent arguments have been used. One of these was that the
Church itself is unsure of what it stands for, especially as it
relates to the homosexuality issue. It should be addressing its
own
problems of confusion and allowing an organization which so
clearly sets out its tenets to help the Church to reestablish its
own
credibility.
The
United Grand Lodge of England has reprinted its publication,
Freemasonry and Religion. It has simply modified the section
which relates to the location of the penalties after having moved
them
from the obligation to the explanation. The pamphlet is
readily available in the United Kingdom.
A
recent article in the Daily Express, a leading British daily
newspaper, noted that the Anglican Church had recently accepted
$200,000.00 for the renovation programs of over 16 cathedrals.
The
significant point of the article is that the press is taking
the
Church to task for being two-faced and is thereby siding with
Freemasonry.
Vigorous enquiry of many Masons in England, as well as one of the
Masons on the working Group elicited the information that the
report seems to have dropped out of sight for the moment. No one
could be found who had discussed it in their Church.
Canada
The
United Church Observer in May of 1988, printed a full page
article entitled, Masons, organized religion and the need to
belong. This article is positive and reviews briefly the Church
of
England action and notes the outrage felt by Masons at the
uninformed and undeserved attack on an organization practicing
high
moral principles.
The
article notes the titles of advanced degrees, the decreasing
level of secrecy and prints a penalty. It then notes that many
Christians, including many ministers, are in fact members of the
Craft. It quotes a number of the ministers who speak favourably
about the Craft. In particular it notes the strong personal
relationships that are built by Masons and then notes the
Church's own failures in this area.
The
article concludes that if Masonry if offering men things that
are
not present in the Church, then the Church had better look at
itself in relation to standards of behavior and the creation of
challenging activities.
Later issues of the Observer contained letters which continued to
support Masonic involvement of Church members.
The
Canadian Churchman, the publication of the Anglican Church of
Canada, printed a third of a page in September of 1987, simply
reporting the events that had occurred in England related to the
action of the General Synod.
The
article leaves the report hanging in the air as there is no
reference to the passing of the decision of the General Synod to
the
Churches for discussion. This would lead the reader to
believe that the action is concluded and the condemnation has
been
accepted by the Church.
In
the November, 1987 issue of the same publication, the readers
responded. Under a heading, Report on Masonry Disturbing, five
letters were published from various parts of Canada. All letters
strongly condemned the action of the Church of England and argued
very
powerfully against the General Synod action. One letter
made
the point that, "the Anglican Church, by allowing
intolerance, bigotry and misunderstanding free rein, has told
more
about the authors and done greater harm to the Anglican
cause."
The
action continues to come nearer to the North American
Jurisdictions and Masons should be prepared to defend their
beloved Craft.
Bibliography
Freemasonry and Religion. London: Board of General Purposes,
United Grand Lodge of England, 1987.
"Masonic Rituals Blasphemous says Freemason Report." Canadian
Churchman. September, 1987. p.6.
"Report on Masonry Disturbing." Canadian Churchman. November
1987. p. 5.
Allen, David. "Masons, Organized Religion and the Need to
Belong." The United Church Observer. Vol. 51, no. 11. May,
1988. p. 21.
Donovan, Alfred. The Church and Incompatibility. Vol. 13, no.3.
Shepperton, England: Masonic Square, Lewis Masonic Publishers,
September 1987. p. 129.
Dundee, A. E. Kirk to Study Freemasonry. Vol. 14, no. 2.
Shepperton, England: Masonic Square, Lewis Masonic Publishers,
June
1988. pp. 84-85.
back to top | 
