Egypt discovers 40 mummies in ancient chambers in Minya

[clarencebunsen]

From the time I was a freshman, I had a chart of which courses I had to take for each quarter until graduation to complete the requirements for my degree. My normal practice was to add one class each quarter on something that piqued my interest. So I have a degree in physics but I also took things like the poetry of Milton or Russian history.

As a freshman I remember going to the Russian history class and asking the professor, "I don't have the prerequisites for this class but I'm interested in the subject. Will you sign off n me taking the class?" I enjoyed it so much I ended up taking 2 other classes from him.

[Clipper]

CB, you mentioned earlier that you are a protestant but attend the Catholic Church with Barb. You are also a Mason. Has the Catholic Church relaxed their policies concerning membership in the Free Masons over the years. I remember when my dad became a Mason many year ago my grandparents, who were staunch and devout Catholics were really upset to see him become a Mason.

I have never read up on, or learned the circumstances and reasoning fueling the conflict between the church and the Masonic organization.

[clarencebunsen]

Here is a short discussion on that point.

bustedhalo.com/questionbox/can-i-be-a-catholic-and-a-freemason

[Clipper]

That article clears up many of my misconceptions and answers many of my questions.

"Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it is neither a religion nor a substitute for one. “There is no separate Masonic God”, nor a separate proper name for a deity in any branch of Freemasonry. Regular Freemasonry requires that its candidates believe in a Supreme Being, but the interpretation of this term is subject to the conscience of the candidate. Consequently, Freemasonry accepts men from across the range of world religions." That makes perfect sense to me, and having attended Alcoholics Anonymous in the past, find that policy rather closely parallels the beliefs concerning a "higher power" widely accepted among those affiliated with that program.

"The Roman Catholic Church has the longest history of objection to Freemasonry. The objections raised are based on the allegation that Masonry teaches a naturalistic deistic religion which is in conflict with Church doctrine."

"What is Deism? Deism is the belief that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of God, accompanied with the rejection of revelation and authority as a source of religious knowledge. Deism gained prominence in the 17th and 18th centuries during the Age of the Enlightenment—especially in Britain, France, Germany and America—among intellectuals raised as Christians who believed in one god, but found fault with organized religion and could not believe in supernatural events such as miracles, the inerrancy of Scriptures, or the Trinity." Using this definition of Deism I guess I am a Deist to a certain degree. I definitely find fault with most organized religions, or more specifically religious groups and congregants. On the other hand, I DO still believe in miracles, the Trinity, and the inerrancy of scripture. I find comfort and guidance in reading scripture often. On more than one occasion while attending different churches over the years, I found myself drowning in a sea of self righteous hypocrites caught up in a contest to be the most pious and reverent members of the congregation. After hours and hours devoted to church activities over a three year period my name was brought up as a candidate for a deacon;s place on the church's board. When another member told me later that I was turned down because a couple of the members on the board specifically didn't find me worthy of the position because I was divorced, and a recovered alcoholic.That was the last service I attended at that church, and I have had no desire since to be member of any other church. In other words I don't find it necessary to adhere to anyone else's doctrine or religious standards other than God's. When I told the minister that I was leaving and why, he told me that I better give serious thought to the decision to become an "apostate" with a derogatory inflection in his voice, more or less inferring that it would be an act of heresy. I may have abandoned my religious beliefs as a member of that church, but I certainly didn't abandon my principles or my love for God, and those principles were a major deciding factor in my decision to leave and to worship God in a close and personal daily relationship. Today I spend more time on prayer and reflection than I ever did while attending a church.

It is doubtful that the Masonic order would require anyone to abandon any religious beliefs in order to be come a member of the fraternal organization nor would they encourage anyone to do so. Do you think it is actually nothing more than a misconception relating to the secrecy of the rituals CB, coupled with a fear of losing some of the churches control over individual's strict adherence to church doctrine? I imagine that you are bound by a pledge of one sort or another to preserve much of the tradition and inner workings of the lodge, so if you cannot, or are not comfortable discussing the subject in any depth I understand.

[clarencebunsen]

Things have changed and will probably continue to change, When I joined in 1986 there was a lodge in Utica named Carducci which was originally Italian and I presume mostly Catholic. In 1986 the Master was named Breheney obviously not Italian but I believe he is Catholic (never asked him),.

Utica has a lodge named Moriah which is oe of the last ethnic lodges in the area. I can't remember if I have been to one of their meetings but I think they have a Torah open during their meetings.

My lodge has a Bible opened to a verse in Matthew during our meetings. No one has objected to that but if someone does I suppose we will have to deal with it.

[clarencebunsen]

One of the first steps is to acknowledge the belief in a supreme being. That wasn't a big hurdle for me.










































































t

[Deleted]

My Uncle Bob was a Mason. I remember the apron they put on him that was allowed to expend over the top half of the coffin. He was Protestant. I remember the religious service when he died and the part of never giving up the secret. I always wondered why someone in that group had to have such a secret and why it was secret and since it is a secret then revealing obviously would serious hurt another person or group. Of course it could also mean how to lay brick properly!