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Some Christian critics of Freemasonry, often evangelical Christians, and all the Orthodox Christian Churches claim that Freemasonry involves the worship of Satan. [87] Such claims are often supported by quoting, misquoting, or quoting out of context various individuals, both Masonic and non-Masonic, but not Masonic ritual itself.
This page provides links to alphabetized lists of notable Freemasons. Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation which exists in a number of forms worldwide. Throughout history some members of the fraternity have made no secret of their involvement, while others have not made their membership public.
Freemasons usually take a diametrically opposite view, stating that there is nothing in Freemasonry that is in any way contrary to Catholicism or any other religious faith. Whether Freemasonry is anticlerical often depends on how anticlericalism is defined and which branches of Freemasonry are being referred to.
The Rectified Scottish Rite's lasting impact has been to provide an example of how Masonic ritual can be used to achieve spiritual enlightenment based on a mystical understanding of Christianity. Its immutable rituals and teachings have preserved an esoteric Christian dimension of Freemasonry dating back to the 18th century. [24]
One of the first highly vocal Christian critics of freemasonry was Charles Finney. In his book The Character, Claims, and Practical Workings of Freemasonry , Finney not only ridiculed the masons, he also explained why he viewed leaving the society as an essential act three years after he entered seminary.
The form of Freemasonry most common in Scandinavia (known as the Swedish Rite), for example, accepts only Christians. [30] At the other end of the spectrum, "Liberal" or Continental Freemasonry , exemplified by the Grand Orient de France , does not require a declaration of belief in any deity and accepts atheists (the cause of the distinction ...
Many conspiracy theories have connected the Freemasons (and the Knights Templar) with worship of the devil; [2] [3] these ideas are based on different interpretations of the doctrines of those organizations. [4] Of the claims that Freemasonry exerts control over politics, perhaps the best-known example is the New World Order theory, but there ...
For example, whereas Masons exchange secret tokens to identify fellow Freemasons, the ceremonies of the church teach that these tokens must be given to sentinel angels so that disciples of Jesus Christ may be admitted into the highest kingdom of heaven.