Talk:Freemasonry/Proposed Opposition

Opposition to Freemasonry

Freemasonry has historically attracted criticism and suppression from the politically extreme right (i.e. Nazi Germany) and the extreme left (i.e. the former Communist states in Eastern Europe). The fraternity has encountered both applause for “founding”, and opposition for supposedly thwarting, liberal democracy (such as the United States of America). It has also attracted criticism and suppression from theocratic states and organised religions for supposed competition with religion, or heterodoxy within the Fraternity itself.

Anti-Masonry is often related to Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism. Andrew Prescott writes: "Since at least the time of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, anti-semitism has gone hand in hand with anti-masonry, so it is not surprising that allegations that 11 September was a Zionist plot have been accompanied by suggestions that the attacks were inspired by a masonic world order."

Political opposition

See also: Anti-Masonry and Freemasonry under Totalitarian Regimes

Perhaps influenced by the assertion of Masons that many political figures in the past 300 years have been Masons, Freemasonry has long been the target of conspiracy theories, which see it as an occult and evil power. Often associated with the New World Order and other "agents", such as the Illuminati, the fraternity is seen, by conspiracy theorists, as either bent on world domination, or already secretly in control of world politics.

In 1799 English Freemasonry almost came to a halt. In the wake of the French Revolution the Unlawful Societies Act, 1799 banned any meetings of groups that required their members to take an oath or obligation. The Grand Masters of the Premier Grand Lodge and the Antients Grand Lodge called on the Prime Minister William Pitt, (who was not a Freemason) and explained to him that Freemasonry was a supporter of the law and lawfully constituted authority and was much involved in charitable work. As a result Freemasonry was specifically exempted from the terms of the Act, provided that each Private Lodge's Secretary placed with the local "Clerk of the Peace" a list of the members of his Lodge—once a year. This continued until 1967 when the obligation of the provision was rescinded by Parliament. Regular Freemasonry inserted into its core ritual a formal obligation: to be quiet and peaceable citizens, true to the lawful government of the country in which they live, and not to countenance disloyalty or rebellion. A Freemason makes a further obligation, before being made Master of his Lodge, to pay a proper respect to the civil Magistrates. The words may be varied across Grand Lodges, but the sense in the obligation taken is always there in regular Freemasonry.

Following the disappearance of anti-Masonic agitator William Morgan, in 1826, claims circulated that he had been kidnapped and killed by rogue Freemasons. Despite the fact that no evidence was ever brought forward to implicate Freemasonry, these accusations helped an Anti-Masonic movement grow throughout the United States, and culminated in an Anti-Masonic Party being formed. The Anti-Masonic Party fielded candidates for the Presidential elections of 1828 and 1832. In the latter election, the Anti-Masonic Party managed to elect Millard Fillmore to Congress, but their candidate for President received only seven votes in the Electoral College. He was defeated by Andrew Jackson, who was a Mason.

In modern democracies, Freemasonry is still sometimes accused of being a network, where individuals become Freemasons through patrimony; and where political influence and illegal business dealings take place. This is officially and explicitly deplored. An individual must ask freely and without persuasion to become a Freemason in order to join the fraternity.

In Italy, the illicit and irregular Propaganda Due lodge (aka P2) has been investigated. In the wake of financial scandals that nearly bankrupted the Vatican Bank in the late 1970s, there is suspicion of involvement in murders, including the head of Banco Ambrosiano, Roberto Calvi. He was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge in London, England.

The negative backlash of "Grand Orient" Continental European Freemasonry—to Catholicism's theocratic and authoritarian political influence—has in countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal historically tended towards anticlericalism, secularism and at times even total Anti-Catholicism.

Holocaust

Forget-me-not

Main article: Holocaust

See also: Freemasonry under Totalitarian Regimes

The preserved records of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt show the persecution of the Freemasons. While the number is not accurately known, it is estimated that between 80,000 and 200,000 Freemasons were exterminated under the Nazi regime. In 1948 the little blue Forget Me Not flower, or badge, was adopted as a Masonic emblem at the first Annual Convention of the United Grand Lodges of Germany, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. The flower, or badge, is now universally worn as a Masonic emblem in the coat lapel to remember all those that have suffered in the name of Freemasonry, and specifically those during the Nazi era.

Religious opposition

Christian Anti-Masonry

Main article: Christianity and Freemasonry

See also: Catholicism and Freemasonry

Although sections of other faiths cite objections, in general, it is Christianity and Freemasonry that has had the highest profile relationship, with various Christian denominations banning or discouraging members from being Freemasons.

While regular Masonry has always tended as much to rationalism as it does to mysticism, the very existence of the possibility of hermetic interpretations within Freemasonry has led Anti-Masonic activists to selectively quote works such as Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma to try to show Freemasonry as naturalistic, a ritualized form of deism, or even satanism.

However, those Grand Lodges in amity with UGLE explicitly adhere to the principle that "Freemasonry is not a religion, nor a substitute for religion. There is no separate 'Masonic god', and there is no separate proper name for a deity in Freemasonry." Freemasonry is non-dogmatic and constitutionally governed. As for Pike, his opinions are his own personal (and now somewhat outdated) interpretations. Most tellingly, Pike himself admits that his book is more culled from other sources than his original work. Most importantly, Pike is but one commentator amongst many, and no one voice has ever spoken for the whole of Freemasonry.

In the irregular Continental European tradition, a very broad interpretation given; allowing Deist and naturalistic views in the tradition of Spinoza and Freemason Goethe, or views of The Ultimate or Cosmic Oneness, along with Western atheistic idealism and agnosticism.

A number of Papal pronouncements have been issued against Freemasonry. The first was Pope Clement XII's In Eminenti, April 28, 1738 - the last was Pope Leo XIII's Ab Apostolici, October 15, 1890. In 1983, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued Quaesitum est. This states that "...the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful, who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion."

Freemasonry welcomes Roman Catholics as members. Interestingly, in 2005 the Regular Grand Lodge of Italy (RGLI) announced that it had installed a Roman Catholic Priest as its Chaplain. (This office requires that the holder is a Freemason, but not necessarily be in Holy Orders).

Muslim Anti-Masonry

While Freemasonry accepts Muslims as members, many Muslims have presented arguments linking Masonry with the figure known as the Dajjal or Anti-Christ. In the Islamic world, Muslim Anti-Masonry is strongly associated with opposition to Western culture as well as to Zionism; other criticisms are also made. In 1980, the Iraqi legal and penal code was changed by Saddam Hussein and the ruling Ba'ath Party, thereby making it a felony to "promote or acclaim Zionist principles, including freemasonry, or who associate [themselves] with Zionist organizations." (See Iraqi Baathist Anti-Masonry for more details.)