Let us consider this fact: One out of every dozen American men belongs to the Masonic order, largest and oldest secret fraternal society. One major problem today is: Masons as well as Catholics know of the historic antagonism between the two societies, Church and lodge, but few seem to know the reasons for the attitude of the Church.
Masons generally define Masonry as a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. But it goes much deeper as Father Whalen soon demonstrates. Revealing the secrets of the Masons can be a serious affair: Morgan, a disillusioned Mason, had written an expose of the lodge which so angered the Masons in the vicinity that they kidnaped the author and took him to Fort Niagara. He was never again seen alive but a body was later identified as his and the general public concluded that for once Masons had taken their obligation to protect their secrets and punish offenders in a serious rather than a symbolic sense. Many do not realize that Masonry is a religion. Whalen quotes Pike, the author of ‘Morals and Dogma’ of Masonry as saying: Freemasonry is one faith, one great religion, one great common star around which men of all tongues and languages shall assemble. A chapter is devoted to the rituals of the first three degrees of masonry, which most masons have entered. One of the ritual insults the Pope: This represents the tiara of the cruel and cowardly Pontiff, who sacrificed to his ambition the illustrious order of those Knights Templar of whom we are the true successors. A crown of gold and precious stones ill befits the humble head of one who pretends to be the successor, the Vicar, of Jesus of Nazareth. It is therefore the crown of an impostor, and it is in the name of Him who said, ‘Neither be ye called Masters’ that we trample it under our feet. Let us consider this about the religion of Masonry: The basic Christian objection to Freemasonry is that the Craft constitutes a religious sect in opposition to the revealed truths of the Gospel. Whatever the religious doctrines of the Masonic sect it is plain that they do not embrace the central Christian doctrines of the Trinity, the Fall, the Incarnation, the Atonement. To the lodge these essential Christian beliefs are completely irrelevant. No one need accept the Christian revelation, acknowledge Jesus Christ as God and Man, or receive baptism in order to attain salvation and enjoy the eternal happiness promised by the lodge. Masonry is a foreshadow of the New Age religion being foisted upon the world, a religion that is not exclusive, but allows a mixture of all religious practices as a person sees fit. Not all the religious systems in the world are exclusive; Christianity is. A Chinese may combine elements of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism and a Japanese may successfully blend Shintoism and Buddhism. A Christian owes complete loyalty to Jesus Christ, God made man; he may not divide his allegiance among other gods.