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[serafina]

Because Christianity is an exclusive religion and anyone else is in error and is going to hell.  They dislike Pagans in particular because we were the main competition for many centuries, not to mention our failure to recognize the authority of the One True Faith.  Some Christians do not repudiate us  though they disagree with our theology, but they seem to be in the minority.  I'm not speaking first hand as a Christian obviously, but I think I'm on solid ground here.  Any Christians feel free to correct me...

[oldghost]

I'd say speculations Drac , Some say it came about in the middle ages from a stone cutter guide , problem there is the symbols they use go back farther then the middle ages. That's one of the things wrong with secret societies .
 
 

[serafina]

Old Ghost, with all due respect how is the secrecy of some religious societies a problem?  I think I know what you mean, but could you explain your POV a little more?

[Edorion]

Yeah, I have no problem with secret societies. The mystery and me not knowing drives me crazy. Lol. I can't wait til I'm able to be initiated into a traditional Wicca coven. I like secrets. 

[Draconis Rex]

LoL... Actually the question was rhetorical but never mind.
The reason I did say it was simply that, if Christians can accept the Pagan ways and rites of a society that tends to be more secretive than a Witches coven, adopt the Paganism inherent in Christian beliefs and idiology, then why must they be so down on us. We actually have more in common than they seem to realise.

[Edorion]

I agree Drac. We tolerate them. It should go both ways.

[Draconis Rex]

Its not tolerance ED, its acceptance; as we accept other religions and beliefs. It just strikes me that for Christians they don't really have a very Christian attitude. Ironic really!

[Edorion]

Well for me, with christians, it's tolerance. Lol.

[oldghost]

Did not say religious societies , which as far as I know the Freemasons are not. What I was impling was that it is human nature to mistrust people who hide things from others . People can not in general understand why others would want to keep secrets from them , does not the first thing to come to mind is " do they think their smarter them then everyone else , do they thing their better then everyone else ". 

[Draconis Rex]

You may not have said religious societies OG, but there are members of the masons who believe they are in a religious society. Generally speaking however, Freemasonary offers a tenet of salvation which in itself gives it religious credence.

[oldghost]

But the Masons claim they are not a religious order and religious discussion is not allowed in their temples. Just because some want to believe that it is does not make it so.

[Draconis Rex]

Well, not being a mason myself I suppose my understanding would be limited. From what I gather some believe it is and others not.

They do have their bible open at every meeting and although they discourage theological discussion, they are required to believe in a divine being (by whatever name), and they do encourage religious beliefs.

So unless your a mason or an ex-mason, I guess its just going to have to be left for us to guess.   

[oldghost]

Well guess there is a differences between where you are and how they do it over here. Was not your charter started by a bishop in Scotland , I think when they came over here they wanted to distances themselves from anything with and English taint to it.

[Draconis Rex]

The first record of the ‘making’ of an English Freemason is Elias Ashmole, the antiquarian and herald, whose collections formed the basis of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. He recorded in his diary that a lodge met at his father-in-law’s house in Warrington, Cheshire on 16 October 1646 to make him a Mason. None of those involved was a stonemason. In the later 1600s there is further evidence for the existence of Freemasonry as a separate organisation unrelated to groups controlling the stonemason’s craft.

This taken from the united grand lodge of England's website.

The origin of the Lodge is uncertain, although it most probably began with the building of the Monastery at Kilwinning. Whatever its beginnings, by 1598 it had become one of three Lodges mentioned in the Schaw Statutes of that year. These Statutes, and a further set issued in 1599, were promulgated by William Schaw, Master of the King's Masons and were compiled for the better administration of operative building in Scotland.

This taken from Grand lodges Scotland' website.

I'll offer this info up simply because I can't be bothered to trawl through masonic websites...LoL

[oldghost]

More then I  wanted to know.