Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: cliff@buster.stafford.tx.us (Cliff Tomplait) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Methodists and Masons Message-ID: Date: 12 Jun 91 02:45:37 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Buster irby Lines: 31 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu catfood@ncoast.org (Mark W. Schumann) writes: >I was visiting a Methodist family this weekend and something came >up about Masons. Cliff said that the United Methodist governing >body recently made a statement to the effect that secret societies >such as the Masons are incompatible with the idea of a Christian >community. >Can anyone confirm, deny, or qualify this report? Mark: I asked a friend and masonic brother. He said that the governing body meets every four (4) years and is due to meed in 1992. To date, no such statement has been made. He also mentioned that bishops can say things, but since quite a few are masons, that he doubts that would be the case. Also, during the Texas Conference, the masons were specifically mentioned (as in the good done by us). This was last year. Cliff [I should have thought of this myself. When you talk about "the United Methodist governing body", you've got to be talking about the Quadrennial Conference, which as you point out hasn't met recently. So it couldn't be that. The bishops, various staff groups, and various Annual Conferences do from time to time make statements on social issues. In theory it could be one of those. On the other hand, most objections to the Masons come from fairly conservative Christians. It's not the sort of thing you'd expect from the United Methodists. I'd suggest that unless somebody has more evidence, we should regard the report as probably erroneous. --clh]