K of C / Freemasonry

[JM]

When comparing Freemasons to the Knights of Columbus I see a lot of similarities in their rituals.

Any conspiracy that cover Knights of Columbus?

Yours in the Lord,

jm

 

[Lost4words]

When i looked at the title i saw 'KFC Freemasonry!'

 

[Dave-W]

When i looked at you title i saw 'KFC Freemasonry!'

So all the FreeMasons eat at the Colonel's?

 

[Michie]

Well since you are joining RCIA...you could ask your priest.

 

[Albion]

They eat at KFC> That is what someone said that someone else said...so it has to be true, doesn't it?

 

[Christ is Lord]

When i looked at the title i saw 'KFC Freemasonry!'

me too!

 

[topher694]

When comparing Freemasons to the Knights of Columbus I see a lot of similarities in their rituals.

Any conspiracy that cover Knights of Columbus?

Yours in the Lord,

jm

A mentor of mine wrote a book/manual on healing and deliverance that has an extensive section on freemasonry. Part of that includes a good sized list of organizations that are connected to freemasonry at some level or another. A great deal of research went into this. Anyway, the Knights of Columbus is NOT on that list. I can't say if it is a good organization or not, but I do not think it is connected to freemasonry.

 

[Albion]

A mentor of mine wrote a book/manual on healing and deliverance that has an extensive section on freemasonry. Part of that includes a good sized list of organizations that are connected to freemasonry at some level or another. A great deal of research went into this. Anyway, the Knights of Columbus is NOT on that list. I can't say if it is a good organization or not, but I do not think it is connected to freemasonry.

It was founded by former Masons, however, and its rituals, etc. were patterned after Masonic ones.

Not surprisingly, all of that falls under the usual criticisms from conspiracy theorists that we often hear levelled at Masonry, although in the case of the Knights of Columbus, those claims are actually more credible.

 

[tampasteve]

In reality the KoC is an insurance company that also does good works through their local chapters. They have "rituals" and membership rites that are likely similar to Masons, but it is all superficial. They are a organization that has thousands of local chapters of men that do good deeds in their parish and community, but the overall larger organization is really about selling insurance. There is nothing wrong with that necessarily, but if you join you will be pressured (gently) into buying their insurance. It is not a bad deal really, I have their life insurance and an annuity.

 

[JM]

It was founded by former Masons, however, and its rituals, etc. were patterned after Masonic ones.

Not surprisingly, all of that falls under the usual criticisms from conspiracy theorists that we often hear levelled at Masonry, although in the case of the Knights of Columbus, those claims are actually more credible.

@AvilaSurfer

 

[AvilaSurfer]

@AvilaSurfer

Thanks for thinking of me, but that whole post you referenced is a lie.

 

[JM]

Thanks for thinking of me, but that whole post you referenced is a lie.

I felt you should be included in the thread considering your a Freema...eh, sorry a Knight.

 

[Albion]

In reality the KoC is an insurance company that also does good works through their local chapters. They have "rituals" and membership rites that are likely similar to Masons, but it is all superficial. They are a organization that has thousands of local chapters of men that do good deeds in their parish and community, but the overall larger organization is really about selling insurance. There is nothing wrong with that necessarily, but if you join you will be pressured (gently) into buying their insurance. It is not a bad deal really, I have their life insurance and an annuity.

It is true that the main impetus for the founding of the KofC was for Catholics to obtain insurance--which was normally done through fraternal organizations in those days (1880s).

However, and as for the rest of your comments, what applies to the Masons also applies to the Knights of Columbus since the latter copied most of their style, rituals and etc. from Freemasonry...except that the Masons:

-- are not sectarian but instead admit to membership men from a wide range of Christian denominations,

--do far more in the way of charitable work than do the Knights,

--and are much less secretive and "spooky" (to cite a claim often made against Masons by conspiracy devotees) than the KofC.

 

[tampasteve]

It is true that the main impetus for the founding of the KofC was for Catholics to obtain insurance--which was normally done through fraternal organizations in those days (1880s).

However, and as for the rest of your comments, what applies to the Masons also applies to the Knights of Columbus since the latter copied most of their style, rituals and etc. from Freemasonry...except that the Masons:

-- are not sectarian but instead admit to membership men from a wide range of Christian denominations,

--do far more in the way of charitable work than do the Knights,

--and are much less secretive and "spooky" (to cite a claim often made against Masons by conspiracy devotees) than the KofC.

I am not really familiar with Masons, so I will have to take your word for it. Around here there are far more KoC councils than Mason councils (chapters? whatever) and I do not know anyone that is active in the Masons. Without giving much away, I think the "secretive and spooky" claim of the rituals is just old guys trying to make it seem mysterious. I did not find anything spooky in anything I took part of, maybe the Fourth Degree gets "spooky"? In my experience the insurance is still a huge part of the organization.

 

[JM]

I am not really familiar with Masons, so I will have to take your word for it. Around here there are far more KoC councils than Mason councils (chapters? whatever) and I do not know anyone that is active in the Masons. Without giving much away, I think the "secretive and spooky" claim of the rituals is just old guys trying to make it seem mysterious. I did not find anything spooky in anything I took part of, maybe the Fourth Degree gets "spooky"? In my experience the insurance is still a huge part of the organization.

If you don't mind, where are you located? I could find a bunch of Masonic Lodges in your neck of the wood.

 

[JM]

bump

 

[tampasteve]

If you don't mind, where are you located? I could find a bunch of Masonic Lodges in your neck of the wood.

Tampa Fl area. It is not that there are not any, google shows about 9 in the county. But compare that to basically every Catholic parish having a KoC council....

 

[Albion]

I am not really familiar with Masons, so I will have to take your word for it.

I respect you for saying this; most critics, including people who aren't especially unsympathetic to Masonry, aren't so willing to say something like that.

Around here there are far more KoC councils than Mason councils (chapters? whatever) and I do not know anyone that is active in the Masons. Without giving much away, I think the "secretive and spooky" claim of the rituals is just old guys trying to make it seem mysterious.

Well, I tend to agree--in both cases. However, I think it fair to say also that these rituals are intended to dramatize certain values, and those are ones that most people would applaud if they knew what was going on.

What happens is that they read something that plays up references to death and funny costumes and insists that this must be Satanic or akin to some gang initiation, etc. That's the reason I mentioned that point.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

In reality the KoC is an insurance company that also does good works through their local chapters. They have "rituals" and membership rites that are likely similar to Masons, but it is all superficial. They are a organization that has thousands of local chapters of men that do good deeds in their parish and community, but the overall larger organization is really about selling insurance. There is nothing wrong with that necessarily, but if you join you will be pressured (gently) into buying their insurance. It is not a bad deal really, I have their life insurance and an annuity.

How can you be Lutheran and a KoC since according to their membership page, "Failure to answer truthfully to any of these declarations, or failure to remain a practical Catholic in union with the Holy See, renders void your membership in the Knights of Columbus."? Or were you Catholic when you got the policy and changed churches and kept the policy? (I've heard good things about their life insurance)

 

[tampasteve]

How can you be Lutheran and a KoC since according to their membership page, "Failure to answer truthfully to any of these declarations, or failure to remain a practical Catholic in union with the Holy See, renders void your membership in the Knights of Columbus."? Or were you Catholic when you got the policy and changed churches and kept the policy? (I've heard good things about their life insurance)

The latter, I was Catholic for close to 10 years but since have lapsed and become Lutheran. But I suppose I have never officially renounced my membership so still receive the council emails and information even though I have not been to a meeting in close to 5 years. I also still have the life insurance and annuity. Sadly, no one from the council has ever reached out to me since I left, but that's probably because people move so frequently now.