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[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Standing Committee extract (from the Sydney Anglican Diocese latest report 2004)
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section 8.20 25/03 Freemasonry [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
By resolution 25/03, the Synod, noting the 1988 report to Synod entitled Freemasonry Examined and subsequent resolution 9/88 of the Synod [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](a) affirmed that Freemasonry and Christianity are fundamentally and irreconcilably incompatible, and[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](b) affirmed that Freemasonry teaches and upholds a system of false religious and spiritual beliefs that are contrary to biblical Christianity.[/font]
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By that resolution Synod also [/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]·[font="] [/font]encouraged ministers and other Christians to take every opportunity to reach out in love to all Freemasons and share with them the gospel of Christ, and[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]· encouraged all Christians who are members of a Masonic Lodge to demonstrate their commitment to Jesus Christ and the divine Son of God and as the sole way of salvation, by withdrawing from the Lodge, and[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]· [font="] [/font]encouraged ministers not to participate in, nor allow in their church buildings, any religious services or activities that uphold, condone, promote or encourage adherents to Freemasonry, and[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]· requested that councils of all Anglican Schools to consider any association that their school may have with any Masonic lodge, and to withdraw from any such association, and[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]· requested that Anglican schools neither participate in activity that may uphold, condone, promote or encourage adherents to Freemasonry, nor give publicity to any such activity, nor allow the name of the school to be used in association with any such activity, and[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]· requested that we undertake the preparation, production and distribution of a clearer and unambiguous booklet suitable for wide distribution, examining the key rites, teachings and beliefs of Freemasonry and explaining why they differ from biblical Christianity, and explaining why it is wrong for a Christian to belong to the Lodge.[/font]
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We have commissioned the preparation of a draft of a booklet referred to in the resolution for review by the Archbishop prior to production and distribution. It is hoped to have the booklet available by the time the Synod meets.
see: http://www.sydney.anglican.asn.au/synod/Synod2004/stancom.pdf
for more details
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