shriners

[~RENEE~]

Cecil's muscles in his left ankle has not developed properly. The PT says he needs a brace to hold his ankle straight to help it develop right.

So I told my brother (the mason) about it. He took it upon himself to contact his friend (a shriner). Who has filled out the papers to sponser Cecil so he can go to Shriners hospital and get fitted for leg braces.

OKKkkkk Number one I did not ask him do this I want to see what Cecil's insurance will do.

number two I in no way agree with or approve of the Masons.

So he brought the application to me this mornin in fact it's under my keyboard.

I still want to see what the doctor and insurance will do.

 

[flaglady]

Hmm - a 'shriner', Renee? Never heard of that. Just Googled it and found out a little about it. Not enough to comment though. Is the hospital run by the Masons?

But I'm with you - you had the insurance first. Use it.

I really hope the brace sorts out little Cecil's leg for you. But he's young and such remedial therapy does work well. God bless you both.

BTW, he's growing into such a handsome lad. How old is he now?

 

[mont974x4]

The Shriners are known for two things:
1. wearing funny hats while driving tiny cars and riding tiny motorcycles in parades

2. their hospitals. Their main thing is helping kids with burns and with crippling issues.

I had not heard of any masonic links before. It's possible that your brother and this man are just friends and there is no real connection. However, even if there is a shriner/mason connection that shouldn't negate the great good they do for kids.

They can help take a great deal of this burden off you, it is pretty much the main reason the shriners exist as an organization.

 

[~RENEE~]

yes the hospital is run by the masons. And he'll be three next month

 

[ImmersionX]

Do what's best for the child and swallow all the doubts...Shriner's Hospital is a WONDERFUL place of healing regardless of who founded it.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Shriners don't do "spooky icky occult things". They just bes a bunch of nice civic-minded older men trying to do some good for the community. They have run crippled childrens charities and projects for years and years. Many have had their lives completely helped for the better by these selfless folks, including a very close friend of Moriah's born with problematic feet who would never have walked without them.

 

[ImmersionX]

Yep Shriners were founded by former Mason's who wanted the brotherhood of the Mason's without all of the occult stuff.

Peace.

 

[SharonL]

The Shriner hospital is great - my 3 year old twin grandbaby stepped in a campfire and had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his foot - the Shriners took over and did a wonderful job - you can't even tell his foot was burned. A lot of what you hear is not worth listening to.

 

[rmw8855]

Do what's best for the child and swallow all the doubts...Shriner's Hospital is a WONDERFUL place of healing regardless of who founded it.

I agree. If I remember the story correctly my mom was in Shriner's Hospital as a kid (she spent a year in a body cast after back surgery as a kid). I have never heard anything but wonderful stories about their hospitals.

Find out about your insurance 1st of course and definitely pray about it before you make ANY decisions, but I don't think you have anything to worry about taking Cecil to Shriners if that is what you feel is best for him.

 

[Leimeng]

~ Actually, one has to be a mason to join the shriners. From WIKI:
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870 is an appendant body to Freemasonry based in the United States. The organization is best-known for the Shriner's Hospitals for Children they administer and the red fezzes that members wear.
Despite its theme, the Shrine is in no way connected to Islam. It is a men's fraternity rather than a religion or religious group. Its only religious requirement is indirect: all Shriners must be Masons, and petitioners to Freemasonry must profess a belief in a Supreme Being. In order to further minimize any confusion with religion, the use of the word "Temple" to describe Shriners' buildings has now been replaced by the phrase "Shrine Center," although individual local chapters are still called "Temples."
Until 2000, before being eligible for membership in the Shrine, a person had to complete either the Scottish Rite or York Rite degrees of Masonry,[5] but now any Master Mason can join.
~ That said, despite their masonic influences, they do try to help kids. (Believing in salvation by works...) They are just decieved like an athiest doctor or mormon doctor etc...
~ Continue to discuss amongst yourselves...

Peace,

Leimeng

Flatulo Ergo Sum~~~

(***Insert Personal One Liner Here***)

 

[JimfromOhio]

To me, the masons falls under the SAME catagory with insurance companies. God didn't tell us how we get treated but rather how we have faith in Him as we seek for treatment. Whatever God leads us, we are to follow His steps. I went into many different organizations and discovered new friends and lead some of them to Christ. I just follow what God leads me and I just do what God expects from me in faith through through His grace.

However, if your conscience tells you not to, then don't. The Word of God is tuned to speak to our inner conscience and demonstrates with spiritual convictions. A Christian to have the peace of conscience, not war from within. In Romans 14:5 "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 "both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake, the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?"

Just follow your conscience which is another word for "conviction" that the Holy Spirit is working in you.

 

[JimfromOhio]

Most masons and similar organizations have funded many hospitals and similar programs. We just don't really know that until we read some articles or learned from various souces.

 

[HungryforHim]

Please pray for wisdom before making a decision on this one.

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above."

It looks like God's hand to me. He is soveriegn. He can even use a Shriner to bless you and heal your son. It is up to you to give Him the glory. This is your testimony and the witness. If you deny the help you might miss the opportunity to bless God and inadvertantly cause unbelievers to see Christianity in a negative light. Although, I am sure that this would not be your intention.

 

[Elijah2]

Over many years, Freemasonry and Christianity has generated more heat than light, and more fear than love by the few ex-Freemason-Christians who have spoken out on the deception of Freemasonry within the Body of Christ.

Within the Body there is a Freedom Healing Ministry in Christ, which is made up of ex-Freemason-Christians, from the Blue Lodge, and upwards to and including the thirty-third degree. The Shriners are the Catholic element of Freemasonry.

It has become one of the most questionable issues creating division and a difference of opinion in many churches. Many church leaders have such a fear of man that they won’t even mention Freemasonry because of the likelihood of disagreement, and the potentiality of losing their charitable Freemason-Christian members from their church. In other cases, some church leaders are Freemason-Christians themselves, who believe that Freemasonry is a Christian-based organisation, in that it gives a humanitarian lifestyle, good fellowship and promotes a moral standard of life.

Freemasonry is like a quite a lot of different things, in that it has sufficient moral teachings and even quote verses from the Bible verses, which gives a false sense of security as to what it really is!

Members of Freemasonry are not all-evil men; many of them are extremely decent and well-intentional people, who we look upon with affection, respect and love. But, we do believe that they are spiritually blinded and deceived by those who are evil and corrupt. But, after I left Freemasonry the continual rejection, abuse, and spreading of innuendoes by those still practising masons is wicked.

We are not attacking Freemasons personally, but we have a strong sense of responsibility as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ to warn our Christian brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ that they are inviting a supernatural force into their life, and that they are putting their families and themselves at spiritual risks. There are many spiritual dangers in the continual acceptance of Freemasonry within the Body of Christ, and if those members of the Body of Christ persist in, and accept their involvement in the Masonic Lodge, then their involvement will spiritually hinder the church and themselves.

Our disagreement is not with all of those individual people who are in the Craft, but with the well-hidden and secret agenda that lies in Freemasonry with indoctrination with false interpretations and deliberate deceit, particularly the majority of Freemasons who are in the Blue Lodge.

I don’t hold anything against any Mason, never have, and never will. BUT, the supernatural part of Freemasonry is the reason for concern.

Your decision will come from wisdom.

Be blessed in Jesus’ Name.

 

[Jester4kicks]

Wow... some interesting posts here. Let's see if we can clear a few things up.

There are several groups associated with Freemasonry. What you first need to understand is that the majority of masons fall under the first three degrees of Freemasonry, known as the Blue Lodge. Many are raised to the degree of Master Masons, and then never bother joining any of the affiliated groups.

For those that choose to, there are primarly two groups associated with Freemasonry; the York Rite and the Scottish Rite. The York Rite is based more on Christianity, and I believe there is even a requirement to profess a belief in christianity at some point along that rite. The Scottish rite is more non-denominational.

Both divisions are not part of Freemasonry. They are seperate organizations with their own governing bodies.

There are also other groups, such as the Shriners, that basically fall into the same category; they are seperate from traditional Freemasonry and governed by their respective bodies.

All of these groups generally share the same requirement; members must be Master Masons in order to apply.

So in answer to the question... yes, all Shriners are Masons.

Now... a couple other quick points:

-I am not aware of any "catholic branch" of Freemasonry. I highly doubt that such a branch could exist, since the official position of the catholic church has historically been that catholics cannot be masons. There certainly are catholic masons, but I'm not aware of seperate branch for them.

-The Shriner's were not formed by ex-masons, and it certainly had nothing to do with getting away from occultic practices... since Freemasonry has nothing to do with the occult.

-Freemasonry has nothing to do with anything "supernatural". Unless you consider a belief in god to be "supernatural".


Renee, you should certainly do what you think is best for your child. However, there is no reason to fear or distrust the Shriners Hospitals just because Shriners are Masons.

You mentioned that you "in no way agree with or approve of the Masons". I would be interested to know why you have such a strong opinion on the matter.