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NEW ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY CONFRONTS FREEMASONS WITHIN THE CHURCH

CANTERBURY, England, November 19, 2002 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, has made it known that he believes Christianity and Freemasonry are "incompatible," and that he will not appoint Anglican clergy to "senior posts" if they are members of the "secret organisation."

The move is a bold one in the context of England, where Anglicanism and Freemasonry have long been intertwined, and where many clergy and churchgoers who belong to the 350,000-member fraternity admit no incompatibility. Traditionally, Freemasons vilified Roman Catholics, but in recent years they have recruited Catholic members by muddling Church teaching, which in fact continues to prohibit membership on pain of excommunication.

The UK Evangelical Alliance, which promotes a Biblical understanding of Christianity, welcomed the move. "In particular, [Masonry's] codes and practices compromise the uniqueness of Christ, the centrality of salvation by grace through faith and the accessibility of divine revelation," said David Hilborn, the Alliance's theological adviser, who also noted its "syncretistic doctrines and extrabiblical rituals."

For the Evangelical Alliance position see:
http://www.anglicanmediasydney.asn.au/2002/422.htm

For coverage from The Independent newspaper see:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=352254

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