In 1829, anti-Freemasonry was preached from the pulpit. The Second Great Awakening—a massive evangelical Protestant revival—was sweeping the U.S. at the same time.
Christian leaders heavily condemned Freemasonry because:
1. Taking secret blood oaths in closed lodges was viewed as unchristian and sinful.
2. Critics alleged that the fraternity's rituals and deistic beliefs (requiring a belief in a generic Creator rather than explicitly Jesus Christ) were heretical.
3. Many churches took issue with the exclusion of women from the order.
Christian leaders heavily condemned Freemasonry because:
1. Taking secret blood oaths in closed lodges was viewed as unchristian and sinful.
2. Critics alleged that the fraternity's rituals and deistic beliefs (requiring a belief in a generic Creator rather than explicitly Jesus Christ) were heretical.
3. Many churches took issue with the exclusion of women from the order.
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