I tend to ignore them and had throughout the entire process of being an Initiate to being Raised. Tinfoil hat types and a few crazy Christian fundaMENTAList Cousins of mine (I call them Fun-D's and the D stands for a male body part) have convinced me I made the right decision. Those people being against it is actually a rousing endorsement for it!! My post Raising experience has been more colorful, but I spend more time laughing at them than debating them.
An interesting read is this
Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?
Beside being told the "G" stand for all the "Gold" we have hidden away that we made off the Slave trade (I kid you not), one of the more HEEE-LARIOUS aspects of the Fun-D diatribe is how we don't invoke JESUS in our meeting. therefore it is evil and Satanic. But if you delve a little further, the LIST and LITANY of activities and organizations that make their crap list for NOT invoking Jesus or not invoking him enough is long and laughable.
Fun-D's REALLY cannot get their head around an Fraternity of men that believes in God, performs the word of God in allegory and moral traditions/teachings, but does not function as a religious organization or church. We send our men TO their church (or temple or synagogue or mosque) to be with their God as better men than when they arrived. It does not compute in the Fun-D sheep brains.
We are truly the meeting place of all views and will NOT force ANY man to avert from or convert from his chosen faith or Supreme Being. That seems to me to be the more understanding and brotherly approach. The "restriction" on religious discussion would also includes not allowing a "zealous" brother to use the trappings of the Lodge to approach Brothers with a "Brother have you been saved? Do you want to hear the word?". AND Because its not allowed, it must be because we are evil. Fun-D Logic.
The Fun-D Cousins PREACH peace through Christ, but then spew HATRED and CONDEMNATION to anyone and anything that does not believe the way they dictate. They CREATE more hate than love....and because they are righteous and full of "the spirit" they don't see it. Some of the Anti Masonic Fun-D websites take this tact. Grabbing their "nugget of ignorance", wrapping it in scriptural half truths and out of context passages and condemning good men, having never met them. Ignorance knows no bounds.
They also, as in the article, CONSTANTLY reference incorrect material, other organizations or listen to the fallen few who are trying to make a buck off them by telling them what they need to hear. "SNAKE OIL...GET YOUR RED HOT SNAKE OIL!!.
As I have said in previous threads, they talk at you until they hit that "ah-HA!!!' moment when being anymore forward with the discussion would lead you to violate YOUR word. Then they go "AH-HA!! You are hiding something and I am right!!" and then start making the sign of the cross as rapidly as they can, sprinting to their '75 pacer to drive over to the nearest cult leaders house to cleanse/program their brains and justify their feeble existence and efforts.
WOW!! That was fun...and probably a little knifey, for which I apologize...to my Brothers.