The following
position statement has been prepared by the Masonic Service
Association of North America and has been endorsed by the
Grand Lodge of New Jersey.
Basic Principles.
Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for
religion. It requires of its members a belief in God as part
of the obligation of every responsible adult, but advocates no
sectarian faith or practice. Masonic ceremonies include
prayers, both traditional and extempore, to reaffirm each
individual’s dependence on God and to seek divine guidance.
Freemasonry is open to men of any faith, but religion may not
be discussed at Masonic meetings.
The Supreme Being.
Masons believe that there is one God and that people employ
many different ways to seek, and to express what they know of
God. Masonry primarily uses the appellation, “Grand Architect
of the Universe,” and other non-sectarian titles, to address
the Deity. In this way, persons of different faiths may join
together in prayer, concentrating on God, rather than
differences among themselves. Masonry believes in religious
freedom and that the relationship between the individual and
God is personal, private, and
sacred.
Volume of the Sacred
Law. An open volume of the Sacred Law, “the rule and
guide of life,” is an essential part of every Masonic meeting.
The Volume of the Sacred Law in the Judeo/Christian tradition
is the Bible; to Freemasons of other faiths, it is the book
held holy by them.
The Oath of
Freemasonry. The obligations taken by Freemasons are
sworn on the Volume of the Sacred Law. They are undertakings
to follow the principles of Freemasonry and to keep
confidential a Freemason’s means of recognition. The much
discussed “penalties,” judicial remnants from an earlier era,
are symbolic, not literal. They refer only to the pain any
honest man should feel at the thought of violating his
word.
Freemasonry Compared with
Religion. Freemasonry lacks the basic elements of
religion:
(a) It has no dogma or
theology, no wish or means to enforce religious orthodoxy.
(b) It offers no
sacraments.
(c) It does not claim
to lead to salvation by works, by secret knowledge, or by any
other means. The secrets of Freemasonry are concerned with
modes of recognition, not with the means of
salvation.
Freemasonry Supports
Religion. Freemasonry is far from indifferent toward
religion. Without interfering in religious practice, it
expects each member to follow his own faith and to place his
Duty to God above all other duties. Its moral teachings are
acceptable to all religions.
Prepared by
the Masonic Information Center (12/93)
Revised (9/98)
