Masonic Questions and Answers From
Freemasonry under the United Grand Lodge of
England is the UK's largest, secular fraternal and charitable
organisation. It has over 300,000 members working in nearly 8,000
lodges throughout England and Wales and 30,000 more members
overseas. Q What is
Freemasonry? Q Why are
you a secret society? Q What are the
secrets of Freemasonry? Q What happens
at a lodge meeting? Q Isn't ritual
out of place in modern society? Q Why do grown
men run around with their trousers rolled up? Q Why do
Freemasons take oaths? Q Why do your
'obligations' contain hideous penalties? Q Are
Freemasons expected to prefer fellow Masons at the expense of others
in giving jobs, promotions, contracts and the like? Q Isn't it
true that Freemasons only look after each other? Q Aren't you a
religion or a rival to religion? Q Why do you call
it the VSL and not the Bible? Q Why do you call
God the Great Architect? Q Why don't some
churches like Freemasonry? Q Why will
Freemasonry not accept Roman Catholics as members? Q Isn't
Freemasonry just another political pressure group? Q Are there not
Masonic groups who are involved in politics? Q Is
Freemasonry an international Order? Q What is the
relationship between Freemasonry and groups like the Orange Order,
Odd Fellows and Buffaloes? Q Why don't you
have women members? Q Why do you
wear regalia? Q How many
Freemasons are there? Q How and when
did Freemasonry start? Q How many
degrees are there in Freemasonry? Q How much does
it cost to be a Freemason? For further information and details
of how to join, telephone or write to: The Grand Secretary Telephone: 020 7831 9811
SEND COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE
The United Grand Lodge of England
YOUR QUESTIONS
ANSWERED
[Also available in PDF
format]
A Freemasonry is the U.K.'s largest secular,
fraternal and charitable organisation. It teaches moral lessons and
self-knowledge through participation in a progression of allegorical
two-part plays.
A We are not, but lodge meetings,
like those of many other groups, are private and open only to
members. The rules and aims of Freemasonry are available to the
public. Meeting places are known and in many areas are used by the
local community for activities other than Freemasonry. Members are
encouraged to speak openly about Freemasonry.
A The secrets in Freemasonry are
the traditional modes of recognition which are not used
indiscriminately, but solely as a test of membership, e.g. when
visiting a Lodge where you are not known.
A The meeting is in two parts. As in
any association there is a certain amount of administrative
procedure - minutes of last meeting, proposing and balloting for new
members, discussing and voting on financial matters, election of
officers, news and correspondence. Then there are the ceremonies for
admitting new Masons and the annual installation of the Master and
appointment of officers. The three ceremonies for admitting a new
Mason are in two parts - a slight dramatic instruction in the
principles and lessons taught in the Craft followed by a lecture in
which the candidate's various duties are spelled out.
A No. The ritual is a
shared experience which binds the members together. Its use of
drama, allegory and symbolism impresses the principles and teachings
more firmly in the mind of each candidate than if they were simply
passed on to him in matter-of-fact modern language.
A It is true
that candidates have to roll up their trouser legs during the three
ceremonies when they are being admitted to membership. Taken out of
context, this can seem amusing, but like many other aspects of
Freemasonry, it has a symbolic meaning.
A New members make solemn promises
concerning their conduct in Lodge and in society. Each member also
promises to keep confidential the traditional methods of proving
that he is a Freemason which he would use when visiting a lodge
where he is not known. Freemasons do not swear allegiances to each
other or to Freemasonry. Freemasons promise to support others in
times of need, but only if that support does not conflict with their
duties to God, the law, their family or with their responsibilities
as a Citizen.
A They no longer
do. When Masonic ritual was developing in the late 1600s and 1700s
it was quite common for legal and civil oaths to include physical
penalties and Freemasonry simply followed the practice of the times.
In Freemasonry, however, the physical penalties were always symbolic
and were never carried out. After long discussion, they were removed
from the promises in 1986.
A
Absolutely not. That would be a misuse of membership and subject to
Masonic discipline. On his entry into Freemasonry each candidate
states unequivocally that he expects no material gain from his
membership. At various stages during the three ceremonies of his
admission and when he is presented with a certificate from Grand
Lodge that the admission ceremonies have been completed, he is
forcefully reminded that attempts to gain preferment or material
gain for himself or others is a misuse of membership which will not
be tolerated. The Book of Constitutions, which every candidate
receives, contains strict rules governing abuse of membership which
can result in penalties varying from temporary suspension to
expulsion.
A No.
From its earliest days, Freemasonry has been involved in charitable
activities. Since its inception, Freemasonry has provided support
not only for widows and orphans of Freemasons but also for many
others within the community. Whilst some Masonic charities cater
specifically but not exclusively for Masons or their dependents,
others make significant grants to non-Masonic organisations. On a
local level, lodges give substantial support to local causes.
A Emphatically not.
Freemasonry requires a belief in God and its principles are common
to many of the world's great religions. Freemasonry does not try to
replace religion or substitute for it. Every candidate is exhorted
to practise his religion and to regard its holy book as the unerring
standard of truth. Freemasonry does not instruct its members in what
their religious beliefs should be, nor does it offer sacraments.
Freemasonry deals in relations between men; religion deals in a
man's relationship with his God.
A To the majority of
Freemasons the Volume of the Sacred Law is the Bible. There are many
in Freemasonry, however, who are not Christian and to them the Bible
is not their sacred book and they will make their promises on the
book which is regarded as sacred to their religion. The Bible will
always be present in an English lodge but as the organisation
welcomes men of many different faiths, it is called the Volume of
the Sacred Law. Thus, when the Volume of the Sacred Law is referred
to in ceremonies, to a non-Christian it will be the holy book of his
religion and to a Christian it will be the Bible.
A Freemasonry embraces all men
who believe in God. Its membership includes Christians, Jews,
Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Parsees and others. The use of descriptions
such as the Great Architect prevents disharmony. The Great Architect
is not a specific Masonic god or an attempt to combine all gods into
one. Thus, men of differing religions pray together without offence
being given to any of them.
A There are elements within
certain churches who misunderstand Freemasonry and confuse secular
rituals with religious liturgy.
Although the Methodist Conference
and the General Synod of the Anglican Church have occasionally
criticised Freemasonry, in both Churches there are many Masons and
indeed others who are dismayed that the Churches should attack
Freemasonry, an organisation which has always encouraged its members
to be active in their own religion.
A It
does. The prime qualification for admission into Freemasonry has
always been a belief in God. How that belief is expressed is
entirely up to the individual.
Four Grand Masters of English
Freemasonry have been Roman Catholics. There are many Roman Catholic
Freemasons.
A
Emphatically not. Whilst individual Freemasons will have their own
views on politics and state policy, Freemasonry as a body will never
express a view on either. The discussion of politics at Masonic
meetings has always been prohibited.
A There are
groups in other countries who call themselves Freemasons and who
involve themselves in political matters. They are not recognised or
countenanced by the United Grand Lodge of England and other regular
Grand Lodges who follow the basic principles of Freemasonry and ban
the discussion of politics and religion at their meetings.
A Only in the sense
that Freemasonry exists throughout the free world. Each Grand Lodge
is sovereign and independent, and whilst following the same basic
principles, may have differing ways of passing them on. There is no
international governing body for Freemasonry.
A None. There are numerous
fraternal orders and Friendly Societies whose rituals, regalia and
organisation are similar in some respects to Freemasonry's. They
have no formal or informal connections with Freemasonry.
A Traditionally, Freemasonry under the
United Grand Lodge of England has been restricted to men. The early
stonemasons were all male, and when Freemasonry was organising, the
position of women in society was different from today. If women wish
to join Freemasonry, there are two separate Grand Lodges in England
restricted to women only.
A Wearing regalia is historical and symbolic
and, like a uniform, serves to indicate to members where they rank
in the organisation.
A Under the United Grand Lodge of
England, there are 330,000 Freemasons, meeting in 8,644 lodges.
There are separate Grand Lodges for Ireland (which covers north and
south) and Scotland, with a combined membership of 150,000.
Worldwide, there are probably 5 million members.
A It is not known. The earliest
recorded 'making' of a Freemason in England is that of Elias Ashmole
in 1646. Organised Freemasonry began with the founding of the Grand
Lodge of England on 24 June 1717, the first Grand Lodge in the
world. Ireland followed in 1725 and Scotland in 1736. All the
regular Grand Lodges in the world trace themselves back to one or
more of the Grand Lodges in the British Isles.
There are two main
theories of origin. According to one, the operative stonemasons who
built the great cathedrals and castles had lodges in which they
discussed trade affairs. They had simple initiation ceremonies and,
as there were no City and Guilds certificates, dues cards or trade
union membership cards, they adopted secret signs and words to
demonstrate that they were trained masons when they moved from site
to site. In the 1600s, these operative lodges began to accept
non-operatives as "gentlemen masons". Gradually these non-operatives
took over the lodges and turned them from operative to 'free and
accepted' or 'speculative' lodges.
The other theory is that in
the late 1500s and early 1600s, there was a group which was
interested in the promotion of religious and political tolerance in
an age of great intolerance when differences of opinion on matters
of religion and politics were to lead to bloody civil war. In
forming Freemasonry, they were trying to make better men and build a
better world. As the means of teaching in those days was by allegory
and symbolism, they took the idea of building as the central
allegory on which to form their system. The main source of allegory
was the Bible, the contents of which were known to everyone even if
they could not read, and the only building described in detail in
the Bible was King Solomon's Temple, which became the basis of the
ritual. The old trade guilds provided them with their basis
administration of a Master, Wardens, Treasurer and Secretary, and
the operative mason's tools provided them with a wealth of symbols
with which to illustrate the moral teachings of Freemasonry.
A Basic Freemasonry
consists of the three 'Craft' degrees (Entered Apprentice, Fellow
Craft and Master Mason) completed by the Royal Arch degree
(Chapter). There are many other Masonic degrees and Orders which are
called 'additional' because they add to the basis of the Craft and
Royal Arch. They are not basic to Freemasonry but add to it by
further expounding and illustrating the principles stated in the
Craft and Royal Arch. Some of these additional degrees are
numerically superior to the third degree but this does not affect
the fact that they are additional to and not in anyway superior to
or higher than the Craft. The ranks that these additional degrees
carry have no standing with the Craft or Royal Arch.
A It varies from lodge to lodge
but anyone wishing to join can find a lodge to suit his pocket. On
entry, there is an initiation fee and an apron to buy. A member pays
an annual subscription to his lodge which covers his membership and
the administrative cost of running the lodge. It is usual to have a
meal after the meeting; the cost of this can be included either in
the annual subscription or paid for at the time.
It is entirely
up to the individual member what he gives to Charity, but it should
always be without detriment to his other responsibilities.
Similarly, he may join as many lodges as his time and pocket can
allow as long as it does not adversely affect his family life and
responsibilities.
The United Grand Lodge of
England
Freemasons' Hall
60 Great Queen Street
London WC2B
5AZ
Fax : 020 7831
5719
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