Freemasonry And Religion

Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It demands of its members  a belief in a Supreme Being but provides no system of faith of its own.
Freemasonry is open to men of all religious faiths. The discussion of religion at its meetings is  forbidden.

The Supreme Being
The names used for the Supreme Being enable men of different faiths to join in prayer (to God  as each sees Him) without the terms of the prayer causing dissension among them.
There is no separate Masonic God; a Freemason's God remains the God of the religion he professes
Freemasons meet in common respect for the Supreme Being as He remains Supreme in their individual  religions, and it is no part of Freemasonry to attempt to join rligions together. There is  therfore no composite Masonic God.

Volume of the Sacred Law
The Bible, referred to by Freemasons as the Volume of the Sacred Law, is always open at every  Masonic meeting.

The Obligations of Freemasonry
The obligations taken by Freemasons are sworn on or involve the Volume of the Sacred Law, or the book  held sacred by those concerned. They are undertakings to help keep secret a Freemason's means of  recognition, and to follow the principles of Freemasonry.
The physical penalties which are purely symbolic do not form part of an Obligation. The   commitment to follow the principles of Freemasonry is, however, deep.

Freemasonry compared with Religion
Freemasonry lacks the basic elements of religion:

• It has no theological doctrine, and by forbidding religious discussion at its meetings  will not allow a Masonic theological doctrine to develop.
• It offers no sacraments.
• 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 and not with salvation.