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Your Questions Answered
- What is Freemasonry?
- Why are you a secret society?
- What are the secrets of Freemasonry?
- What happens at a lodge meeting?
- Isn't ritual out of place in modern society?
- Why do grown men run around with their trousers rolled up?
- Why do Freemasons take oaths?
- Why do you 'obligations' contain hideous penalties?
- Are Freemasons expected to prefer fellow masons at the expense of others in giving
Jobs, promotions, contracts and the like?
- Isn't it true that Freemasons only look after each other?
- Aren't you a religion or a rival to religion?
- Why do you call it the VSL and not the Bible?
- Why do you call God the Great Architect?
- Why don't some churches like Freemasonry?
- Why will Freemasonry not accept Roman Catholics as members?
- Isn't Freemasonry just another political pressure group?
- Are there no Masonic groups who are involved in politics?
- Is Freemasonry an international Order?
- What is the relationship between Freemasonry and groups like the Orange Order, Odd
Fellows and Buffaloes?
- Why don't you have women members?
- Why do you wear regalia?
- How many freemasons are there?
- How and when did Freemasonry start?
- How many degrees are there in Freemasonry?
- How much does it cost to be a Freemason?
- What is Freemasonry?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Why are you a secret society?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- What are the secrets of Freemasonry?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- What happens at a lodge meeting?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Isn't ritual out of place in modern society?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Why do grown men run around with their trousers rolled up?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Why do Freemasons take oaths?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Why do you 'obligations' contain hideous penalties?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Are Freemasons expected to prefer fellow masons at the expense of others in giving
Jobs, promotions, contracts and the like?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Isn't it true that Freemasons only look after each other?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Aren't you a religion or a rival to religion?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Why do you call it the VSL and not the Bible?
ANSWER: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 Bilble 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.
Questions
- Why do you call God the Great Architect?
ANSWER: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 offense being given to any of them.
Questions
- Why don't some churches like Freemasonry?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Why will Freemasonry not accept Roman Catholics as members?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Isn't Freemasonry just another political pressure group?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Are there no Masonic groups who are involved in politics?
ANSWER:There are groups in other
countries who call themselves Freemasons and who involve themselves in political matters.
The 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.
Questions
- Is Freemasonry an international Order?
ANSWER:Only in the sense that Freemasonry exists
throughout the free world. Each Grand Lodge is sovereign and independent, and whilst
following the sam basic principles, may have differing ways of passing them on. There
is no international govening body for Freemasonry.
Questions
- What is the relationship between Freemasonry and groups like the Orange Order, Odd
Fellows and Buffaloes?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- Why don't you have women members?
ANSWER: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 tow separate Grand Lodges in England
restricted to women only.
Questions
- Why do you wear regalia?
ANSWER:Wearing regalia is historical and symbolic and, like
a uniform, serves to indicate to members where they rank in the organisation.
Questions
- How many freemasons are there?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
- How and when did Freemasonry start?
ANSWER: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 follwed 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 rligious and political tolerance in an age of great
intolerance when differences of opinion on matters of rligion and politics were 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, Tresurer and Secretary,
and the operative mason's tools provided them with a wealth of symbols with which to illustrate
the moral teachings of Freemasonry.
Questions
- How many degrees are there in Freemasonry?
ANSWER:Basic Freemasonry consists of 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.
Questions
- How much does it cost to be a Freemason?
ANSWER: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.
Questions
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