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Sons Of
What is Freemasonry?
Freemasonry is not a religion,
a political organization, or a social club. It interfaces with none of these,
but has for its foundation the basic principles of the Fatherhood of God and
the Brotherhood of man. It believes in a Supreme Being, the immortality of the
soul, and that the Holy Bible is the inestimable gift of God to man as a rule
and guide for his faith and practice. It is a fraternity of brotherhood pledged
to the building of character – thoughts, words, motives and deeds being the
materials used.
Freemasonry
strives to teach man the duty he owes to God, his country, his neighbor and
himself. It inculcates the practice of virtue and morality in daily conduct,
and conveys its teachings through rites and symbols.
The Masonic fraternity
is in no sense an insurance society; neither does it pay benefits in case of
sickness or death. In a correct or broad sense, it is both educational and
charitable. It extends such assistance only as it is willing and able to grant.
It knowingly admits none to membership except those who are able to provide for
themselves and those dependent upon them.
Freemasonry teaches and
gives opportunity to its members to inculcate morality, honesty and integrity
in all walks of life, and to worthy members to obey the moral law and to
practice charity towards all mankind. It believes its members should have a
strong desire to aid their fellow creatures. It has its own laws, rules and
regulations, and requires a strict obedience thereto.
Freemasonry is not
entered into through mere curiosity, ambition for honors, or in hope of
personal gain for advancement. Admission must not be sought for mercenary or
other unworthy motives. The aim of the true Freemason is to cultivate a
brotherly feeling among men, and to help, aid and assist whomever he can.
The right to petition
for the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry are rarely denied any man, but this
right goes no further than granting the privilege of petitioning, and all who
petition are not admitted. The Masonic fraternity wants and welcomes only men of
high character and integrity, who should seek admission of their own free will
and accord. Should a petitioner be accepted, he gets no more out of Masonry
that he puts into it, and for every benefit received a member is expected to
render some equivalent.
Freemasonry
At one time or
another almost everyone has heard of Freemasonry, by and far the oldest, the
largest, and most widely known fraternal organization in the world. But
for many the Masonic Fraternity still remains a mystery, despite the fact that
hundreds of books have been published on the subject, and any good library is
bound to have the totally erroneous impression that Freemasonry is a 'secret'
society. It is not. Naturally there are some matters that are truly
private (or secret if you prefer) to Freemasonry, just as there are in any
organization or family. These involve only portions of our
ceremonies. Other Lodge business matters obviously are private, but
certainly not secret.
Very often
friends or close associates of Masons may fell slighted because their Mason
friends never extended an invitation to them to become Freemasons. We
hope this will explain why: one of Masonry's oldest traditions regarded as
unwritten law is that no Mason may solicit members, even among close friends and
family. Those who seek admission must do so of their own volition, based
on a favorable impression of the fraternity, unbiased or uninfluenced, as we
say, "by improper solicitation."
This
information is not intended, nor should be regarded, as an invitation to become
a member of the Masonic Order. Its sole purpose is to provide some basic
information about Freemasonry, dispel some misconceptions, and briefly
illustrate its significant and worthwhile aims.
The
Origins of Freemasonry
Freemasonry as
we know it today has been in existence for well over two and one half
centuries. But our traditions can be traced directly back to the days of
the operative freemasons of the Middle Ages, those skilled and highly sought
after men who built the cathedrals, abbeys and castles in times long
past. They were termed "free" because their particular
knowledge and skill were so in demand, they were among the very few who were
actually not bonded servants, and were therefore able to travel where ever there
was work for them to be found. Some historians trace Masonry back to the
10th Century B.C. and biblical accounts of Solomon's temple, while others claim
its origins in ancient societies dating back even farther. Records reveal
that freemasonry was introduced into
Up until about
the middle of the 16th Century Masons were strictly an operative craft, bound
together by the close ties in the constructive craft guilds. In the
latter half of the 16th, and the beginning of the 17th Century, prominent men
were admitted to some of these lodges, not as craftsmen, but rather as
patrons. They came to be known as 'Accepted' Masons. By the end of
the 17th Century, these 'accepted' or 'speculative' Masons were predominant in
some of the older Lodges of Freemasons. In time, as the great cathedral
building boom of the Middle Ages began to cease many of these Lodges became
solely speculative in nature, became their emphasis was on moral philosophy
rather than the operative arts of the 16th Century. This speculative
character of Masonic Lodges has distinguished Freemasonry ever since.
On
The Purpose of
Freemasonry
From
its very beginning, Freemasonry has provided an opportunity for men of good
will to meet and enjoy the pleasures of friendly companionship in the spirit of
helpfulness and charity. Guided by certain principles of morality, Freemasonry
encourages its members to practice a way of life that will sustain a high
standard in their relationships with their fellow men. Put another way,
it is the practice of true brotherly love. But while fellowship and
fraternalism receive primary stress, many Lodges devote considerable time and
energy in support of various charitable, benevolent, and cultural works.
Organization
Freemasons meet
and perform their work in Lodges, which are chartered by Grand Lodges.
With but minor differences, each territorial Grand Lodge is independent,
autonomous, and sovereign, responsible for administering the Lodges within its
jurisdiction. There is no central worldwide authority governing all
Freemasonry, but each Grand Lodge, in order to be recognized as 'regular' by
others must maintain minimum acceptable standards thereby ensuring adherence to
established 'basic principles' for recognition, and the continuity of many
cherished traditions and practices. The officers of a Grand Lodge are
either elected or appointed, and each has certain administrative or ceremonial
duties or responsibilities as outlined in the Code or Constitution of the particular
Grand Lodge, or as dictated by Masonic tradition.
The
Lodge
As noted
before, the Lodge is the basic unit of Freemasonry. It is sometimes
called a 'Blue' or 'Craft' Lodge. New officers are elected each year to
manage its affairs, and they are responsible for the conduct of the ritualistic
functions and education of the members in all aspects of Freemasonry. It
is through a Lodge that a man becomes a member of the Masonic fraternity.
When accepted, he is entitled to receive the three degrees of Freemasonry, in
accord with Masonic practice and law. Each of the three degrees stresses
a particular Masonic lesson, which can only be fully appreciated and understood
by those who receive them in the required manner. No one has ever become
a Freemason has ever become a Freemason in any other manner. The lessons
imparted in these three degrees are acceptable to men in all walks of life,
irrespective of creed.
Symbolism
Although
ancient, Freemasonry has always utilized the modern concept of audio-visual instruction
throughout its history. In its ceremonies, Freemasonry utilizes symbols
as a means of conveying and impressing certain truths. There is no secret
that many of the symbols used involve some of the tools and implements of the
ancient builders' craft. Two of these especially have been regarded by
many as a 'trademark' of the Masons; the square and the compasses. There
are others. Some of the symbolism used to stress several concepts in
Masonic ceremonies is associated with certain portion of Scripture.
Freemasonry
& Religion
Freemasonry is
not a religion, nor is it a substitute for one. The 'Volume of Sacred
Law' (we use this term because in some lands the Holy Book may be other than
the Bible), is displayed prominently in every Lodge. But Masonry adopts
no particular dogma; that is the function of religion. Freemasonry does
strongly urge each and every Freemason to practice his own faith. Before
he can be admitted to membership, a man must profess his belief his belief in a
Supreme being. Beyond that, Freemasonry does not concern itself with a
man's particular faith or religious dogma. Religious discussion is
prohibited in every Masonic Lodge, thereby ensuring that men of all faiths can
associate in harmony, assured that any religious differences will never be
permitted to affect the harmony of the Lodge.
Freemasonry
& Politics
Politics in its
broadest sense is the art of living with and relating to others. But any
attempt to discuss partisan politics within a regular Masonic Lodge is absolutely
prohibited. Freemasonry encourages and urges every member to exemplify
good citizenship by being active in civic affairs, according to his own
convictions. But by prohibiting political discussion in its Lodge rooms,
Freemasonry is neither aloof nor 'burying its head in the sand'. On the
contrary, the Lodge is a place where arch political opponents can better learn
to appreciate and respect each other on a completely different level, as human
beings, as Masons.
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