What is Freemasonry?

Generally Freemasonry (or Masonry) is the world’s oldest and largest secular fraternal organizations, whose members are concerned with moral and spiritual values. The Fraternity aims to unite men of differing beliefs into a harmonious and productive community through the application of Masonic moral values and the practice of benevolence, intellectual development, and mutual respect. The necessary prerequisite for acceptance into the Masonic fraternity is the belief in a Supreme Being and membership is open to men of all races and religions who profess belief in deity and are of good repute.

Is It a Religion?

No. While it is a requirement that each member believe in a Supreme Being, it is not important how one expresses that very personal belief.  Further, there is no dogmatic system in Freemasonry.  However, confusion about the secular nature of Freemasonry has been a common misconception for many years.  Most likely, this misconception is due to the Holy Book that sits on the altar in the middle of a Masonic lodge. This Holy Book does not have to be Christian, like the Bible, rather it can be any Holy Book that is important to the members of the lodge. In the U.S. where the population is mostly Christian, the Holy Book most often used in Lodges is the King James Version of the Bible.