Your Questions Answered by the United Grand Lodge of England
Masons and non-masons alike may sometimes be curious to know more about the origins and practices of Freemasonry.
Here you will find the answers to a wide range of questions frequently asked. We hope that you will find this interesting and helpful.
Questions and Answers on this page
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Q. 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.
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Q. 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 many areas
are used by the local community for activities other than
Freemasonry. Members are encouraged to speak openly about
Freemasonry.
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Q. What are the secrets of Freemasonry?
Answer:
The secrets in Freemasonry are
the traditional modes of recognition which are used indiscriminately,
but solely as a test of membership, e.g. when visiting
a Lodge where you are not known.
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Q. 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.
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Q. Isn't ritual out of place in modern
society?
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.
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Q. 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.
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Q. 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.
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Q. Why do your 'obligations' contain
hideous penalties?
Answer:
They no longer do. When Masonic
ritual was developing in the late 1600's and 1700's 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.
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Q. 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.
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Q. 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 dependants, others make significant grants to
non-Masonic organisations. On a local level, Lodges give
substantial support to local causes. |
Q. 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.
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Q. 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 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. |
Q. 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 offence
being given to any of them.
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Q. 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. |
Q. 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.
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Q. 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. |
Q. Are there not 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. 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.
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Q. 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 same
basic principles, may have differing ways of passing them
on. There is no international governing body for Freemasonry. |
Q. 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.
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Q. 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 two separate Grand Lodges in England restricted
to women only. |
Q. 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.
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Q. 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 (covering north and south) and Scotland, with a combined
membership of 150,000. Worldwide, there are probably 5
million members. |
Q. 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 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 "gentleman masons". Gradually these non-operatives
took over the lodges and turned them from operative to
"free and accepted" or "speculative"
lodges.
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Q. How many degrees are there in Freemasonry?
Answer:
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. |
Q. 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.
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