Sacramento Masonic Lodge # 40

Is Masonry a Religion?

Masons do not worship any god within the Lodge. Worship does not take place in the Lodge. Of course, prayers are made for guidance and for the sick, but each Masons is expected to direct those prayers to the God he serves.

While personal religion is encouraged in the Lodge and the Holy Bible is referred to as "the guide to moral living," we do not have any system of conducting a worship service nor do we have a theology to explain what one must believe about God.

Within minutes of the new candidate entering into the Lodge he is told that there will be nothing done that will conflict with any of his religious duties. It is expected that he will put his church and religion first before the Lodge.

A Mason's God, is the God of his religion. God in the Masonic sense refers to God as perceived and worshiped by the individual Mason. No man is asked to change his beliefs to meet some Masonic standard.

Freemasonry makes only one religious statement: that there is a God who created the Universe. By this, it draws a line between religious believers and godless people. It does not concern itself with the lines between religions, because it is itself not a religion, and the various temples and churches are better equipped to define theology.

It must be stated one more time. Freemasonry is not a religion. It IS a FRATERNITY.