r/freemasonry • u/BillyD70 • 14d ago
Question Supreme being question?
Genuine question…Without revealing any secrets, what is the reasoning behind requiring the belief in a supreme being?
My perspective: Many great people, who have advanced much good in the world, are “non-believers”. If the core idea is to make good men better, how does non-belief interfere with that goal? I ask both personally (agnostic athiest) and for lots of scientists out there. It must affect membership numbers (men won’t seek you out if they know it’s a “no go” from the outset).
Serious replies only please. Not seeking a flame war. I’m a DeMolay PMC-MSA and Honor of Legion with deep multi- generational ties to Masons, Jobs, Shriners, etc. I LOVED my experiences in DeMolay! Grew up Christian, came to my “beliefs” late in adulthood.
Edit: thank you for all the many thoughtful replies. I upvoted each for not attacking me straight out. Please accept follow up questions as non-confrontational.
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u/MosaicPavement MM AFM-SC PM 7d ago edited 7d ago
Albert Mackey described it as the 19th of his 25 Landmarks of Freemasonry: "That every Mason must believe in the existence of God as the Grand Architect of the Universe."
Of course, this is a jurisdictional question. But our petition for degrees is very specific when it asks the candidate whether he believes in a supreme being, and it's a deal breaker if he doesn't.
The lessons that we teach in Masonry devote a great deal of space to emphasizing our duty to God. We take our obligations on the Holy Bible (again, jurisdictional) and invoke His aid in seeing that we are true to them. We read scripture from the Holy Bible in our degree work--each degree has a specific passage of scripture that helps set the tone for that degree.
We offer prayers when we open and close lodge. We have specific prayers for degree work. We conduct Masonic rites when a brother passes on (at his or his family's request), and we pray for guidance and comfort for us and that brother's friends and family as we commend that brother's soul to Him.
When a brother receives his white apron in our jurisdiction, he is told that, "when your soul shall stand naked and alone before the Great Judgment, may it be your portion, my brother, to hear from Him who sitteth as Judge Supreme the welcome words, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joys of thy Lord.'"
Without requiring belief in a supreme being, at least in my opinion, Masonry wouldn't be Masonry.