Freemasonry and Religion 

Some say Freemasonry is a Religion and some say it is not a Religion.

Who is correct?

Some consider Freemasonry to be a Religion because Freemasonry uses myth, ritual and teaching, just like some Religions.

Of course most Religions do not consider anything about their Religion to be a myth since the members of that Religion believe (know) it must be true and therefore not a Myth.  Since the other Religions also 'know' that their Religion is the only 'true' Religions then all Religions must follow Myths, at least according to members of any specific religion.

Freemasonry does not consider itself to be a Religion.  If fact, discussion of Religion is one of the few banned topics of discussion at an official meeting of any Lodge in Pennsylvania.  Religion and politics are not discussed during any Lodge meeting. Period.

Some have said that Freemasons have their own plan for salvation. Freemasonry only attempts to make good men into better men.  Any so-called Salvation that you expect, if any should exist, is up to you and your Religion. (See Freemasonry Plan for Salvation from an Anti-Masonic Website)

People who consider Freemasonry to be a Religion probably do so because they see Freemasonry as being similar to their Religions while those who do not consider Freemasonry to be Religion probably belong to a Religion that they see as not at all like their perception of Freemasonry.

Freemasonry seems to have developed as a Secret Society since some Religions, especially the ancient Catholic Church, tolerated none but those who blindly towed the established religious line even when their early teachings about the solar system were wrong.  Freemasons were considerably more learned than most of the religious followers and as such did not feel the need for a priest to tell them what to believe.

Fortunately no one Religion has ever managed to dominate the entire Earth.  Hopefully no one Religion will ever dominate this Planet, even though some Expansionist Religions have tried and still are attempting to force their beliefs on all the world.  Pray to the Supreme Being that they fail.

Freemasonry seems to have selected good parts of many religious beliefs to help make the Craft  better. 

If one must consider Freemasonry to be a Religion it would probably be considered to be closest to the Religion known as Deism, which seems to have been the main Religion of many of the founders of the United States of America who left Europe to escape the persecutions of Christianity.  They had had enough of Christianity in the Old World and did not want any more of it in the New World.  Christians  have never been real fond of Religious Tolerance or of Freedom of Religion for anyone who was not a Christian. 

Many Christians oppose Freemasonry because Freemasons do not attempt to scare people into becoming followers of Christianity.  

Freemasonry encourages Freethinking instead of teaching or preaching any one religious belief.  Be a Freethinker.  You should not need a priest to tell you how you should believe. 

Freemasonry does require the belief in a Supreme Being, who is referred to by Masons as The Great Architect of the Universe. 

Unlike many Religions, Freemasons do not see any reason to go out and murder those who do not think exactly as they do about something.  Religions have done a very good job of killing off those who disagree with their ideas.  The Freemasons do not oppose the beliefs of others, unlike most Religions.  Freemasons do not care if a person does not believe in a Supreme Being and that non-believer cannot become a Freemason, however the Freemasons have no desire to either convert or kill the non-believer, unlike some of the Expansionist Religions.

Also see:

    Catholic Church 
    Christianity 
    Christians 
    Craft 
    Deism 
    Earth 
    Expansionist Religions 
    Franklin, Benjamin 
    Freedom of Religion 
    Freemasonry 
    Freemasonry and Religion 
    Freemasons 
    Freethinker 
    Freethinking 
    Gnosticism 
    God (Christian) 
    God (General) 
    God of Abraham 
    Great Architect of the Universe 
    Inquisition 
    Islam 
    Lodge 
    Masons 
    Myth 
    Paine, Thomas 
    Papal Bull 
    Planet 
    Pope 
    Religion 
    Religious Tolerance 
    Salvation 
    Secret Society 
    Solomon 
    Supreme Being
    Washington, George