Religion and theism

Use in the book

The text advocates toleration while excluding atheism and insisting on the prominence of G. It sometimes describes Masonry as universal religion, elsewhere distinguishing it from a sect. A quoted passage also calls the reorganization associated with 1717 more atheistic. That historical judgment sits uneasily beside the book’s own account of Masonic theism and requires comparison with the early constitutions.

Places to read

1. Mystic Masonry · Block 30… “with the spirit of liberality, will treat any religion with derision or contempt, or exclude from fellowship any Brother who believes in the existence of God, the Brotherhood of Man and” …
2. Mystic Masonry · Block 70… “of his sacred altars or contempt for his religion, and the angel hides her face and retreats from altars already profaned by unbrotherliness. Masonry is the Universal Religion only because, and” …
3. Foundations of Mystic Masonry · Block 126… “the Materialistic and non-mystic Masons. It became more atheistic in its views, and more democratic in its tendencies.”
4. Masonic Symbolism · Block 11… “candidate, but this is most strictly demanded. The religion, then, of Masonry, is pure theism, on which its different members engraft their own peculiar opinions; but they are not permitted to” …
5. Masonic Symbolism · Block 71… “brought down from the antediluvian world the primitive religion of man. It must not, however, be mistaken for a religious sect, although it embraces that universal system in which all men” …

In this edition

The source’s evaluative terms are retained. The lexicon explains them without using them to classify every current Masonic jurisdiction.

Reading the argument

Universal in this argument means a proposed common religious foundation, rather than unrestricted acceptance of every belief or disbelief. The limits are stated within the text and should remain visible alongside its powerful language of fellowship.

Related texts

Anderson’s Constitutions of 1723, Charge I, rejects atheism while directing Masons toward the religion in which all men agree. This primary comparison complicates the simple claim that the 1717 reorganization made the fraternity atheistic.¹⁶

religion

“religion” — 80 occurrences in 52 text blocks: I.15, 19, 21; M.1–2, 4, 20–24, 30–31, 38–39, 51, 69–70; F.63–64, 66, 78, 87–89, 91, 94, 143, 153, 167; S.1–4, 10–11, 14, 20, 25–27, 31, 42, 47, 71, 85, 140, 147, 150, 152; R.6; N.36.

religions

“religions” — 15 occurrences in 13 text blocks: M.7, 15, 21, 37, 45, 69–70, 73; F.64, 70; S.44, 116, 118.

theism

“theism” — 1 occurrence in 1 text block: S.11.

atheist

“atheist” — 1 occurrence in 1 text block: S.71.

atheistic

“atheistic” — 1 occurrence in 1 text block: F.126.