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What are the requirements for becoming a Mason? |
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Can <fill in an ethnic group>s be Masons? |
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Can homosexuals be Masons? |
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I have a physical disability. Can I be a Mason? |
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Can <fill in the name of the religion> be a Mason? |
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Can Wiccans be Masons? |
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What if my religion does not allow the swearing of oaths? |
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Do I have to be invited? |
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OK, I'm interested-- how do I proceed? |
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| What are the requirements for becoming a Mason? |
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| Candidates must be male, at least 21 years of age, able to profess a belief in God, and of good character.
For information on mixed-sex Masonry, see the discussion on Co-Masonry in II, Who/What are the Masons.
Some Grand Lodges also have a residency requirement; for example, the Grand Lodge of Michigan requires candidates to have lived in its jurisdiction (Michigan) for a minimum of one year.
There are some exceptions to the age requirement. For example, in England and Virginia, the direct relatives of Master Masons in good standing are eligible to join at the age of 18. In some jurisdictions, DeMolays may join upon reaching their 18th birthday. |
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| Can <fill in an ethnic group>s be Masons? |
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| Any human who meets the requirements listed in question (1) of this section is eligible, regardless of race or color.
Some have speculated that while there is no official prohibition against, say, blacks or Asians from becoming Masons, there is a de facto prohibition because they would never be voted into a lodge. This is false. There are Masons of all ethnic backgrounds.
However, it is fair to state that Masons, as humans, are prone to the kinds of prejudices that all humans may succumb to. Since the vote to admit a candidate is anonymous and must be unanimous, one man's unspoken prejudice is sufficient to deny entry to a man (except, of course, in those jurisdictions which require more than one 'no' vote to deny entrance, but you get the idea). Prejudice is inexcusable and irreconcilable with Masonry, but then, it is also irreconcilable with Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and there are certainly Christians, Jews, and Muslims who harbor prejudices.
So it is possible that a Mason, acting unMasonically, could act to keep a member out without due cause. But this is not common, nor is it representative of Masonry in general, nor does it conform to the high ideals of Masonry. |
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| Can homosexuals be Masons? |
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| Yes, and there are homosexual Masons. Everything said in question (2) of this section holds true in this case as well.
There is, in this instance however, the additional consideration that some men may view homosexuality as being immoral, i.e., that homosexuals are not men of "good character". This is generally not due to any specific prejudice but rather due to religious belief (depending on how one interprets St. Paul, for example).
There is no official Masonic stance on the matter so, in practical terms, the determination of whether homosexuality is a moral or biological (or neither) consideration, as in society in general, is apt to vary by lodge. |
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| I have a physical disability. Can I be a Mason? |
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| The answer is almost certainly yes, provided you can attend Lodge (and meet the non-physical criteria in question (1) of this section).
Paraplegics have been made Masons, as have the blind, the deaf, and others with a variety of physical handicaps. Minor modifications may need to be done to the rituals (e.g., employing sign language, modifying points where the candidate stands if the candidate is in a wheelchair, etc.) but most Lodges are willing to accommodate candidates.
In medieval times, the requirement to have a sound body free of physical defect was a serious one, since the work of stonemasonry was physically difficult. Some Grand Lodges did carry this requirement into symbolic (i.e., non-operative) Masonry. However, in recent times this has all but been eliminated.
Talk to your local Lodge if you have any questions. |
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| Can <fill in the name of the religion> be a Mason? |
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| The only religious requirement is that candidates believe in a Supreme Being.
If you can, in good faith, profess a belief in a Supreme Being, you are eligible to be a Mason. No atheists will ever knowingly be made a Mason.
There are Christian (Catholic, Protestant, Mormon), Jewish, and Muslim Masons. It would be tedious and pointless to go into a religion-by-religion (and then denomination-by-denomination) discussion. The key points to remember are the requirement of belief in the supreme being and the fact that Masonry is a fraternity, not a religion. |
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| Can Wiccans be Masons? |
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| This religion is specifically mentioned only because it has been often debated on alt.freemasonry. It is possible to get into very involved discussions on the nature of Wiccan beliefs and their compatibility with Masonry, but the only possible arbitrator is your Grand Lodge. To that end, it is suggested that if you have more specific questions, contact your local Lodge.
All of this said, Wicca, and other polytheistic, or pantheistic religions, do raise interesting questions that have led to debate within the Craft. As mentioned above, Masonry requires belief in a Supreme Being. However, some would say THE Supreme Being, which, in effect would eliminate polytheistic religions, such as Wicca, from consideration. In short, such a stance would state, without ambiguity, that Monotheism, is an unshakable requirement for admission.
As a personal aside, it seems to this Webmaster that the true spirit of the requirement is intended to ensure that a candidate would feel awed by his infinite creator and bound to moral uprightness through a growing understanding of his relationship with his chosen Deity. There are, in fact, Hindu and even Buddhist Masons. I suspect these men were accepted into the Craft because it would have felt arbitrary and inconsistent to the men charged with investigating their petitions for admission to arrive at any conclusion other than that they were dealing with men of good character and solid moral foundation. |
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| What if my religion does not allow the swearing of oaths? |
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| Some Grand Lodges allow affirmations to be used instead of the traditional Masonic oath. This is more common in Europe than in the United States. In all cases, it is best to check with the Grand Lodge in your jurisdiction (or your local Lodge) for more specific information.
In Georgia, the candidate MUST be willing to take an obligation, or oath, before he may be accepted into membership. |
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| Do I have to be invited? |
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| Don't wait to be invited-- you will die waiting. Masons are absolutely prohibited from actively recruiting or asking non-Masons to join the fraternity, to insure that candidates come of their own free will.
As with many things Masonic, there are some exceptions to this rule. Some Grand Lodges allow solicitation, provided it is low-key and with the strict provision that no pressure be applied. Still, you don't *need* to be invited in any jurisdiction, and if you're interested, act.
Palestine Lodge holds several open functions during the year. Check our calendar located on this site. |
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| OK, I'm interested-- how do I proceed? |
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| If you know a Mason, ask him about membership. He will be glad to tell you all about the Craft and the local lodge, and give you a petition if you wish to join. In short 2B1 ASK 1 (to be one ask one).
If you do not know a Mason, drop a letter to the local lodge, and one of the officers will call you (or call the lodge, though you may not get an answer unless someone is actually there). Palestine Lodge does have a day Tyler on duty during the week.
Typically, the process is as follows:
(a) the applicant fills out a petition. The petition asks for two sponsors, though if you meet and talk with the officers, they can usually find sponsors or act as sponsors themselves if you do not know anyone in the lodge.
(b) the petition is read at the lodge during the next business meeting, which for many lodges is during the first week of the month. A committee is formed to investigate the candidate. The petition also asks for two character references.
(c) the committee meets with the candidate to answer questions, ascertain that he meets the criteria for membership, and find out a little about him. This is not a "grilling session", but rather a friendly and casual chat to make certain that the candidate has been properly informed about Masonry and that was not improperly solicited. The committee also contacts the character references listed on the petition (typically asking if they know any reason why the candidate should not be accepted, etc.)
(d) The committee reports back to the lodge during the next business meeting and the candidate is voted on. If accepted, someone from the lodge (often the Secretary) contacts the candidate and informs him that he has been accepted and schedules a date for the Entered Apprentice degree.
NOTE: This is based on the summation of several experiences in the U.S. Your mileage may vary. |
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