More on the Freemason FAQ

This is the next installment of the 32 questions about Freemasonry. These are questions 5, 6, and 7 in the line up, and I would be interested to hear your thoughts on them. They are again in response to past questions that I have received at FreemasonInformation.com from non-masons.

Why does Freemasonry not admit women?
The fraternity has, with an unwritten rule, remained a principally all male fraternity. At times, women have been admitted, for a variety of reasons. There are bodies comprised of mixed gender, and singular gender that have varying degrees of recognition to one another. Through most of the world, the predominate body of masonry is referred to as “Regular” which is essentially a collective of Grand Lodges who have reached a mutual agreement of recognition between one another. Within in this agreement, there is a stipulation that “Regular Freemasonry” is a masculine only body. It is suggested that this is the case, based on ancient documents held sacred by this collective of Grand Lodges. This does not mean that Masonry is something women cannot understand, nor does it mean that women should be excluded from it. In a modern perspective, the exclusion of women is a vestige from a bygone era that has not yet been fully addressed in the future, and like the issues from past generations will undoubtedly be addressed. Today, the exclusion is predicated on issues such as a distraction, the need for unfettered brotherhood, and the belief in purism of ritual.

Why does Freemasonry say it is a “ritual” practice?
The use of the word ritual is in describing the rhythmic practice of the same ceremony at each occasion. Often there is a connotation of something sinister or counter to popular practice, but to the contrary, it is meant to imply that the degrees are an established or prescribed procedure to convey the knowledge of the Fraternity in a in a repetition. What this means is that the same ceremony is practiced with each aspirant into the fraternal fold so that each man undergoes the same experience creating a unifying shared experience.

Why is “Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth” so important in Freemasonry?
These three virtues are the foundations upon which Freemasonry is built. Brotherly love, as directed towards all mankind, especially to other Masons. Relief, in that every Mason is obligated to relieve the suffering of any Master Mason they encounter who is in dire need and if in their power to do so, to the best of their ability, also to act charitably towards society, giving of ourselves economically, physically, and mentally. And truth, which is represented by the divine, in its multiplicity and diversity as understood by all men. These three ideas represent the core of what Freemasonry represents in its ultimate distillation.

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