thanks for your reply.
I’m not a mason. I have been very close to some masons. I’ve studied it a fair amount for a layman. Personally, I believe in some places in some regards it can be seen as teaching that is in the sphere of religion. In sync with some religions, not in sync with others.
There is variation between lodges and variations between members of different lodges. For one person it may be their religion, for another it may have nothing to do with their religion. For some lodges, religion can play a part, for others, little or no part.
There are churches that have studied Freemasonry as well, and many have concluded it is incompatible with their faith and teaching.
I’m mainly for men being educated, well-informed in making decisions concerning religion. If one is serious about freemasonry and serious about their church, then I think he would want to seek out this information, examine it and make an honest and declarative decision, both in regards to their membership in a church and as a freemason.
“For one person it may be their religion”
That’s one of my points. The Masons make is perfectly clear it is not a religion in any way. It is simply a means for religious men to cooperate in their lives with each other instead of waging wars and beating each other up over religion. Many religions might object, but the Masons can count nearly every religion in their membership.
They are community focused and do not pose a threat to any religion or religious beliefs. They go out of their way not to offend by not including or excluding anything offensive. They teach each other their religious views, practices and customs, and embrace each other’s respect. They can completely and totally disagree but in the name of cooperation, education, and productivity they set aside all differences and agree they are different but compatible as neighbors. I am not a Mason but I can completely and totally see their point of view. It is exactly as our founders knew this country needed to be; agnostic in our arguments but solid in our faiths. I can be a Baptist but be best friends with a Catholic or a Jew. Live and let live; hold each other accountable and be productive members of society.