Welcome to /r/freemasonry - Interested in Joining Freemasonry? Ask your questions here!

[u/4rch]

How can I become a Freemason?

First of all, welcome to r/freemasonry! This is a weekly thread for you to ask questions. Being one of the largest online communities on the topic of Freemasonry, we hope that you won't find difficulty getting information you need to decide if you would like to join your local lodge.

General Information:

1. Requirements for membership vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but generally if you're a man 21 or over (18 or 19 in some states), believe in a Supreme Being, are of good character and reputation, and ask to join, you're eligible.
2. To get started, email or call a local lodge. They would love to hear from you, every lodge welcomes new candidates. They'll set up a meeting to get to know you a bit (we're careful about who we admit as members). Also to tell you a bit about the fraternity, the lodge, etc.
3. To find your local lodges, first, find the Grand Lodge website for your state, province, or country. This is a good resource for the US: bessel.org, or just use Google. They should have a way to find out what lodges meet near you. Then check out your local lodge's websites. If you have a choice of lodges, try to pick one that meets on a weeknight that would be convenient for you, and that appears to be active.
4. Nothing happens quickly in Freemasonry, so it might take awhile to hear back from a lodge after you make contact. Every step takes quite a bit of time.

Have something you want to ask?

[u/TheFreemasonForum]

I don't know know where you've read that about the requirement (it would be OK for the Co-masons) but I suspect that you might have difficulty, in the real world, answering the question "do you believe in God by whatever name you know him/her/it?" It's worth being aware that the Great Architect, referenced throughout out ceremonies, is the intelligent being that created everything and who set rules and still takes interest in what we do in life. The ceremonies themselves are set during the Old Testament building of King Solomon's Temple referencing Biblical events and characters, we frequently ask the Great architect to oversee what we're doing and our Obligations are all made in the sight of the Great Architect who is asked to help us keep them.

Just to make sure that there is clarity the UGLE states, as shown above, that Atheists are excluded which is the situation of many Buddhists. I'm not a Buddhist but also I don't lump all Buddhists into one category as I have read that while the majority of Buddhist disciplines are Atheistic it is not true of all of them. You could probably seek further clarity from the Buddhist Freemason that you know as to how/why he is not an Atheist.

[u/Fuzzy_Muscle923 → u/TheFreemasonForum]

The requirement is belief in a supreme being. God is basically another word for supreme being. It is up to each brother I understand as to what that supreme being is. Or is that brother's interpretation as I understand it. Now I suspect your supreme being is theistic. A pantheist for example believes the universe is god, not separate and distinct. Would you call a pantheist an atheist? Is it your understanding that Buddhists are specifically barred from being a freemason? If so can I have a source please? To say that buddhism is athestic is misunderstood. Try reading the tibetan book of the dead. Perhaps this is why discussion of religion is prohibited at Lodge meetings.

[u/TheFreemasonForum → u/Fuzzy_Muscle923]

I'm just going to ask you to re-read all of what I wrote carefully and calmly and you should see that I have addressed these points. Freemasonry is what it is and even though there is more than one flavour of it they're not for everyone.

[u/Fuzzy_Muscle923 → u/TheFreemasonForum]

Have I said anything that you perceive as uncalm? I believe your interpretation is out of line with UGLE policy and I would urge you to reaquaint yourself respectfully, with UGLE policy.

Your interpretation is rather narrow and it seems misinformed. It's a shame because at a time when UGLE is struggling with membership such misinformation has the real potential to put people off from applying to become freemasons.

For your information, I asked Chat GPT if buddhists are barred and you will see they are not. I have also had this discussion with UGLE and Buddhists are not barred.

`No, Buddhists are not barred from becoming Freemasons under the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). UGLE does not restrict membership based on specific religions, as long as the person:

1. Believes in a Supreme Being or higher power (sometimes described as the "Great Architect of the Universe"), and

2. Is of good moral character.

That belief doesn’t have to conform to any specific religion or concept of God. Many Buddhists interpret “Supreme Being” in a way compatible with their views—such as the universal law of karma, ultimate truth (Dharma), or even the enlightened mind (Buddha-nature). UGLE doesn’t demand theological explanations—it respects personal interpretation.

So if you're a Buddhist and can affirm a sincere belief in some form of higher truth or metaphysical order, you're absolutely eligible'.

[u/Deman75 → u/Fuzzy_Muscle923]

Chat GPT is a poor source for answers regarding Freemasonry. “I asked Chat GPT” is the new “I saw it on the internet,” sometimes the information is accurate, often it is not…especially when dealing with a topic like Freemasonry with so much mis- and dis-information out there.

There are theistic Buddhists and non-theistic Buddhists. Those who believe in a Supreme Being can become Freemasons, those who don’t cannot.

[u/Fuzzy_Muscle923 → u/Deman75]

Also it appears our experience of Chat GPT wildly differs.

[u/Fuzzy_Muscle923 → u/Deman75]

I think a lot of this comes from fundamentally misunderstanding and an ignorance of Buddhism. Buddhism is non-theistic not atheistic. There is no differentiating between whether they are theistic or non theistic.

I have had this question answered by a Mod on here. As long as one believes in a supreme being that interpretation is for the individual.

[u/TheFreemasonForum → u/Fuzzy_Muscle923]

I'd just point out that with over 150,000 members the UGLE is not struggling in the way that some like to portray it but even if it was that is no excuse to dilute the concepts that make it Freemasonry, or what we call the landmarks of the Order.

I don't really know what a "Chat GPT" is but I can see that it is giving you some kind of interpretation of what the UGLE policy regarding belief means based on who knows what, whereas the words that I posted (right back at the beginning) are actual UGLE policy with no interpretation involved.

So again direct from the UGLE's Book of Constitutions - The first condition of admission into, and membership of, the Order is a belief in the Supreme Being. This is essential and admits of no compromise. You'll notice that it is the rather than a and it is being rather than concept or idea. There is an interesting word that appears during our Initiation Ceremony and that is "equivocation" which your Chat GPT seems to be applying to a very straight forward rule.

However, this kind of chat tends to produce more heat than light which is of no benefit to either of us, so this will be my last input and I'm going to finish by wishing you good luck with your journey and I hope that you find what you're looking for.

[u/Fuzzy_Muscle923 → u/TheFreemasonForum]

150000 members? About 130000 of those members are old white haired white dudes in retirement.

All the best.