MASONIC CODE

GRAND LODGE
OF
FA AND A*..M...

ALABAMA
.

Compiled Under Authority

of the Grand Lodge
G. T. KAY
1963

Commercial Printing Company

Birmingham, Alabama

141

EDICTS

AND

DECISIONS.

W. M., and not to one who has taken the P. M.

Degree.
337. RENUNCIATION - A Master Mason
in open Lodge or in writing requests that his
name be stricken from the roster of all Masonic bodies of which he was a member. Held,
that this amounts to a renunciation by him of
Masonry, that he had this right and that this
action strips him of all the rights and benefits
of Masonry.
338. CEREMONIAL WORK - FORMS Ceremonial work done while either the Grand
Master or a Past Grand Master is presiding,
is done in ample form ; if done while the
Deputy Grand Master is presiding, it is done
in due form; if done while any Grand Lodge
officer or other brother deputized by the Grand
Master, it is done in form.
339. MASONRY AND RELIGION - Masonry is not a religious organization, but it is
imbued with a religious spirit. The term religious used here does not refer to any denomination, sect or creed. Masonry has no
religious dogma other than that it requires a
belief in Deity. Any man, good and true,
whether he be Christian, Jew, Mohammedan,
Parsee, Buddhist, Brahman or Deist may be
admitted to Masonry because all these religions
require a belief in Deity.
340. SECTARIANISM-WHAT IS NOTA Mason offering prayer in the Lodge may
pray to his God-observing his own conception
of Deity. It is therefore proper and in accordance with Masonic law and tenets for a Mason
who believes in the Christ or Jesus to offer
prayer in the Lodge in His Name. None should

MASONIC

CODE.

take umbrage because he addresses his prayer

to his own conception of Deity. He must use
prayer in the Ritual in all ritualistic ceremonies. Any other prayer is out of order in
such ceremonies.
341. SYMBOLISM-The work entitled The
Symbolism of the Three Degrees, by Brother
Oliver D. Street, is approved and it is recommended that the subordinate Lodges present a
copy of this book to each newly made Master
Mason.
342. MEMBERSHIP; DUAL -- A person can
be a member of only one Masonic Lodge in this
Grand Jurisdiction, but it is permissible for a
member of a Lodge in this Grand Jurisdiction
to also hold membership in another Grand
Jurisdiction, provided said other Grand Jurisdiction is in fraternal relations with this Grand
Jurisdiction, and further provided that said
other Grand Jurisdiction legalizes dual membership. This jurisdiction will recognize life
membership from any other jurisdiction which
recognizes life membership from this jurisdiction.
343. SUMMONS-HOW GIVEN - A summons to attend a Communication of the Lodge
may be given in either of one or more of the
following ways :
1st. By the Worshipful Master in open
Lodge to all present.
2nd. By the Secretary in writing by order
of the Lodge or Master.
3rd. By a member, verbally, when authorized by the Lodge or Master in writing.

Mentors
Manual

Published by authority of

GRAND LODGE
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS
STATE OF INDIANA
1975

Compiled by the
COMMITTEE

ON

MASONIC EDUCTATION

GRAND LODGE F. & A. M.

INDIANA

First printing 1953

First revision 1957
Second revision 1975

Printed by
THE INDIANA FREEMASON

16

MENTORS MANUAL - INDIANA

brought within the Door of the Lodge, far

less any Quarrels about Religion, or Nations, or State policy, we being only, as
Masons, of the Universal Religion above
mentioned; we are also of all Nations,
Tongues, Kindreds, and Languages, and are
resolved against all Politicks as what never
yet conducd to the Welfare of the Lodge,
nor ever will.
The same prohibition, plus another in
the first o f the Old Charges, prohibits discussion of sectarian religion.
Sectarian religion does not refer to
Christian denominations; it refers to
Christianity the same as any other of the
worlds several religions. That means that
Christian sermons should not be delivered
at Lodge gatherings, nor should Christian
prayers be offered, nor Christian symbols
displayed.
The prohibition on discussion of political
subjects in Masonic meetings applies to
Masons even if every member of the Lodge
is of the same political party.
The prohibition on discussion of religious
subjects in Masonic meetings applies to
Masons even if every member of the Lodge
is of the same religious belief.

ON THE THRESHOLD

17

13-Religion
Is Freemasonry a religion?

Though religious in character, Freemasonry is not a religion, nor a substitute for

one.
A religion is any system of belief, worship, conduct, often involving a code of
ethics and a philosophy. It connotes some
particular religion. Freemasonry is nonsectarian. Before its altar Christian, Jew,
Mohammedan, Buddhist, Gentile, Confucian, may kneel together.2
Masonry accepts good men who are
found to be worthy, regardless of their
religious convictions, and strives to make
better men of them by emphasizing a firm
belief in the Fatherhood of God, the
Brotherhood of Man, and the Immortality
of the Soul.
Our own Declaration of Principles proclaims that fact: It is religious in that it
teaches monotheism, the Volume of the
Sacred Law is open upon its altars whenever a Lodge is in session, reverence for
God is ever present in its ceremonial, and
to its Brethren are constantly addressed
lessons of morality; yet it is not sectarian
or theological.

ENTERED

APPRENTICE

49

comes the candidate in search of Light and

to offer himself, symbolically, to the service of the Great Architect of the Universe
and of his fellow men. Here he takes his
obligations, traditionally considered more
solemn and binding when taken at an altar
than at any other place.
The altar is the focus of Masonic life in
the Lodge. Its support of the Great Lights
is itself a symbol that faith supports life.6

117 - The Great Architect

Explain the letters G. A. O. T. U.

Great Architect of the Universe. Sometimes the abbreviation is considered to

mean Grand Architect; also Grand or
Great Artificer of the universe.
In any event, these are titles under
which Freemasonry refers to Deity. One
fundamental of Freemasonry is its nonsectarian character. Any man may offer
his devotions to the Deity he reveres, under the Masonic title, no matter what name
he may use in his religious worship.
Thus, Great Architect of the Universe
(or any of its variations) is a symbol of
Deity as named and worshipped in all
religions.1

THE LOUISIANA
MONITOR
Of The Degrees of Entered Apprentice,
Fellow Craft and Master Mason
And Other Masonic Ceremonies
COMPILED BY

G.C. HUCKABY

AS AUTHORIZED AND EXEMPLIFIED

BY THE

GRAND LODGE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA

F. & A. M.

GEOR

Committee:
H.B. CONNER, Grand Master,
Ex-Officio Chairman
G.C. HUCKABY, Chairman
JESSE A. TAYLOR, Grand Lecturer
T.W. PARISH, Grand Lecturer
DR. A.F. BARROW
GEORGE J. GINSBERG

COPYRfGHT
COPYRIGHT
COPYRIGHT
COPYRIGHT
COPYRIGHT

1927
1928
1930
1941
1951

The Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana

TWENTY-FOURTH PRINTING, YEAR 1988

PUBLISHED BY
RIVER PARISHES PRINTING
OF LOUISIANA
KENNER, LA.

Fellow Craft

111

Speculative Mason their spiritual use. Thus Freemasonry comes to us from the Temple, an Operative Art combined with Speculative Science. The
language and implements of the artisan are used
for the inculcation of the doctrine of pure ethics.
It makes no profession of Christianity, and wars
not against sectarian creeds or doctrines; but
looks forward to the time when the labor of our
ancient brethren shall be symbolized by the
erection of a spiritual temple whose moral grandeur shall be commensurate with civilization;
A temple in which there shall be but one altar
and but one worship; one common altar of
Masonry, on which the Veda, Sutra, Zend-Avesta,
Koran, and Holy Bible shall lie untouched by
sacrilegious hands; and at whose shrine the
Hindoo, the Persian, the Assyrian, the Chaldean,
the Egyptian, the Chinese, the Mohammedan,
the Jew, and the Christian may kneel and with one
united voice celebrate the praises of the Supreme Architect of the Universe.

He spoke not with the tongues of man but of

angels was the illustrious example. Let this, the

Masons Charity, burn upon the altar of your heart
a living fire, whose gentle warmth shall radiate
fellowship, morality, brotherly love, and obedience to the Most High.
Liturgies and creeds, articles of faith, and rules
of discipline have stained the rubric pages of
history, while speculative points of doctrine have
occasioned more misery in the world than all of
the crimes for which nations have been punished
and recalled to their duty. Here we array no man
for his political opinion, nor do we dictate his
religious creed. To himself and his country, we
leave the one; to his conscience and his God, we
commit the other.
To the altar of Freemasonry all men bring their
most votive offerings. Around it all men, whether
they have received their teachings from Confucius, Zoroaster, Moses, Mohammed or the
founder of the Christian religion-just so long as
they believe in the universality of the fatherhood
of God and universality of the brotherhood of
man-meet upon a common level. The Jew returns to his synagogue, the Mohammedan to his
mosque and the Christian to his temple - each
better prepared for the solemn duties of life by the
associations in this universal brotherhood.
It is to this institution, born of heaven in the gray
of the worlds morning, before poets sang or
historians wrote, that I am privileged this evening
to extend to you a craftsmans greeting. And I
charge you by the noblest instincts of your being,