by Colleen Mart

Created on: February 19, 2010

Is freemasonry a cult? 

To answer this question we must first know what a cult is.  Cults are more commonly thought to be religious in nature than not.  The word cult can be used in a derogatory manner to describe a group of persons who have the same beliefs and practice rituals that may appear strange and even ominous to others who do not share the same beliefs.   

The Freemasons are a group of men, a fraternity or chapter, who believe that it is their duty to perform charitable works whether it for members of their chapter or whether it is for those in the community where the chapter is located.  Although there are many chapters located all over the world, each with their own independent ideology, this is a consistent belief belonging to all Freemasons.  Each member is expected to perform charitable works whether it is convenient to his schedule and life or not.  Another belief of the Freemasons is that they should promote education to all regardless of race or ability to pay and they provide grants to worthy students. 

One symbol found in every Freemason gathering hall, or Lodge, features a carpenter’s square and compass.  Freemasons wear rings with this symbol emblazoned on it.  Critical non-members point to this as a symbol that the freemasons are not members of organized religion and declare that it therefore it must be a cult.  It is true that Freemasons are not members of any particular organized religion, however it is a requirement that all of their members have a belief in a Supreme Being and that they are devoted to the worship of who they believe God to be.  Therefore if a member is Christian and another member is Buddhist, each must show devotion to their own faith and their own God and in fact there are Lodges that display more than one version of sacred texts.  Because of this requirement to show devotion to a Supreme Being, the Freemasons are (in their own words) “of a religious nature, Freemasonry is not a religion. It urges its members, however, to be faithful and devoted to their own religious beliefs.”    

The Freemasons do indeed practice rituals are considered to be strange by non-members.  Sometimes ceremonial garb is worn during certain activities.  The use of ceremonial garb and rituals associated with advancement within the organization may be considered strange by non-members, but does that make the Freemasons a cult any more so than those who witness the strange rituals performed at Via Dolorosa or those who participate in ritual purification.  

So if the definition of the word cult is taken literally as a group of person with common beliefs and practicing strange rituals, yes, the Freemasons are a cult, just as some of the most accepted organized religions of the world are.

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