Because of the high ethical and humanitarian ideals of freemasonry a many faceted relationship with the Church is an informal and unofficial actuality.

Many very different organisations claim to be freemasons or Christian. A respectful dialogue begins with several assumptions:

• All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
• Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers
• Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
• Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation.

The recorded history of freemasonry since 1717 documents the changes adopted in response to legitimate concerns by Christians. The original prayers derived from the guilds of the middle ages and included references to many saints. They were replaced during the Eighteenth century with standard Protestant prayers. Later Jesus Christ was replaced with the "Great Architect of the Universe" a phrase used frequently by John Calvin to refer to God. In the same way the text of the King James 1611 translation of the Bible is used extensively in the ceremonies in the lodge.