The teachings of Freemasonry concerning values, morality, and religion are founded on the ideals of Christianity. Masons strive towards a virtuous life and self-improvement. The values that are most frequently emphasized include brotherly love; helping one's neighbour and helping the needy; sincerity and love of truth; frankness, honesty, and righteousness. Ethical ideals are justified by reference to individual conscience, the Golden Rule, and eternal life, but above all to the fact that God is everyone's Creator and Father, and that all human beings are of equal value as his children. Masons value a sense of responsibility, good manners, and a tolerant and respectful attitude to other people. The teachings of Freemasonry do not contain any Secret susceptible of a conceptual formulation; the main emphasis is simply on constant self-improvement. The main justification for not disclosing the nature of Masonic rituals to outsiders is derived from pedagogical arguments based on the notion of learning through experience. The Master of the Lodge assures the candidate in advance that the solemn declaration which he is about to make does not conflict in any way with and individual's moral, societal, or civic rights or responsibilities. There are no obstacles to withdrawal from membership, and about half do in fact resign. The writings of individual Freemasons sometimes express their personal opinion that modern Freemasonry has connections with various ancient legends and with the brotherhoods of antiquity. In fact, Freemasons are more sceptical than other men in their attitude to paranormal phenomena and are less likely to believe in UFOs, horoscopes, witchcraft, and ghosts. Freemasons are more likely than other men to:
Freemasonry has spread to different parts of the world and has been influenced by the ideas prevalent in different cultures and religions. Owing to the diversity of Freemasonry around the world, almost any generalizing statement about the nature of Masonic activity is founded on erroneous assumptions. Before one can make any valid statements about the nature of Freemasonry, one must clearly specify the particular Masonic organization that one is referring to. It is even more incautious to make generalizations about what Freemasons think or what they are like as people. Masonic organizations, like all others, obviously have a wide variety of individuals among their members, with a range of different opinions about values, ethics, religion, and the Church, and indeed about Freemasonry itself. It is therefore important to draw a distinction between the official views of the Masonic organization and the private opinions of its members. back to in the news . . .
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