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To George Washington to be "Made a Mason" at age twenty was as natural as growing into manhood. He was a Master Mason for the last forty-seven years of his life. Brother Washington, like Thomas Jefferson, surrounded himself with Masons because he knew he could depend on them to get the job done, whatever that job was.
Thirteen Masons were among the thirty-nine signers of the U. S. Constitution. Eight known Masons signed the Declaration... Fourteen U. S. Presidents were Masons. Fact is:". . . the rapidly growing republic and the fraternal society [of Freemasons] still held so many ideals in common. American republican values looked like Masonic values writ large: honorable civic-mindedness, a high regard for learning and progress, and what might be called a broad and tolerant religiosity." [U. S. News & World Report, September 5, 2005, page 30; www.usnews.com] Many Masonic scholars believe that had it not been for Masonic teachings and philosophy General George Washington might have allowed himself to be chosen "King" of the United States. Brother Washington was the only U. S. President who served as Master of his Masonic Lodge, while he served as President of the United States. In fact, he served two consecutive terms as Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22, Alexandria, VA. As a Masonic leader he laid the cornerstone of the U. S. Capitol in 1793, while he served as President. Freemasonry appealed to George Washington, to his half brother Augustine, and to many of their friends. "Freemasonry offers its members an approach to life which seeks to reinforce thoughtfulness for others, kindness in the community, honesty in business, courtesy in society and fairness in all things. Members are urged to regard the interests of family as paramount but importantly Freemasonry also teaches and practices concern for people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need. Membership is open to men of all faiths who are law-abiding, of good character and who acknowledge a belief in God." [New York: Barnes & Noble, 2002, Freemasonry and the Birth of Modern Science by Robert Lomas, page 309-310] Brother Benjamin Franklin once said, "The grand secret is that they [Masons] have no secret at all." Freemasonry's "secrets" have not changed in 5000 years. Actually, the calendar used in Masonic Lodges in 2007 reads: A.L. 6007.
Freemasonry is not a religion.
"Masonry is a great option for reasonable spiritual people who want to profess their faith alongside God-fearing people of other faiths" wrote a young Ph.D. from Texas, once a Jesuit novice, now working in New York City hospitals. "One of my most satisfying parts of being a Mason is belonging to a Lodge in Manhattan where I can sit alongside my Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and Protestant brothers and recognize that we are all trying to do our best to live lives pleasing to God through our own respective languages, cultures, and traditions. Masonry makes Manhattan feel like a small town." [Patrick T. Swift, Ph.D., Clinical Neuropsychologist, Brain Injury Unit, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, and Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine] Man has a genetic need to believe in "something". Freemasonry offers a tolerant, inclusive, spiritual banquet for the inner spiritual hunger that men feel. Masonic teachings enlarge the borders of man's understanding about life. The Masonic Order's ritual illuminates the mystical path to spirituality. Masonry awakens the participant into a quality of life previously unexperienced. Freemasonry fits "hand-in-glove" with a new awareness of the spiritual self-improvement aspect of the craft, and that it can fill a spiritual need which is not always met by religion. Religions offer spiritual practices that improve a man's state of happiness. [The Meaning of Masonry by W. L. Wilmshurst (1922, reprinted 1999 by Barnes & Noble Books)]
Intiates entering the Order in their search of answers to the same fundamental questions posed by religion and philosophy:
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