List assembled by Trinity Valley members.

Anti-Masonic material, conjecture, and conspiracy theorists have played a large part in questions surrounding Masons and Masonic activity. Historically, Masons and Masonic organizations have practiced "turning a deaf ear" and rarely ever issue formal defense against false claims and Anti-Masonic propaganda (1930's example pictured right). However, over recent years, reasonable compromises to this practice have been made and the propensity is to address the more common misconceptions of the organization - because there is nothing to hide.

Trinity Valley Lodge members offer the following answers to some of the more Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - not all of them. Most Masonic Lodge websites offer similar material; however, when appropriate, we have tried to go a step beyond the stock answers people get by including our thoughts regarding where the questions might have come from.

If you have a specific question that has not been answered below or within other areas of this site, please feel free to contact us or visit the resources section of this site to find the answers.

Q: Don't you have to be invited to become a Mason?
A: No.

Masonic recruitment is strictly forbidden. Most men believe that you have to be invited or have a family member that is a Mason to join a Masonic Lodge. Though all morally good men would be welcomed in any Masonic Lodge, the man himself must ask a Mason about becoming a member. This question is likely due to the fact that from the 1700's through the 1900's, Masonry was considered an extremely exclusive organization. This period in US history was a time when sons followed in their father's footsteps making Masonry a family tradition. From the outside looking in, it's easy to understand why people might believe that you have to be asked to join - ironically, exactly the opposite is true.

Q: Are there rituals and ceremonies in Masonry?
A: Yes.

Unfortunately, there is a negative connotation to the words "ritual" and "ceremony", but Masons do practice them. There is nothing romantic or mystical about the Masonic rites and ceremonies. Although, they are practiced with great reverence, and are considered a very significant aspect of Masonry, they are not the center of Masonry. Ritual and Ceremonies have been passed along through the ages to provide a practical way to establish a unique experience that all brothers can share and relate to - regardless of which part of the country or world they come from. Rituals and Ceremonies may differ slightly from state to state, and country to country. However, they all are based on the same foundation and provide timeless lessons in things like charity, honesty, morality, chivalry, love, trust, respect, etc..

Q: Is Masonry a Secret Society?
A: No.

It is private but it is not secret. This question is likely due to the obligation brothers take to not divulge the details of the rites and ceremonies they pass through to become Masons. However, masons certainly don't make a secret of the fact that they are members of the fraternity. Members wear rings, label pins, and tie claps and their Lodges are clearly marked with the Square and Compasses, the best known of the Masonic signs which, recalls the fraternity's early symbolic roots in stonemasonry. Masonry is responsible for giving over $1.5 Million a day to charity. If it is intended to be a secret society, we're doing a bad job at it.

Q: Do you guys use secret handshakes?
A: Yes.

The grip is among several customs that are intended to provide a little proof that you are a mason and what degree (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, or Master Mason) you are. The grips and passwords are rarely given outside the Lodge room but they are studied out of tradition.

Q: Don't you wear funny hats?
A: No.

The Shriners wear the "funny" hats. The red fez with a black tassel, is the Shrine's most distinctive symbol, has been handed down through the ages. It derives its name from the place where it was first manufactured - the holy city of Fez, Morocco. The fez was chosen as part of the Shrine's Arabic (Near East) theme, around which the color and pageantry of the Shrine are developed.

Q: Aren't all Masons Shriners?
A: No.

All Shriners are Masons, but not all Masons are Shriners.

The Shrine is noted for its emphasis on philanthropy and its jolly outlook on life-- it has been called "the playground of Masonry". This is expressed as "Pleasure without intemperance, hospitality without rudeness, and jollity without coarseness." However, the Shrine is best known its colorful parades, distinctive red fez, and philanthropic work with children. The Shriners Hospitals for Children is often called "the heart and soul of the Shrine."

Although the Shrine adheres to the principles of Freemasonry (Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth) the Shrine is not an appending body of Masonry, this distinction escapes many. To become a Shriner, one must first become a Master Mason (3rd Degree), after this point many Masonic paths are available. One of which - the Shrine. What keeps it from being an official appending body of Freemasonry is that no additional degrees are conferred (unlike the Scottish and York Rites which do have additional degrees to earn).

Q: Is Masonry a religion?
A: No.

Masonry offers no pathway to salvation. This must be sought and found in a Mason's own place of worship, which he is encouraged to attend and to support. This question is likely the result of Masonry being based on a belief in a Supreme Being and the fact that the fraternity uses some teachings from the Bible.

Q: Are Masons Satanists?
A: No.

Masons are men from all walks of life - Senators, Presidents, Lawyers, Doctors, Construction Workers, Auto Mechanics, and so on that assert a belief in God, and in the immortality of the soul. To that extent, Masonry strives to be the ideal partner of any moral religion and thus it is not possible for a Mason to be a Satanist. Masons value a voluntary life of caring and sharing, of attending to the needs of the less fortunate. Masonry offers a variety of charitable outlets to satisfy his compassion. This question could be due to the use of the five-pointed star (pentagram) as a Masonic symbol, the star is used by many religious orders including Satanists. In Masonry, the star is used to illustrate the five points of fellowship and is the symbol for the Eastern Star, our Masonic Sorority.

Q: Does a Mason have to be Christian?
A: No.

Although some Masonic teachings are of the Bible, Masons believe fervently in freedom of religion. Each Mason believes that how he worships his God is his business and how every other Mason worships their God is their business. Because religion and politics are so often used to drive men apart, they may not be discussed in any Masonic meeting.

Q: Is Masonry a welfare system?
A: No.

Masons receive no financial benefits from membership. We do provide for our own-after a fashion-but it is more likely that you will be called on to give charity rather than be its beneficiary.

Q: Can being a Mason get you out of legal trouble?
A: No.

A Mason takes an obligation to be a peaceable citizen, live within the law, and never put Masonic duties before his responsibility to his country. This question is likely due to the fact that some Masons have reported getting out of the occasional traffic violation when officers discovered that they were Masons. However, most Masons agree that receiving preferential treatment goes against Key Masonic principles - but it probably does go on.