Hialeah
Opa Locka Lodge No. 391 F&AM
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Frequently Asked Questions About Freemasony What is the Purpose of Freemasonry? Is Freemasonry a Secret Society? What Does Freemasonry Practice? What is the purpose of Freemasonry? Freemasonry has been presented to us with many definitions of purpose but perhaps the best of these is "Masonry is the activity of closely united men who, employing symbolical forms borrowed principally from the Mason's trade and from architecture, work for the welfare of mankind, striving morally to ennoble themselves and others, and thereby to bring about a league of mankind." It has often been expressed as "The world's most purposeful fraternity." [Back to top] Its ranks are composed of free men from all walks of life and of many religious backgrounds who have of their own free will and accord petitioned for membership. Masonry asks no man to join - free will is a requisite - and a belief in a Supreme Being is a necessity as no atheist can be made a Mason. [Back to top] Much has been written of the antiquity of the order and many of the principle legends do relate to early religious incidents. However, modern day Masonry dates from the year 1717 and was at that time organized to enlighten mankind and teach them to be better men. The symbols used were taken from the mason's trade and from architecture, and to each was assigned a meaning to instruct the members in an elevated moral code. [Back to top] Masonry is not a religion but it is highly religious. Meetings are opened and closed with prayer and the Book of the Law for the region concerned is open upon its Altar. It urges its members to support church activities but establishes no preference for any sectarian group. It does not endeavor to influence the right of individual freedom in the expression of religious thought. We repeat - it is not a religion neither is it an atheistic society. [Back to top] Is Freemasonry a Secret Society? Those who are antagonistic to the order frequently report it to be a Secret Society. This it is not. It does have secret modes of identification by which members are made known, however, no organization publicly displaying a meeting place and time can be classified secret. [Back to top] What Does Freemasonry Practice? The principle tenets of Freemasonry are the practice of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. It supports activities that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific and fraternal. [Back to top] The absolute requirements for becoming a Mason are:
Also:
There are some 321 Masonic Lodges in Florida, with approximately 76,000 Master Masons holding membership therein. There are more than 5 million Master Masons throughout the world, with some 2.6 million holding membership in Lodges in the United States. Freemasonry is, therefore, not only the oldest but also the largest fraternity in the world. [Back to top]
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