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What is the Grand Orient United States? The Grand Orient USA, commonly referred to as GOUSA, plays a similar role to that of the Grand Lodges that operate at a State level in the USA, except that it has many differences in light of how it legislates and executes its policies. The GOUSA, as the main governing body and representative of Modern Freemasonry in the United States, operates in amity with the Grand Orient of France (GOdF) and many other Masonic organizations around the world.
Modern Freemasonry is sometimes referred to as Grand Orient, Continental, Cosmopolitan, or Liberal Freemasonry, though these terms do not all have equivalent definitions. Modern Freemasonry is derived from the original Grand Lodge of England (1717). It became known as "Modern" when a schism developed and a rival group known as the "Antients" was formed. The Antients referred to the original Grand Lodge as "Modern". Modern Freemasonry, as it left England and spread throughout Europe, preserved and maintained the original Masonic principles and worldviews centered around natural philosophy, the Enlightenment, secularism, and the progressive (if not revolutionary) political and sociological philosophies that attracted men such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Mozart, and the Marquis de Lafayette. To
this day, Modern Freemasonry continues to focus its efforts around
principles and values such as the arts & sciences, higher
education, separation of church and state, freedom of expression,
human rights, tolerance, emancipation of lifestyles, and the global
environmental sustainability.
What is the difference between mainstream or "Antient" Free-Masonry and Modern Free-Masonry? Many "Antient" Anglo-American Masons view Freemasonry as a religiously oriented fraternity dedicated to brotherly love, relief and truth. The Modern or Traditional Cosmopolitan Masons perceive Freemasonry as a secular but spiritual fraternity dedicated to the Enlightenment principles of human liberty and equality resulting in the universal brotherhood of all humankind. This is expressed in their motto: "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity."
Anglo-American
lodges typically place a Bible on their altars as the "Volume
of Sacred Law." Modern lodges have no such requirement. The
Anglo-American system does not recognize women as legitimate Freemasons.
The Traditional Cosmopolitan system is generally divided into
three distinct groupings: Masculine, Mixed-Gender, and Feminine;
this allows for the inclusion of women in Free-Masonry. Is there a connection between Modern Freemasonry and the Anglo-American Masonic system?
However, over 25% of Blue lodges in the U.S. re-recognized Modern lodges after 1918 (likely not coincidental to the US desire to have French allies during WW I). Moreover, the Masonic concept of recognition is highly relative and deeply immersed in ever-changing political and social ideologies.
Note: For the source of this data, refer to U.S. Recognition of French Grand Lodges, by Paul Bessel at: http://thebluelodge.org/essays_on_freemasonry-210/u_s_recognition_of_french_grand_lodges_in_the_1900s-15980/ Do you have to believe in God to be a Free-Mason in the Grand Orient? No.
The Grand Orient believes in and promotes freedom of conscience
for all people, which implies tolerance of all theological worldviews
and freedom of thought and expression. Christians, Jews, Muslims,
Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, atheists, agnostics, deists, pantheists,
free-thinkers, and others are all equally welcome in GOUSA lodges.
The GOUSA is not concerned with the religious, metaphysical, or
philosophical beliefs of its members. A person's character, not
his/her personal and private theological beliefs, is the primary
focus of the GOUSA.
Do the Grand Orient of France and Grand Orient of the United States recognize women Free-Masons? Yes.
In both Europe and the U.S., there are mixed gender and female
only Masonic lodges. Although GOUSA lodges are for the time being
male only, they allow visitation of both mixed-gender and female
lodge members to their own lodges. More at http://www.gomasons.org/women.htm
Does the Grand Orient prohibit the consumption of alcohol at lodge functions? No. As Freemasons, we are taught to temper our passions and not to drink to excess. Each Lodge may choose whether or not to allow alcohol on the premises.
What are the requirements for an existing Mason to become a member of the Grand Orient of the United States? In order to petition to become a member of GOUSA, an an existng Mason must:
What are the requirement for a non-Mason to become a member of the Grand Orient of the United States? In order to petition to become a member of GOUSA, an individual must:
Does the Grand Orient of the United States allow virtual members? Yes. There are a handful of GOUSA lodges that allow virtual membership. Virtual membership means that people can be members from other States. Virtual members attend Lodge meetings via Skype (audio-video conferencing).
Do Grand Orient Lodges use a Bible during meetings and rituals? No. Most Grand Orient lodges use a "White Book" (a book with blank pages), symbolizing freedom of conscience so that members may interpret the meaning of "Sacred Law" in accordance with their own worldviews. Some Grand Orient lodges choose to use the Constitutions of the Grand Orient of the United States, Anderson's Constitutions, or some other well-known ethical text (e.g., Aristotle's Ethics). The
reason for not requiring religious scripture as a source of morality
in a lodge also traces to the natural philosophy and Enlightenment
roots of Modern Freemasonry, which imply that morality need not
be based on religion, but on reason and humanistic principles.
Does the Grand Orient of the United States have any religious practices? No. Many outsiders have claimed that Freemasonry is a religion, probably because most mainstream lodges in the U.S. place a Bible on their alter, conduct prayers to the "Grand Architect of the Universe", and use religiously oriented terms and concepts in their rituals. The GOUSA has no intention to substitute, replace, or overlap with any member's private religious practices and beliefs. The GOUSA is therefore a secular Masonic order, promotes tolerance of all worldviews, but abstains from any religious or quasi-religious practices. Its main goal is to bring member together and focus on commonalities, wherever possible.
What does the letter "G" mean inside of the Masonic symbol of the square and compass? There is no agreed upon meaning of the letter "G" by Masonic historians, and the letter is more prominent in mainstream versions of Masonry in the United States than it is in Europe. Some of the possible interpretation of the meaning of the letter "G" are "God", "Grand Architect of the Universe", "Geometry", "Gamma" (energy or the third letter in the Greek alphabet), "Ghimel" (the old 'gallows' square), and so on. One thing is certain; in no ancient language could "G" mean "God", and English Masonic lodges likely did not utilize this until the late 18th century. A good many historians now suggest that if searching for an English translation, "G" most likely means "Geometry".
How is belonging to a lodge of Modern Freemasonrs different than belong to any other organization, such as a Humanist of Secular organization? Freemasonry is a semi-secret society of men and women working together for the benefit of humanity. As a fraternal organization there are strong bonds of brotherhood connecting its members to one another. Loyalty, trust, honor and valor are essential components of the Masonic brotherhood. It is not merely a social club or activist organization. |
