8. Is belief in God a requirement to be a Freemason?
In those branches of Freemasonry that
work to the glory of the Great Architect of the Universe (which includes the
English-speaking branches of the Order), members must profess a belief in an intelligence
that guides the world. However, Freemasons are not required to hold any particular beliefs
about that guiding intelligence or to conceive of it in any particular way. The language
we use about it is like most of our language about great concepts: it is poetical,
metaphorical, and figurative. Freemasons conceive of God in a variety of ways,
according to their backgrounds. The way they talk about God is symbolical.