No, Freemasonry is not a religion. Masons who treat it as such are mistaken. Freemasonry strongly encourages its members to belong to an established religion, although that is not a requirement for membership (only that a candidate profess a belief in a Supreme Being).
Masonry is a fraternal organization that encourages morality and
charity and studies philosophy. It has no clergy, no sacraments, and
does not promise salvation to its members.
But what about terms like 'Temple', 'Worshipful', and so on?
A museum may be called the Temple of
Fine Arts. This does not mean that it is a religious institution. The
same is true of Freemasonry. (Masonic buildings are also called Lodge
Halls and Masonic Centres as well as Masonic Temples.)
The
term 'Worshipful stems from 18th century usage, when
Freemasonry in its present form was being organized. The term has
nothing to do with religious worship but is an old synonym for 'honourable' or 'respected'.
Similarly,
Freemasons engage in group prayer and have a chaplain, just as do the
armed services that does not make Masonry
into a religion.
