I have been searching for the origin of the tradition of NO religious symbols, i.e. Latin crosses, in the Blue Lodge. Can anyone help? Brother Mackey has a comment about it in his 'Lexicon of Freemasonry', but I have recently been told that Brother Mackey made-up things sometimes? Is this also true? Or a distraction from his work?

My Grand Lodge Secretary begs off on the question, says there is no such thing, and it's just Masons with opinions. Many Brothers I have approached with the question agree that no religious symbols are allowed in the Blue Lodge just as I have believed for over 30 years.

In the beginning, Freemasonry was Trinitarian Christian, as was to be expected in the social and religious conditions in the Middle Ages.

When Dr Anderson wrote his Constitutions he "de-Christianised" the Craft thereby making it available to men of all faiths who hold a belief in the Supreme Being, the GAOTU which is a 'job description separating it from the various names by which He (She or It) is called in the various religions. There are Lodges in Singapore and Hong Kong wit up to 6 different VSLs on the pedestal for the members of the various religions represented in those particular Lodges.

Obviously in a predominantly Christioan country the VSL would be the Bible but if members of other religions join, for example a Moslem, he would have a copy of the Koran also on the pedestal.

Thank you, Brother Keith. Perhaps I was not specific enough with my question. I am specifically asking about three Latin crosses on display in my lodge, in the Blue Room, in the usual posture of the Trinity or Calvary, both usabashed Christian-only beliefs. Where does the tradition of NO religious icons, not books, on display in the Blue Lodge, or the Blue Room, come from?

In New Zealand, other than the New Zealand flag, we have only Masonic symbols in the Lodge room, no overtly "religious" ones such as crosses. THere are men of all religions in the Craft, in my Lodge, for example, we have both Christians and Jews. The Bible contains the books of the Torah so is acceptable to our Jewish Brethren although as they are not Christian, it would not be appropriate to have Christian symbolism in the Lodge room.

I don't know whereabouts you are or which Constitution you are under, it's possible I suppose, that it could be something peculiar either to your Lodge or maybe your Constitution.

It is a good question, Keith and Paul, and one to which, again, there are several possible responses. Yes, James Anderson did have the task of trying to remove Christian references. However, in this he appears to have been singularly unsuccessful. How come many Lodges were created with the names of Christian saints? Why were the two saints John so highly revered? Since the very structure of the ceremonials, both then and now, show a clear trinitarian heritage, he had been given a task impossible to complete. Let's not even think about the RA which was germinating about the time of his second edition! The term 'Holy Church' and others, were only expunged after the 1813 Union but the structures remained in place. Even now, in the Grand Temple in Great Queen Street, London, there is - front and centre - large as life - a Latin cross emblazoned on the cornice in the East! That building being finally dedicated in 1933. I'll e-mail you a photo if you wish.

Having said all of that, the work that has been done in lowering the profile of Christianity itself, has enabled brethren of all monotheistic faiths to come together in a united way without fear or favour. It has to be said at this point that this was done, not in any anti-Christian or anti-Church way but as a measure for a wider inclusion of those who seek peace and harmony. If there is one thing that he was successful in, it must surely be that first charge 'only to oblige them to that religion to which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves'. The modern form of words with a very similar import is likewise in our present 'Antient Charges' in the UGLE B of C. Without that charge and the prohibition on religious discussion that follows from it, I truly doubt that Freemasonry would exist today.

To return to the main question raised by Paul, there is no such prohibition in our UGLE Book of Constitutions. I can vouch for no others. In fact our B of C gives no instructions about the content and layout of Masonic rooms. That is carefully left in the hands of those charged with ritualistic matters.

When New Mexico became a state in 1912 the Zia Pueblo cultural symbol was taken by the state as its new symbol, readily seen on the state flag. An act of cultural domination and warning to others. Since the Millenium Scare of 2000, New Mexico government offices are converting the Zia symbol to represent the Trinitarian beliefs of many in government jobs. The U.S. president wanna-be, New Mexico Governor William Lopez Richardson, has joined his co-religionists in this effort.

Then here in Las Cruces, New Mexico, we have many well-meaning and some not-so-pleasant supporters of the belief that the name of the city means 'the crosses' or "City of the Crosses" from all the three Latin crosses symbols installed on public property by the local government. The only people who reference the city by that name are Christians who have no historical records to provide, just their belief. The truer records support 'the crossroads.' The display of triune crosses had their beginnings when three large crosses were erected on the edge of the city and a visiting French priest gave a fiery speech to an assembly of Catholics in 1940 as recorded in the local newspaper.

I believe this site is not the place to provide all the voluminous details, but some idea of the situation here is important. I do not pretend to be an expert, but the Millenium Scare appears to be the start point of the fears of the evangelicals and this fear is showing up in many places. The Bush Administration has done nothing but stimulate the activites of these individuals who are organized promoters of their beliefs.

Recently we had someone add an elongated Zia Pueblo symbol, the same as used by the Las Cruces Diocese Foundation, under the Scottish Rite double-eagle symbol so that each part of the cross showed. My first letter was met with no small amount of hostility. Eventually the cross was removed.

Now we have a lodge going forward with $2,000 from the Grand Lodge of New Mexico Foundation to advertise on a public television station situated on the campus of the local New Mexico State University. The Journalism Department is the sponsor and the students produce a thirty-minute news broadcast. The problem is this newscast is broadcast to the whole of southern New Mexico through affiliate stations and is used to proselytize Christianity by 'advertisers' who have Latin crosses in their ads. The students are only the dupes.

This university in itself is interesting. From 1907 until 1983 the student yearbook was named "Swastika" with the same symbol adopted by the Nazis. While the orgins were honorable, the battle over the years not to change the name and symbol is still a wonder to recall it.

The problem of how the lodge will be viewed as a supporter of Christianity and a Christian organization by advertising alongside these other non-Masonic, government and private crosses-bearing organizations has been presented in open lodge. Now we have to wait.