A Brother Asks: How does multi-faith inclusion encourage spirituality?

 

 A Brother Asks: How does the inclusion of members from a wide range of religious backgrounds within Freemasonry, and the emphasis on the universality of a "Supreme Being," challenge traditional notions of religious exclusivity and encourage a more inclusive and tolerant approach to spirituality and belief?

Coach: You're question could be considered rhetorical if looked at superficially. However there are specific points that it raises, and by those raised points, the answer you seek becomes clear. 

Let's review them.

Point 1: To include members of many faiths necessitates the exclusion of talk related to their individual faiths. The purpose of this exclusion is to have members relate as human beings, not as men representing, and therefore possibly defending, their faiths.

Result 1: Proscription of Religious discussion removes impetuses that distract members from Masonry's primary goal - To erect spiritual buildings; not religious buildings.

Point 2: As just stated, the primary goal of Masonic Work is to build a spiritual building. This is clearly pointed out within the first degree. All Masonic actions flow toward and support this goal.

Result 2:  Because members are not distracted by discussion of their faith, they are free to focus upon this primary goal.

Point 3: By pursuing the primary Masonic goal, members come to understand that spiritual development is independent of all religious views, experiences, and norms.

Result 3: Members, freed from any "traditional" notion that spiritual development is dependent solely upon their faith, can then

1) focus their energies upon engaging in their spiritual development, unencumbered by and unrestricted by their religious backgrounds and views 

2) or refocus their faith efforts by better understanding that spiritual development is different from religious development.

Point 4: God is universal and God is "The" Supreme Being, not "A" Supreme Being. God is also The Highest Power, not "a" higher power. These are subtle differences, but ones that should be considered when talking about God with pre-masons. The use of words other than "God*" can mislead those exploring membership. There are at least 12 reason why "God" must be believed in to assure ritual is not bastardized. 

Result 4: Men who do not believe in God, and by there inability to clearly identify what it is that they actually do believe, are filtered out.

With these points being stated, let's revisit your question, focusing upon your central question:

How does the inclusion of members from a wide range of religious backgrounds ... ...encourage ... spirituality...?

Well-informed members realize Masonry's primary goal is to foster spirituality so that a spiritual building can be erected by each member.  

They also recognize that their religious ties need to be put aside or refocused to allow for that pure spiritual focus and effort.

By members purposefully disconnecting meeting from religion, spiritual Work can be engaged in spiritually guided by God. 

Inclusion of members of many faiths promotes sensitivity to elements of religion, thus further helping members create the spiritual environment required for spiritual development, rather than one focused upon faith.

Open lodge with many faiths present, especially during degrees, allows for a better spiritual focus to be realized.  

--------

* or words for "God" in the native tongue of the believer, such as "Allah", etc. and not euphamisms.