It is quite possible that the origins of Freemasonry, as we know it today, is a mixture of both of these theories. The earliest record of the 'Making of a Mason' was of Elias Ashmole (who founded the Ashmolean Museum) on 16th October 1646. Organised Freemasonry began with the founding of the Grand Lodge of England on 24th June 1717, the first Grand Lodge in the world. Ireland followed in 1725 and Scotland in 1736. All the regular Grand Lodges in the world trace themselves back to one or a combination of the British Grand Lodges.

In 1751 a group of Irish Freemasons in London formed a rival Grand Lodge claiming that the original or premier Grand Lodge had made changes to the ceremonial. This rival Grand Lodge claimed that they were true to the old traditions and called themselves 'Antients' calling the original Grand Lodge 'Moderns'. The 'Antients' Lodges were also known as 'Atholl Lodges', after their first Grand Master, the Duke of Athol.

During the first few years of the nineteenth century the two Grand Lodges were working towards a reconciliation and amalgamation which finally happened in December 1813 when the one United Grand Lodge was convened under H.R.H. The Duke of Sussex as Grand Master.

Freemasonry as a non-religious organisation is rare in that it requires from Candidates a belief in religion. A Candidate must express a belief in a Supreme Being and the ceremonies do contain prayers. But this does not make Freemasonry a religion. Freemasonry offers no sacraments or salvation any more than daily prayers in the House of Commons do. If you want religion you must go to Church or Synagogue or Temple or whatever. Freemasonry will not give you this. What it will do is encourage Freemasons to do better - a better Christian, Jew, Muslim, or whatever one's faith is.

We refer to the Bible as the Volume of the Sacred Law. To the majority of British Freemasons the VSL is the Bible. There are many in Freemasonry, however, who are not Christian and to them the Bible is not their sacred book. They will therefore take their Obligation on the book that is regarded as sacred to their religion. Thus when the VSL is referred to in ceremonies, to a Christian it will always be the Bible and to a non-Christian it will be the holy book of his own religion. It is interesting to note that in Lodge Raffles in Singapore, the Master's pedestal has on it five different VSLs.