This morning while browsing the news on my phone, I ran across an article on the Freemasons….. I thought that might be a good topic for today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freemasons \u2014 that mysterious secret society that does whatever it does, when those Masons go inside those temples of theirs. Who are these guys and what are they doing in there? Are they really running the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freemason secrets allegedly lurk behind everything from the planning of our nation\u2019s capital to murder. So who are the Freemasons and what do they stand for? As you might imagine, this is one of those subjects that just begs for some of my extensive research\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freemasons belong to the oldest fraternal organization in the world. The most probable origin of the Freemasons has the organization incorporating in 1475 in Edinburg and consisting of masons (stone workers) and wrights (woodworkers.) Members from other crafts were allowed to join, starting with coopers (barrel makers) in 1489. It\u2019s generally agreed that \u201cmodern\u201d Freemasonry began with the creation of the Great Lodge of London in 1717. Over the centuries the organization drifted away from its original trade association and became more of a club for men of various professions and callings even though the Freemasons\u2019 symbols and official gear (including a stonemason\u2019s apron) bring to mind the early days. Supposedly the organization still conveys the early era\u2019s core values, religious tolerance, thirst for knowledge and sociability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for symbols, Freemasons have always communicated using visual symbols drawn from the tools of stonemasonry. The \u201cAll-Seeing Eye,\u201d or Eye of Providence has been used by the group to represent the omniscience of God. The most well-known Freemason symbol, \u201cThe Square and Compasses,\u201d depicts a builder\u2019s square joined by a compass. The \u201cG\u201d at its center remains subject to dispute \u2014 some experts believe the \u201cG\u201d in the symbol\u2019s center represents geometry, a critical field to the first Freemasons. Others believe it represents God, the \u201cGrand Architect of the Universe.\u201d (Another lesser known Masonic symbol is drawn from nature \u2014 the beehive. Masons were originally working men who were supposed to be busy as bees. The beehive symbolizes the industriousness of the lodge.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Historically, the question is not who has been one, but who hasn\u2019t. Freemasons can be found throughout history \u2014 George Washington, Benjamin franklin, Franklin Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Winston Churchill, Davy Crockett, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Henry Ford, Buzz Aldrin, Colonel Harland Sanders (the chicken guy,) William Howard Taft, and Michael Richards, a.k.a. \u201cKramer\u201d on Seinfeld. So the group may or may not rule the world, but a number of Freemasons have had their hand on the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the thing that makes people suspicious about Freemasons isn\u2019t membership rolls, but the rituals that have sprung within the group over the years \u2014 the \u201cinitiation rites\u201d and ceremonies and various \u201clevels\u201d that Masons can achieve by going through them. These are supposedly secret and paganistic, with one big sticking point being the Mason\u2019s concept of a \u201cGreat Architect of the Universe\u201d (God to most of us.) Critics of the Freemasons suggest that the \u201cGreat Architect\u201d is not a generalized representation of a higher being, as the Freemasons claim, but a manifestation of Baal, god of Canaanites, i.e., not the same God that people go to church on Sundays to worship. It should be noted that Freemasons roll their eyes at this allegation. Freemasonry isn\u2019t a religion, but all members believe in a Supreme Being \u2014 a \u201cGrand Architect of the Universe.\u201d However the Catholic Church first condemned Freemasonry in 1738 over the concern about Masonic temples and the secret rituals performed within them. In the 19th century, the Vatican even called the Masons \u201cthe Synagogue of Satin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So needless to say, the Freemasons have fueled a great deal of resentment over the years, and at one point even spawned a political party. In 1828, the first third party in the United States \u2014 the Anti-Masonic Party \u2014 was formed in response to fears that the group was growing too secretive and powerful. The incident that motivated this movement was the mysterious disappearance of bricklayer William Morgan, who was allegedly preparing a tell-all book about the Freemasons\u2019 secrets and rituals. He was never found, and the rumor was the Freemasons did him in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Anti-Masonic party had some success at the state and local level, and even managed to help former United States President John Quincy Adams get elected to the House of Representatives in 1830. But as a national political party, it was a bust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, the oldest fraternal organization in the world is still going strong \u2014 if they\u2019re sincerely dedicated to taking over the world, it\u2019s been a long fight\u2026\u2026
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This morning while browsing the news on my phone, I ran across an article on the Freemasons….. I thought that might be a good topic for today. Freemasons \u2014 that mysterious secret society that does whatever it does, when those … Continue reading