dudes who like to hang out, drink a few, smoke some cigars and do cool handshakes, nothing wrong with that.

I think you've answered your own question by the question itself!

Of course it's not evil. It's really just rather eccentric, private social clubs that also raise money for charity. It has "lodges" (local clubs) in many countries but also different flavours and no unifying international body.

Its supposed link to the Mediaeval building trade is dubious although Freemasonry did start in the 14th Century, in the era of itinerant "Master Builders" leading building gigantic cathedrals; and draws on contemporary trade-guild structures.

Its symbols are irrelevant and harmless. Are the eye and chequerboard really from genuine Freemasonry, from some social-club playing at "freemasonry" or from fiction stories about imaginary hermetic orders?

The Freemasons' real badge represents the square and dividers used by stone-masons and carpenters, but the traditional trade connection is tenuous or non-existent. I don't know what is the "G" is on the Group's own profile picture. That might be made up.


The clubs are rather exclusive, with a somewhat heirarchical structure based on Mediaeval trade-guild structure*, has eccentric but harmless rituals and titles; and has a mutual help ethos. This arcanity encouages a widespread fear it can hide corruption between members with business or other professional links. E.g. a large property-developer and a County Council planning-officer.

A little thought shows the allegation is illogical, because such corruption is between individuals and can occur in any social situation, such as a sports or hobby club, a church congregation, a public gym or even a pub.

Most of the anti-Freemasonry dogma might be from centuries of dislike by the Church.

Are the Order of Foresters, or the Moose, the Womens' Institute, or the local social-clubs affiliated to the Commercial Institutes' Union(in Britain), or your nearest exclusively expensive heath-spa, golf or yacht club, evil or the victims of conspiracy-fantasists?



I will say I am not and never have been a Freemason. Nor indeed a real mason.

......

*The ancient trade-guilds still exist, largely based in London, to foster their skills. They have obviously adapted to keep up-to-date, encourage training and high quality of work; and they include trades that just did not exist in Mediaeval times.

That representing stone-working, the Guild of Masons, has no link to the Freemasons and disavows there were any such links even in the distant past.

A friend's dad is one, he's a good guy but the things I read about them makes me wonder. My family is Catholic, and as such we are forbidden from free masonry. We are told they practice sorcery like witches or Satanist. I do know they engage in this from conversations I've had with my friend's father.

Rumor has it that George Washington was a freemason, not sure if its true or not.


Just boy scouts for adults.

They have existed for centuries. Many of the founders of the US were members. Hitler killed many.

Ask Bill Cooper

It's true the conspiracy theorists say so, but there's no real evidence of it being much more than an exclusive boys' club where they sit around drinking, smoking cigars, and occasionally have cool, spooky rituals.

I think we need to question any large secretive group of probably mostly white men. The symbolism is weird, no idea what all that is really about. Smoke and mirrors probably.