Who are Freemasons?

Freemasons, also known as Masons, are members of a fraternity or fraternity that operates throughout the world. While not a religious institution, per se, they do require belief in a supreme being as part of their conditions of entry. They have been around for hundreds of years, but today they focus on community work and developing good morals. Despite their emphasis on service and ethics, their tradition of keeping certain elements of their membership and operation secret has made them the target of both discriminatory and conspiracy theories.

Organization

Freemasons operate all over the world, with large jurisdictions each having a main Grand Lodge with smaller branches. These sub-groups are known as blue or beginner lodges. The fraternity adopted these terms based on the traditional makeshift lodges that builders would erect for shelter on either side of the cathedrals they were working on.

A negative myth surrounding Freemasonry is that the fraternity essentially wants to dominate the world. In reality, although Grand Lodges oversee their own blue lodges, each operates largely independently, with each group ultimately determining its own rituals and obligations. With such a lack of true cohesion and no single governing entity, the group simply lacks the collective power to force movement into specific activities and, in fact, that force goes against its core principles.

Each lodge normally has a Worshipful (Honorable) Master, or president. The positions of Senior and Junior Wardens are similar to vice presidencies. Deacons usually act as messengers, while stewards provide refreshments. Chaplains lead non-denominational prayer, but need not be members of the clergy. Other roles include Secretary and Treasurer.

General goals and objectives

While each order is free to operate on its own, as a whole, modern Masons advocate remaining morally upright, teaching the ethics of “brotherly love, relief, and truth.” They also generally believe that it is important to develop and maintain brotherly friendships, which they associate with a solid society. Members usually try to support various charities in the community for these reasons. One of the main purposes of their meetings is to share information, develop themselves intellectually and ethically so that they appreciate the world more and learn to make it better.

Admission

Freemasonry is based on a strong set of principles, and as a result, most members believe that joining the fraternity means not just joining a group, but adopting a way of life. They usually don’t want to pressure anyone to become a member and instead usually state that commitment to Freemasons must be a personal decision. In most cases, current Freemasons cannot ask someone to join.

With those within the group usually forbidden or limited in their ability to solicit others, men who want to join must inquire into the question themselves. Once the application is made, members seek to know the character and goals of the applicant. Hopefully, they allow him to start learning and working with the organization.

Traditionally, to join, a candidate must be a free man who can provide one or two character references, who is sound in mind and body (physical disabilities are fine if they do not interfere with working in the group), and who has a strong moral sense with a belief in a supreme being. In most regions, a man must be 18-25 years of age, although some branches occasionally allow children of members to join earlier.

Although official, regular Freemasonry is still exclusive to men, some female orders being formed and practiced on the basis of traditional principles. Most of these are located in the United States. An example of an order that accepts women is the Order of the Eastern Star.

Levels
Members progress through several levels or grades as they develop and learn in the organization. The first is Entered Apprentice, which simply grants Freemason status. Fellow Craft is an intermediate level during which a member is expected to explore themselves, their faith and the world. The third degree, Master Mason, allows one member to participate in most activities within the group. Some orders recognize additional degrees, but these are usually seen as “additions” or supplements to the third degree, not truly separate levels.
obligations
Once someone is a Freemason, the fraternity expects them to fulfill certain obligations, which can vary somewhat by order. Typical requirements include keeping the secrets of the fraternity, attending regular meetings if possible, abiding by the laws of its jurisdiction and faith, acting in a charitable manner, and being honest without intent to defraud. The group has outlined a number of physical punishments for failing to comply with these obligations which become progressively more severe the higher someone’s level, but these are largely symbolic and are mostly meant to get the offending member to think seriously about things. bad things he did. The fraternity may admonish, suspend or expel members if it deems such action necessary.
Privacy and conspiracy
Freemasons are technically a public organization. However, they keep some elements of their rituals private, such as how members of a lodge recognize each other and gain entry to a meeting. This cloak of secrecy has led many people to look unfavorably upon the members and to be reluctant to trust them. In fact, the fraternity has been a regular target of various types of discrimination, with conspiracy theorists often tying the group to power-seeking and negative events around the world – part of this stems from the fact that many powerful political leaders they were members. In the United States, for example, anxiety grew enough in the 19th century that people formed the Anti-Masonic Party, even supporting candidates for the presidential elections of 19 and 1828.
Religious association
The group’s official position is that it is not and was never intended to be a religion, with members pointing out that the fraternity has no unique theology. The fraternity requires those who join to accept a supreme being or Grand Architect of the Universe, but lodges generally let an applicant play Him, She, or It himself, accepting people of many different religions. The idea behind this clause is that association with a member’s chosen religion can help him see the world and others in a wider and more compassionate lens, and that it will be the ultimate compass in everyday life.
The misunderstanding of this concept has led outsiders to think that the group is a cult. The very fact that he does not profess a religion as supreme has also drawn harsh criticism, especially when coupled with other practices such as taking an oath. In particular, the Roman Catholic Church refuses to support the fraternity, claiming that the members are in sin.
History and origins
The exact origins of the brotherhood are obscure, but experts believe the group got its start in the Middle Ages. English, Scottish and French kings of the time hired stone workers to build new cathedrals and castles. Those who could do more intricate work with softer, “loose” stones were called Freemasons. These workers banded together to maintain the positive status they had over general masons. At first, only those who actually worked in trade could be members of the group, but eventually “philosophical builders” were also admitted. For this story, the Freemasons are represented with the symbols of the square and the compasses.
Famous Members
Many famous people throughout history have been associated with or admitted to the fraternity. The list includes François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire), Sir Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin and Rudyard Kipling. Several US presidents were also members, including George Washington, Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan, Gerald Ford, Andrew Johnson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman.

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