Freemasons are an organization shrouded in mystery for several centuries. Someone speaks of them as secret world leaders, someone as an occult sect, someone accuses them of conspiracies and influencing the fate of people. But what is the truth? Here are some facts about the Freemasons that may open the veil of secrecy over this brotherhood.
Freemasons are not a secret society
Masons make absolutely no secret of their own existence. Each member of the fraternity has every right to tell that he is a Mason to anyone, this is not prohibited by any codes or oaths. The only thing that cannot be told is the internal rituals and rituals of the brotherhood itself, those to which only initiates have access. In addition, the Masons themselves are categorically opposed to being called a secret society. They speak of themselves as "an esoteric society, certain aspects of which are private, or secret."
Freemasonry is one of the oldest brotherhoods in the world
Naturally, only among those that continue to exist today. The official history of Freemasonry begins in 1717, when the Grand Lodge of London was founded. However, the Masons themselves are very fond of mystifying their history, erecting it either to the orders of the Templars and Rosicrucians, or even to the construction of the Temple of Solomon. Particularly courageous members of the brotherhood even managed to chronologically bring their story to Adam.
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Atheists Cannot Become Freemasons
One of the main requirements for candidates seeking to enter the fraternity is to believe in the presence of any Supreme Being. In most cases, of course, it turns out to be one of the three world religions. However, the candidate is never asked to explain or state his understanding of this Supreme Being. Moreover, discussions about religion and politics are prohibited in most Masonic lodges. Therefore, the concept of the Supreme Being can be arbitrarily broad, up to the philosophical Absolute, the Universe, etc.
Freemasons are required to perjure in court
Not always, of course, but only in those cases when a member of the brotherhood is being tried, who is definitely guilty. In such cases, the Code obliges to cover your brother even at the cost of perjury in court under oath and breaking the law.
Freemasons around the world are highly decentralized
Freemasonry is an extremely fragmented and decentralized organization. The brotherhood does not have a single leader, a single center, there is not even a common set of rules or canons. Rituals can vary greatly from one lodge to another. Of course, there are common features, for example in symbols that are the same for everyone. But at the same time, each lodge is free to establish (or not establish at all) its own rituals of initiation into fraternity or raising the level. All this creates a situation in which no member of the fraternity or any of the organizations can speak on behalf of the entire Freemasonry.
Devotion to brotherhood is more important for Freemasons than law and even war
The obligation to testify in court to perjure another member of the fraternity is only one manifestation of devotion to the Masonic order. The organization puts itself above all attachments, be it family, kinship, law or even military order. During the Civil War in the United States, soldiers who fought on opposite sides of the front line, but recognized each other as Masons, helped and saved each other's lives.
Symbols are not secrets
Most of all, Masons are disliked for their symbolism and mystery. All these secret gestures, secret handshakes, rituals and ceremonies that the uninitiated should not know anything about. However, all this symbolism really did not form from scratch, but it has practically nothing to do with secrecy. The thing is that at the time of the formation and formation of the brotherhood, the overwhelming majority of its members were simply illiterate. Free masons, hard workers did not know how to read and write, it is for this reason that they began to use symbols to teach newcomers their traditions and rituals.
"Triangle with an eye" was not invented by Masons
"Radiant delta" - as this symbol I call the Masons themselves, in the common people the usual "triangle with an eye" is one of the main generally accepted symbols of the Masonic brotherhood. The very image of the eye in the triangle is borrowed from Christianity, where it is a symbol of the "All-Seeing Eye" of Providence, and the triangle symbolizes the Trinity. The symbol is found on icons and religious buildings, including Orthodox ones. However, Christians are not its inventors either - long before their appearance, the ancient Egyptians used the symbol in their ritual structures.
Masons were originally actually masons
In the Gothic era, the construction of huge church buildings lasted for centuries, during which workers and artists literally lived near the structures that they were building. Over the years, their close communication took the form of a shop organization: rules were developed regarding relations between members, the reception of new comrades, the resolution of disputes between the members, and so on. That is, the first members of the brotherhood were literally masons - laborers, masons, builders. Only from the end of the 16th century, persons who did not belong to the construction workshop began to gain access to the brotherhood - the so-called "outside bricklayers", rich and learned people. They brought with them many progressive elements to the lodges.
There are not so many Masons in the world
Of course, the exact calculation is very difficult, but based on which data, the total number of Masons in the world ranges from 4-5 million people. As a percentage of the total population of the planet, these are absolutely scanty figures. However, the fact that many rich, famous and influential people are among the Masons creates the illusion that this secret society is involved in some kind of hidden governance of the world and its structure.
