Freemasonry

The Masonic Square and Compasses. (This is found with or without the "G")

Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organisation. Members are joined together by shared ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature, and, in most of its branches, by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. Freemasonry is an esoteric society, in that certain aspects of its internal work are not generally disclosed to the public, but it is not an occult system, and in recent years, it has become less and less a "secret society" than a "society with secrets". Among the reasons given for the amount of secrecy that remains, is that Freemasonry uses an initiatory system of degrees to progressively explore ethical and philosophical issues, and that the system is less effective if the observer knows beforehand what will happen. It is often referred to as "a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." ^[1]

Organizational structure

Main article: Grand Lodge

The Freemasons' Hall in Great Queen Street, London, England

There are many different jurisdictions of governance of Freemasonry, each sovereign and independent of the others, and usually defined according to a national or geographic territory. There is no central Masonic organizational structure or authority, and in any event many practices are determined by Lodge custom, so any general description will inevitably be inaccurate in respect of some places.

The ruling authority of a Masonic jurisdiction is usually called a Grand Lodge, or sometimes a Grand Orient. Each jurisdiction maintains a list of other jurisdictions that it formally recognizes as meeting its requirements for regularity. If the other jurisdiction reciprocates the recognition, the two jurisdictions are said to be in amity, permitting the members to attend meetings bilaterally. In keeping with the decentralized and non-dogmatic nature of Freemasonry, however, there is no universally accepted list of landmarks, and even jurisdictions in amity with each other often have completely different ideas as to what those landmarks are. Many jurisdictions take no official position at all as to what the landmarks are. However, it is common to forbid the discussion of Religion or Politics, to preclude disharmony by reference to those subjects.

The first jurisdiction in Freemasonry was the Grand Lodge of England, founded in 1717. This Grand Lodge became known as the Moderns, but was reunited with the breakaway Antients Grand Lodge in 1813, to become the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). It is today the only regular Craft jurisdiction in England, and generally considered to be the oldest Grand Lodge jurisdiction in the world. The oldest jurisdiction in the European Continental branch, and the largest jurisdiction in France, is the Grand Orient de France (GOdF), founded in 1728. At one time, the two branches bilaterally recognized each other, but most jurisdictions cut off formal relations with the GOdF around 1877. In most Latin countries, and in Belgium, the GOdF style of European Continental Freemasonry predominates. The rest of the world, accounting for the bulk of Freemasonry, tends to follow the lead of the English UGLE, and concordant juristictions.

So, Freemasonry is often said to consist of two different branches:

• the UGLE and concordant tradition of juristictions (termed Grand Lodges) in amity and,
• the GOdF European Continental tradition of juristictions (often termed Grand Orients) in amity.

In reality, there is no tidy way to split jurisdictions into distinct camps, as recognition is constitutional, not dogmatic. In addition, the geographical territory of one jurisdiction may overlap with another's, which may affect their relations, for purely territorial reasons. In other cases, one jurisdiction may overlook irregularities in another due simply to a desire to maintain friendly relations. Also, a jurisdiction may be formally affiliated with one tradition, while maintaining informal ties with the other. For all these reasons, labels must be taken only as rough indicators, not as clear designations.

See also: Regular Masonic jurisdictions

Prince Hall Freemasonry

Main article: Prince Hall Freemasonry

In 1775, an African American named Prince Hall^[2] was initiated into an Irish Constitution Military Lodge then in Boston, Massachusetts, along with fourteen other African Americans, all of whom were free born. When the Military Lodge left the North America, the African Americans were given the authority to meet as a lodge, form Processions on the days of the Saints John, and conduct Masonic funerals, but not to confer degrees, nor to do other Masonic Work. These individuals applied for, and obtained, a Lodge Warrant from the Grand Lodge of English GLE in 1784 and formed African Lodge, Number 459. Being stricken from the rolls – as were all American Grand Lodges – due largely to the British-American War, 1812-1815 – by the New English UGLE; the Lodge re-titled itself as the African Lodge, Number 1. It was thus separated from UGLE and concordantly recognised Masonry. This Lodge is not to be confused with the various Grand Lodges on the Continent of Africa.

These events led to a tradition of separate, predominantly African American Freemasonry in North America, known as Prince Hall Freemasonry. Widespread racism and segregation, in the 19th and early 20th century North America, made it impossible for African Americans to join most of the so-called mainstream lodges. Also, many mainstream Grand Lodges in North America refused to recognize the Prince Hall Lodges.

Prince Hall Masonry has always been regular in all respects except constitutional separation. Prince Hall Grand Lodge is, presently, recognized by some UGLE Concordant Grand Lodges and not by others, but appears to be working its way toward full recognition ^[3]. It is now quite usual for non-Prince Hall lodges to have ethnically diverse membership. The majority of Masonic Grand Lodges in the United States now grant at least some degree of recognition to Prince Hall Grand Lodges.

See also: Regular Masonic jurisdictions

The Masonic Lodge

Main article: Masonic Lodge

A Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge in Constitutions, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry. Every new Lodge must be warranted by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only in enforcing the published Constitution of the jurisdiction. A Master Freemason is generally entitled to visit any Lodge - in any jurisdiction in amity with his own. He is first usually required to check, and certify, the regularity of the relationship of the Lodge - and be able to satisfy that Lodge of his regularity of membership.

Contrary to popular belief, Freemasons meet as a Lodge and not in a Lodge. Lodge buildings have for many years been known as Temples, ("of Philosophy and the Arts"), but in many countries Masonic Centre or Hall has now replaced this term - to settle modern scruples. Several different Lodges often use the same premises - each on published dates.

According to Masonic myth (see below), the operative lodges (the Medieval lodges of actual stonemasons) constructed a lodge building adjacent to their work site where the masons could meet for shelter, instruction and social contact. Normally this was on the southern side of the site (in Europe, the side with the sun warming the stones during the day). Hence the social gathering, (the Festive or Social Board), of the lodge is sometimes also called the South.

An early Speculative Lodge, (including members not actually stonemasons), would meet in a tavern or other convenient meeting place with a private annex. The word Freemason may refer to these masons being "free" from work - as they met to talk about Masonic theory rather than practice - or it could relate to the liberal or "free" arts upon which much of freemasonry is based. It may simply refer to the superior grade of masons working in freestone, as used in early English statutes.

Many Lodges are formed by Masons living within a given town or neighborhood. Other Lodges, particularly in urban areas where there are many Lodges close together, are formed by persons who share a particular interest, particular profession or background - certain schools, universities or military units. There are also specialist lodges of "Research and Instruction" (R&I). Membership in these R&I lodges is typically open to interested Master Masons of other lodges - as R&I lodges usually do not initiate new candidates to Freemasonry.

Other degrees, orders and bodies

There is no Masonic degree higher than that of Master Mason, although some Masonic bodies and orders have degrees named with higher numbers. It is essential to be a Master Mason in order to qualify for these further degree bodies, each of which is organised and administered more or less similarly to freemasonry itself. In each organisation there is a system of offices (which confer rank within that degree or order alone).

The Scottish Rite, is a system of Freemasonic degrees developed on the Euopean Continent (particularly in France). The York Rite is a system of Freemasonic degrees, which in America includes three distinct sovereign rites: the Holy Royal Arch, Royal and Select Masters (Cryptic Masonry), and Knights Templar.

Other groups include the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners), the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (Grotto), the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. The Shrine and Grotto, which are mostly located in North America, tend to emphasize fun and philanthropy.

Different jurisdictions vary in their relationships with such bodies, if at all. Some give them formal recognition, while others consider them wholly outside of Freemasonry proper. So not all such bodies will be universally considered as appendant bodies, some being simply considered as more or less separate organizations that happen to require Masonic affiliation for membership. Some of these organizations have additional religious requirements, beyond "Craft Masonry", since they approach Masonic teachings from a particular, Christian, perspective.

There are also certain youth organizations, mainly North American, which are associated with Freemasonry, but are not necessarily Masonic in their content. These include DeMolay International, for boys aged 12–21; Job's Daughters International, for girls aged 10-20 with a Masonic family relationship; and the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, for girls who have Masonic sponsorship. The Boy Scouts of America, founded in 1910 by William D. Boyce, is not a Masonic organization. When Daniel Carter Beard joined the BSA in 1910 as one a National Scout Commissioner - he merged his group, the Sons of Daniel Boone. He is said to have exemplified "the Masonic ideals" throughout the Scouting program.

Membership requirements

A candidate for Freemasonry must apply to a Private Lodge and, after enquiries are made, he must be freely elected by a secret ballot, ("white balls" in the voting box), of the subscribing members. Adverse votes (by "black balls") will exclude a candidate - the number of adverse votes, to exclude, being set out in the governing Constitution.

Membership and religion

Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it is not a religion, nor a substitute for religion. There is no separate "Masonic god", and there is no separate proper name for a deity in any branch of Freemasonry^[4]. Freemasonry accepts members from almost any monotheistic religion - as well as, for example, Buddhists and Hindus. In the irregular Continental European tradition, since the early 19th century, a very broad interpretation has been given to a (non-dogmatic) Supreme Being - usually allowing Deism and naturalistic views in the tradition of Spinoza and Goethe (himself a Freemason), or views of The Ultimate or Cosmic Oneness, along with Western atheistic idealism and agnosticism. This leads some anti-Masonic pundits to suggest that even regular Freemasonry will, in practice, accept certain kinds of atheists - willing to adopt quasi-spiritual language. However, in some jurisdictions (mostly English-speaking), Freemasonry is actually less tolerant of naturalism than it was in the 18th century, and specific religious requirements with more theistic and orthodox overtones have been added since the early 19th century (mostly in North America), including belief in the immortality of the soul. The Freemasonry that predominates in Scandinavia, known as the Swedish Rite, accepts only Christians.

General requirements

Generally, to be a Freemason, one must:

1. be a man who comes of his own free will
2. believe in a Supreme Being, or, in some jurisdictions, a Creative Principle (unless joining a jurisdiction with no religious requirement, as in the Continental tradition),
3. be at least the minimum age (18–25 years depending on the jurisdiction, but commonly 21),
4. be of sound mind, body and of good morals, and of good repute.
5. be free (or "born free", i.e. not born a slave or bondsman),
6. have one or two references from current Masons (depending on jurisdiction).

The "free born" requirement is moot in modern Lodges; it remains for purely historical reasons. The "sound body" requirement, originally perhaps meant to ensure that operative masons would be able to meet the demands of their profession, is today generally taken to mean "physically capable of taking part in Lodge rituals", and most Lodges today are quite flexible when it comes to accommodating disabled candidates.

See also: List of famous Freemasons

Women and Freemasonry

The position of women and Freemasonry is complex, although traditionally, only men can be made Freemasons, in Regular Freemasonry.

A supposed exceptional, (very irregular and perhaps unique), account of a woman being admitted to Freemasonry in, 18th century, is the case of Elizabeth Aldworth (born St. Leger), who is reported to have viewed the proceedings of a lodge meeting held at Doneraile House - the private house of her father, first Viscount Doneraile - a resident of Cork, Ireland. In the early part of the 18th century, it was quite customary for lodges to be held in private houses. This lodge was duly warranted for use by Lodge number 150 on the register of the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

Apparently, she removed a brick and saw the ceremony in the room beyond. After being discovered, Elizabeth's situation was discussed by the lodge. It was decided that she should be initiated into Freemasonry. The story is supported by other accounts of her being a subscriber to the Irish Book of Constitutions of 1744. She frequently attended, wearing her Masonic regalia, and gave entertainments, under Masonic auspices, for the benefit of the poor and distressed. She married Mr. Richard Aldworth of Newmarket, and it is reported that when she died she was accorded the honour of a "Masonic" burial.

The systematic admission of women into International Co-Freemasonry began in France in 1882 with the initiation of Maria Deraismes into the Loge Libre Penseurs (Freethinkers Lodge), under the Grande Loge Symbolique de France. In 1893, along with activist Georges Martin, Maria Deraismes oversaw the initiation of sixteen women into the first lodge in the world to have both men and women as members, from inception, creating the jurisdiction Le Droit Humain (LDH). Again these are regarded as irregular bodies, by Regular Freemasonry.

In North America, women do not become Freemasons per se, but usually join an associated separate body with its own traditions. Order of the Eastern Star (OES) was created in the United States in the mid 19th century for female masonic relatives and master masons. Its members are mainly the wives and daughters of Master Masons.

In the Netherlands, there is a completely separate, although masonically allied, sorority for women, the Order of Weavers (OOW), which uses symbols from weaving rather than stonemasonry.

The GOdF and other jurisdictions, in the Continental European tradition, give full formal recognition to Co-Freemasonry and women's Freemasonry. The UGLE, and other jurisdictions concordant in that regular tradition, do not formally recognize any Masonic body that accepts women. The UGLE, has stated - since 1998 - that two local women's jurisdictions are regular in practice, except for their inclusion of women, and has indicated that, while not formally recognized, these bodies may be regarded as part of Freemasonry, when describing Freemasonry in general.

Principles and activities

Freemasonry upholds the principles of "Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth" - otherwise related, as in France: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity". Moral lessons are ritually given, working through the rituals by degrees.

The fraternity is widely involved in charity and community service activities, as well as providing a social outlet for the members.

In Continental Europe, the philosophy is emphasized, while in Britain, North America, and the English-speaking parts of the world, charity tends to balance philosophy. Nevertheless, philosophy and esoteric knowledge remains a deep interest to many individuals. The philosophical aspects of the Craft tend to be discussed in Loges of Instruction or Research, and sometimes informal groups. Freemasons themselves frequently reprint the scholarly studies that are available to the public, even though their "obligation" technically prohibits this.

Ritual and symbolism

Freemasonic Ritual uses the architectural symbolism of the medieval operative Masons who actually worked in stone. One of the principal symbols is the square and compasses, the tools of the trade. As Freemasonry is non-dogmatic, there is no general interpretation for any of these symbols. The square is sometimes speculatively said to represent matter, and the compasses spirit or mind. Alternatively, the square may speculatively represent the world of the concrete, or the measure of objective reality, while the compasses represent abstraction, or subjective judgment - and so forth.

Often in the central space there is placed a symbol. This is a blazing star or other symbol of light, representing truth or knowledge. Alternatively, there is often a letter "G" placed there, usually said to represent God or geometry. Sometimes, the "G" may be entwined with the square and compasses.

The square and compasses are displayed at all Masonic meetings, along with the open Volume of the Sacred Law (VSL). In English-speaking countries, this is usually the Authorised, King James, Bible. It is otherwise whatever book a particular jurisdiction authorises. In many French Lodges, the Masonic Constitutions are used. A candidate for a degree will normally be given his choice of VSL for his Obligation, acording to his beliefs, but the lodge's usual VSL is also always displayed.

Much of Masonic symbolism is mathematical in nature, and in particular geometrical, which is probably a reason Freemasonry historically has attracted such men as Voltaire, Fichte, Goethe, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain and many others. No generally unified metaphysical theory is advanced by Freemasonry - although there may be some influence from the Pythagoreans, from Neo-Platonism, and from early modern Rationalism.

In keeping with the geometrical and architectural theme of Freemasonry, the Supreme Being (or God, or Creative Principle) is sometimes also referred to in Masonic ritual by the atributes of Grand Geometer, or Great Architect of the Universe (G.A.O.T.U.). Freemasons use a variety of forms of words in order to avoid the idea that they are talking about any one religion's particular God or God-like concept.

Degrees

The degrees of Craft or Blue Lodge Freemasonry are those of:

1. Entered Apprentice (EA)
2. Fellow Craft (FC)
3. Master Mason (MM)

As a Freemason works through the degrees, and studies the lessons they contain, he interprets them for himself. No Mason is dictated to as to the interpretation he personally gives, bounded only by that Constitution within he which works. A common structure of speaking symbolically, and universal human archetypes, provides for each Freemason a means to come to his own answers to life's important Philosophical questions. Especially in Europe, Freemasons working through the degrees are asked to prepare papers on related philosophical topics, and present these papers in an open Lodge.

Landmarks

The Landmarks are the ancient and unchangeable precepts of Masonry, the standards by which the regularity of lodges and Grand Lodges are judged. Each Grand Lodge is self-governing and no single authority exists over the whole of Freemasonry. The interpetation of these principles can and do vary, leading to controversies of recognition.

History of Freemasonry

Main article: History of Freemasonry

From Foundation to 1717

The Masonic ritualistic foundation myth, veiled in allegory, claims that the fraternity was founded by the builders of King Solomon’s Temple.

Beyond myth, there is a distinct absence of documentation as to Freemasonry’s origins, which has led to a great deal of speculation among historians, both from within and from outside the fraternity. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject. Much of the content of these books is highly speculative, and the precise origins of Freemasonry may very well be perminently lost to history.

Freemasonry has variously been attributed to ^[5]:

• an institutional outgrowth of the medieval guilds of stonemasons,
• a direct descendant of the "Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem" (the Knights Templar),
• an offshoot of the ancient Mystery schools,
• an administrative arm of the Priory of Sion,
• the intellectual descendants of the Roman Collegia,
• the intellectual descendants of the Comacine masters,
• the intellectual descendants of Noah.

Others claim that it dates back only to the late 17th century in Britain, and has no real connections at all to earlier organizations.

It is thought by many that Freemasonry cannot be a straightforward outgrowth of medieval guilds of stonemasons. Amongst the reasons given for this conclusion are the facts that stonemasons' guilds do not appear to predate reasonable estimates for the time of Freemasonry's origin, that stonemasons lived near their worksite and thus had no need for secret signs to identify themselves, and that the "Ancient Charges" of Freemasonry are nonsensical when thought of as being rules for a stonemasons' guild.

• Especially amongst York Rite Freemasons, Freemasonry is said to have existed in the 10th century CE, at the time of King Athelstan of England. Athelstan is said to have been converted to Christianity in York, and to have issued the first Charter to the Masonic Lodges there. The story of his conversion is unsubstantiated - as that royal dynasty had been Christian for centuries.

A more historical source asserting the antiquity of Freemasonry is the Halliwell Manuscript, or Regius Poem - believed to date from ca. 1390. This makes reference to several concepts and phrases similar to those found in Freemasonry. The manuscript itself seems to be an elaboration to an earlier document, to which it refers.

There is also the Cooke Manuscript, dated 1430 - the Constitution of German stonemasons^[6]. The first appearance of the word 'Freemason' occurs in the Statutes of the Realm enacted in 1495 by Henry VII of England, however, most other documentary evidence prior to the 1500s appears to relate entirely to operative Masons.

By 1583, the date of the Grand Lodge manuscript^[7], the documentary evidence begins to grow. The Schaw Statues of 1598-9(4) are the source used to declare the precedence of Lodge Mother Kilwinning in [Kilwinning], Ayrshire, Scotland over Lodge Mary's Chapel in [Edinburgh]. These are described as Head and Principal respectively. As a side note, following a dispute over numbering at the formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland (GLS) - Kilwinning is numbered as Lodge Mother Kilwinning Number 0 (pronounced 'Nothing'), GLS. Quite soon thereafter, a charter was granted to Sir William St. Clair (later Sinclair) of Roslin (Rosslyn), allowing him to purchase jurisdiction over a number of lodges in Edinburgh and environs^[8]. This may be the basis of the Templar myth surrounding Rosslyn Chapel.

From the early 1600s references are found to Freemasonry in personal diaries and journals. Elias Ashmole (1617-1692), was made a Mason in 1646, and notes attending several Masonic meetings. There appears to be a general spread of the Craft, between Ashmole's account and 1717, when four English Lodges meeting in London Taverns joined together and founded the Grand Lodge of England (GLE). They had held meetings, respectively, at the Apple-Tree Tavern, the Crown Ale-House near Drury Lane, the Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul's Churchyard, and the Rummer and Grapes Tavern in Westminster^[9].

With the foundation of this first Grand Lodge, Freemasonry shifted from being an obscure, relatively private, institution into the public eye. The years following saw new Grand Lodges open throughout Europe. How much of this growth was the spreading of Freemasonry itself, and how much was due to the public organization of pre-existing private Lodges, is uncertain.

The two great schisms of Freemasonry (1753 and 1877)

The Grand Lodge of England (GLE) expand the degree system from two - Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craftsman - to three. This was done by adding the Master Mason degree, around the year 1725; by reorganising, adding and dispersing ritual elements. GLE along with those jurisdictions in amity, came to be known colloquially as the Moderns, to distinguish them from a newer, rival group within Freemasonry, known as the Antients. The Antients broke away in 1753, prompted by changes to the Ritual and a wish to have the the "Holy Royal Arch" (HRA) degree within Craft Masonry. Benjamin Franklin was a Modern, but by the time he died, his lodge had gone over to the Antients and would no longer recognize him as one of their own - declining to give him Masonic honours at his funeral^[10].

The schism was healed in when the competing Grand Lodges were amalgamated into the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) in 1813, by virtue of a delicately worded compromise that returned the modes of recognition to their pre-1753 form, but kept Freemasonry per se as consisting of three degrees only, and while still allowing the Antients to view the HRA degree as the completion of the third degree^[11]. Both the Antients and the Moderns had daughter lodges throughout the world, and because many of those lodges still exist, there is a great deal of variability in the ritual used today, even between UGLE-recognized jurisdictions in amity. Most private lodges conduct themselves in accordance with an agreed-upon single Rite.

The second great schism in Freemasonry occurred in the years following 1877, when the GOdF started accepting atheists unreservedly. While the issue of atheism is probably the greatest single factor in the split with the GOdF, the English also point to the French recognition of women's Masonry and co-Masonry, as well as the tendency of French Masons to be more willing to discuss religion and politics in Lodge. While the French curtail such discussion, they do not ban it as outright as do the English^[12]. The schism between the two branches has occasionally been breached for short periods of time, especially during the First World War when American Masons overseas wanted to be able to visit French Lodges^[13].

Concerning religious requirements, the oldest constitution found in Freemasonry - that of Anderson, 1723 - says that a Mason "will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine" if he "rightly understands the Art". The only religious requirement was "that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves" ^[14]. Masons debate as to whether "stupid" and "irreligious" are meant as necessary, or as accidental, modifiers of "atheist" and "libertine". It is possible the ambiguity is intentional.

In 1815, the newly amalgamated UGLE modified Anderson's constitutions to include: "Let a man's religion or mode of worship be what it may, he is not excluded from the Order, provided he believes in the glorious Architect of Heaven and Earth, and practices the sacred duties of morality."

In 1849, France (GOdF) followed the English (UGLE) lead by adopting the "Supreme Being" requirement, but pressure from Latin countries produced by 1875, the alternative phrase "Creative Principle". This was ultimately not enough for the GOdF, and in 1877 it re-adopted the original Anderson document of 1723. They also created an alternative ritual that made no direct reference to any deity, with the atribute of the Great Architect of the Universe. This new Rite did not replace the older ones, but was added as an alternative, as Continental European jurisdictions, generally, tend not to restrict themselves to a single Rite - offering a menu of Rites, from which their lodges may choose.

See also: Regular Masonic jurisdictions

Criticism, persecution, and prosecution

Main article: Anti-Freemasonry

Forget-me-nots

Freemasonry has historically attracted criticism and suppression from the politically extreme right, for example Nazi Germany – and the politically extreme left, for example the then Communist states in Eastern Europe. The fraternity has encountered both applause for “founding” - and opposition for, supposedly, thwarting - Liberal democracies; for example in the United States of America. It has also attracted criticism and suppression from theocratic states, and organised religions – for supposed competition with, or heterodoxy within the Fraternity.

Because of the private nature of its rituals and activities, Freemasonry has long been suspected by both Church and State of engaging in subversive activities. Due to the appearance of secrecy, and the possibility it might be implicated in rebellion, Freemasonry inserted into its core ritual a formal obligation to be a quiet and peaceable citizens, true to their lawful government of the country in which they live and not to countenance disloyalty or rebellion. A Freemason makes a further obligation, before being made Master of his lodge, to pay a proper respect to the civil magistrates. Examples of these obligations are found in Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor, of 1866.

In modern democracies, Freemasonry is sometimes accused of being a sort of club, or network, where political influence and illegal business dealings take place. In 1826, William Morgan disappeared in the US, after threatening to expose Freemasonry's secrets. His disappearence caused some to claim that he had been murdered by Masons. No evidence was ever brought forward, however. In Italy, the illicit and irregular P2 lodge has been investigated. In the wake of financial scandals that nearly bankrupted the Vatican Bank in the late 1970s, there is suspicion of involvement in murders, including the head of Banco Ambrosiano, Roberto Calvi. He was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge in London, England. The trial of some of Calvi's alleged killers began in the autumn of 2005. In Nice, France, the head prosecutor has accused some judges and other judicial personnel of deliberately stalling or refusing to elucidate cases involving Masons. The UK Labour Government atempted, in the 2000s, to require all members of fraternal organisations who are public officials to make their affiliation public. This was challenged under European Human Rights legislation, forcing the Government to curtail the scope of their requirments.

Perhaps influenced by the assertion of Masons that many political figures in the past 300 years have been Masons, Freemasonry has long been the target of conspiracy theories, which see it as an occult and evil power. Often associated with the New World Order and other "agents", such as the Illuminati - the fraternity is seen, by conspiracy theorists, as either bent on world domination, or already secretly in control of world politics. One of the major religious objections to Freemasonry brought up by many mainstream Christian churches is the charge of Syncretism and that the religious aim of Freemasonry is the creation of a new 'super' or 'universal' religion created by combining various deities and teachings, many of which are pre-Christian.

In general, there are two doctrinal objections to Freemasonry made by established Christian denominations:

• The non-dogmatic nature of Masonry is seen as being at odds with the claims of Christian exclusivity.

• The esoteric aspect of Masonic ritual is seen as being synonymous with Gnosticism; declared heretical and suppressed by the early Christian church.

However, Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it is not a religion, nor a substitute for religion. There is no separate "Masonic god", and there is no separate proper name for a deity in any branch of Freemasonry.

In the traditional Masonic obligations sworn by a candidate, he called severe physical punishment upon himself - should he ever reveal the secrets of Freemasonry to a non-Mason. By the early 1980s, the oaths had become quite problematic from a public relations standpoint, and many Masonic jurisdictions replaced them with oaths that excluded the traditional punishments - religating them to historical references unconnected to any obligation. The only real penalties that await a Freemason who behaves contrary to the rules of the fraternity are, (and always were), reprimand, suspension, or expulsion.

Freemasonry unfairly attracts criticism that it is charitable mainly to its membership. In fact, Freemasonry contributes far more to external charities, worldwide, than many sovereign countries - and far more than it distributes internally. It is also commonly held that individuals become Freemasons through invitation, patrimony, or other non-democratic means, but this is actually officially and explicitly deplored. An individual must ask freely and without persuasion to become a Freemason in order to join the fraternity.

While regular Masonry has always tended as much to rationalism as it does to mysticism, there are some groups, such as Rosicrucians, who may interpret Masonic ritual magically (or "hermetically"). This is their right as private Masons, given the fraternity's non-dogmatic stance, but is by no means indicative of the fraternity as a whole. However, the very existence of the possibility of hermetic interpretations within Masonry has led Anti-Masonic activists quote, for example, Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma to try to show Freemasonry as Satanic. Alternatively, the argument is made that because Pike claims the works of Plato and Philo were as divinely inspired as The Apocalypse of Saint John, and because Plato and Philo were pre-Christian pagans, and that all pagan beliefs are Satanic, therefore Pike and other Freemasons are Satan worshippers.

Freemasonry is non-dogmatic and constitutionally governed, since it is not a religion, and Pike's opinions are his own personal - and now somewhat outdated - interpretations. Most tellingly, Pike himself admits that his book is culled more from other sources than being his original work. Pike is but one commentator amongst many, and no one voice speaks for the whole of Freemasonry.

Contemporary challenges

Like many other fraternal organisations in the post-World War II era, Freemasonry in some districts of the United States, the UK and other jurisdictions has been losing members, through attrition, faster than it can replenish its rolls. In the United States, the average age of members is around 45. In Australia the average age is over 60. Television is the most likely cause for the decline of fraternal organisations, with men now more inclined to stay home after dinner. In contrast, the number of Masons is generally on the rise in South America and Continental Europe.

Many Grand Lodges in the U.S. have tried a variety of often-controversial measures to address declining membership, including "one-day" ceremonies of the three degrees for large groups of candidates (as opposed to individual degree conferrals taking months or years to complete), advertising on billboards, and even active recruitment of new candidates by members (as opposed to the tradition of considering only those who actively seek membership for themselves). Some Masons object to the traditions and principles of Freemasonry being diluted by these changes, feeling that the Fraternity has survived centuries of social change without changing itself; others cite a need for Freemasonry to modernize and make itself relevant to new generations.

Cultural references

• Rudyard Kipling used Masonic symbols and characters in some of his writings, most notably The Man Who Would Be King, which was later made into a film. Two adventurers are taken to be Masonic representatives of Alexander the Great.

• One of the main characters in Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado is a Freemason.

• One of the main characters in Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace becomes a Freemason.

• The plot of the opera "Die Zauberflöte" ("The Magic Flute") contains several references to Masonic ideals and ceremonies. Mozart and his librettist Emanuel Schikaneder were in the same Masonic "Lodge of the Nine Muses".

• Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion was a Freemason, as were the first five presidents of the Church: Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow.

• The Golden Dawn was a society founded by at least one Mason who also was a member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (a research and study group focusing on symbolic alchemy, the mystical kabbalah, tarot, and Christian Symbolism). The Golden Dawn was never a Masonically regular body, and was open to membership from non-Masons and women.

• The graphic novel From Hell by Alan Moore, (and the movie based upon it) - feature as their basic premise - a conspiracy theory linking "certain Freemasons" to the Jack the Ripper murders. The story is that "Freemason" Sir William Gull, the then British Royal Household's physician, covered up a child of Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence born to a Catholic shop girl - "by killing her, and all the women who knew about the baby". The story depends on the assumption that such figures as the Marquess of Salisbury, Sir William Gull and Sir Robert Anderson were Freemasons - but there is no actual record of their initiation into Freemasonry in any Lodge.

• Freemasons feature heavily in Robert Shea's and Robert Anton Wilson's satire, The Illuminatus! Trilogy.

• John Cleese, and other Cast members, portray spoof Freemasons in the How to recognise a Freemason sketch of the satire Monty Python's Flying Circus.

• The Freemasons are spoofed in an episode of The Simpsons as The Ancient Society of Stonecutters, a secret organisation that controls everything from NASA to the Academy Awards (thereby securing Steve Guttenberg's stardom).

• Dan Brown's novels, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Solomon Key draw heavily on supposed Masonic and Christian lore and symbolism.

• Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco also deals with Freemasonic themes.

• The Cremaster Cycle films by Matthew Barney use Masonic imagery.

• The plot of the 2004 movie National Treasure revolves heavily around the Freemasons and is somewhat unusual in that it depicts them in a benign light.

• In The Baron in the Trees Italian writer Italo Calvino includes Masonry lodges branching out into the lands of Ombrosa with the protagonist of the novel, Cosimo di Rondo, mysteriously and supposedly involved with them.

• Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris use Freemasonry in their series The Adept, most notably in The Adept Book Two: The Lodge of the Lynx, and in Kurtz's American Revolution historical novel Two Crowns for America, which links Freemasonry and Jacobitism.

• In John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden, the main character, Adam Trask, is mentioned as becoming a Freemason later in life.

Notes

1. ^ The Masonic Manual by Macoy, accessed November 11, 2005.
2. ^ Who is Prince Hall?, accessed November 14, 2005.
3. ^ Prince Hall Masonry Recognition details, Paul M. Bessel, accessed November 14, 2005
4. ^ UGLE: Is Freemasonry a religion?, accessed January 21, 2006.
5. ^ A History of Freemasonry by H.L. Haywood and James E. Craig, pub. ca 1927
6. ^ Ibid.
7. ^ Ibid.
8. ^ Ibid.
9. ^ Ibid.
10. ^ Revolutionary Brotherhood, by Steven C. Bullock, Univ. N. Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1996
11. ^ A Pragmatic Masonic History, by Leo Zanelli, accessed November 14, 2005.
12. ^ see Masonic U.S. Recognition of French Grand Lodges in the 1900s, Paul M. Bessel, accessed November 14, 2005.
13. ^ Ibid.
14. ^ Anderson's Constitutions, accessed November 14, 2005.

See also

• List of Masonic Grand Lodges
• Masonic Knights Templar
• List of Freemasons
• Gnosticism
• Pigpen cipher
• Taxil hoax
• Catholicism and Freemasonry
• Anti-Masonic Party
• Anti-Freemasonry
• Propaganda Due - The P2 Masonic Lodge Scandal
• Forget-me-not

Appendant bodies

• Scottish Rite
• York Rite
• Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners)

Organizations with Masonic affiliations

• Daughters of the Nile
• DeMolay International
• International Order of the Rainbow for Girls
• Tall Cedars of Lebanon
• Job's Daughters International
• Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America
• Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots
• National Sojourners
• Order of the Eastern Star
• The Philalethes Society

External links

• Web of Hiram
• PS Review of Freemasonry made by Freemasons for Free Masons
• History and philosophy of Freemasonry.
• Freemasonry, Seeking The Truth.
• James A. Garfield, "Memorials to Great Men Who Were Masons"
• Famous Freemasons
• A Page About Freemasonry - A comprehensive site, the world's oldest Masonic website
• Masonic Books On-Line Links to 15 Masonic related on-line books
• Hiram's Oasis Thousands of Masonic related pictures and images
• Webb's Freemason's Monitor — including the first three degrees
• Harun Yahya: Global Freemasonry This site contains an online book on freemasonry with many references (go to the 'Books' section and look for 'Global Freemasonry').
• Robert Macoy: The Masonic Manual — A pocket Companion for the Initiated
• Albert G. Mackey, M. D.: Symbolism of Freemasonry
• Masonic Art
• Masonic art & clip art
• The Real Secret of Freemasonry
• Freemasonry Watch an Anti-Masonic site.
• Discussion of Anti-Masonry
• Catholic Encyclopedia - Masonry (Freemasonry)

The Ritual of the 3rd Degree; Master Mason The Rite and a discussion