Conspiracies: Past and Present : The Freemasons

The Freemasons are not secretive like the other group who are often mentioned as promoting a New world order - the Illuminati
This group does actually exist and they do not hide it.

Who/what are the Freemasons?

The Freemasons are a brotherhood/fraternity of men under God. Their main purpose is to make good men better and practice the three 'principal tenets' of Masonry - brotherly love, relief and truth.

It is supposedly one of the oldest and largest 'fraternities' throughout the entirety of history. The bonds of friendship, compassion and brotherly love have survived some of the most dangerous military, religion and political disputes throughout the ages.

Freemasonry projects their beliefs through the actions of its members. Respectable citizens of their country of residence that conform to moral laws and those set out by the government they live under. This organization of men promotes charity and 'good works' that are suggested to be the 'world's greatest philanthropists.

"The mission of Masonry is the building of the ideal Temple and he who is a true Mason works to the plan of that Temple. He has to build himself and thereby contribute to the building of humanity. How to live is a problem each of us must solve."

They are divided across the world in 'lodges'. These Lodges are run like businesses with meetings, charity work, minutes, AGMs and other business elements.

Becoming a member only requires you to be: male, over the age of 18, belief in a Supreme being, a good moral character and that the individual must request to become a Freemason (not under anyone else's influence)

What do they do?

The Freemasons believe they are on a grand mission to better the world. Apart from the 3 tenets mentioned earlier, the Masons role is to:

Promote good ethics - such as honor, compassion and trust
Promote tolerance - including religious, ethinic, cultural, social and educational variations
Engage in personal growth - the pursuit of knowledge, spirituality, ethics and leadership
Carry out philanthropy - engage and donate to the community, also includes volunteering
Be a good member of your family - protect spouses, parents, siblings, children etc. and aid them whenever neccessary
Promote freedom - ensure liberty and the protection of the rights to freedom of speech, religion and expression

They carry all of these out by acting themselves. The Freemasons become shining lights in the community and aim to set the example which all can follow and hopefully achieve.

Notable Freemasons

Being far more open about membership, some notable Freemasons include:

Sir Winston Churchill - former English PM
Buffalo Bill - famous Indian scout
Gerald Ford - former US President
Edgar Hoover - former head of the FBI
Rudyard Kipling - English Nobel Prize winning writer
Mark Twain - famous American writer
Steve Wozniak - co-founder of Apple

Conclusion

The Freemasons are a real entity - and they do not hide it. Whether they engage in other secret activities which they do not like to mention we can not say. What is true is that the Freemasons appear (at the very least) to have good intentions. They do maintain a belief in the supernatural and a supreme being - but with their charitable work and good deeds, they appear to be aiding humanity as opposed to hindering its progress.