Can someone tell me? I seriously just don’t know anything about them except that it’s a society that’s secretive.
I had an older friend who was willing to sponsor me into the masons. From what he told me, it's just a social club for white dudes to make business contacts
That's exactly what it is. My grandfather and grandmother were grand master patrons/matrons of the Masonic Lodge & Eastern Star. It just felt like a weird almost adult bible study group with a little community aid mixed in, but 90% of the dudes in there are there for business connections.
I've got two friends who are freemasons (for which I gently mock them regularly, asking what new spells they've learned and such) and yeah, apparently that's almost entirely what it is. That and some spiritual stuff sprinkled on top. They could also sponsor me but I've no interest in that bullshit. Among other things, they have a strong hierarchical model (apparently at least one of my friend was the one required to bring all the food everytime due to being the newest member, for example; they also have "ranks" IIRC), and almost of their lodges refuse women. The friends in question also told me they also require you to believe in a "higher power" to join, though with a relaxed definition of what it is.
What these posters said, but also their whole role in onboarding the American ruling class got moved to the secret societies in the Ivy League schools so the Freemasons that exist now are at most a social network that will get you a job at someone's car dealership.
It is a secret society that promotes a spiritual development, usually tied to Christianity. You have to be invited to join and you are initiated gradually into the mysteries.
Freemasons (at least where I live) are recruited from the more respectable layers of society. They have lots of lawyers, business owners and high-ranking bureaucrats and very few workers.
In many places the spiritual part has taken a backseat in favour of more worldly matters and to many masons the spiritual stuff and the ceremonies are basically just larping. Instead the masonic lodge functions as a social club where these men (women are not allowed) can meet for a nice dinner away from their wives. As they belong to the higher layers of society masonry offers excellent networking opportunities and masons are known for helping each other out with their businesses and careers.
The secretive nature of masonry and the upper class membership has fueled many conspiracy theories. These theories are for the most part utter bollocks but there are exceptions, for instance Liberia was practically run from the masonic lodge in Monrovia for decades.
The secretive spiritual organisation outside of official church hierarchies has earned the masons many enemies in religious communities. Especially the Catholic church is vehemently opposed to it and I think you can still be excommunicated for being a mason.
I was once invited to join the masons BTW by this oldschool conservative guy I knew in college who noticed how interested I was in history. I respectfully declined the offer.
for instance Liberia was practically run from the masonic lodge in Monrovia for decades.
Excuse me...what?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonic_Order_of_Liberia?wprov=sfla1
The Grand Lodge of Liberia was founded in 1867. By the 1970s there were 17 subordinate lodges and the majority of Liberia's high-ranking officials were Masons. Matters of state were widely believed to have been decided from within the lodges. Being a Mason was a veritable prerequisite for positions of political leadership in the True Whig Party. Liberia's Masons were criticized for their influence as well as for the exclusion of indigenous Liberians from their ranks.
Many lodges do accept women, mostly the French descended ones that changed the rules in the 1790s. Knew a guy who was both a very conservative Catholic and a Mason (yes that's still grounds for excommunication). Which is kind of like being a Buddhist drug lord.
I think today it is mostly supposed to work through the individual faith of the excommunicated. The famous Catholic guilt you've heard so much about. Those who are excommunicated are supposed to feel bad that the church is angry at them so they will confess their sins and repent so they can be let back into the church.
If on the other hand you think catholicism is a load of bollocks and only belong to the church by accident of birth there's isn't much the church can do about it. They might deny you sacraments but why would you want those in the first place if you don't believe in it? For the ex-catholic an excommunication can only be a minor nuisance like not being able to get married in Catholic churches or like the more zealous of local practicing catholics thinking you have been very naughty.
It's a club for boring WASPy dudes to pretend like they're interesting by having secret handshakes and "mystical knowledge" and shit
As I understand it, they're basically like a Lion's Club or Elk Lodge but with a bunch of secret mysticism tacked on. Apparently it's really easy to join, you just have to ask, and be willing to say you believe in some kind of God (and I think you have to be male, too, not entirely sure about that though). A ton of really influential people in the early days of America were freemasons, so the social parts of the meetings back then probably involved a lot of influence trading and whatnot, but that's pretty much the full extent to which the conspiracy claims are in any way accurate, from what I understand. I'm no expert though, so others can correct me if I've gotten anything wrong.
Yeah that's basically it. Powerful people are attracted to secret societies because they're good place to do business.
There have been some major conspiring ran out of Masonic lodges. The colonization efforts in Liberia largely traces back to their lodge. GLADIO operated out of the P2 Masonic lodge in Italy. I remember reading that the human trafficking operation during the Dutroux Affair connected back to Masonic lodges.
But most freemasons are unaware of this.
It's different from place to place. In Denmark you have to be a Christian and women are not allowed.
There's honestly so little about it that is "secretive". Masons wear their masonic rings in the open and have Masonic bumper stickers. Even their rituals are published in books. There's no secrets apart from the means of identification.
My uncle talked about joining. He's recently become christian, more conservative and sexist á la "men and women can't be friends and gender roles are important" shit sucks
All I know is that my unassuming English hometown has a Masonic Hall and the building is pretty cool with a big ol wooden door
