FREEMASONS
The actual origins of the Freemasons have been lost in time.
However, most scholars believe Freemasons arose from the guilds of stonemasons who built the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages.
Some of the oldest records mention Freemasons existing as early as 926 A.D.
It was in 1717 that Freemasons created a formal organization when four Lodges in London joined together to form Englands first Grand Lodge.
In the United States the first Masonic circles began to appear in 1733.
By the time of the American Revolution nearly 150 lodges existed throughout the colonies.
The Masonic ideals of tolerance, brotherhood and political liberty resonated in the institutions, documents and even the symbols which soon came to define the new American Republic.
Down through history the Freemasons membership has included some of the worlds most gifted and talented people :
George Washington, Paul Revere, Cpt. James Cook, Douglas MacArthur,
Lord Mountbatten,
Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company,
Barry M. Golwater, senator,
Charles Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotel chain,
Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader,
John H. Johnson, publisher Ebony and Jet Magazines,
J.C. Penny, department store founder,
Andre Citroen, founder Citroen Motor Car Co,
Sir Winston Churchill,
Alexander Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower,
James Smithson, founder Smithsonian Institute,
Sir Joseph Banks, Kew Gardens, London,
Frederick Bartholdi, Statue of Liberty,
Irving Berlin,
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Gilbert & Sullivan,
W.C. Handy,
Franz Haydn,
Jerome Kern,
Franz Liszt,
Wolfgang Mozart,
Hans Schuler,
Louis Armstrong,
Nat King Cole,
Duke Ellington,
Lionel Hampton,
and Al Jolson.
The Freemasons are the worlds most famous secret society.
A 400 year old organization whose influence is the subject of intense debate and a favorite subject of conspiracy theorists worldwide.
The Freemasons has an estimated 6 million worldwide members.
The first organized opposition to Freemasons came from the Roman Catholic Church.
Papal Bulls, official declarations and other pronouncements from the Vatican have condemned the order.
The Freemasons have a tolerant approach to the worlds various religions.
This contradicts the views of the Catholic church which seeks to destroy all other religeons.
Others feared the Masonic ideals of religious toleration and the notion of political liberty which percolated through 18th century culture through the Enlightenment.
Leading Enlightenment figures from Voltaire to D’Alambert were initiated into the lodges, along with scientists, writers, and freethinkers.
Even some clergy joined.
In 1739, Pope Clement condemned the order, and even into the twentieth century, the Vatican’s Code of Canon Law prohibited church follow
ers from joining Masonic Lodges.
Masonic Principles Include ...
Faith must be the center of our lives.
No one person has the right to tell another person what he or she must think or believe.
Each person has a responsibility to be a good citizen and obey the law.
It is important to work together to make the world a better place for all.
Honor and integrity are the keys to a meaningful life, and are far more valuable than worldy treasures.
Freemasons donate $2 million dollars each and every day to charity.
This has made possible the commitment of substantial assets to community welfare that include hospitals and homes for the aged.
These days a Freemason can travel to almost any country in the world and find a Masonic Lodge where he will be greeted and welcomed as a "Brother".
There are currently over 14,000 Masonic Lodges around the world.
Freemasons: A History and Exploration of the World's Oldest Secret Society
Paralumun New Age Village