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Secret Societies of Freemasons formed in the XVI-XVII centuries among medieval building guilds. Later, any educated people began to join them. The final date for the formation of Freemasonry is considered to be 1717, when the Grand Lodge of London was created.

Masons themselves consider themselves followers of the biblical builders of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. In some interpretations, their “pedigree” is from the knightly orders of the Templars or Rosicrucians. But, most likely, these opinions wrong.

The very name of the brotherhood going on from the French franc-maçon – “freemason”.

Throughout their existence, a lot of rumors and conspiracy theories have been circulating around Masonic societies. The halo of mystery, the structure of a closed club of the elite, specific rituals and symbolism contribute to this in many respects. Lifehacker has collected five such popular misconceptions.

1. Masonic Symbols Have a Secret Sinister Meaning

The “all-seeing eye” is depicted on American banknotes, and is the main symbol of conspiracy theories. Not the last role in this is played by his connection with freemasons.

What does this mysterious symbol mean? It’s simple: so in Christianity sometimes portrayed the triple nature of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For Freemasons, he embodies the Great Architect of the Universe – the universal divine essence, which freemasons worship.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the “all-seeing eye” can be was found on Catholic engravings and maps. On the dollar bill, this sign was placed by the artist Pierre du Simitiere, and he was not a Freemason. As conceived by the authors of American banknotes, this symbolized the divine patronage of the newly formed country, emphasizing its messianic role. The version of Benjamin Franklin, who was just a member of the lodge, did not contain the image of the “all-seeing eye” and was rejected.

The compass and square is another famous sign of freemasons. It is connected with their ideas about self-improvement: tools are metaphorically designate the fact that the initiate is obliged to work on himself daily, to develop self-discipline. Placed between them, the letter G can mean God (God) or geometry (Geometry) – the science most revered by Masons.

At the same time, one should not rely too much on specific interpretations of these symbols: even among the Masons themselves, they may vary, and the “discovery” of new meanings of old signs is considered a symbol of wisdom.

2. Freemasons Worship the Devil

Already in the 18th century, Masonic organizations hit banned in a number of countries, such as Holland and Sweden. Another active opponent of freemasons was the Roman Catholic Church.

In a number of encyclicals and bulls, the first of which, published in 1738, belonged to Pope Clement XII, Freemasonry was condemned as a dangerous sect. In particular, it was pointed out that the Freemasons worship Lucifer. Last similar document came out in 1983. In it, Catholics who were members of Masonic lodges were forbidden to perform Christian rites.

But despite the fact that the philosophical and ethical ideas of Freemasonry are hidden behind metaphors and allegories, they cannot be called Satanists. Esoteric views of Freemasons unite in itself biblical motifs, elements of ancient religious cults (for example, Egyptian, Jewish and Mayan), extraordinary theories about the emergence of mankind, writing and civilization, scientific knowledge.

All this is based on a kind of universalistic model of the world, described in building terms. Great importance is attached to symbols: geometric, religious, natural and others.

The interpretation of symbols and the search for relationships between them in the teachings of the Masons is somewhat reminiscent of numerological reasoning.

Masons believe in the existence of the Great Architect of the Universe, but refuse consider themselves a religious cult. In most lodges and organizations, belief in a higher power is mandatory, but it is not regulated or limited in any way. Freemason Maybe become a representative of any denomination.

It is not surprising that the Catholic Church considered such a different from the orthodox teaching to be a satanic heresy, spreading this belief among the general public.

Perhaps the demonic reputation of the Freemasons also contributed usage pentagrams as one of the symbols. But it, like the “all-seeing eye”, was not an invention of the Masons and spread among them only in the 19th-20th centuries.

3. Only powerful, rich and famous people can become Freemasons

Among the Masons, indeed, there were and are many famous personalities. One of the first freemasons became, for example, the ruler of the Netherlands and King of England William III of Orange. This list has since been expanded…