This is one of the most speculated questions among people who consider “freemasons” as a secret society. Like the question, the answers pertaining to this query also seem to be quite varied and obscure. To have a better understanding of this society and the nature of work people in this organization undertake, we should better look at the origin and the present status of this so called secret society.
Origin and Structure
Regarding its origin, freemasons is a fraternity organization that is believed to have abstruse roots dating back to late 16th and early 17th century. At present about 6 million people around the world claim to be member of this so called clandestine society, most of which hail from United Kingdom, nearly 2 million live in USA and many others are dispersed across the whole globe.
The society is administered by independent bodies called lodges or orients making their own jurisdiction. United Grand Lodge of England being a prominent one governs around quarter million people. There are subordinate lodges as well, but each body works independently. Usually, lodges recognize each other and follow common landmarks are called “regular”; and the ones that are not associated with each other are called “irregular” or “clandestine”.
Present Status
Freemasons society has been using symbols of operative stonemasons within its organization. It is this use of metaphors, which raises question for this society being secret. But rather than calling themselves a secret society, freemasons prefer to be called as an esoteric organization. Although freemasons have been referred to as a secret society in the past but truly in the 21st century it lacks this attribute. It is more of a “society with secrets” than a secret society itself as a secret society. Today freemason society comprise of people from broad range of religions like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and many others as it has no problem with the religion because it claims to be society which does not work on any particular religious principles. A freemason has to keep faith in a supreme being, which it may even conceive it as the god described in his or her religious book or what his or her conscience perceive it to be.
Still there are certain lodges that allow member to be from a particular religion. The prominent example of this is the freemasonry practiced in Scandinavia that accepts only Christian members.
Importance of Signs, Grips and Words
Signs and symbols play a central role in the freemasonry. Interestingly, special signs, tokens, grips and gestures are used by its members to gain access in its meetings and most importantly the legitimacy of being a freemason. These signs and tokens may not be similar in various grand lodges as they can adopt their own symbols and passwords. Usually, these lodges keep on changing the signs and passwords from time to time, so it becomes quite difficult for an outsider to intrude in this society. Nowadays, the visitors are required to produce the certificates, due card apart from showing the knowledge of signs and gestures.
The freemasons make use of symbols and signs of the medieval architectural tools of the masons in their rituals. These symbols even act as the medium of teachings in this society. Though these symbols don’t represent the actual meaning of their shape but they are meant to teach the ethics and morals through philosophical meanings of “truth, brotherly love and relief”. Inculcating the ethics and virtues in the personality is one of the core ideas of teachings of freemasonry.
Works of Freemasons
People speculate a lot about the works of the freemasons, but without proofs they are just conspiracies. Actually, what freemasons claim them regarding the working of this society is that, this society works to develop the human beings intellectually in order to serve the mankind. Freemasons are engaged in charity operations in the field of healthcare, education etc. as they donate billions of dollars in these areas annually. Use of signs and symbols in its organizational procedures is exactly what makes this society hidden from the world. Moreover, to keep the secrets of meetings or broadly speaking the society as a whole has attracted the attention of the world since its birth.
