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Freemasonry are an enigmatic society. They view themselves as a brotherhood of like-minded individuals that meet regularly. Conspiracy theorists see them as a secretive underground movement bent on world domination. In this article, many points are discussed such as where the organization was originated, the truth behind several conspiracy theories, and what really happens during Freemasonry rituals.

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George Washington was one. So were Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere and Henry Ford. All of these illustrious and influential men were Freemasons (or Masons) -- privileged members of the world's oldest and largest fraternity.

Though it boasts 5 million members worldwide, the Freemasons are an enigmatic society. Freemasons say they are nothing more than a brotherhood of like-minded individuals who meet regularly for spiritual and intellectual enlightenment. Conspiracy theorists see them as a secretive underground movement bent on world domination.

In this article, we'll take a look inside the world of the Freemasons. We'll discover where they originated, separate the truth from the conspiracy theories and find out what really goes on during their rituals.

Legends of Knights and Kings
Ask five different people for the origins of the Freemasons and you may get five different explanations. Some say they descended from the ancient Druids. Others link them to the Isis-Osiris cult in ancient Egypt. Still others claim they were an order of Jewish monks called the Essenes, who formed in the 2nd century B.C.

According to some Masonic scholars, the Freemasons trace their roots to the building of King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem in 967 B.C., an event which was described in the biblical Book of Kings. In the story, the builders of the temple were the original stonemasons, and the forefathers of today's Freemasons. The legend centers on the master builder-a man named Hiram Abiff-who claimed to know the secret of the temple. One day, three men kidnapped Abiff and threatened to kill him if he didn't reveal that secret. When he refused to talk, Abiff was murdered. After learning of the killing, King Solomon ordered a group of Masons to search for Abiff's body and bring back the secret of the temple. The men were unsuccessful, so the King established a new Masonic secret. His secret is believed to be the word "Mahabone," meaning "the Grand Lodge door opened," which is now the password used to enter the third degree of Masonry.

We'll look at the relationship between the Freemasons and the Knights Templar in the next section.

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George Washington was one. So were Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere and Henry Ford. All of these illustrious and influential men were Freemasons (or Masons) -- privileged members of the world's oldest and largest fraternity. Though it boasts 5 million members worldwide, the Freemasons are an enigmatic society.

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Freemasonry is considered one of the most secretive and controversial religious groups in the world. This group has existed for centuries. Having passed down traditions and secrets from one generation to the next, it can be seen as difficult to know what is practiced and what isn’t. In this article, the top 10 Freemasonry secrets are discussed.

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The Freemasons are one of the most secretive and controversial religious groups in the world. Masons have existed for centuries - and if we are to believe their claims, they've existed covertly for even longer. Whatever their history, speculation has always been an enjoyable pastime - and this is especially true in the case of the Masons' more scandalous secrets. Having passed down traditions and secrets from one generation of initiates to the next, they make it difficult to know what's outdated and what's still practiced. Consider these ten masonic activities as provisional facts - we don't know for sure, but it's always an interesting exercise to imagine what might be going on behind our backs.

Freemasons are commanded not to testify truthfully when another Mason is on trial. They admit that it may be perjury, but to them, it is a far greater sin to not protect one of their own.

Though some members deny it to the public, the Freemasons have at least one secret masonic handshake. Supposedly, there are even phrases a Freemason can utter when facing grave danger - causing other members to rush to their aid. The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, is said to have uttered this phrase in the last moments before his death.

This is one of the best-known facts about the Masons, but the general perception is that they have just one password. In fact, there are several passwords for various occasions and reasons. As the one person with the final syllable for the ultimate secret word was murdered, they substituted "mor-bon-zi" for this word, and only very few people know the actual secret word. This secret word is used only for ceremonies: "tu-bal-cain" is the more common secret password, on the tip of every Freemason tongue.

The initiation rituals- though described by Masons as beautiful ceremonies - include a noose. It's hard to tell whether this is meant as a threat, a call to maintain silence, or simply as the symbol of an umbilical cord (as they claim), but in any case, it's unusual enough to warrant a mention.

Freemasons believe that the east symbolizes rebirth. They sing the sun in its flight - marvelling at its passage through the sky. Masonic lodges tend to be built in the east and in the west, as an attempt to control solar power for their own purposes.

It's impossible to become a Freemason if you're an atheist. The first requirement is that potential members must believe in a higher power of some sort. They claim not to care what higher power that is, but you must define it for yourself. You can lie about it, but religion seems to be a point of honor among them. On the other hand, traditionally excluded groups - such as gay men - are included in Masonry, so long as they behave in the same moral manner as other groups. The temple still excludes women, but some groups are currently challenging that fact.

The official corruption of Masonry is well-documented, but often covered up. Half a million Masons in England are disproportionately involved in banking, politics, and government. Even hospitals and universities are often controlled by the Masons.

If you've ever looked closely at the US dollar bill, you've probably seen the All-Seeing Eye above the pyramid. This symbol is a Freemason symbol, and the Latin underneath is a Freemason motto, meaning "new world order". Many say that the decision to include this masonic symbol was not influenced by Freemasons - Benjamin Franklin being the only Mason on the design committee - but the coincidence remains fascinating all the same.

Breivik - responsible for the 2011 mass murder in Norway - was a member of the Lodge of St. Olaf in Oslo. He was promptly excluded - but his degree of involvement within the organization is open for debate.

Some say that Masons have an agenda to take over the world - but some Masons seem to have their sights set on the moon. Astronauts in the Apollo program - including Buzz Aldrin - were self-professed Masons. Their rite flags have been to the moon and back, and Aldrin seems to have claimed the moon for his Masonic lodge in Texas.

Some of these strange and scandalous secrets of the Freemasons are obviously urban legends, and should be taken with a grain of salt; but others seem to contain a degree of truth. One thing's for certain - Masonry is by no means an outdated cult. It still has many active members who seem to be working for some purpose - even if we can't all agree on what that is.

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Top 10 Scandalous Freemason Secrets - Listverse

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The Freemasons are one of the most secretive and controversial religious groups in the world. Masons have existed for centuries - and if we are to believe their claims, they've existed covertly for even longer. Whatever their history, speculation has always been an enjoyable pastime - and this is especially true in the case of the Masons' more scandalous secrets.

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Freemasonry consists of over six-million members worldwide, and despite being in its fifth-century the group remains shrouded in mystery. The one thing that is public about freemasons is their member list, and some of the most powerful people in the world were at one time part of the club. Here is a list of people that took the secret vow.

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Including one third of the U.S. presidents.

wikipedia commons
Freemasons have over six-million members worldwide, and despite being in its fifth-century the group remains shrouded in mystery.

The one thing that is public about the masons is their member list -- and some of the most powerful people in the world were at one time part of the club.

The following is a list of 13 powerful members -- some living, some not -- who took the secret vow.

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Including one third of the U.S. presidents. Freemasons have over six-million members worldwide, and despite being in its fifth-century the group remains shrouded in mystery. The one thing that is public about the masons is their member list -- and some of the most powerful people in the world were at one time part of the club.

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This is what freemasonry is in reality. There are many more levels of freemasonry, but this is the simplified version of those levels. The SmartArt allows anyone to have a much further understanding of the different levels of freemasonry.

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This is a picture from the first Freemason meeting after
World War 2 with guests from USA, France, and Czechoslovakia taken in 1948.
This is an important moment in freemason history because this was longest time
that the free masons had not been able to come together.

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This is the Square and Compasses, and is the single most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. Both the square and compasses are architect’s tools and are used in Masonic ritual as emblems to teach symbolic lessons. The “G” in the center is interpreted to stand for God, and is to remind Masons that God is at the center of Freemasonry.

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Within this video it gives a little bit of insight as to what the Free Mason society entails. Groups of Free Masons meet in what they call Lodges all around the world. The video also works as promotion as to the good deeds and benefits of being within the society.

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What's It All About? – what it means to be a Freemason

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A short film outlining the fundamental values of what it means to be a Freemason.

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In this video it shows former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal showing off a ring that has a symbol that looks similar to the Free Mason picture within our first post. Shaq plays coy saying it is apart of his profession until he is asked if he is a Mason.

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Shaquille O'Neal brags that he's a real Freemason and shows off his enormous Masonic ring on national Television, saying "You don't know anything about my profession." Subscribe to http://www.YouTube.com/MarkDice http://www.Facebook.com/MarkDice http://www.Twitter.com/MarkDice Check out The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction in paperback on Amazon.com, or e-book on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, or Google Play.

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This videos gives a brief description and history of Free Masonry. The history described goes into details about previous presidents that were Free Masons as well as what is known about the origin of the society.

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This documentary provides insights into Freemasonry. Although Freemasonry claims to not be a religion, documentary evidence proves otherwise. In fact, Masonic literature and doctrine exposes Freemasonry as a Luciferian religion. Lucifer is the 'god' of Freemasonry. (Albert Pike, Morals & Dogma). Albert Pike also reveals that the initiates of Freemasonry at the lower degrees are in fact deceived.