Almost since their inception, the Freemasons have been a favorite target for conspiracy nuts.

No one except the Freemasons are exactly sure what the Freemasons do. They are a woldwide fraternal organization, whose members share a common belief in a Supreme Being (although not necessarily the same Supreme Being among all members). They are an esoteric society, and keep much of their rituals secret, but are also responsible for civic behavior and charity.

No one is exactly sure where the Freemasons come from. Various sources alleged them to be any and all of the following: an outgrowth of the medieval guilds of stonemasons; descendants of the "Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem" (the Knights Templar); offshoots of ancient mystical schools; the administrative arm of the Priory of Sion; the evolved descendents of the Roman Collegia; the Comacine masters; and/or the intellectual descendants of Noah. Much less accepted, although most likely more accurate, is that the Freemasons date back only to the late 17th century in England, and have no real connections to earlier organizations.

Do they rule the world? It seems unlikely.

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