 We've all heard of them at one point in time or another. I'm referring to secret societies. You know the groups: The Freemasons, Skull and Bones, etc.
What is their purpose? What function do they service in the world? Do they actually decide what they think is best for the common folk? Are these societies even real? A secret society, by definition, covers a large range of membership organizations or associations that utilize secret initiations or other rituals and whose members often employ unique oaths, grips (handshakes), or other signs of recognition. Elements of secrecy may vary from a mere password to private languages, costumes and symbols. Secret societies are, by their very nature, are made up of persons presumably orientated toward similar aims and or goals. The ends usually manifest the characteristic that differentiates a given secret society from all others; that is to say, the ends are secret. Moreover, admission to membership almost always involves explicit obligation to preserve such secrecy, and penalties and violations are likewise explicitly stated. Secret societies would lose their reason for existence if secrecy were entirely abandoned. Many fraternal organizations, for example, maintained the secrecy of their rituals well into the 21st century, although, such as the case of college fraternities and sororities, these survived largely as formalities. Other academic societies- most notably, Yale University's Skull and Bones (remember I mentioned them) and other similar groups at other Ivy league schools- have traditionally guarded their secrets much more closely. In most instances, the core of the binding secrecy is to be found in the society's ceremonies. In many secret societies, the ceremony is cast in dramatic form and fashion and contains episodes taken from holy books, revered legends, and episodes thought to be of crucial historical importance. Let's ask former 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush about the ceremonies and secret rituals in the Skull and Bones since he was a member. We can't ask his father, the 41 st President George H.W. Bush since he passed away and was also a member of Skull and Bones. The Freemasons loom large in American history. Thirteen of the thirty nine who signed the U.S. Constitution were Masons. Founding Fathers like George Washington, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock all counted themselves as members of the fraternal order. But who are the Freemasons? The Freemasons can trace their routes to the Middle Ages in Europe when most craftsmen were organized into local guilds. Cathedral builders, by nature of their profession, had to travel from city to city. They identified one another via signs of their trade, like the builder's square and compass in Freemasonry's now iconic symbol. The earliest reference to the masons is in the Regius Poem, or Halliwell Manuscript, which was published in 1390, but Freemasonry, as we know it today, was founded in 1717, when four London lodges merged to form England's first Grand Lodge. Freemasonry quickly spread across Europe and to the American colonies. Freemasonry is not a religion, though members are encouraged to believe in a Supreme Being, or "Grand Architect of the Universe." Masonic temples and secret rituals have brought them into conflict with the Catholic Church. The Church first condemned the Freemasons in 1738 and has gone on to issue around twenty decrees against them. In 1985, Roman Catholic Bishops restated over 200 years worth of these strictures in the face of an increased number of Catholics joining the order of the Freemasons. The rituals around becoming a Freemason are shrouded in secrecy, but have entered the public imagination in film and TV and were even parodied on an episode of"The Simpsons". Membership to the Freemasons is open to all males over the age of 21, and women can join an associated group known as "The Order of the Eastern Star." The existence of these two secret societies is real and do exist to this day. Do they help or hinder humankind? Are there others that have shaped world politics? Possibly. As I always say. #QUESTIONEVERYTHING |
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