I have a freemason lodge right across the street from me. They are Christians who invite all faiths to worship God with them, and do community service work. There is nothing nefarious about it.
The Freemasons are a long standing organization which our founding fathers were a part of. Why should I believe that Christians like George Washington and others were part of an evil organization when I can just believe that anti-Christian groups are trying to demonize Christians?
If some reddit neckbeard is telling me that a Christian group is evil and bad, I am far more likely to think that the reddit neckbeard is a far left Christian-hating liberal. Who are these people making these claims against the Freemasons, exactly?
The same demonizing is made about the Knights of Templar, which were Catholic-Christians who opposed mass immigration and organized to protect their homeland.
It's murkier than most let on. The bottom rungs are largely good people{though not all, another misnomer}.
The upper rungs have been usurped by the bad Masons (which originate from other sources), but over a long period of time. I believe there's always been different sects to it, and much like any organization that will accept human leadership, one tries to force the other into their way of doing things.
It appears for the past 125 years, the bad sect has had majority control.
My assessment as well. Just look at the roster of 20th century Freemasons.
Have heard it said that the org has been cleansed / purged in recent decades, but I remain skeptical.