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.
@realeagle, I think you are on a trail there that many on this board will disagree with.
I tried to explain the other day WHY secrecy had to be imposed. It was to do with Roman Catholic Popes, and Kings, persecuting and killing those pesky Templars, or any other non-mainstream 'sect', for that matter - the first settlers to USA were running away from such persecution. As were the voortrekkers in South Africa.
Mostly, popes and kings went after Templars in an effort to cancel their excessive debts, BTW. The smearing, though. It's a bit like the Druids - native Brits - who even now, people believe the nonsense the Romans made up about them. [Insert Burning Man rituals].
I recently suffered a massive down-doot attack for broaching the subject of Freemasons. My research on the subject still hasn't confirmed anything otherwise, however. Even talking about Masons, had posters claiming that I was ignorant, etc.
I challenge those types to prove to me that all Masons have bad intentions. They can't. Or that somehow, diligence will turn sour, as people rise in the 'ranks' -- after all those years of 'pretending to serve the community'. The critics can't - the discourse becomes propaganda, so then, they say that all the good works 'on the ground' mean nothing, Which is ludicrous.
[insert screaming - downdoots incoming]
Meanwhile, USA was founded by Masons. Enlightenment-era, Christian, Masons.
The Dollar Bill even shows you that.
New York city is full of reminders.
Yes, there are bad apples in the mix. One cannot rule that out.