Last night I met a guy at Halloween party who told me he was a Free Mason. He was hilarious and fit right in with my friend group. Upon asking him what the Free Masons are he just said “basically we’re a bunch of dudes who get together for pancakes on Saturday.”
I’ve also heard conspiracies about the group in the past, and I even had an ex coworker once tell me the Free Masons were a cult and were out to get him.
Anyone have any insights? The internet is not very helpful.
Even in anglophone countries I know several ostensible Catholics who are members (not really a secret society if they're all wearing the ring and using it as a dinner party brag)
'Not really a secret society', you say. Well I'll have you our masonic lodges often look like this https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/600x600/42149688_-mucu3xUwJvXPbJNpVso7AbICO26kGmFSPfvlpgsExY.jpg
Perfect stealth.
A catholic priest is not going to pull aside a freemason at a Sunday service and threaten to excommunicate them because more than likely that freemason is dropping 50 to 100 dollars in the collection basket every Sunday and doing civic work. Now its very unlikely a catholic priest, bishop, or cardinal is a freemason, but there are catholic priest, bishop, and cardinal freemasons and that's definitely kept secret.
Source: I know catholic freemasons, all of whom are small business tyrants but still, a car salesman is better than a nazi.