Freemasonry - Who are the Masons?

Freemasonry is an fraternal movement that origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. They share moral and metaphysical ideals, which include, in most cases, a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. There are approximately 5 million members worldwide, mostly in the United States and other English-speaking countries. With adherents in almost every nation where Freemasonry is not officially banned, it forms the largest secret society in the world. Jurisdiction is divided among autonomous national authorities, called grand lodges, and many concordant organizations of higher-degree Masons. Grand Lodges recognise each other through a process of landmarks and regularity. Organized locally in secret societies known as lodges, freemasonry attracted adherents in every major European state over the course of the eighteenth century. Freemasonry has been charged with corruption of public officials because of the oaths and promises they swear to keep amongst themselves, above all else. The Freemasonry has often been the target of conspiracy theories, which see it as an occult and evil power. Some conspiracy theorists see the Freemasonry as a fraternity within a fraternity, the higher Masonic degrees conceal the true nature of Freemasonry as a Satanic religion.