[[Image:Mason.jpg|right]]
'''Freemasonry''' is a [[fraternity|fraternal]] organization, that is, an organisation for men, with a worldwide membership of around 3 million. Local branches are called 'lodges', and the members meet together and perform rituals teaching moral truths, similar to short plays, based on [[Bible|Biblical]] imagery mostly concerned with the building of [[Solomon]]'s temple in [[Jerusalem]].

Perhaps the best-known Freemasons are the [[Shriners]], who raise funds for children's hospitals and other charities.

Membership dues can vary widely between jurisdictions and individual lodges. Meals are often eaten before or after meetings. Lodges also frequently raise money for [[charity]].

== Beliefs ==
The central tenets of Freemasonry are:
*Brotherly Love - the regard men have for each other;
*Relief - relieving the necessities and destitution a man sees around him (charity);
*Truth - being true to himself, his brother Masons, and others around him.

The most recognisable symbol of Freemasonry is the "Square and Compass," which is used to teach, respectively, "square conduct towards others" and "keeping passions and prejudices within due bounds".

For most jurisdictions of Freemasonry there is a rule that the members must believe in a [[god]] or supreme being and in the immortality of the soul. In Masonry, the supreme being is sometime called "The Great [[Architect]] of the [[Universe]]," or abbreviated by the acronym G.A.O.T.U.; a term that is said to be traceable back to the Christian theologian, [[John Calvin]]. However, as founder of the system of Christian theology now known as [[Calvinism]], Calvin's definition of the G.A.O.T.U. is the biblical definition of the triune God (God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit.

Contrary to popular belief, Freemasons are not taught to 'prefer' other Masons or to do them special favors. They are pledged, however, to come to the assistance of other Masons if they are in need, so long as this does not involve any violation of one's ethical standards or imperil the well-being of the assisting Mason's family.

== Degrees ==
Standard Freemasonry is divided into three degrees:
*the first is called Entered Apprentice,
*the second is Fellow Craft, and
*the third is Master Mason.

Progressing through the degrees traditionally involves memorization. After the third degree a Freemason may go on to other Masonic bodies such as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and the York Rite. These are considered to be branches of Freemasonry, never "higher" or superior degrees above that of Master Mason.

== History ==
There is little known for certain about the beginnings of Freemasonry. Masonic legends claim various theories about its origins, including some considered, even by Masons, to be improbable. Certainly, lodges of "operative" Freemasons (men who worked stone and built with it) were formed around the major religious and civil work places during the [[Middle Ages]] in [[Europe]] and the British Isles. These lodges were early societies or [[guild]]s for the craftsmen, and places where an apprentice could be taught. The lodges also instilled moral teaching. When a man moved to another site he took special symbols, signs, and handshakes that were recognisable to the senior masons and formed a means of recognition of his standing in the wider society of masons. Over time, non-masons learned of the moral teaching and social atmosphere of the lodge and were admitted as non-operative or "speculative" masons. (However, some claim that the lodges first started with the ancient Hebrews or with [[Pythagoras]] or [[Euclid]], both ancient [[Greece|Greek]] geometers. This is supposed to explain Masonry's emphasis upon geometric symbolism.)

In 1717 four lodges met together at a public house (pub, or hotel) in [[London]] and formed the Grand Lodge of [[England]]. It later chartered grand lodges in other countries.

== Famous Freemasons ==
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Living/active Masons:

*[[Neil Armstrong]], American Astronaut
*HRH The [[Duke]] of [[Kent]], Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England since 1967, cousin of both [[Queen]] [[Elizabeth II]] and her husband, [[Prince Philip]], (1935-)
*[[Sam Hornish Jr]], 2006 Indianapolis 500 champion, three-time Indy Racing League champion, (1979-)
*Major [[General]] Sir [[Michael Jeffery]], [[Governor-General of Australia]], (1937-)
*[[Kermit W. Richardson]], National Master (President) - National Grange
*[[John Glenn|John H. Glenn]], Pilot, Astronaut and US Senator (1921-)

Historically well known Masons:
*Sir [[John J.C Abbott]], [[Prime Minister]] of [[Canada]] (1821-1893)
*Sir [[Joseph Banks]], naturalist, biologist, explorer (1744 - 1820)
*[[Frédéric A. Bartholdi]], French sculptor best known for his figure ''Liberty Enlightening the World'', aka the [[Statue of Liberty]], (1834-1904)
*[[Robert Burns]], Scottish nationalist, poet (1759 - 1796)
*Sen. [[Robert Byrd]], the longest-serving member of the US Congress
*Lord [[Randolph Churchill]], British statesman (1849 - 1895)
*Sir [[Winston Churchill]], British politician (1874 - 1965)
*Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], author ([[Sherlock Holmes]]) (1859 - 1930)
*[[W.E.B. DuBois]], Scholar and co-founder of the [[NAACP]] (1868-1963)
*[[Geoffrey Fisher]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] (1887 - 1972)
*Sir [[Alexander Fleming]], medical doctor (Penicillin) (1881 - 1955)
*[[Gerald R. Ford]], US President
*[[Henry Ford]], automotive executive
*[[Richard J. Gatling]], engineer and inventor (1818-1903)
*Sir [[William S. Gilbert]], poet/libretist (Gilbert and Sullivan) (1836 - 1911)
*Dr [[Edward Jenner]], medical doctor (wound sterilisation) (1749 - 1823)
*Admiral Ernest J. King, Commander-in-Chief - US Fleet 1941, Chief of Naval Operations 1942-1945, (1878-1956)
*[[Rudyard Kipling]], author (1865 - 1936)
*Gen. [[Robert E. Lee]], leader of the Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate States of America.
*[[Charles A. Lindbergh]], American aviator (1902-1974)
*General [[Douglas MacArthur]], US Chief of Staff (1880-1964)
*Dr. [[Parker Paul McKenzie]], Kiowa Indian, linguist, grammarian, educator (1897-1999)
*[[Franz Anton Mesmer]], 'mesmerist' (hypnotist), psychologist (1734-1815)
*[[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], musical composer (''[[The Magic Flute]]'' contains many Masonic references) (1756-1791)
*LtGen [[Herman Nickerson]], Jr, USMC, Commander of I-Corps theater of operations in Vietnam
*Admiral [[Robert E. Peary]], polar explorer (1856-1920)
*[[Aleksandr Sergeyvich Pushkin]], Russian poet and author (''Boris Gudunov'') (1799-1837)
*Sir [[Cecil Rhodes]], African entrepreneur (1852 - 1903)
*[[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]], US President
*Sir [[Walter Scott]], British historical novelist and poet (1771 - 1832)
*[[Red Skelton]], actor, comedian (1913-1997)
*[[Joseph Smith]], founder of the Mormon Church (1805-1844)
*Sir [[Arthur Sullivan]], composer (Gilbert and Sullivan) (1842 - 1900)
*[[Anthony Trollope]], British novelist (1815 - 1882)
*[[Harry S Truman]], US President
*[[Robert Pershing Wadlow]], tallest man on record (1918-1940)
*Lieutenant General [[George Washington]], US President (1732-1799)
*Field Marshal 1st [[Duke of Wellington]] (1769 - 1852)
*[[William Charles Wentworth]], Australian explorer and editor of first newspaper in Australia (1790-1872)
*[[Darryl F. Zanuck]], movie maker (1902-1979)

== Women and Freemasonry ==
Women are accepted into the social events surrounding Freemasonry.

An organisation for women associated with Freemasonry is the [[Order of the Eastern Star]], and Freemasons may attend their meetings.

=== Irregular Freemasonry including women ===
There are some branches that also accept women ("Co-masonry") and a few exclusively for women. These are not considered "regular" by Freemasons, and men can be expelled from their lodges if they are known to have attended meetings of these so-called "clandestine" organisations.

== External links ==
*[http://www.freemasonry.org/ The Philalethes Society]
*[http://www.ugle.org.uk Grand Lodge of England]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm Masonry] Catholic Encyclopedia.
*[http://www.masonicforum.ro/en/nr19/jackson.html World Conference of Grand Masters]
*[http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/thomas_paine/origin_free-masonry.html Origin of Free Masonry] Historical Documents: Thomas Paine

[[category:European History]]