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Freemasonry is a fraternal organization,
existing in various forms worldwide, whose membership has shared moral and
metaphysical ideals and in most of its branches requires a constitutional
declaration of belief in a Supreme Being.
Freemasonry is administratively organized
into Grand Lodges (or sometimes Orients) that govern a particular jurisdiction
made up of subordinate (or constituent) Lodges. Grand Lodges recognize each
other through a process of landmarks and regularity. There are also appendant
bodies, which are organizations related to the main branch of Freemasonry, but
with their own independent administration.
Freemasonry uses the metaphors of operative
stonemasons' tools and implements, against the allegorical backdrop of the
building of King Solomon's Temple, to convey what is most generally defined as
"a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by
symbols."
While it has often been called a "secret
society", it is more correct to say that it is an esoteric society, in that
certain aspects are private. From many quarters, Freemasons have stated that
Freemasonry has, in the 21st century, become less a secret society and more of a
"society with secrets." The private aspects of modern Freemasonry are the modes
of recognition amongst members and particular elements within the
ritual.
While there have been many disclosures and
exposés dating as far back as the eighteenth century, these often lack the
proper context for true understanding of the content, may be outdated for
various reasons, or could be outright hoaxes on the part of the author, as in
the case of the Taxil hoax.
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