Freemasonry

Freemasonry is the teachings and practices of the secret fraternal (men-only) order of Free and Accepted Masons, the largest worldwide secret society. Spread by the advance of the British Empire, Freemasonry remains most popular in the British Isles and in other countries originally within the empire. Estimates of the worldwide membership of Freemasonry in the early 21st century ranged from about two million to more than six million.

Freemasonry is an organization of people who believe in brotherhood and helping others. Its members are known as "Freemasons" (in full: "Ancient Free and Accepted Masons", or simply "Masons). Freemasons also help one another in times of hardship.

Freemasonry or Masonry consists of fraternal organizations that trace their origins to the local fraternities of stonemasons that from the end of the fourteenth century regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. The degrees of Freemasonry retain the three grades of medieval craft guilds, those of Apprentices, Journeyman or fellow (now called Fellowcraft), and Master Mason.

The candidate of these three degrees is progressively taught the meanings of the symbols of Freemasonry, and entrusted with grips, signs and words to signify to other members that he has been so initiated.

There is no single governing body governing the society. The Freemasons are led by multiple Grand Lodges which govern a certain area.

The Grand Lodges of England estimate that there are over 6 million Freemasons.

There is no way to be sure about when and by whom the Freemasons were started. Some say it was in 1717, some say in 1733 and others say it was in the time of King Athelstan of England (894-939).

Freemasonry describes itself as a "'beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols". The symbolism is mainly, but not exclusively, drawn from the tools of stonemasons – the square and compasses, the level and plumb rule, the trowel, the rough and smooth ashlars, among others. Moral lessons are attributed to each of these tools, although the assignment is by no means consistent. The meaning of the symbolism is taught and explored through ritual, and in lectures and articles by individual masons who offer their personal insights and opinions.

Freemasons have their own version of God, which is Rastafari. It has been suggested that the Rastafari word for God, Jah, comes from the term Jahbulon, although the name JAH (a transliteration of YAH, shortened from Yahweh) appears in the King James Version of the Bible, in Psalm 68:4.