Freemasonry: The Naked Truth

Alert also means not being taken in by anti-Masonic literature, which must be almost as abundant as books praising the benefits of Freemasonry. Ever since its creation in the 18th century, Freemasonry has regularly given rise to fantasies about the power of Freemasons and about their organization. If you take a look at the Wikipedia page on Anti-Masonry, you will discover all sorts of stories about this phenomenon.[1] We do not, however, believe that we risk being lynched or having our throats cut because we are Freemasons these days.

 If we list all the anti-Masonic acts that have been perpetrated over the past four centuries, we would probably end up with an encyclopaedia. But, in France, beyond some anti-Masonic slogans on the pavements of the Grand Orient of France in Paris, and a few Temples ransacked by some irresponsible people who imagine that Freemasons use them to organise satanic meetings, very few Brothers or Sisters have been physically molested. The violence we see in football clubs is much fiercer. The conflict in companies, where competition can be very violent, is just as bad.

Should Freemasonry be alert to public opinion and claim to be a victim? Our answer is a definite no. The best way to deal with this kind of problem is to improve our communication channels and better inform the general public of the positive aspects of our Art, rather than stigmatizing certain communities for their attacks. The short-term effects will be much more beneficial for all concerned.

So, we do not really believe that we will be martyrs to the cause. However, some obsessive people develop a fixation on a Masonic plot. One example in France is Morgan Priest, who even devotes a YouTube Channel to it. We invite you to check it out, if you understand French.[2] He claims to have been initiated into Freemasonry and elevated to the rank of Companion in the Grand Mixed Lodge of Memphis Misraim. According to him, Freemasons are dangerous Satanists. Franck also happens to be a member of this Obedience. He decided to check the past records of membership for the past fourteen years... and found no trace of the name of this person.

Franck actually keeps a close watch on anti-Masonic sites. It is useful from time to time to learn what our critics say about us. It seems to him that many seem to be frustrated people who have found a niche that gives them visibility, such as Maurice Caillet[3], Pierre Gilbert[4], and Bill Schnoebelen[5]. But they do not seem to be dangerous or seditious. Similar examples can be found in other countries.