Freemasonry

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Freemasonry is a spiritual organization that uses an initiatory system of degrees to explore ethical and philosophical issues. Membership is limited to men aged 18 or older, who believe in a supreme being. There are Masonic related organizations that are open to both males and females. The Masonic Order views itself not as a secret society but as a society with secrets.

1 The Connection to the Knights Templar
2 Founding Fathers and Freemasons
3 Novels and Movies with Masonic Themes
4 Masonic and Related Organizations
- 4.1 Organizations Limited to Freemasons
- 4.2 Organizations Not Limited to Freemasons
5 See Also
6 References

The Connection to the Knights Templar

Some historians and authors have tried to draw a link from Freemasonry and its many branches to the Knights Templar, with some Masonic groups claiming a direct descent from them. Author John J. Robinson makes a case for the Templar/Freemason connection in his book Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry ISBN 978-0871316028.

Founding Fathers and Freemasons

Freemasonry played a major role in the founding of the United States, with many Founding Fathers being Freemasons, including such notables as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The cornerstone to the U.S. Capitol was even laid by Washington in a Masonic ceremony.

Novels and Movies with Masonic Themes

Dune

According to the Masonic writer Hal Siemer, in the novel Dune, by Frank Herbert, the order of the Bene Gesserit is a play on 'bene Jesuit,' which is Latin and English combined for 'good Jesuit,' a term often used sarcastically. The name Fremen plays on Freemason, and the use of the color blue in the Fremen's eyes is representative of the Blue Lodge, which is the primary organization in Freemasonry. Also, the Jesuits and Freemasons have a long history of political rivalry, which is a parallel to the Bene Gesserit and Fremen connection.