All the secrecy and initiation rituals of Freemasonry helped promote the “brotherhood of man,” an aspect made clearer by the overwhelmingly male membership of the Masons — women were only allowed recently, through off-shoot chapters (via Live Science). In the past, Masons were anti-monarchy and pro-republic and constitutional government, which explains why Founding Fathers such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were part of the shadowy club. This followed a shift away from stone masonry around the 17th century to a society of wealthy, educated gentlemen discussing the latest trends in philosophy, like a book club for morality. It was also the time when the society became entwined with Deistic beliefs, suggesting that the “Grand Architect of the Universe” was just that, a god-like being that created the world but has no further influence in its existence.

Masonic lodges, particularly the more traditional ones, struggle for morality in terms of membership, however. Many conventional lodges refuse to accept anyone who is not a white male, a struggle that continues to this day. Women and minorities run their own Masonic lodges, completely separated from the traditional bands of old white men. It’s a strange, archaic unwritten rule — while women were initially barred in the society’s original rules, there is nothing regarding race — that sours the Freemason’s modern reputation. With many rituals purely for show, and the meaning of their group’s many symbols up for debate, belief in the Masonic Code has become far from dogmatic. It is a place to meet and bond and promote brotherhood and charity — whenever it is convenient for members.