The lodge goat
Freemasons do not ride a goat in their lodges. It's a joke, perpetrated often by Masons themselves on nervous initiates.
Since at least the Middle Ages, the goat has been symbolic of the devil, and stories were circulated then of witches who called forth Satan, who came riding into town on a goat to take part in their blasphemous orgies. Then, as the Freemasons gained in popularity, detractors accused them of witchcraft, which is probably where the notion of initiates riding a goat came from.
It didn't help that some early ritual books from the fraternity referred to God as "God of All Things" and abbreviated it as G.O.A.T. That was quickly changed, and God is now referred to by Masons by the acronym G.A.O.T.U., for Grand Architect of the Universe.
Old catalogs from fraternal supply companies in the late 1800s actually offered mechanical goats for use in other fraternal organizations and "fun" degrees. As the golden age of fraternalism resulted in literally hundreds of other groups popping up in competition with the Masons, some were obviously less serious than others. Such items only served to perpetuate the myth that Masons and other fraternities required a goat-ride ritual for their initiations. Freemasonry never has.
Rest assured: There is no lodge goat. The degrees of Masonry are serious business to Freemasons, and there is no horseplay (or goatplay).
Freemasonry is a religion
Freemasonry is NOT a religion. You may often see the word lodge and temple interchanged when referencing masonic lodges/temples. In this context, the word temple simply means a place where meetings are held. It carries no religious connotation. The Fraternity of Freemasons is no more a religion than the Boy Scouts, Kappa Sigma or the Rotary Club
The Freemasons want to create a new world order and one world government.
This is an old myth that will probably never go away. It's rather absurd from a logical, organizational, practical and just about every other standpoint. Freemasons mostly plan barbeques, often with great difficulty
Freemasons Control Politics or Business
​Freemasonry has no political or commercial agenda.
Freemasonry does not engage in political activity, endorse parties, or interfere in business. Members are encouraged to follow the laws of their country and avoid political discussion within the Lodge
The Freemasons built a secret base on the moon.
This is entirely untrue. Although a few dedicated masons carried out a detailed survey of the lunar surface, the project was abandoned due to ridiculous costs and our goats kept floating away!
The Square and Compasses is probably the most recognisable symbol in Freemasonry and holds a special meaning to all its members. It is however often referred to as the Square and Compass which although sounds pretty much the same, there is a difference as follows...
It is these compasses used in architecture that Freemasons refer to and not this navigational compass
So when combined with the builders Square
you arrive at the Freemasons Square and Compasses
The bee has often been used as a symbol within Freemasonry referring to the great work that can be achieved by many joined in a common cause
In 1892, a Masonic building spread out over 22 floors used to be the world’s tallest building.
The Masonic Temple in Illinois, Chicago, was the tallest building in the world at the time it was built.
The term “on the level”, which was used to describe someone who is truthful and honest, was actually derived from Freemasonry, where the “level” symbolizes being straightforward and truthful.
Contrary to the beliefs of some, the aim of a Freemason isn't to be better than the next man...it's to be a better man than the one he was.
For each £1 raised by the MCF (Masonic charitable fund) £0.87-£0.90 goes to the charity, compared to £0.60-£0.80 of many other charities. We are able to achieve this due to lower admin costs and other associated fees.