Many things have been published about the Masons, much of it distorted or just downright wrong. I had been interested in what is called "The Craft" since I was a small boy, and often I would see men wearing dark suits going to the local lodge building, or Temple, carrying their briefcases. I was intrigued as are a lot of people at these men, and what they did.

As time passed and I grew older, I developed an interest in history. My main interest was in the legends of the grail, and the Knights Templar. I was amazed when after studying for a while, that the Masons were in some way linked to the Templars and I vowed to find out more. I read more and more and after a while I was surrounded by tales of derring do and secret digging missions in the Holy Lands.

It has been widely suggested that the freemasons are members of a Secret Society. This is not strictly true. Although there are secrets, they are more concerned with the forms of recognition that are used to identify each other. Nothing sinister in in, peculiar granted, but not sinister. In the UK, the Masons have had a hard time. They had been let down by members who had through their association with each other, been caught or implicated in breaking the law. Kenneth Noye, the man who is currently suspected of being involved in the M25 Road Rage murder, was a Mason. He was previously involved in the Brinx Matt bullion robbery and a police officer in the grounds of Noye's home was killed by having a garden fork plunged into his chest. Noye was expelled from the Craft, but people being people, they tarnish all Masons accordingly.

Freemasonry itself. It is said that Masonry is based upon the working of the ancient operative stonemasons who built the great cathedrals and castles of the middle ages. This is the view extolled by the United Grand Lodge of England, but as they freely admit, they do not speak for all masons. It is my view that modern Freemasonry certainly has links with the operatives, but I believe the history of it goes much further back.

It works to help men in improving their standards and morals through using allegorical plays. An explanation? Certainly. The use of stories with a moral ending or drawing similarities in your life to the working tools of a Mason. Levels, Squares etc etc. There are a series of these stories, in Craft Masonry there are three. There are further degrees that can be taken, however these are not part of Craft masonry and UGLE does not have anyting to do with them. One of these side degrees is known as the Knights Templar, you can probably see where this is going.

To become a masonic Knight Templar you need to meet certain requirements. You need to be a Master Mason (explained later), you need to be a member of the Royal Arch, and you need to be a Christian. This final one is different from craft masonry, as anyone is welcome to join, whatever their religion. As long as they express a belief in a supreme being. It has long been believed that Catholics are not allowed to be masons. This is incorrect, in fact several of the Grand Masters in Freemasonry were Catholic. The problem lies with the Catholic Church itself, the Pope issued a Papal Bull decreeing that Catholics who join the Craft are in a state of grave sin and may not recieve communion. This is a great shame as really there is nothing in Freemasonry that is incompatible with Christian beliefs.

The three levels of craft masonry are as follows.
1. Entered Apprentice
2. Fellow Craft
3. Master Mason