First off as a masons, nothing I see posted about masons in any of the other answers is true. If you were high on LSD you could not come up with wilder fantasies.
Gee were did you get misinformed so badly? Probably one of the many websites that contains lies about Masons. Radical evangelical chritians have an agenda against the masons. most of it is completely unfounded. I was a mason for many years - - it does not worship satan (what a load of B.S.)
Masons are a usually a christian organization. BUT there are some lodges that follow other religions i.e. there could be a jewish lodge.
I was a Demolay. The precepts that we sore allegance to was to forgive others as Christ had forgiven us, to honor mothers and women as if they were our mother and sister. and to protect them with our lives if necessary. If you went to a baptist church would you say they worship a different God than a Lutheran church??
The truth is Mason got their traditions of secrecy because they were persecuted by the French King and Catholic church which sentanced them to death for heresy. (they dared to challege the pope as supreme leader and that people could have a direct relationship with God.) without the Masons, Martin Luther would have been put to death long before he ever nailed his doctrine to the church door.
The actually founding of the mason is usually attributed to the public lodges in Great Britian. But this was only the first time that the masons came out in publicly established organizations. Prior to that the masons were founded in the 13 century as secret organization. The secrecy was required becuase of persecution. The organization is from the knights templar. Most were killed and their lands taken by the french king and catholic church. But in scotland and england many of the knights went undergraound and escaped. From this the early masons were formed.
It is said that some of masonic traditions came from the Kabala. That is possible but remember there are plenty of christians that believe in the the practices of the Kabala. Jeweish temples still teach the Kababla. And Remember this, the masons are a Fraternal organization not a church. And it is not intend to replace church attendance. It is meant to be an organization that allows members to work together to produce good works. Their only religious requirement is that you believe in GOD.
Look at the Burn centers established and funded by the Shriners (a subgroup of the masons). Do you really think that people that are willing to devote their wealth and time to the aleiveate the suffering of children is something wicked. I am willing to bet that masons have given more money to save burned children that any church you ever went to gave to stop the suffering of people in your community.
They burned early masons at the stake. But they also burned Joan of Arc as well. Hate us if you like. But someday we will all stand before Jesus Christ and be judged.