Is it just a meme? Did they actually have an influence on history?

There was an anti Masonic party in American politics so obviously they had an influence

A lot of them wanted a republican system of government and pushed towards that end in the American and French revolutions.

>>3096814
Yes but only in the 18th and 19th centuries.

>>3096814
They do!
They are a Gnostic Christian sect.
They created the Muslim brotherhood.

>>3096943
>They are a Gnostic Christian sect
Their beliefs are only utilitarian, many are jews, lucyferist, deist, atheist, christians, muslims, buddhist, or some polytheistic or mystic shit.

>>3096814

Literally read Wikipedia.

> but le red pillll!!!!

kys

>>3096943
they want earthly wealth and power, not gnostic

>>3096814
They aren't very centralised, some were and are most are not.

As a "secret" fraternity even though its not about politics and religion those trust networks led to their memebers carrying out activities in those areas.

Some like in Brazil, France and Mexcio had members who were very anticlerical in the 19th Century (which why they are the only group who get automatically excommunicated by Catholics)

However most are just clubs for lower to lower middleclass men to LARP, however you still have a few exclusive lodges (which often have annul membership fees in the 10s of thousands) but they seem to be more about networking than carrying out some plan

>>3096814
>Any books regarding them that doesn't go into so retarded alien shit?
Freemasonry for Dummies by Chris Hodapp is legit the best thing to start with. Otherwise it depends on what you actually want to read about. Jasper Ridley's The Freemasons does a decent history.

It's mostly larping but this seemed to have comical control over Italy
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_Due

>>3096814
They're a meme now but back then edgy deists(fedora tippers) influenced the French revolution and held many positions in the revolutionary governments in France and america and killed a bunch of catholics. Later they influenced Brazil's and Mexico's governments as well. They used to be what Marxism was during the 20th century.

>>3097187
I asked this question because I don't buy into that garbage. Stop being a faggot.

>>3098209
Don't confuse the organisation for some of its members.