# Widespread Secret Societies exist ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 23, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171 "2003-08-23T16:21:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/1 "2003-08-23T16:21:02Z")
We hear so many stories about Templars still existing… about Masons being a worldwide association and things like the “Skulls”. In a large scale … are their secret socieites that actively push for a secret agenda of sorts ? In a global/regional scale… not only within a country. Especially when its not only about ritual or helping out “brothers” but to establish or strengthen a agenda. Al Qaeda isnt valid since its “open”. Masons are more “social” than truly a “secret” society. Are their historical precendents ? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/2 "2003-08-23T16:44:22Z")
We can’t tell you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/3 "2003-08-23T16:45:07Z")
I’ve heard it goes way back. The Rothschilds are in it also. [[urlwww.davidicke.com](http://urlwww.davidicke.com) ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/4 "2003-08-23T16:46:12Z")
> **[Anyone see what’s wrong about this headline and how it sums up the ‘Covid’...](https://davidicke.com/)** > > A British Army veteran accused of fatally shooting a man in Northern Ireland during the Troubles almost 50 years ago died last night after catching Covid midway through the controversial trial. > Dennis Hutchings, 80, was suffering from terminal kidney... ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/5 "2003-08-23T16:47:29Z")
The more people that are members of a secret society, the more people who can spill the beans. The more numerous & powerful the group, the more likely it will come apart like a house of cards. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/6 "2003-08-23T17:09:24Z")
Hate to tell you, buddy, but you’re a member of one. No, really. Well, do you know who I am? Do we share a common goal? Do we support each other? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/7 "2003-08-23T17:18:33Z")
Masons: Not a secret society. They are known to exist and make no effort to hide such existence. Their meeting halls are clearly labeled and they do not recruit in secret (actually they don’t recruit but accept those who self-recruit into the society). Have many members in quite a few countries. Do not have a world-wide agenda. Those who believe the “masons are taking over the world” are, well, not much smarter than the pebble outside my door. Templars: Modern day Templars are a Masonic organization. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/8 "2003-08-23T17:20:06Z")
But aren’t the Masons secret? Don’t you have to go through much levels to “find out the upper level” secrets? Thats what I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/9 "2003-08-23T17:51:17Z")
Well, vanilla, I think you’ve heard that stuff from some very vocal anti-Masonic outfits. At any rate, they do have secrets; they’re just not a secret society. Although I’m not a Mason myself (I’m a DeMolay), I think I am on quite solid ground in saying the “upper level secrets” are not “Satanic World Domination 101.” Essentially, they’re just little skits to liven up the promotion. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/10 "2003-08-23T17:56:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*[www.davidicke.com](http://www.davidicke.com) \*\* Why do you continue to post this as if it were a legitimate cite? You know, the whole shape-shifting reptilians thing makes it bogus. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/11 "2003-08-23T18:24:31Z")
How about the Priory of Sion? From “The Da Vinci Code” fame. Dan Brown claims that they’re real and have been around for 2000 years. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/12 "2003-08-23T18:28:09Z")
Actually more like 900 but whatever. Apparently Hugo, Newton, and Da Vinci were all in it at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/13 "2003-08-23T18:38:16Z")
There is a fundamental problem with this question. If there are secret societies, then we wouldn’t know about them. If people know about them, then they aren’t all that secret are they? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/14 "2003-08-23T18:47:43Z")
The Masons used to be quasi secret, but more recently they decided that this was damaging their ability to continue the society, so they made an effort to increase their visibility. Of course, you could always read up on Jack Chick’s take on the Masons: it’s certainly much more interesting than the Masons themselves are. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/15 "2003-08-23T18:47:54Z")
> [@](#): > > How about the Priory of Sion? From “The Da Vinci Code” fame. Dan Brown claims that they’re real and have been around for 2000 years. Dan Brown also claims that the Illuminati have “incredibly complex” word-puzzle brands and that they left a secret trail all over Rome. I’m hoping he thinks of himself as writing fiction (bad fiction, at that). ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/16 "2003-08-23T18:48:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Splanky \* > \*\*How about the Priory of Sion? From “The Da Vinci Code” fame. Dan Brown claims that they’re real and have been around for 2000 years. \*\* [Debunked](http://www.anzwers.org/free/posdebunking/) by Paul Smith in a BBC programme. Plantard admitted it. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/17 "2003-08-23T19:57:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > The Masons used to be quasi secret, but more recently they decided that this was damaging their ability to continue the society, so they made an effort to increase their visibility. Cite? > [@](#): > > Of course, you could always read up on Jack Chick’s take on the Masons: it’s certainly much more interesting than the Masons themselves are. Just because Chick’s stuff is fiction does not automatically make it interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/18 "2003-08-23T20:08:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by genie \* > \*\*Dan Brown also claims that the Illuminati have “incredibly complex” word-puzzle brands and that they left a secret trail all over Rome. I’m hoping he thinks of himself as writing fiction (bad fiction, at that). \*\* He doesn’t. His web site lists these “true facts” from all of his books on his web site. > [@](#): > > Debunked by Paul Smith in a BBC programme. Plantard admitted it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/19 "2003-08-23T20:43:22Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\* At any rate, they do have secrets; they’re just not a secret society._\* Isn’t a secret society just a group that restricts knowledge of some of its societies to its members? I thought that was the standard definition, and the Masons would be a secret society under that definition, wouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171/20 "2003-08-23T21:15:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Cite? Here’s an article from the Globe I found with less than two seconds of searching: [http://freemasonwatch.freepress-freespeech.com/boston.html](http://freemasonwatch.freepress-freespeech.com/boston.html) > [@](#): > > Just because Chick’s stuff is fiction does not automatically make it interesting. No, not automatically, but definately it is so. Some sort of insane fear of the Masons brings out some of the craziest accusations and quasi-logic Chick has ever come up with. His mason tracts are definately some oft he most entertaining he’s done, and the things he accuses them of doing are far more outrageous than anything they really do. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-secret-societies-exist/197171.md?page=2)