Freemasonry, the oldest fraternal organization in the world, has some deeply rooted religious traits, and an odd don't-ask-don't-tell relationship with the Church of Rome. The national mythology of the whole democratic world celebrates men who have been initiated into its sacred rites, and countless exposés have been published, yet there's still an awful lot of secrecy and misinformation.  Is Freemasonry a cult? Does it even qualify as a religion? The Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Alberta will help shed some light on the subject. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holywatermelon Store: https://holy-watermelon-podcast.myspreadshop.ca/ Discord: https://discord.gg/NurpUjS7cc Web: https://holywatermelonpod.wixsite.com/homepage Freemasonry is democratic all the way to the core, and only half of the legitimate Grand Lodges claim jurisdiction over entire countries; the other half stick to provincial and "state" boundaries. A friendly relationship exists between the vast majority of these Grand Lodges (as long as they have legitimate claim to authority in that region), but there is no global Masonic authority.