re: #182 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Masonic conspiracy theories go way back. The Republican Party was an amalgam of the Whigs, the Anti-Masonic Party, and the Know-Nothing Party. (Which despite common belief, was not a description of their intellectual attainments, but what they were supposed to say if questioned about the organization, a la Sergeant Schultz.)

Masonic conspiracy theories are still around, but not like they used to be; last time I saw the Masons mentioned conspiracy-wise was some book by El Nutball Jefe Supremo Pat Robertson about 20 years back or so.