"Americans, more than most people, believe that history is the result of individual decisions to implement conscious intentions. For Americans, more than most people, history has been that. … This sense of openness, of possibility and autonomy, has been a national asset as precious as the topsoil of the Middle West. But like topsoil, it is subject to erosion; it requires tending. And it is not bad for Americans to come to terms with the fact that for them too, history is a story of inertia and the unforeseen."
George F. Will (b. 1941), U.S. political columnist. Statecraft as Soulcraft: What Government Does, ch. 7 (1984).

Although our site emphasizes persons who are known from their recent books and internet/web activities, their concepts, arguments, and proclamations often are derived from the past. Often, they will simply steal an idea or claim from an earlier author without attribution.

We have not attempted to identify every person who spoke ill of Freemasonry in prior times. Instead, we identify only those who might be remembered today or who might be referred to by those presenting current arguments against Freemasonry. These range from a disgruntled United States President to a Nazi sympathizer.

While those listed on the right have shaped the arguments used today, the sparseness of this particular section is somewhat indicative of the importance of those from the past who've objected to Freemasonry. Others are lost in the dust bin of history, and perhaps appropriately so since their contributions to mankind have been essentially non-existant.

You may wish to compare the individuals we've named as opposing Freemasonry with those named on our Famous Freemasons page. We think you'll notice a large difference in their respective stature, trustworthiness, and integrity.