Has anyone else here read the book? This is something that I am curious how others feel about. Brown paints them as benevolent, but I can't help but think that all those corporate leaders who are Freemasons seem to do next to nothing to stop war and instead are having secret meetings where they consistently are propping up the corrupt system we are living in. I have yet to ever see one of these mega-corporations advocate against war. Just makes me wonder and I am curious how others think in this regard. My theory is that the conspiracy theory is true.
I think there are benevolent and malevolent secret societies and probably some that have mixes of both. As far as free masonry, I cannot say for sure I haven't researched them thoroughly nor been to a lodge, been through the rituals etc, but I will say I think they have a purpose for protecting and promulgating 'secrets' often in symbology/steganography. I would be very cautious in making any broad generalizations based on superficial 'research' by some youtubers. Not that they are all bad, but when you want the truth you have to dig DEEPLY.
BTW Dan Brown writes thriller/fiction, he is not a researcher and doesn't claim to be. I wouldn't take The Lord of the Rings as actual history