Many conspiracy theories have connected the Freemasons (and the Knights Templar) with worship of the devil;[2][3] these ideas are based on different interpretations of the doctrines of those organizations.
[4] Of the claims that Freemasonry exerts control over politics, perhaps the best-known example is the New World Order theory, but there are others.
These mainly involve aspects and agencies of the United States government, but actual events outside the US (such as the Propaganda Due scandal in Italy) are often used to lend credence to claims.
[6][7] In addition to these, there are various theories that focus on the embedding of symbols in otherwise ordinary items, such as street patterns, national seals, corporate logos, etc.
This type of conspiracy theory was described as early as 1792 by multiple authors, beginning in France and Scotland.